Volume 3: Chapter 40 – Forest Giants

Finally we entered. Everyone had a feeling of clarity.

By dawn, we had already ventured about 3 to 4 kilometers into the Forest of Gods. “Everyone slow down. Grandpa Barrier said there were dangers here.” I urged everyone to be careful.

We were surrounded by trees that reached the sky. Was the holy sword really here?

“Everyone wait a moment. It seems there is danger.” I suddenly felt an air of danger. No, it should be said that Xiao Jin felt danger and then told me. Do we dare approach something that could even frighten Xiao Jin?

We unanimously agreed to look around but we didn’t find anything.  However, the feeling of danger Xiao Jin passed on to me grew more intense.

Zhan Hu pointed at a meadow and suddenly said, “That’s abnormal. Take a careful look at the ground.”

Looking at where his finger pointed, the ground was covered in grass and there was nothing abnormal about it. However, observing it carefully, it almost seemed the short grass was slightly trembling. No, it really was slightly trembling!

The experienced Xiu Si lay flat on his stomach with his ear pressed against the ground.

I hastily asked, “How is it?”

Xiu Si waved his hand in the air wanting me to stop bothering him.

After a short moment, Xiu Si jumped up from the ground, and with a pale face said, “Not good, it seems there are unknown creatures approaching us from all directions. From the sounds, I can roughly determine there is still a distance of two kilometers between us. I fear their size is not small as their footsteps are quite heavy.”

Dong Ri frightfully said, “What are we going to do?”

Everyone was lost in thought.

Big Brother Zhan Hu resolutely said, “Let’s find an area relatively crowded with trees. We can’t let them attack us from all directions. It seems they’ve already surrounded us so all we can do now is hope for them to be weak.”

Zhan Hu’s proposal obtained everyone’s unanimous approval. We quickly found a small area tightly surrounded by trees.

Xiu Si suggested, “When they come, everyone should form a small circle and individually block the gaps. Zhang Gong, you should fire magic from the center.”

“Alright, Dong Ri’s skill is also different and will be in the center. Xing Ao and Xiu Si should form a group with Big Brother and Gao De in another. Everyone supports each other.”

As we finished planning, we could already hear the sound of those distinct footsteps. Our hearts were pounding. What were they?

Eventually we saw them. Everyone could not help but look at each other in dismay and swallow a breath of cold air.

Rows of closely packed giants walked toward us. They were not small in number. They looked as if they were carved out of a mold. They had a height of about two and half meters. Their whole bodies were made of stone. From the gap in the trees, they steadily approached us step by step. As they drew near we could hear them repeat, “Eliminate the intruders. Eliminate the intruders.”

No way! This is too frightening. What are those things? Stone Giants?

As they approached us, Zhan Hu let out a long whistle and we prepared to attack.

During this desperate moment, my mind was extraordinarily clear. “We cannot die like this, passively defending until the last man. We don’t know how many there are and there is no longer a path of retreat. We should rush towards the depths of the forest. Big Brother and Xiu Si should open up a path in front. Xing Ao and Gao De will guard our rear. Dong Ri and I will support from the middle.”

The stone giants were already in front of us. I shouted at once, “Everyone, charge!”

Big Brother Zhang Hu took the lead. With longsword in hand, he used battle spirit to send out a white ray of light toward the giants in front. The giants lifted their arms in an attempt to resist his attack. Could they really block Big Brother, whose skill neared the level of a radiant knight? White light flashed. “Ka cha” the sound of snapping. The stone giants were split in two by Zhan Hu and fell to halves in concert.

Big Brother Zhan Hu’s bold and powerful strike greatly improved our morale. Xiu Si used a similar technique to break apart a giant.

“Light Elements, my friends, form a shield of light and resist the enemy’s invasion.” I immediately exert a shield of light for everyone and in passing I used light elements to send a blade of energy to dispose of a giant behind us.

Like that, we sank into a hard battle. I was the busiest. There were still quite a lot ahead of us. Big Brother and Xiu Si’s powerful battle spirit rapidly disposed of seven to eight of the stone giants. However, our rear and sides were much more dangerous. After all as Gao De and Xing Ao skills were a bit lacking, it was difficult to support the rear defense.

This won’t do. At this speed, it is simply impossible to rush through this army of giants.

I called out within my mind, “Xiao Jin, help.”

Without warning, Xiao Jin’s majestic figure appeared in front of everyone. His appearance immediately dwarfed the tall image of the giants.

Xiao Jin let out a sky shaking dragon’s roar and spout out white dragon’s breath from his large mouth. He immediately cleared a passage of about five meters wide.

I violently bellowed, “Xiao Jin opened up a path! Everyone break through their rear!”

Xiao Jin’s formidable physical attacks had great effect. With only the sweeps of his tail and swipes of his claws, the surrounding stone giants were completely overpowered. Naturally at the same time, I could feel Xiao Jin’s magic power quickly deplete. Everyone defended me at the center while following Xiao Jin’s lightning fast forward charge. I continuously sent magic power through the connection between Xiao Jin and me.

Had Xiao Jin already completely matured, we would have been able to mount his back and fly away. It was a pity that currently, he could only carry the weight of two people at most. Even if Xiu Si and Zhan Hu could persist by flying out, there would be two graves left behind. This was something that none of us could accept. Also, it wouldn’t necessarily succeed. Therefore, no one had bothered to suggest as such.

The seconds and minutes passed as one after another, Stone Giants were smashed by our formidable strength. Our deadly rush had already traveled at least a kilometer. However, the surrounding stone giants did not appear to have lessened one bit. Although the strength of my magic power had increased by a bit, the burden of Xiao Jin’s requirements over this long length of time had gradually exhausted me. Xiao Jin was currently riddled with wounds.  His movements were already no longer as vigorous and lively as the beginning. Panting roughly for air, he could only barely struggle to maintain the front line. The others were also in dire condition. Big Brother Zhan Hu’s sword had snapped and he was at present painfully supporting himself with a branch. Apart from me, everyone had all suffered heavy wounds.

To continue in this fashion, would have everyone leave a grave behind.

“Dong Ri, Gao De, Xing Ao, all of you mount Xiao Jin, use your spirit to lighten your body. Big Brother and Xiu Si, fly up. I’ll endure for a time. All of you, quickly go!”

Zhan Hu used all of his might to chop down a stone giant and madly roared, “Out of the question! I definitely cannot leave you alone without a care.”

I furiously said, “Quickly, leave! Don’t tell me you want this place to be our grave?”