Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1425 Cross-Realm Merchant

Aldwyn remained the sole survivor of the Eight Great Knights.

His blade had been sworn to Ava long before, yet his loved ones lingered in the southern realms of humanity. Not long past, he'd departed to fetch them, planning to shift his entire household toward Soaring Bird City.

Yet the abrupt heavenly chaos compelled Ava to forsake Soaring Bird City.

Aldwyn hurried back, only to discover the city stripped of its rulers, leaving his daughter exposed to a realm overrun by rampant sin and chaos. He had to extract them immediately. His goal lay with the Stoneheart Horde; he aimed to pursue the Princess's trail onward. The idea of abandoning his spouse and offspring in this cursed place even briefly filled him with dread.

"Can we trust those mercenaries?"

Unlike their child, Aldwyn's spouse fretted deeply over the perils of the path forward. The trek to this spot had been savage; they'd clashed with countless mystic creatures and the advancing bug swarms. Without Aldwyn's warrior skills, the pair of mother and daughter would've been devoured by some monster ages ago.

"I'll watch them closely," Aldwyn promised her. "As we're journeying afar, they'll be wise enough to realize strength lies in unity. A bigger party wards off the creatures."

Aldwyn tossed extra wood onto the hearth in front of him. The desertion of Soaring Bird City held some silver lining; at least they'd swiftly claimed a whole, empty dwelling for refuge. With Aldwyn guarding the primary entrance, his wife and child could rest deeply through the night.

Still, amid the darkest hours, a restless Aldwyn snapped alert from a subtle, pulsing chirp.

He detected the stench of doom.

"What is that?"

He'd blocked the entrance with rubble, so he strained to glimpse through gaps in the nailed-shut pane. Darkness cloaked the night, and with the city almost emptied of souls, no glow pierced the void. Nothing met his gaze.

Suddenly, the City Lord's estate burst into inferno.

Power surges and arcane detonations illuminated the heavens. In the wild dance of blaze glow, Aldwyn spotted them: crawlers. Bug-like horrors infested over half the streets.

Aldwyn's kin had fortune on their side; the horde had invaded from the far flank of Soaring Bird City.

"Dammit!"

"Run! Now!"

The blasts roused his wife and daughter from sleep. Aldwyn skipped any words of warning. He surged power into his fist, smashing the window's barriers in one strike. Scooping up his family, he leaped from the chamber, dropping right onto the back of his beast-blooded steed tied beyond.

As a knight, Aldwyn's ride was no common animal; bearing the trio proved no burden at all. At its rider's urge, the beast-blooded steed vaulted the yard barrier in one leap, charging headlong for the gates.

Aldwyn wasn't alone in his drive to survive.

Along the escape route, he witnessed hireling squads bolting in terror and brigands hustling to flee. A few, in wild desperation, lunged to seize Aldwyn's steed, arms raised with weapons, but he felled them swiftly using his spear.

Thanks to his ride's velocity, Aldwyn soon escaped the bounds of Soaring Bird City.

By that point, the clamor of combat and the wails of the fallen thickened into a nightmarish roar. Blazes surged taller, devouring the horizon.

Now secure at a remove, Aldwyn couldn't help but look behind. His eyes widened in horror.

It was an Insectoid.

Perched on Soaring Bird City's battlements, the beast unleashed a shrill cry while flinging spears without cease, impaling the escapees scrambling below the walls.

"Hyah!"

An Insectoid fighter. A disaster.

Seeing this, Aldwyn refused to delay another instant. He whipped his steed onward, widening the gap between them and the doomed city as much as he could.

The bug scourge had descended on Soaring Bird City.

Stoneheart Horde, Stoneheart City

Due to the constantly humming portal formations, plenty opted against rushing back to Stoneheart City right after the flame gathering. Lilith, swamped with governing tasks, had come back ahead of the rest.

At present, inside a chamber of the fortress, Lilith grasped a scout's dispatch, her gaze sharpening.

"Tristan Greymount. Possible Awakened?"

Awakened. Lilith hadn't quite mastered the notion; she'd picked it up from Orion.

For a stretch, the Stoneheart Horde's spy network had sought out figures matching this label. The clearest sign of an Awakened showed in exceptional wisdom and foresight—the knack for the sharpest choices in dire straits.

And this Tristan, fresh to the Stoneheart Horde, matched the signs.

"Guards. Seize this Tristan. Without a fuss."

After deep thought, Lilith issued the order.

Two days on, Lilith made her way to the northern bastion of Blackstone City.

In the grand chamber of the Horde Hall, Orion loomed on his seat of power, gazing at the limp body of Tristan below.

"From our reports, the Greymount clan's ascent relies deeply on this man's counsel," Lilith stated, nestling at ease in Orion's embrace. "He's the key figure steering the Greymount family. It was he who directed them to stockpile Stoneheart coins right from the start."

Her fascination burned for this "Awakened" idea Orion had mentioned.

Orion stayed quiet. He stretched out his godly essence, delving into Tristan's mind realm.

Following a prolonged hush, Orion exhaled, a trace of regret in his tone.

"He's not the kind I'm seeking."

"Still," Orion continued, "his coming aids the Stoneheart Horde."

Tristan's real role was that of a Traveling Merchant.

Here, a Traveling Merchant went beyond a simple hawker. It meant those scarce souls who handled trade across dimensions. They stood as unique beings able to journey to foreign realms for commerce, hailed as impartial by countless grand forces.

To be precise, a impartial guild focused on inter-world dealings backed Tristan.

Tristan served as just one operative. His foothold in the Stoneheart Horde marked that the Horde's wares and ways had at last drawn notice from that impartial guild.

"I'll rouse him. I've schemes for him, but you'll lead the talks."

Lilith inclined her head. The fellow still piqued her interest.

Soon after, swayed by Orion's godly essence, Tristan stirred from his daze.

His skull pounded like it'd met a battle-axe's blow. Though agony gripped him, his reflexes surged, and he quickly surveyed the area. Spotting Orion and Lilith on the throne, his pulse raced wildly, erasing the ache in a flash.

"Tristan. Of the Silent Coin Trading Alliance. Greetings in the Stoneheart Horde."

Ere Tristan could utter a word, Orion's voice—profound, booming, and commanding—echoed through the space.

No raw force pressed down, but a surge of reverence rose unbidden in Tristan's core. He recognized that sensation. It sprang from confronting a being of such might that none could stand against them.

As an inter-realm trader, he grasped the full import.

"I am Tristan Greymount. It is my privilege to encounter the mighty Giant King. Your splendor illuminates the whole land!" Tristan bent deeply. "As a wanderer from distant shores, I am blessed by your protection. Tristan pledges his true devotion."

He was a youth sharp at sensing moods and ranks. In Orion's view, Tristan's worth climbed plainly.