Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1342 The Mermaid's Bargain

A significant amount of time passed before their embrace finally broke.

"I had mapped out a specific timeline," Seraphina whispered, her voice sounding thick and breathless. Her chest moved rhythmically against his as she breathed. "I expected to wait five hundred years, or perhaps even a full millennium, for you to reach this peak. To finally stand as my equal."

She gazed at Orion with wide, unmoving eyes, seemingly intent on etching his features into her very soul. Her expression was a complex blend of possessive love, startled wonder, and immense relief.

"Reaching the rank of a Demigod with such speed..." She ran a finger along the edge of his jaw. "It contradicts all known logic."

"I have a question," Orion replied, pulling her closer by the waist as their warmth merged. "Why did you choose me?"

The inquiry was justified. When the Dragon Race seized her persona, Marina, she possessed the power to flee at any moment. Instead, she chose to let herself be tied to Orion. She had opted for a life of service, becoming his bedwarmer. Was this entire path—the intimacy, the servitude, the unwavering loyalty—merely a script from some vision she had witnessed?

Seraphina offered no verbal reply. A mysterious smile simply played upon her lips.

"It was always meant to be you," she breathed.

Leaning in, she claimed his lips once more. This time, however, the sensation was different. It transcended mere lust; it was a formal transaction.

Orion felt a smooth, hard object pass from her tongue into his own mouth. By instinct, he swallowed it down.

The Mermaid Pearl.

The moment the realization hit, Seraphina’s voice resonated within his mind, bypassing his physical senses.

"Guard this for me. When the time comes for its return, you will give it back in the same manner."

Her mental projection was playful, laced with the smugness of a hunter whose trap had successfully snapped shut.

Orion remained silent. He turned his awareness inward, watching the object as it took its place within his core. Compared to the jewel Marina once possessed, Seraphina’s pearl was on an entirely different level. It didn't feel like a mere stone; it pulsated like a living entity—a tiny, ethereal mermaid drifting through his lifeblood.

As it merged with his being, a torrent of energy that was definitely not Divine Power surged through his body. It felt frigid, immense, and incredibly dense.

"Primordial Essence," Orion muttered to himself, his eyes flying open. He stared at Seraphina, stunned.

This was no simple magical artifact. The pearl held the distilled Origin Power of the oceans belonging to the Titanion Realm.

"Shh." Seraphina placed a slender, graceful finger against his mouth. "This is our little secret."

"This represents the Essence of the Sea," she clarified in a low, hushed tone. "It provided enough power to push me to the initial stage of a Demigod, but I can go no further on my own. I am stagnant. I require an outside force to break this deadlock. I need a new state of balance."

She moved to straddle him, her grin shifting into something more predatory. "It is far too late to retreat now, my dear."

"So," Orion chuckled, resting his head back on his hands and meeting her gaze with calm assurance. "You are harvesting me. I am nothing more than a power source to you."

"Harvesting?" Seraphina’s laughter rang out, as clear as a bell. "That is such a harsh word for such an exquisite process. But in essence, yes."

She leaned closer to his face. "The real question is... can you handle the burden?"

Orion’s smile stretched wider. "You are about to find out."

He seized her hips, his massive palms nearly meeting around her waist.

Technically, the Mermaid Pearl was an interloper inside his body. However, it functioned as a flawless bridge.

Since Orion had constructed his own Abyssal World, his understanding of Origin Power mechanics was far deeper than Seraphina suspected. Though she hadn't stated it plainly, the truth was obvious. Seraphina was more than a mighty mermaid; she was the living manifestation of the Titanion Realm's seas. That bond granted her incredible strength, but it also placed a ceiling on her growth. She was shackled by the world's own boundaries.

To break through, Faith Energy alone wouldn't suffice. She required a spark. An outside element.

She needed Orion.

She had likely exhausted countless divination spells to locate this exact path—the single future where Marina would encounter him, serve him, and lead to this very moment. Without the Marina identity, Seraphina and Orion would have been strangers, or perhaps even foes.

Currently, the Pearl was acting as a circuit. It channeled the Sea’s Essence into Orion, while simultaneously drawing out a portion of his unique Origin Power. When she eventually took the Pearl back, that blended energy would demolish her bottlenecks.

In the ancient language of Cultivation, this was known as "Dual Cultivation." In this context, it was a mix of biological and metaphysical symbiosis. A fair trade.

And business was booming.

Silverwood Realm: Current's Bend

In the years following its birth, Atlantis had evolved. It was no longer merely a stronghold; it had become a haven.

Traveling through deep-sea currents and secret paths, members of the Sea Race had arrived in massive numbers. Atlantis had transformed into a beacon of liberty, a "Free City" beneath the waves where entry was granted to anyone with a clean history. The population had skyrocketed to over ten million, turning the ocean floor into a massive capital of glowing coral and vibrant streets.

On this day, the guards at the border were on high alert.

A gargantuan ship, mimicking the shape of a whale and vibrating with magi-tech power, passed through the protective fields. It pulled into the main dock, its seals hissing as a group of visitors stepped out.

Leading the way was a figure of both horror and beauty: a Marilith Naga. Her snake-like lower half pulsed with hidden strength, and her upper body boasted four graceful yet lethal arms.

Following her was a unit of high-ranking protectors—the Knights of the Tetrarch. They were outfitted in thick, pressurized suits of armor, their features hidden behind breathing apparatuses.

"Quite a sight," Kraken whispered, observing from a high vantage point at the station. "Full environmental gear. The Cult of Four has more resources than I anticipated."

Kraken, one of the three Grand Marshals of Atlantis, felt a brief surge of avarice before masking it with a professional, neutral face. He straightened his gear and walked out to greet the party.

This was the formal representative of the Cult of Four, a High Priestess arriving for talks.

"Welcome to Atlantis, noble messenger," Kraken announced loudly.

He halted a few paces from the Naga and extended a powerful, thick tentacle from his back, offering it in a low, swirling motion.

The Coil. This was the traditional greeting of these depths—a sign of mutual trust and power, similar to a handshake but involving much more intimacy.

The Marilith Naga ignored the gesture. She shifted her body with fluid ease, dodging the tentacle with practiced movements.

"Your enthusiasm is noted, Marshal," she remarked, her tone cold and distant. "However, I will decline such personal contact."

Kraken slowly pulled his tentacle back. His face remained civil, but his gaze sharpened.

To reject the Coil was more than an insult; in the Silverwood Realm, it was a declaration of status. By spurning the greeting, she was spurning their entire way of life. It confirmed the suspicions held by Kraken, Leonidas, and Orion.

She wasn't a local. She didn't belong to the Titanion Realm or the Silverwood. She was from another world entirely.

And if she was a potent female from beyond their stars...

Kraken’s thoughts whirled. Could this be the 'Witch' that Leonidas and Hulk had cautioned them about?

He maintained a relaxed stance, aware that Leonidas and Orion were observing from the darkness. He decided to test her resolve.

"I ask your forgiveness, my lady," Kraken rumbled, his voice turning heavy and menacing. "But if you find the traditions of the Sea Race so distasteful... how do you plan to lead them?"