Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1394 The Price of Power

"He nearly scorched his soul into nothing but cinders."

Orion grabbed Kaelen from behind his back and pulled him forward, holding him up by the collar of his neck just like a naughty pup getting disciplined.

The backlash from the [Divine Art: Blood Sacrifice] hit hard. Kaelen's life force had been sucked away so completely that his body had shrunk backward in age. He wasn't a youth anymore; he'd become a small child, no older than three. And with his bloodline control in ruins, he remained trapped in his battle shape—four little heads nodding around, eight plump limbs waving about without purpose.

He appeared even more helpless than Kronos or Pallas during their early days. He resembled a plaything tossed aside by some beast.

"My little one... my precious child!"

Sophia yanked Kaelen out of Orion's hold, pressing the young boy tightly against her body. The iron will of a family leader, her unyielding strength, at last shattered. Tears streamed down her face as she hid it in Kaelen's locks.

"I swear... I swear you'll never face such peril again. Oh, my dear Kaelen..."

Orion shook his head while observing her. He held no deep affection for Sophia themselves—their bond had been short, a mere exchange fueled by desire—but he grasped the situation. She raised her child alone in a cruel realm. Kaelen meant everything to her. She fussed endlessly over his food, his outfits, his feelings. It was that intense, clinging devotion born from having only one another to rely on in a brutal existence.

"Hold back those tears," Orion commanded, his words slicing into her cries. "Time's not on our side for this."

Sophia swallowed her sobs, lifting her gaze to him through misty vision, ready for his directives.

"Within twelve hours, the Demigods from the Chaos Continent will tear open a gateway close by," Orion declared firmly, allowing no debate. "You and Kaelen will join me."

"Regarding the Dark Butterfly Clan... they can trail us to the Dusk Continent. I'll secure them a fresh dwelling. Or they can remain behind."

He bent forward a bit. "Yet I urge them to gather their things. Staying means they'll face intense scrutiny. The regional Demigods won't allow another unpredictable force like Kaelen to emerge. It's simpler to extinguish a flame than to shield it from gusts."

"This location holds no safety for you any longer."

Minor Hell Dimension. Ashenheart Domain.

As his projection managed the relocation details, Orion's mind attended a crucial meeting with his closest allies.

"You're joking, right?" Leonidas laughed derisively, his tone echoing loudly. "Something on the Chaos Continent that even gave you trouble?"

Leonidas seemed truly puzzled. For Orion—a Demigod now—to show caution, the danger must rank at Second Circle or above. In any group, such a power served as an ultimate weapon.

Encountering a force like that simply by arriving stirred unease.

"It fits if you consider it," Edward pondered aloud, stroking his jaw. He'd been dissecting the information since Orion shared it.

"The Emerald Dream Realm keeps evolving. We're the fresh arrivals; we've only been established here for a handful of decades. The hidden history of this world escapes us."

"We might be mighty dragons venturing across the stream," he went on, "but the native serpents have slithered here for millennia. The absence of a Second Circle being in our sights doesn't prove they were gone. It only shows nobody provoked them into revealing themselves until this moment."

This realization chilled them. The Champions Alliance possessed their secret trump card—Commander Thresh—as their last defense. Logically, the indigenous groups harbored their own dormant titans.

"That suggests the Dawn Continent hides a comparable asset," Arthas pointed out, piecing it together.

If the Chaos Continent—steadily yielding territory to the Dawn Continent's dark powers—concealed a Demigod-level surprise, then the Dawn side surely wielded something far more vicious to hold their superiority.

"We should stay wary of Pollard," Arthas warned. Pollard, the Dawn faction's envoy, had allied with them previously, but pacts in this realm shifted like ocean waves.

"The depths of the Emerald Dream Realm run profound and clouded," the Deputy Commander summed up. He faced Orion. "Hulk, stay vigilant on the scans. Ensure no one strikes our base while our guard is down."

He casually employed Orion's moniker, "Hulk." The leadership mantle shifted. Prior to his rise, Orion relied on their safeguarding. With his Demigod status, overseeing the Emerald Dream fell squarely on him. He became the fresh enforcer, and his comrades prepared to retreat, allowing him to tackle the routine burdens.

"Hulk," Alexander interjected. The King of Conquerors had stayed quiet up to then. "My bond with the Asura Sword remains unfinished. I must keep my attention fixed here. Please guide Isabella in my stead."

"Should conflict erupt, place her at the forefront. Allow her to endure some hardship."

Orion arched a brow. Alexander was piling more duties onto him.

"The Queen possesses skill," Alexander assessed, his voice balanced yet critical. "And drive. Yet she's overly arrogant. She lacks the savvy to navigate politics."

"She won't stoop to schmoozing. She refuses to act the bootlicker or mere follower. That attitude costs her chances. She's lagging in the race."

Alexander spoke truth. Within their ranks, those who advanced—like Kraken and Makareth—excelled in interpersonal arts. They mastered charm, connections, and becoming essential.

Consider Kraken. A silver-tongued charmer and bold admirer, yet he delivered results. From the Dragon War to overseeing Atlantis's operations, he proved tireless. For that, Leonidas and Orion always supported him. When spoils or lands were divided, Kraken claimed his portion.

Isabella, conversely, kept her distance. She sought achievement through pure ability, leaving her overlooked amid the "schemer's" distributions of rewards.

"I admire it," Alexander stated, meeting Orion's gaze directly. "Each person charts their path. If she shuns pleading for bits, so be it. Let her battle for her share."

"Her pride runs deep. But against real might, pride crumbles. Temper her, Hulk. Render her effective."