Titan King: Ascension of the Giant
Chapter 812 - 812: A Reasonable Claim

The sheer speed at which the situation had evolved left both Orion and Leonidas struggling to catch up.

"Deputy Commander," Leonidas blurted out, his usual swagger momentarily absent. "Are you saying we're only invading the Dusk Continent now? The cake is gone?"

Truth be told, Leonidas's enthusiastic participation in the invasion, beyond his loyalty to the team, was driven by the promise of a substantial share of world essence when the final prize—the 'cake'—was divided.

Without that, the Dusk Continent itself held little appeal for him. Unlike Orion, Kraken, or Isabella, Leonidas had no need for territory or a flock of faithful worshipers. As a peak Archlord, his every ambition was focused on finding the catalyst that would propel him to the demigod tier, and on acquiring anything that might pave that road.

"Because of this great change, the Emerald Veil's fundamental rules have shifted. It has begun a process of active evolution," the Deputy Commander explained, his gaze steady. "This world will now be far more fertile ground for nurturing treasures and powerful individuals. It will hold more opportunities than other realms. Conquer the Dusk Continent, hold it, and the catalyst you seek for your own ascension may very well appear here."

A fiery light ignited in Leonidas's eyes. But before he could press for details, the moment was lost.

"Come," Edward said, sharing a look with Arthas. "A demigod has descended on the other side of the mountains. We will go and expel them."

With that, the two demigods stepped into the void and vanished.

Leonidas stood stunned for a moment, then turned to Orion.

"Brother, don't look at me," Orion said with a shrug. "You heard him right. A demigod has arrived. For all we know, they've already taken a liking to the lands we just conquered."

The situation was changing too quickly, the world's politics too chaotic for even him to unravel. The only silver lining was that their only remaining enemy on the Dusk Continent was the Silvermoon Empire.

"Well, in that case, what are we standing around for?" A manic grin split Leonidas's face. "Let's go grab our land, brother!"

With a wild howl, he shot down toward the Ashenfang Traverse below. Orion watched him go, his eyes narrowed in thought, before he too launched himself into the sky and followed.

Three days later, the allied grand army crested the mountain range and descended upon the second half of the continent.

With the overwhelming might of Orion and Leonidas at the vanguard, the power balance was hopelessly skewed. The Silvermoon Empire's armies collapsed like a house of cards.

In a command tent far behind the front lines, Alexander, Kraken, and Isabella stood, their main forces having just arrived through a teleportation gate.

"Never thought your final home would be the Dusk Continent that my brother and I conquered for you, did you, Alexander?" Leonidas said, slinging an arm around Alexander's shoulders and bumping a cask of wine against his.

Orion, Kraken, and Isabella wisely kept their distance, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire of Leonidas and Alexander's unique brand of camaraderie.

"Isn't there still half a continent left to conquer?" Alexander retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Tch. What do you know? Is that really half a continent?" Leonidas scoffed. "Haven't you noticed we're already at their gates? Wherever our armies go, the enemy is swept aside. Conquering the rest is just a matter of minutes."

He wasn't wrong. Though Alexander, Kraken, and Isabella had arrived, they were too late to contribute much to the initial conquest. Their role would be in what came next: defending their new home.

The native lords of the Emerald Veil, in their desperation, had invited all manner of devils and monsters into their world. The continent was infested with dark creatures and races, constantly being corrupted, tempted, and turned to treachery. Purging this filth and heresy so they could build in peace would require all their efforts.

According to the Deputy Commander's new strategy, every member of their team would establish a foothold on the Dusk Continent, with Orion, Kraken, and Isabella as the primary lords—for they were most in need of faith—supported by himself, Arthas, and Leonidas.

"Can you even absorb it like that?"

On the other side of the tent, Orion was upending his own wine cask, pouring a stream of rich, dark liquid into a large glass tank on the table. Inside, a miniature octopus floated blissfully, enjoying a luxurious wine bath.

"You underestimate me! I can absorb fine wine in minutes!" Kraken's voice echoed in their minds, even as one of his tentacles snaked out of his satchel, a tiny goblet in its grip. It deftly caught a measure of the falling wine, which it then brought up to be savored properly.

"You are a truly remarkable race," Orion chuckled.

Kraken's tentacles shifted in a gesture that looked remarkably like a shrug, which sent Isabella, who was seated nearby, into a fit of laughter.

"What do you think the Deputy Commander and Arthas are planning?" Leonidas's voice cut through the revelry, his tone suddenly serious. The question captured everyone's attention.

It was, after all, the reason they were all sitting around drinking instead of fighting; half a day ago, a message had arrived from the front, ordering them to halt their advance into the Silvermoon Empire's core territory.

"My guess," Alexander began, setting his drink down, "is that it's incredibly difficult for demigods to kill one another quickly. Furthermore, it's unlikely that one demigod would risk a full-blown, face-losing war with another over the personal grievances of their mortal subjects."

"The most logical course of action is to allow a core contingent of the Silver-Eyed to leave in peace, in exchange for our undisputed control of the Dusk Continent."

He took a sip of wine before continuing. "You have to look at it from their perspective. The Champions Alliance is now an undeniable power in this realm. We have two demigods, a peak Archlord, several other powerful Archlords, and a massive invasion army. Our claim to one of the realm's three continents is perfectly reasonable."

"Any other demigods, unless they are fools, will avoid a direct confrontation with a force this strong. Given that, the demigod backing the Silver-Eyed will likely accept a deal that allows him to save his core people so they can rebuild elsewhere."

"So long as their demands aren't outrageous," Alexander concluded, "the Deputy Commander and Arthas have no reason to antagonize him. This realm is too chaotic right now, with too many factions stirring the pot. Pushing a demigod into a corner is a bad idea."

"Even if you can't kill their true form, they can send an endless stream of will projections to harass us. Imagine a demigod dead set on hiding and causing trouble on the Dusk Continent. We'd never be able to build anything. They could pick off our lower-level core members at will."

"So you're saying the big wars are over?" Leonidas grumbled, his enthusiasm visibly deflating. He felt that ever since the demigods had arrived, his own voice, the voice of an Archlord, had been greatly diminished.

"Large-scale wars, perhaps," Alexander corrected him. "But the Dusk Continent will be anything but peaceful. There are evil, opportunistic demigods out there who will constantly be tempting and corrupting the local populations. Maintaining a stable environment for us to grow and develop. It won't be nearly as simple as you think."