Titan King: Ascension of the Giant-Chapter 780: A Pillar That Cannot Stand

The war drums were a slow, heavy heartbeat under the snap of wind-whipped banners. The air itself was a weapon, carrying dust and the scent of death, reaping lives with every gust.

With each swing of his trident, Orion obliterated another high-level dark creature on the ground below.

"Is a trident truly so effective?" Isabella wondered aloud from beside him on the dragon’s back. As a dragon knight, her own weapon was a lance, and watching Orion’s fluid, deadly efficiency was a revelation.

"Your lance is a duelist’s weapon," Orion explained, glancing at her. Now that they were more familiar, the proud young queen’s gaze was often bold and appraising. So much for the untouchable ice-queen persona. "It excels at the close-range thrust, the sweep, the parry. In the thick of a melee, fighting blade-to-blade from dragonback, it gives you the advantage."

"My trident is different. I favor the long-range throw. When it leaves my hand, the target is either dead or maimed."

"I am skilled in close combat, of course, but I have no taste for drawn-out brawls. My style is to strike from a distance, to break an enemy’s will before the lines ever meet. And if that is not enough, then I close the distance for a single, final blow."

He eyed the lance in her hands. It was a masterwork weapon, longer and more needle-pointed than a typical knight’s lance, designed for the devastating charge. It was easily as long as his own trident.

"Could I not throw my lance, at a critical moment?" she mused, her eyes bright with a new line of tactical inquiry.

"You could," Orion said, shaking his head. "But I would advise against it."

This was not idle talk. His own style had been forged in the crucible of his own specific history. He had first mastered the thrown trident because he possessed 1000% trident proficiency. He excelled at throwing both tridents and spears.

Only later, with the mastery of abilities that allowed him to close distances in an instant and lock down a foe, had his style evolved into the one-strike-kill doctrine it was today.

For Isabella to copy him, she would have to abandon her own wealth of experience, her own hard-won skills, for a result that was anything but guaranteed. She was no fool; she understood the folly of a sparrow trying to soar like an eagle.

"What you say... it has the ring of truth," she conceded, a slight frown on her brow. She had been captivated by the sheer, cold lethality of his style, and a part of her was still desperately trying to understand how he could kill foes so far above his own rank.

"His path is much like my own," a new voice said, calm and quiet. "It is not suited for you."

Alexander had appeared on Isabella’s other side as silently as a thought. He stared toward the horizon, his focus absolute.

"The site for the southern base has been chosen," he announced. "I have already placed the territory core. The skeleton crews are at work; it will not be long before we have a proper fortress."

He turned his gaze from the horizon to Isabella. "You will be needed there. Supervise the construction." freёnovelkiss.com

He continued without pause. "Kraken has secured the nearby shallows. You will coordinate with him. See to his needs. His presence in the coastal waters is what will grant us a truly secure rear."

The words were both a command and a lesson.

"After that, dispatch the undead legions to patrol the borders of the former banshee territory. Slay any dark races attempting to push south. For now, we cannot advance north. We must give the appearance of consolidation, as if we are content to wait for the final reckoning. Let the enemy grow complacent. Lower their guard."

To Orion, this strategy was sound. When you cannot overwhelm an enemy, you dig in, gather your strength, and wait for a better opportunity. The conquest of the Emerald Dream Realm was not a matter of a single campaign; it was a war of attrition.

"Mr. Alexander... you are leaving?" Isabella asked, her familiarity with him allowing her to read the intent behind his words.

He didn’t answer her directly, instead turning his gaze to Orion. "My intelligence confirms it. The Spring of Life is in the southeast, in a territory controlled by another nest of darklings. With the local Archlords dead and their posts still vacant, now is our chance. We must move quickly."

Orion nodded. This was the reason he had crossed a continent. The sooner it was done, the better. Alexander’s words also served as his explanation to Isabella.

"Isabella will see to things here," Alexander stated. "Let’s go."

With that, he vanished in a flicker of motion, streaking toward the southeast.

"Until next time!" Orion called to Isabella, and then launched himself in pursuit.

Watching their two forms recede into the distance, Isabella felt the thick cloak of security she hadn’t realized she was wearing suddenly thin.

"Alexander, Hulk... be safe!" she called out after them, her voice nearly lost on the wind.

...

As they traveled, Alexander finally spoke, his voice low. "You have the Commander’s ward inside you. Barring some unforeseen catastrophe, you were never in true danger of annihilation."

They walked along a winding beast-trail at the foot of a colossal mountain range.

"The demigod’s will was slain, and it left behind its essence as pure faith. That was your opportunity. That is why the Deputy Commander did not intervene."

At the height of a life-or-death crisis, to be abandoned by one’s allies... anyone would feel a sting of resentment. Orion was no different. For all his strength, a cold knot of it had settled in his gut.

Alexander, Leonidas, Arthas... they had all felt it before. He knew what Orion must be thinking.

"It is natural to feel bitterness," Alexander continued, his voice even. "But you must understand. This is our way."

"We are not soldiers in a conventional army. Each of us is a pillar. And a pillar that cannot stand on its own is worthless."

"That trial... it was necessary."

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