Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1361 The Dragon’s Pact

"The reality is that your mother's opportunity to claim her status arrived the very moment you entered Stoneheart to begin your training under Lilith."

Orion spoke with a steady composure, showing no signs of spite, yet his words carried the immense gravity of the past.

"The Stoneheart Horde's acceptance of you meant they accepted her as well. Ava was the one who faltered. Paralyzed by her fear of me, she constructed internal barriers where none truly existed. She sought refuge in shadows and made endless excuses."

He shifted his massive frame, causing the great stone throne to emit a low groan under his weight.

"Even as I rose to the rank of Arch Lord and the various factions arrived to offer their tribute... she remained within the city walls, yet stubbornly refused to step into the castle. She could not bring herself to confront Lilith. Time after time, the path was cleared for her, but she chose not to take a single step forward."

With a sweep of his colossal hand, Orion seemed to dismiss the lingering memories of those bygone days.

"Regardless, that is all ancient history now. Those matters belong to my era, not yours. You must forge your own legend; do not permit the ghosts of our past to haunt your journey."

His meaning was unmistakable: to Orion and Lilith, Ava’s social standing was an inconsequential detail. Ava herself was the only one who had ever turned it into a conflict.

"You possess a rare sense of loyalty, Kronos; you are a fine son," Orion added, his voice losing some of its edge. "However, you aren't required to bargain away your martial glory for your mother’s protection. Family does not operate on such terms here. Consider her safety guaranteed. Now... speak your true desires."

Orion observed the youth before him—his own flesh and blood, the carrier of his legacy. He sought to close the distance between them.

"Having your word, Father, is all I truly require," Kronos answered, his voice thick with a sense of profound relief. The crushing burden that had plagued him and his mother for years had been lifted by a mere sentence.

"You are stubborn," Orion remarked with a deep, vibrating chuckle. "Very well. I shall decide the reward for you."

Before Kronos could respond, the force of gravity vanished. He drifted upward, floating toward the towering figure seated upon the throne.

"Excellent bone structure. A sturdy frame," Orion murmured, scrutinizing the boy who was now suspended at eye level.

Kronos looked directly into Orion's eyes—eyes that were the exact image of his own. In this moment, the Demigod’s look was surprisingly soft, devoid of the scorching divine light that typically incinerated those who were unworthy. It was safe to meet his gaze. Even so, hanging in the air like a doll, Kronos felt a chaotic surge of reverence mixed with primal dread.

"Is there truly nothing you yearn for? No source of power? No treasure beyond your reach?" Orion questioned, tapping Kronos’s chin with a finger as thick as a sturdy branch.

He couldn't help but think of Pallas. Had it been Pallas, the child would be rattling off a list of demands, bartering for toys, sweets, or magical artifacts. Yet Kronos remained suspended in silence. He had arrived with one goal, and with that goal achieved, he felt no further greed.

Orion peered deeper, looking past the boy's physical exterior and into his spiritual core. Deep within the cycling energy, he identified the distinct mark of a draconic contract.

"Ah. I possess the perfect gift for you."

Opening his palm, Orion revealed a rune that glowed with a powerful, amber radiance. A ghostly dragon swirled around his fingers, letting out a silent, prideful roar.

It was the [Dragon's Pact].

To a Demigod of Orion's stature, it was a mere bauble. But for Kronos, who had only recently achieved the Legendary tier, it was a monumental treasure.

"This is a [Runestone of the Ancients]," Orion noted casually. "It carries the testimonial of the Dragon Demigods. Integrate this, and you will find that lesser drakes tremble in your presence, while the greater ones will listen to reason—or be forced to submit. It will merge with your equipment or your soul, granting you mastery over their kind."

Orion pressed his hand against the boy's brow. The rune erupted in light, sinking into Kronos’s skin and embedding itself into his very being. It was now permanently tied to him; unless a power greater than Orion’s intervened, it would never leave him.

"Go now. Go find your mother."

Orion ruffled Kronos’s hair and, with a subtle gesture, sent the boy drifting gently toward the palace gates. As the massive doors rumbled shut, Orion closed his eyes, returning to the deep, restorative Cultivation sleep of a Demigod.

Standing alone in the courtyard, Kronos touched his forehead, a wide, uncharacteristic smile breaking across his face.

"You were truly there," he whispered toward the sealed entrance. "You were there the whole time."

Throughout his childhood, Orion had been nothing more than a myth—a frightening shadow born from the tales of Brom and James. He had seemed as unreachable as the distance between Soaring Bird City and the Ogre Territories.

Now, that chasm had been bridged.

Kronos had realized the truth. The terrifying Giant King, the Demigod who ruled the continent... was simply his father. He occupied that throne not merely to command, but to serve as their guardian.

Is this the true burden of a Lord?

Kronos stared at his palms, suddenly grasping the weight of leadership. He envisioned his mother, the delicate human woman who had shouldered the fate of an entire city.

I have a long road ahead of me.

The World of Eldoria, Uncharted Region

A heavy silence hung over the town.

It was a village lost to history, devoid of any modern industry or trade. It remained primitive, isolated, and still.

On this night, the sky turned a bruised shade of violet as dark clouds smothered the moon. A biting wind tore through the alleys, dragging withered leaves across the cobblestones.

To Aina, this was not peace. It was the terrifying stillness that precedes a slaughter.

Perched high above on the limb of a colossal ancient oak, Aina watched the sleeping inhabitants below.

"Begin Project Paradise," she whispered into the darkness. "Let this fairy tale be written in blood."

Below her was the settlement of Nightfall.

Only a month prior, the world knew it as Astravale, the seat of the Grand Duke Astravale. But after the Duke and his entire bloodline were executed in their sleep, the scavengers had arrived. New nobility had claimed the land, wiped away its heritage, and renamed the territory.

They believed themselves to be the apex predators. They had no inkling of the entity watching them from the shadows of the trees.