Chapter 28: The Gate of the Divine Realm
Mist swirled, ripples spread across the muddy water of the swamp, covered in algae and the corpses of swamp creatures, emitting a strange odor.
The Giant King stood within the mist, his features obscured by the fog, making it hard to see his face.
Ryu, clutching the Giant Ring, could sense the giant ahead looking down at her—an unpleasant feeling.
The Giant King released the curved greatsword in his hand, and with a thunderous crash, the blade, over ten meters long with handles at both ends, sank into the muddy water, sending sludge splattering from the swamp floor.
"Edri·Dwen."
The Giant King's deafening voice rang out as he lowered himself, sitting cross-legged on the swamp ground. Only then did Su Xiao get a clear view of him.
The Giant King was clad in black metal armor plates, a heavy helmet covering his head, revealing only his slightly reddened eyes through the visor.
Ryu swallowed hard, clearly at a loss. Just then, the Giant King's massive hand reached out, and Ryu felt the sky darken as it pressed down from above.
Ryu wasn't foolish. She mustered all her strength and hurled the black metal ring—the main component of the crown—into the air.
Clang~
The black metal ring was caught by the Giant King, appearing tiny in his grasp. He stared at Ryu for a moment, seemingly confirming she was a descendant of the Edri royal family.
Clutching the black metal ring, the Giant King pulled the curved greatsword from the mud with his other hand and strode toward the rock wall behind him.
Boom, boom, boom...
With each step the Giant King took, the ground trembled slightly. Seeing this, Ryu let out a long sigh of relief. The ordeal had been intense, and her soft undergarments were soaked with sweat.
"Don't just stand there. Follow him."
Su Xiao trailed behind the Giant King, maintaining a distance of over ten meters to avoid the mud splashed up by his steps.
Why would such a powerful being as the Giant King dwell in the deepest part of the Misty Swamp? With his strength, he could easily claim a territory, rest on a soft, dry giant bed, and feast on the world's finest delicacies—even supernatural creatures if he wished.
But the Giant King didn't. He stayed in this dark, damp, even foul-smelling swamp, all because of his oath to the Edri royal family long ago.
While exploring an ancient ruin, Beini had discovered a stone tablet recording an alliance between the Edri royal family and an ancient race to combat the old gods. That ancient race was the Ancient Giants.
As the Giant King moved forward, Su Xiao spotted numerous massive skeletons in the swamp. Some skulls half-buried in the mud were taller than him, their eye sockets large enough for an adult to crawl into, serving as tiny huts.
The further they went, the more giant bones there were. Soon, the swamp gave way to a ground paved entirely with colossal skeletons.
The Giant King stepped onto the bones, which cracked under his immense weight. He paused, picked up a several-meter-long shin bone, and pressed it against the armor on his forehead.
"Bu du sa sa o ga (Giant language: I am with you)."
Boom, boom, boom...
Fragments of bone flew as the Giant King walked over his kin's remains, finally stopping before two metal gates at least fifty meters high, half-embedded in the mountain wall.
The gates were entirely forged from metal, covered in vines, with a thick layer of moss near the bottom.
At the center of the metal gates was a raised section several meters in diameter, with a groove nearly a meter wide at its core.
The Giant King lightly tossed the curved greatsword, caught it by the spine, and with a click, inserted it into the slot on the metal gates. The sword's forward bulge and upward-curving ends allowed the Giant King to grip both handles perfectly.
In truth, this object wasn't entirely a weapon—it was one of the keys to these two metal gates.
The Giant King gripped both handles and began rotating the greatsword, turning the lock mechanism at the center of the gates.
Click-clack-clack...
A harsh, thunderous sound echoed as the Giant King twisted the sword, aligning the lock plate at the gate's center.
The royal sword aligned with the sun, the Tianba clan emblem with an irregular crystal, and the giant armor with the Gate of Heaven.
With a crack, the lock plate fell off, crashing to the ground, its rusted surface indicating it hadn't been opened in ages.
The Giant King pinched the black metal ring with two fingers and slipped it onto his index finger—a perfect fit.
Taking a deep breath, the Giant King leaned forward, pressing both hands against the metal gates.
Hum~
A wave of energy spread. The ring on the Giant King's index finger transformed, magma-like patterns emerging and spreading across the metal gates, eventually covering both.
The armor plates embedded in the Giant King's body bulged as he pushed, creating a gap between the two gates.
Rumble...
The ground shook as if an earthquake struck, and a not-too-bright light seeped through the gap.
Crack, crack...
Cracks appeared in the surrounding space. A dark blue vortex formed in the gloomy sky, accompanied by rumbling thunder.
With a crash, a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, hitting the Giant King squarely, but it didn't stop him from pushing the gates open.
The metal gates swung fully open. The Giant King collapsed to the ground with a boom, smoke rising from his body as he lowered his head.
"Giant, and, you, are, friends."
As he spoke, the ring on his index finger shattered into fragments, flying toward the direction of the royal capital.
Su Xiao walked past the Giant King. As he reached the metal gates, a notification from Reincarnation Paradise appeared.
[You have opened the Gate of the Divine Realm.]
[You gain 5% World Source.]
[You gain a Set Chest (Legendary). Opening this chest will grant the world-exclusive set: Edri·Royal Set (8/8), a super-heavy armor set.]
[Note: This set can only be obtained by opening the Gate of the Divine Realm. Its attributes will balance penalties with bonuses.]
[You gain the title: Friend of Giants (★★★★).]
[Friend of Giants]
Origin: Worlds with Giant clans.
Quality: ★★★★
Category: Title·Rare
Title Effect 1: When wearing this title while negotiating with Giants, you start with a friendly reputation bonus.
Description: Long live friendship!
Price: Unsellable.
...
The rewards were substantial. It might seem Su Xiao hadn't done much—just having the Giant King open the gate—but this was the culmination of his efforts since entering this world.
He had met the clan leader and Ryu in Bamboo Village, taken her to Talin to seize power, then cooperated with Ted to obtain the crown. Through Beini's discovered inscriptions and the ramblings of the old tower keeper, he deduced the crown's proper use and that Ryu, as an Edri royal, must hand the Giant Ring to the Giant King.
Many factors were indispensable, and that's why Su Xiao earned such rewards.
Su Xiao stored the rewards in his inventory. Just as he was about to step through the metal gates, the Giant King stood up first and walked inside. Having fulfilled his oath to guard and open the Gate of the Divine Realm for the Edri royal family, he was now free.
Before entering, the Giant King turned to look at Qifu—actually, at the Dragonheart Axe in Qifu's hand. His gaze was nostalgic. After a moment, he walked into the white light ahead, his figure gradually fading.
Su Xiao stood before the white light barrier, reaching a hand inside. Immediately, a pulling sensation came from his hand.
[Notification: You have entered Source·Divine Realm.]