Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1367 The Gambler’s Bet and the Raptor’s Roar

Positioned away from the plaza’s congested center, the Blood and Fire Mercenary Corps occupied the upper loft of a tavern. From their vantage point overlooking the square, they crowded the windowsills, leaning out to catch every syllable of Ava’s speech rising from below.

Only when the Q&A session concluded did the mercenaries finally pull back. The silence broke instantly, replaced by a chaotic storm of loud chatter and the clinking of heavy tankards.

"Hah! It happened exactly as the Commander predicted!"

"Pay up, boys! I’m the winner. That’s twenty Blackstone coins for me."

The one claiming the pot was a dwarf named Stoutgut. Although he smelled strongly of ale, his gaze remained sharp, and his long beard was neatly tied into practical braids—a clear sign that he was ready for business despite the drinking.

"What rotten luck," muttered the bookie, a gnoll called Bloodear. "No surprises at all? Does no one have any faith left in the Human Kingdom?"

With a heavy sigh, Bloodear pulled a bulging purse from his belt, grudgingly counting out the coins for those who had won.

"Only a fool would bet on the Human Kingdom these days," Stoutgut remarked mockingly as he grabbed his coins. "We have the Giant King, a literal Demigod at the peak of his power, providing protection. You’d have to be brain-dead to pass up a piece of that action."

Stoutgut leaped onto a round table, carelessly kicking empty mugs out of his way. "Do you see that down there? That is Prince Kronos standing in the center of the square. Our Prince. The very future of the Stoneheart Horde."

He hoisted his tankard high, causing ale to splash over the sides. "We tie ourselves to the Prince, and we are set for life. Does any man here doubt that a golden future lies ahead of us?"

The dwarf’s eyes shone with a fanatical intensity at the mention of the royal giants.

"Establishing our HQ in Stoneheart City before the rush was a stroke of genius by the Commander," another mercenary called out.

"You’re damn right!" Stoutgut roared. "Now every arrogant noble on the continent is desperate to get into Stoneheart. We already possess what they are begging for. To the Commander!"

"To the Commander!" the room shouted in unison, their cheers rattling the dust from the ceiling rafters.

The man they were honoring, the knight Godfrey, sat in a corner booth nursing his drink in silence. As the founder of Blood and Fire, he remained calculating while his men celebrated.

Since Kronos was returning to Soaring Bird City, the necessity for Godfrey’s secret protection detail had ended. He had already signaled his brothers to stand down.

"You really shouldn’t give a shit about the Human Kingdom’s mess anymore," a deep, vibrating voice rumbled from across the table.

Brundar, Godfrey’s giant friend and the Deputy Commander of the corps, clinked his glass against the knight's.

"The Horde has already issued the extermination bounties," Brundar went on. "Hunting those filthy Insectoids and incinerating their hives—that is where the real money is. That should be our focus. The opportunity to trade points in the Horde Treasury isn't something that happens every day."

Godfrey smiled at the giant. Having fought side-by-side on the walls of Stoneheart City, they were brothers bound by blood, not just a title.

"My friend, this is the final run," Godfrey said with a shake of his head. "After this, it is unlikely we will travel this path again for a long time."

He felt no regret regarding these last contracts within the Human Kingdom. However, as Soaring Bird City prepared for a mass migration to the Stoneheart Horde, the remaining links Godfrey had to this land were being severed. The other knights were also departing.

"Heh, who can say for sure?" Brundar took a massive gulp of ale. "The future is just a roll of the dice. Who can truly claim to be a prophet?"

Godfrey raised an eyebrow, surprised by such a profound comment from Brundar. Then he recalled the giant’s habit of frequenting the Silent Goblet in Stoneheart. That tavern was a center for political rumors and wild theories; Brundar must have learned some philosophy between his brawls.

"The future belongs to us," Brundar added with a grin. "A world-spanning Mercenaries' Guild. That is the final goal for groups like ours."

Godfrey chuckled softly. "I hope you're right."

He didn't argue, though he suspected that reality was still far away. The continent was balanced on a knife's edge. Without a single, iconic figure to unite the independent sellswords, a true Guild remained a mere pipe dream.

Furthermore, since the Giant King’s Cultivation had reached the rank of Demigod, the political climate had shifted. The voices within the Stoneheart Horde demanding the unification of the entire continent under one banner were growing louder, like a flood ready to break a dam.

While the Giant King had not yet spoken on the matter, Godfrey knew it was inevitable. Unifying the continent was the ultimate tribute to a Demigod—the final sign of the world's submission. Godfrey feared the day the Horde would march against the Human Kingdom, but the recent disasters—the shifts in the sky and earth—had temporarily halted the drums of war.

Survival had compelled the four great factions to cooperate.

"Get some rest," Godfrey said, finishing his drink. "We head out at daybreak. We are trailing Prince Kronos’s column back to Stoneheart."

"Aye, Commander."

That night, the Blood and Fire Mercenary Corps drank until the tavern was dry, marking their final hours in Soaring Bird City.

By the next morning, the fields outside Soaring Bird City had become a sea of humanity.

As the warm sun rose over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pale gold, the city itself felt hollow. The usual energy had drained from the streets and gathered outside the gates, creating a chaotic, dusty scene.

It appeared that half the city was prepared to follow Kronos.

Rich merchants and nobles had their heavy carriages packed to capacity, the axles groaning under the weight. The poor, lacking such luxuries, stood in silent, stoic groups with heavy packs strapped to their backs.

Together with the organized lines of the army, the crowd formed a winding river of people that stretched for miles toward the horizon.

"Well, it looks like Soaring Bird has a fair number of intelligent people," Brundar grunted.

He and Godfrey stood on the now-empty city wall, watching the mass migration. With the city guard already deployed, the walls provided the perfect viewpoint for the mercenaries before they joined the rear of the column.

"It isn't just intelligence," Godfrey corrected while adjusting his gauntlets. "It is the City Lord’s promise. And the lack of a better alternative."

"True. Not every place is fortunate enough to have a Demigod watching over it," Brundar laughed.

The previous day, Ava had vowed to protect the lives and belongings of everyone who followed. That had won over the commoners. For the nobility, it was simple logic: The Stoneheart Horde and the Giant King represented the only real safety in a world that had gone mad.

"I know you’re just being practical, Godfrey," Brundar grinned, his chest swelling with pride. "But damn if it doesn’t make me happy to hear it."

He was proud of his giant heritage. Proud to belong to Stoneheart.

THRUM... THRUM... THRUM...

Suddenly, a rhythmic tremor shook the stone beneath their feet. A low, rolling thunder echoed from the far horizon.

Godfrey’s hand instinctively gripped his sword hilt as his body went stiff. "Is that... a beast tide?"

"No," Brundar said, his grin widening into a fierce, feral smile as he looked toward the source of the noise.

"That isn't a beast tide. That sound... that is our Raptor Cavalry Regiment."