Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1378 The Cost of Entry

[Alexander: What are the odds?]

Temptation was evident in Alexander's tone. His quick query on the success chances exposed his inner thrill. Though mere avatars, eliminating the Clown and Witch would deliver immense pleasure.

[Edward: The odds are high.]

[Edward: But for us, it's a strategic blunder.]

Edward, serving as Deputy Commander, delivered the cool-headed perspective.

[Edward: If we burn resources wiping out this Cult detachment, we're just doing the Sea Race a favor. We give them room to breathe. Once we recover, we'll just be facing a stronger Sea Race.]

[Edward: Killing the Clown now means throwing away our leverage. We need the Cult of Four to grind the Sea Race down.]

[Edward: In short: we'd be using brute force to fight two wars back-to-back, instead of letting our enemies destroy each other.]

Reality hit hard with this assessment. Striking at that moment would force a relentless series of battles: Champions Alliance clashing with the Cult, right after by Champions Alliance battling the Sea Race.

[Edward: Most importantly, if we kill them, we lose our ticket inside. Finding the true forms of the Clown and the Witch will become exponentially harder.]

Edward's breakdown cut deep. Immediate rewards had to be balanced against future benefits, and a swift choice was essential.

[Alexander: Leonidas, back up. Explain the Pontiff offer clearly.]

Alexander shifted gears without delay, his thoughts sharpening.

[Leonidas: It's simple. They want to recruit Atlantis. If we help them crush the Sea Race, they cut us in for a third of the maritime territory.]

[Leonidas: And the kicker: they promised to recommend me to their Archbishops for a seat as one of the Twelve Pontiffs. A seat with actual administrative power, not just a figurehead role.]

All options lay exposed. The group now hung on the Deputy Commander's judgment.

[Kraken: By the way, why aren't we asking Arthas?]

Kraken, sharp as always, picked up on the quiet from their most powerful ally.

[Hulk: Bro is busy.]

[Leonidas: Arthas is tied up.]

Both Orion and Leonidas answered together. They were fully aware of Arthas's location. His attention was completely fixed on the Minor Hell world.

Without an outright assault, Leonidas, Alexander, Edward, and Orion mostly stayed in low-activity mode to save Divine Power. Yet Arthas never rested.

He watched over the Ever-Burning Volcano, led the fights around the central area, and directed his leftover awareness toward the World Dragon egg to take in the Minor Hell world's laws.

Arthas pushed relentlessly. This discussion was beyond his current capacity.

Perhaps Orion's fresh breakthrough had sparked it, but Arthas dove into cultivation with wild fervor. By the time he broke his isolation, the Alliance could greet a fourth-stage Demigod.

[Kraken: Got it.]

[Edward: Pass on the ambush.]

Following a drawn-out silence, the Deputy Commander issued his ruling.

[Edward: We can't afford the cost, and we can't leave our posts. The optimal strategy is to let the Cult of Four and the Sea Race bleed each other dry. We sit on the fence and loot the corpses.]

Edward's logic stung, yet rang true. "Can't afford it, can't leave." Such was their situation.

They couldn't bear the expense since, excluding Edward, the others—Arthas, Alexander, Leonidas, Orion—were fresh Demigods with weak bases and limited Faith Energy stores. Endless intense conflicts would exhaust them completely and halt their growth.

They couldn't depart because responsibilities piled high. Arthas managed Minor Hell. Orion handled the Titanion Realm conflict and the pending Eldoria assault. Leonidas and Alexander carried their loads; the Dragon Race had long urged Leonidas to visit Xanajar, the Paradise of Myriad Dragons, but he hadn't managed it yet.

As their domain expanded, their forces grew ever more strained.

[Edward: And don't think penetrating the Cult of Four will be easy.]

[Edward: That organization was founded by four Gods. They aren't amateurs. They will have mechanisms to ensure loyalty—magical contracts, soul binds, you name it.]

Edward drew from his own background. As part of the Saint Gran Council, supported by a God of Magic, he understood those depths well. Figures like the enigmatic Clown and Witch didn't simply sign up lightly; unbreakable ties held them.

[Edward: Leonidas, you think you're infiltrating them? Be careful they aren't inviting you in just to shackle Atlantis.]

[Edward: Think about it. If you join them, that "one-third" of the ocean they give you? It's just them taking money from their left pocket and putting it in their right pocket.]

[Edward: You jump around, thinking you're making moves, but eventually, you just end up on someone else's dinner plate.]

This served as both alert and breakdown of the snare.

To Demigods such as Leonidas, Alexander, and Orion, it was a chilling wake-up. For Kraken, mere Arch Lord, it chilled to the bone. Interest from Four Gods-level beings would leave no escape.

[Leonidas: So... we just let them go?]

[Leonidas: Damn it. That feels wrong.]

Edward's reasoning held firm, but Leonidas chafed inside. Skipping a brawl clashed with his nature.

[Alexander: Let them grind against the Sea Race first. We help a little here, steal a little there.]

[Alexander: If they actually move forward with the Pontiff recommendation, we can petition the Commander for assistance before you accept.]

Alexander, steadied now, suggested the compromise. With the Commander—their supreme leader—stepping in, dangers could be controlled.

[Hulk: If Alexander is right, and that offer is real, get ready for the hazing.]

[Hulk: The Cult isn't going to hand a Pontiff seat to an outsider without a test. They'll probably demand the three Grand Marshals of Atlantis undergo a "baptism" or ritual.]

[Hulk: That's when they'll try to leash you.]

Orion shared his honest view. In the Cult's position, welcoming a formidable foe, he'd harbor no trust. He'd stack the odds, create trials, and make sure the new seat-holder was fully tamed by the end.