Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Creatures with powerful limbs and leathery wings, their skin the color of polished jet, began to drop from the gestation pods. They looked like nothing less than true demons, and as they landed, their consciousness slowly returned.

This was the true power of the Black Tower. Every such fortress built by the Cult of Four held a sealed legion of these guardians. They were immensely powerful, nurtured by the tower's own energy in times of peace.

When the tower was threatened, the Pontiff would awaken them to serve as its ultimate defense.

Most importantly, the guardians had no fear of death, for they could be reborn within the Black Tower itself. Their minds and combat experience would remain intact. The only cost was a vast amount of resources and a three-day gestation period.

"By the law of the Four Gods, the guardians will now obey your command," the Witch intoned, making a prayer-like gesture. The demigod had granted her the authority; she was now their commander.

Batch after batch, the Black Tower guardians awoke. They were the tower's elite, each one possessing power at the hero level or beyond. They were also a source of faith for the Cult. Slaves brought to the tower with sufficient talent were converted into guardians; the weak were simply turned into demonic monsters.

Titanion Realm, Stoneheart.

Orion sat upon his throne, focused his mind, and logged into the Survivor's Platform to contact Alexander.

"Bro, you're awake from your slumber?" Orion sent, then immediately realized it was a stupid question. Alexander wouldn't be contacting him otherwise.

"Mostly recovered," came the reply. "I got Arthas's message and decided I'm coming out of my recuperation early. I hear you've run into the Cult of Four."

The name alone was enough to get Alexander's attention, precisely because of its connection to the clown and the Witch. He knew far more about the organization than Orion did.

"That's right," Orion confirmed. "My forces in the Silverwood Realm have identified the enemy as the Cult of Four. There's a Black Tower just outside the territory I've secured. I'm leading an army to tear it down now and remove the root of this infestation."

He held nothing back. Since this involved the traitors of the Champions Alliance, he knew his brothers would inevitably be drawn in.

"Walk me through the entire sequence of events," Alexander requested.

And so, Orion began his tale, starting with his first encounter with Aerin. He was meticulous, leaving out no detail. For the next half hour, Orion spoke while Alexander listened, interjecting with questions. Between the two of them, they picked apart the entire situation in the Silverwood Realm.

After a long pause, Alexander sent a new message. "If I'm not mistaken, the person you fought was the Witch."

The Witch? Orion's mind reeled. No way. That arch lord serpent-demon? Did I really kill the Witch that easily?

Alexander's assertion felt impossible. Orion held the two traitors in the highest regard, viewing them as equals to Arthas and Leonidas. For the Witch to have fallen to him so easily… it didn't seem right.

"Bro, are you kidding me?" Orion typed back, still in disbelief. "I killed the Witch?"

"What makes you think you killed her true body?" Alexander retorted. "She can't use an avatar? Besides, knowing the Witch, with a Black Tower to fall back on, even her avatar might not be truly dead."

Before Orion could respond, Alexander continued, laying out the reasoning behind his theory.

"When you're dealing with the Witch and the clown, never underestimate them. The clown is easy to identify. If you encounter Cult forces using puppets, cursed dolls, or marionettes, he's pulling the strings. He doesn't trust anyone but his own creations."

Orion had to agree. Intelligence from the recent War of North and South had mentioned strange puppet armies appearing on the front lines, armies that would have inflicted massive casualties on the allied forces if not for the intervention of a human Saint.

"The Witch's signature," Alexander continued, "is plague. But it's not a normal plague spread by pathogens. Her plague is born from emotion. Wherever there is jealousy, her plague can take root. Without a specific counter-artifact or spell, demonic monsters infected by it are incredibly difficult to deal with."

The pieces clicked into place. Orion finally understood Alexander's certainty.

"Bro, if you're right, then I really did kill the Witch's avatar?"

"Not necessarily."

"What do you mean?"

"We've been through this before. When we were hunting them, there were times we destroyed their avatars, only for them to reappear later."

Can an avatar be resurrected? The thought crossed Orion's mind, but he dismissed it. Even powerful beings like himself and Leonidas couldn't recover a fallen avatar.

"Based on our intel and past experience, we believe it's connected to the Black Towers," Alexander explained. "They are special structures of the Cult, imbued with a divine quality. It would be a waste to destroy it. Capturing the Black Tower is the best option."

He had just given Orion critical intelligence.

"Teleport this to the Silverwood Realm," Alexander said, trading him a mysterious token. "I'm coming myself."

With the token, Alexander and his elite Blade Hall could begin their own incursion into the realm.

"The Black Towers have teleportation capabilities. Just in case, you should move fast. If you're quick enough, I might just make it in time to say hello to that traitor myself."

Orion accepted the token, sensing the cold killing intent behind Alexander's words. He ended the conversation and logged off the Survivor's Platform.

He sat in silence, replaying the fight with the Witch's avatar in his mind, moment by moment. The initial clash, her attempt at recruitment, his surprise killing blow...

If that really was her avatar, he thought, then its combat strength could only be described as adequate. It wasn't weak, but it wasn't as overwhelmingly powerful as he would have expected.

Or perhaps my final attack was just too sudden, and she didn't have time to react?

He analyzed the battle again and again but came up with little. The Witch had died too quickly for him to gather any meaningful intelligence.

As he was lost in thought, a familiar aura suddenly appeared far to the north of his territory in Stoneheart.