Titan King: Ascension of the Giant
Chapter 814 - 814: The Gaze of a Demigodess

Rumble…

CRACK!

Just then, from the deepest recesses of the world tunnels, a terrifying, grinding collapse began.

Orion, the Sea-Drake King, and the Saint of the Order of Man all snapped their heads toward the sound. In the distance, the tunnel was dissolving into a brilliant, indescribable vortex of multicolored light.

"Hurry! The world tunnels are collapsing!" A voice, crisp and clear but of an indeterminate age and gender, cried out from the chaos ahead.

In a fleeting glimpse, Orion saw a mermaid with a seven-colored tail swimming toward them at incredible speed, a streak of living rainbow fleeing the encroaching destruction.

"What?"

"They're collapsing?"

Orion didn't have time to think. The raw panic in the voices of the King and the Saint was all the confirmation he needed. Without a word, without a moment's hesitation, he launched himself forward, a blur of motion aimed at the tunnel's exit.

Behind him, the Rainbow Mermaid, the Sea-Drake King, and the Saint used every ounce of their power to keep pace. The fastest of them all was the mermaid; she shot past Orion, clearing the exit moments before he did.

A quarter of an hour later, all four of them were safe, back in the familiar reality of the Titanion Realm. They watched as the tunnels behind them imploded, a silent, strobing cataclysm of light and energy that sent a tremor of fear through each of them.

"My Lady, what happened in the tunnels?"

"Yes, My Lady, why did they collapse?"

It was the King and the Saint who spoke, addressing the mermaid with a familiar reverence that Orion, wary and out of his depth, did not share.

"A demigod in the Emerald Veil has mended their world's rules, halting the advance of its destruction," the mermaid explained, a lingering trace of fear still on her face. "Therefore, they no longer have need of our Titanion Realm. To ensure we can never reach them again, they destroyed the tunnels."

Orion's mind raced. He wondered what this demigod, this magnificent being, could have possibly encountered in the depths of the tunnels to make her look so afraid.

Just then, a final, horrifying sound echoed from the collapsing void—a sound that was hollow, gloomy, and utterly desolate. It was the sound of a world unmaking itself.

Elements, runes, rules, faith, life force, darkness, light… all the fundamental components of reality manifested for a brilliant, fleeting instant before being consumed, returning to the endless cycle of the void.

The end of the tunnel, Orion realized, held the unknown, the future, and the engine of evolution itself.

With a final, grating shriek, the world tunnels blinked out of existence, leaving nothing behind.

"Ah… it is finally gone," the mermaid sighed. In her voice, Orion heard a complex mixture of profound loss and profound relief. Then, her attention shifted. "So, you are the newly ascended Archlord, the King of Giants."

Orion felt a gaze settle upon him. It was the appraisal of a higher being examining a lesser one. It was the gaze of a demigod. He was not unfamiliar with it, and he did not allow himself to feel nervous.

"You are very composed," she noted. "It seems you must have a demigod of your own standing behind you."

As she spoke again, the scrutinizing, distant quality of her gaze vanished, replaced by a tone that was gentle and approachable. The immense pressure Orion had felt lifted completely. He raised his head and finally looked at her properly.

She was the first female demigod he had seen on Titanion, and she was, without question, the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. Her skin was a pale, luminous alabaster, her hair a cascade of shimmering silver that fell to her waist. Her seven-colored, ribbon-like tail swayed gently in the void, a picture of effortless grace.

But her most captivating features were her eyes. They were deep pools of gentleness and wisdom, yet they seemed veiled in a hazy mist, impossible to see clearly. As he looked into them, Orion had the unnerving sensation that she was reading his very soul.

"Have you seen enough?"

The words were not an accusation, but a soft, melodic inquiry, tinged with a hint of smug satisfaction and a whisper of melancholy. Her tone seemed to say, At last, someone who knows how to appreciate such peerless beauty.

"Orion," the Sea-Drake King interjected hastily. "This is Lady Seraphina, a demigod of the mermaid race. It was she who guided you into the world tunnels."

At the mention of her name, Orion abruptly squeezed his eyes shut, forcing his gaze away from her face.

"Kekeke… what an interesting little one," Lady Seraphina giggled. "Little one, would you care to tell me what you were thinking just now, as you looked into my eyes? I could sense… something strange, something rather wicked, and something quite joyful."

Her voice suddenly shifted, becoming sultry and bewitching, as if a benevolent saintess had transformed into an insatiable demoness.

"My apologies, Your Ladyship," Orion said, shaking his head and opening his eyes, though he kept his gaze respectfully lowered. "I was lost in your beauty."

He had fallen into an illusion. He knew now it wasn't a deliberate attack on her part. Her eyes themselves possessed a magical quality, an ability to ensnare the gaze of any male who looked upon them. If that man held any desire or impure thought in his heart, the eyes would amplify it, drawing him into a vivid hallucination.

The Sea-Drake King and the Saint had clearly known this, for they had carefully avoided her direct gaze the entire time. They had also, just as clearly, wanted to watch Orion make a fool of himself. Knowing he couldn't hide his thoughts from a demigod, Orion chose honesty.

"Let it go," she purred, the dangerous edge to her voice softening. "For the sake of the mermaid pearl you carry within you, I will not hold it against you. Hehehe."

She had sensed the pearl Princess Marina had given him. Such a pearl could only be offered willingly; it could never be taken by force, even from a slain mermaid. Its presence in Orion's body was proof of a mermaid's favor.

"Everyone, return to your homes," she announced, her tone once again regal and distant. "We have guarded the tunnels for so many years. With them destroyed, Titanion can finally know peace. As for me, I am going to have a nice, long sleep. Do not wake me for at least a century."

She raised the crystalline staff in her hand, gave Orion, the King, and the Saint one last look, and then dissolved into a stream of rainbow light, vanishing from sight.

"Lady Seraphina is just like that," King Neptor said, nudging Orion and giving him a look that was universally understood among men. "She's the most good-natured demigod in our entire realm. Stunning, wasn't she?"

"Stunning," Orion agreed with a solemn nod, offering no hint of a jest. "And a bit playful."

The Sea-Drake King and the Saint wanted to laugh, but they didn't dare, for neither of them was entirely sure if the 'playful' demigod was truly out of earshot.