Titan King: Ascension of the Giant
Chapter 703 - 703: We need to pick up the pace

Titanion Realm, Southern Ironveil Escarpment.

Excavating a canal was an enormous undertaking, a colossal project demanding vast financial, material, and human resources.

Fortunately, within the Stoneheart Horde, Delilah was calling the shots.

All the tools, supplies, and manpower needed for the canal were hers to command with a single word.

Gazing at the pit before her—some fifteen hundred feet in radius—Delilah found herself deep in thought. She suddenly realized she'd underestimated the sheer scale of digging the canal.

Before the work began, she had confidently taken on the responsibility, believing it to be a simple excavation.

Only when the excavation started and they encountered various difficulties did Delilah realize this grand project was far more complex than she had imagined.

Firstly, Orion intended to train troops here. The site would hold many of the Stoneheart Horde's secrets, so it had to be isolated from the Sea Race and secure from their interference.

In other words, they needed to dig an artificial lake near the Ironveil Escarpment—one large enough, private enough, and suitable for military training.

And for this artificial lake to serve for both training troops and cultivating Ocean Hunters, its required depth and width had already far exceeded Delilah's initial estimates.

"Sylvana, do you think our lord's grand canal plan is truly feasible?"

Sylvana stood behind Delilah, gently supported by an elder of the fox tribe.

"In the great river of fate, I have seen many mighty ships. Aboard them are warriors of various races and… and merchants."

"The warriors sing in triumph, the merchants count their goods, their faces alight with smiles and eager anticipation."

"I also saw that wherever these mighty ships passed, deep mountains, forests, swamps, and hills… all were illuminated, bustling with new life."

Sylvana didn't answer Delilah's question directly. She gazed at the newly excavated pit below the escarpment, her mind's eye tracing the currents of fate into the future.

The future, starting from here, was one of prosperity.

"Respected Elder of Stewardship, perhaps you are now undertaking one of the most significant endeavors—one that is both grand and vital for the Stoneheart Horde."

Delilah turned back and looked at Sylvana quietly.

Sylvana's exquisite face, caressed by the sea breeze, possessed an almost sacred beauty.

Delilah blinked, thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her.

When Delilah looked at Sylvana again, Sylvana's eyes, though blind and devoid of luster, held a mixture of confusion and doubt, yet also a flicker of affirmation amidst the uncertainty.

"It seems you're quite optimistic about the grand canal plan, then?"

Delilah smiled, and her smile was breathtaking.

"Elder of Stewardship, I am optimistic about Lord Orion, and optimistic about the Stoneheart Horde."

"Hehehe..."

Delilah laughed, very pleased with Sylvana's answer.

"Sylvana, you're becoming more and more charming!"

"If I were Orion, I'd make love to you every day, ensure you couldn't leave the bed, and have you birthing his children year after year."

This was Delilah's jest, the kind of private talk shared between women.

At such a jest, Sylvana's face flushed slightly, as if a stirring, unmentionable memory had surfaced.

"Heeheehee… Orion's little fox wants to make love with her man!"

Delilah's laughter was unrestrained. Such a joke, before Pallas was born, she would never have been able to utter.

Since Pallas's birth and Delilah's own advancement to Alpha peak, her mindset had broadened considerably.

As long as Pallas's position and the interests of the succubus race within the Stoneheart Horde were not threatened, Delilah was open-minded and could take a joke.

Just then, in the distant sky, a harpy flew swiftly towards them.

It was a member of the Sentinel Corps. Upon sensing its presence, Delilah's expression instantly sobered.

An operative from the Sentinel Corps wouldn't appear here without good cause; something significant must have occurred.

After a moment, the harpy landed nearby and delivered an intelligence report.

After a nearby succubus guard relayed the report to Delilah, the harpy who delivered it turned, ascended into the sky, and soon vanished from sight.

"Has it begun?"

This was the first thing Delilah said after absorbing the report, her voice tinged with surprise and a hint of excitement.

Sylvana watched Delilah intently. Though her beautiful eyes were blind and held no light, they seemed all the more focused for it.

"Want to know what happened?"

"Mm!"

"The human kingdom and the dwarves have allied and declared war on the Sea Race. They've chosen to invade the eastern sea regions of the continent, targeting the Sea Race's naga."

Delilah hid nothing. The Sylvana before her was a keen intellect; before her surrender, she had been a prophet.

Delilah needed Sylvana's sharp mind; her divination and insight were remarkably prescient.

"So, Lord Lycanor's trip to the human kingdom didn't achieve its intended purpose," Sylvana observed.

According to the plan discussed by the blood elves and the Stoneheart Horde, the humans, blood elves, and the Horde were to confront the Merfolk in the western sea regions together. With the combined strength and resources of the three factions, mutual cooperation and a coordinated approach would have undoubtedly been best.

After all, this war against the Sea Race was bound to last a very long time.

"The human kingdom's choice is not the optimal one," Delilah said. "The higher-ups of the blood elf race probably didn't expect this, and neither did we. Before the dragons returned, the human kingdom managed to rule the south. They are powerful and intelligent; there's no doubt about that. Therefore, for the human kingdom to make such a choice, they must have their own reasons. For them, this choice is undoubtedly the most advantageous one."

Sylvana knew Delilah valued her insight. She offered her perspective without reservation:

"We don't truly understand the humans' intentions; we can only watch how events unfold. However, without the human kingdom as a primary force in the western sea, we and the blood elves will undoubtedly face greater pressure. On the surface, this certainly doesn't appear to be a positive development."

Delilah frowned. The human kingdom choosing not to participate in the west was something she hadn't anticipated.

"The dragons and humans, always so mysterious in their dealings, both open and secret. What games are they playing?"

Delilah gazed at the distant sea, her hair disheveled by the wind. Seen from the side, her contemplative figure possessed a striking, almost ethereal grace.

"Elder of Stewardship, when will we declare war on the Sea Race?" Sylvana asked.

"After the blood elves declare war," Delilah replied, her voice taking on a colder edge. "There's an order to these things; let them take the lead and bear the initial brunt."

She stood on the escarpment.

"Relay my orders: transfer the three main armies stationed in Stoneheart City here. Have them join the canal excavation efforts as well."

"We need to pick up the pace!"