Chapter 209: The Road to Elbaf: Blood Trial

Karl and his group traveled deeper into the island, passing dozens of villages and towns along the way.

Every giant they met greeted them with enthusiasm, and their numbers kept swelling. By the time they neared a massive city, over a hundred giants had joined the group.

“Karl, that’s Elbaf—the kingdom of giants,” someone pointed out.

They stopped, gazing at the towering city walls in the distance.

The ancient walls reminded Karl of old cities from his homeland. Worn and aged, they looked as if they’d weathered centuries of wind and rain.

He wondered aloud why such a grand city stood here, so far inland. Was it built to keep out wild beasts? It didn’t really seem like it.

“Karl, are you sure you want to take part in the Blood Trial?” Brogy asked again.

They now stood just outside the Giant Kingdom. If Karl still wanted to go through with it, there’d be no turning back once they stepped inside.

Oden and the others stared in shock, their eyes nearly popping out. “What? Karl’s joining the Blood Trial?”

“Karl, don’t do it! The Blood Trial is no joke!” Oden quickly moved to block Karl’s path, holding out both arms.

“You really don’t understand how brutal it can get.”

“Honestly, I didn’t expect the real reason you came to the Giant Kingdom was to take part in the Blood Trial,” Oden said, his voice a bit rushed.

“The trial now is far crueler than it used to be.”

The other giants nodded somberly, fear etched across their faces.

It was as if a single name haunted their memories.

“Kababa!” Brogy swung his massive axe for emphasis.

“Is this another new trick?”

“This time’s different,” Oden jumped in. “The prince of the giants was born.”

“His name’s Loki. On his own, he can unleash the Hakoku.”

“Many giants who’ve tried to take on the Blood Trial…” Oden hugged himself, shaking from head to toe as sweat poured down his face.

Karl was surprised.

The giants’ ultimate move, Hakoku, was always said to require two working together. The stronger the duo, the more powerful the attack.

Yet now, it seemed just one person could use it. Was it really possible for one to be more powerful than two?

“Giagiagiagiagia!”

“You think Loki is even stronger than the two of us together?”

Oden paused, hesitating.

He finally said, “It’s possible… he might actually be stronger than both captains.”

“All the more reason I’m interested,” Karl said, grinning.

“I’ve been wanting to test the strength of the prince of the giants myself.”

“Besides, shying away just because I’m scared? That’s not who I am.”

With that, Karl strode boldly toward the ancient city ahead.

“Kababa, don’t worry. Karl’s incredibly strong,” Brogy reassured Oden, patting him on the shoulder.

Everyone else hurried to catch up and followed Karl’s lead.

With Oden showing the way, the group entered the Giant Kingdom smoothly and headed straight for the royal palace.

Giant houses here ranged from one to two stories tall, with heights between 30 and 60 meters.

After crossing bustling streets, they arrived at the palace gates.

“Who goes there? Stop right there!”

Two giants in golden armor blocked their path with massive spears.

“I’m Dorry.”

“And I’m Brogy.”

“We’re the captains of the Giant Pirates, requesting an audience with the king,” they announced.

After sizing the group up, one of the gold-armored guards dashed inside while the other planted his spear and stared them down, unmoving.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Before long, a squad of gold-armored warriors arrived. “Brogy, Dorry, the king invites you both inside.”

“Karl, wait here for a moment,” Brogy whispered before he and Dorry followed the golden warriors inside.

Stepping through the grand doors, the two captains finally saw the king sitting atop his throne.

“Your Majesty,” they greeted, bowing.

“Rise,” the king said with a slight wave of his right hand.

“Move aside! Move! I want to see!” a clamorous voice came from a side door.

Bang!

A giant youth burst into the room, his chubby face giving him a rather goofy, cheerful look.

“Are you the captains of the Giant Pirates, Brogy and Dorry?” he asked, full of curiosity.

The giant prince had two swords strapped to his waist and eyed them with open fascination.

“Loki, get back!” the king snapped, his tone sharp. He ordered his son to return to his place.

“So, you’re Loki—the prince of the giants?”

Brogy pointed at him, incredulous.

“Of course. Who else around here would be called Loki?” the prince answered with certainty.

This kid in front of them was indeed Loki, prince of the Giant Tribe.

He was the genius Oden had mentioned—the one said to unleash Hakoku alone.

“Loki, back now!” the king barked, even harsher this time. Loki looked reluctant but dared not defy his father. Head low, he shuffled to the side door, glancing back at them the whole way.

Once Loki finally vanished, the king drew back his gaze. “Why have you come here this time?”

The king was genuinely puzzled. If all they wanted was to rebuild the Giant Pirates, there was no need for an audience with him.

There had to be more to it.

“Your Majesty, do you remember an event from more than twenty years ago in the Elbaf Giant Village?”

The king fell silent, drumming his fingers on the armrest. “I remember.”

“You mean the incident with Charlotte Linlin?”

That was likely the only event that left such a mark in his memory—the destruction of the Elbaf Giant Village.

When that story got out, the entire Giant Kingdom turned against Charlotte Linlin and cast her out of Elbaf.

“That’s right, Your Majesty. We’ve come to recommend someone.”

“His name is Karl, Charlotte Linlin’s husband. He wants to undergo the giants’ Blood Trial to redeem her reputation,” Brogy explained.

“Oh?” The king looked surprised.

The trial had only become more savage over the years, and someone still wanted to try it?

“Is this Karl a giant?” If he was, that alone might not win the king over.

If Charlotte Linlin had promised a giant something in return, the king wouldn’t stand for it.

“No, Your Majesty. He’s not a giant, but a human,” came the reply.

On hearing that, the king lost all interest.

In truth, he hadn’t really wanted to approve it anyway, and learning Karl was human only made him care less.

A mere human attempting the giants’ Blood Trial? It was sheer folly.

Had they forgotten the giants called themselves the world’s strongest nation?

“His name is Lux D. Karl,” Dorry went on, missing the king’s thoughtful look.

“Hold on—what did you say his name was?” The king had meant to refuse straight away, but his head snapped up when he heard the ‘D.’ He wanted Dorry to repeat the name.