Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1422 Prison of the Deep

"Leonidas's performance was just terrible. Utterly dreadful."

Amusement laced the Witch's voice. "Did he truly believe that hiding his soul aura and lowering his pitch by an octave could deceive me? Faces might alter, but your speech rhythm stays the same. Habits from long ago cling stubbornly."

Heh heh heh…

She let out unrestrained, taunting chuckles. The Witch had spotted Leonidas right away during her third encounter with the Atlantis troops.

"Sadly, I can't linger for more fun," she murmured seductively, her figure starting to fade. "Replacing my avatar costs a fortune, after all."

Kraken didn't even manage a flinch before she disappeared.

Paranoia defined the Witch. She'd set up her getaway route the instant the vibe turned suspicious.

"The situation's shifted. I'll fill you in soon."

Orion felt no shock that Kraken couldn't capture her. Sure, the Witch faced suppression, but she proved elusive. He'd dispatched Kraken solely because the Dead Sea's rules ensured a sure win for a powered-up Kraken—provided she didn't flee.

Orion extended his hand, touching Kraken's brow with a finger. He shifted his Demigod soul projection into the mermaid's mental realm.

Once the shift finished, Orion's Abyssal Dreadfin body unleashed a booming bellow. He tore apart a teleportation scroll, causing space to twist violently around him.

"Return to Atlantis!"

Issuing that last order, Orion faded away from the Silverwood Realm.

Kraken blinked in a stupor. The directive rang in his mind, yet it took a full minute for his thoughts to restart.

What in the world occurred?

Why had both Leonidas and Orion fled?

Even amid the bewilderment, his faith in his blood brothers remained unshakable. He commanded the Atlantean army to pull back and bolted, propelling himself swiftly from the chaos of battle.

Shortly after Kraken's exit, a huge, ghostly image of a God appeared over the sea's top.

It emitted dazzling sacred radiance, serving as a signal to summon back the souls from the Cult of Four and their remaining Paladins.

Yet the Dead Sea guarded its domain fiercely.

The dark waters churned wildly, hurling forth an impossible tidal surge. It slammed against the ethereal God, breaking the image into glowing specks and disrupting the Cult's soul-retrieval ceremony.

The Cult of Four's invading army found itself ensnared.

No longer mere liquid, the ocean had become a realm of power. The Cetus Giants activated the Dead Sea, stretching their domain and altering natural laws inside it. They'd driven out the intruders, yet this action locked them within as well.

The Dead Sea spurns all that is alien.

Sea Folk venturing from the depths face death.

Such stood the decree of this Divine Kingdom.

A Divine Kingdom arose from a Fourth-Stage Demigod's creation, bolstered by a Divine Calling and unyielding principles. As the Dead Sea blended with the Moon Sea, it acted like a Fourth-Stage being staking claim to the whole ocean as its private domain.

After the sacred image shattered, the sea's surface settled into an uncanny, silent stillness.

However, under the surface, amid the oppressive gloom, conflict blazed fiercely. The Cult of Four possessed vast strength. Though weakened, they'd fight to the end, draining the Cetus Giants of their vitality. The Giants, fueled by their species' united resolve, pressed on until no outsider's blood remained unspilled.

Emerald Dream Realm, Leonidas's Palace.

Orion's Abyssal Dreadfin avatar appeared to discover Leonidas and Kraken—actually Kraken's backup form—already relaxing on the balcony, holding beverages.

"Hulk, you faced no suppression. What made you flee?"

Leonidas hurled a wine chalice across the space. Orion snatched it smoothly, reducing his enormous body to human scale and flopping onto a lounge chair.

"Don't bother asking. That Divine Kingdom imposed a fresh law: 'Leave the sea, and you die,'" Orion muttered, swigging deeply from the wine. "I possess just one water-based avatar. No way was I risking it being bound to Atlantis indefinitely."

Orion had slipped away in the brief gap before the law solidified across the area. A moment longer, and his Dreadfin shape would've been imprisoned.

"Is it truly a Divine Kingdom?" Leonidas inquired, twirling his wine. Doubt colored his tone—not toward Orion, but the idea itself. Leonidas hadn't ascended to the Fourth Stage. His World Dragon form held a personal sub-space, but he hadn't shaped it into a proper Kingdom. Its workings remained unknown to him.

"Hold on," Kraken interrupted, his gaze expanding in shock. "Orion... you mean my primary form is stuck in Current's Bend forever?"

The truth dawned on him at last. Horror and incredulity filled his glance as he shifted between Orion and Leonidas.

"Calm down, Squid," Leonidas chuckled, smacking his thigh. "That's merely your tentacle form. It regenerates easily. If it perishes, so be it."

"We're family through and through. Sacrifice for the group, alright? Hahaha!"

Leonidas burst into booming guffaws. Orion gave a casual shrug, showing no remorse. The strategy had been exactly that: implant the soul projection in Kraken's chief body for oversight, securing the prized Dreadfin away safely.

"Orion, that's low!" Kraken pretended to bristle, but his ease knowing his true essence rested secure in the Dream Realm shone through.

"What? You no longer desire Current's Bend?" Orion joked.

"Er... naturally, I do want it," Kraken stuttered. For an aspiring Demigod gathering vital assets, surrendering a prize like Current's Bend proved unthinkable.

"Orion," Kraken stated, turning grave. "Can we truly defend it?"

Orion finished his wine and reclined, basking in the gentle rays of the Dream Realm.

"My soul projection within you ensures we keep the land, provided none of the three Cetus Demigods advances to the Second Stage," Orion replied in a relaxed drawl, lids shut. "Naturally, there's a fee. Fifty percent of the Faith Energy you gather from Atlantis sustains my soul projection."

A broad, fawning smile stretched across Kraken's features.

"Agreed! Here, Orion, allow me to refill that. Try this grilled fish—it's fresh off the fire!"

Kraken hurried to pour more into Orion's vessel.

In essence, the withdrawal amounted to a transfer. Leonidas and Orion had handed Atlantis over to Kraken in effect. Unable to oversee it from afar, the division of Faith Energy hinged wholly on Kraken's honor.

As Kraken's guide, Leonidas claimed no share. Orion's demand for half to uphold defenses boiled down to a profit share.

"Very well," Leonidas yawned, extending his limbs with cracks like bursting fireworks. "Now for rest and relaxation. I'll seek a cozy cavern and slumber through several decades."

Residing in a World Dragon body, Leonidas's idea of a "nap" equaled deep hibernation.

"Brother, sleep won't come easy for you," Orion remarked.

He drew two crystal spheres from his spatial ring and flung them toward Leonidas and Kraken.

"This represents the world of Eldoria. I've secured a base there already."

Orion straightened, eyes sparkling. "My sources reveal a vast ocean exists there as well."

"I won't delve into the specifics, but ample waters await for us three to divide fairly."

Truthfully, the ocean stood as the sole slice Orion could provide them presently, though it loomed enormous.