Chapter 396: Chapter 349: Raylo? No, I Am Giant Carlo

Centered on the massive main valley, Giant tribes were scattered sporadically throughout the mountainous region, which spanned a radius of over a hundred kilometers.

Looking down from high above, he could see the Giants felling trees in the forests, fishing by the rivers, or resting around enormous bonfires.

Each tribe wasn’t particularly large; the smaller ones had only twenty to thirty members, while the larger ones had around a hundred.

But added together, there were more than a dozen of these tribes.

When Raylo turned his gaze to the deepest, most massive main valley, his heart couldn’t help but sink.

The sight there was far more shocking than he had imagined.

A vast, flat plain had been carved out within the valley. Countless crude stone structures and wooden huts were built against the mountainside, forming a true "Giant City."

Enormous bonfires, like stars in the night, burned ceaselessly even during the day, with black smoke curling into the air.

Countless Hill Giants moved about within. Some were grinding massive stone Weapons, others were taming equally colossal Magical Beasts, and even more were engaged in some sort of combat training that resembled sparring.

Raylo roughly estimated that the number of Hill Giants in this main valley alone definitely exceeded one thousand.

This was not the exiled, isolated tribal habitat Kado had described. It was a prosperous, enormous Giant Kingdom, one that even showed the beginnings of civilization!

Raylo’s expression grew grim. He changed direction, steering Baofeng back to camp.

When he landed, Ed and Kado immediately rushed over.

"My lord, what’s the situation?"

Ed asked.

Raylo swung himself to the ground. His gaze fixed on Kado, his voice low.

"Kado, the situation is drastically different from what you described."

A hint of confusion appeared on Kado’s large face.

"My lord, what do you mean?"

"There’s more than one Hill Giant tribe here."

Raylo said.

"Within the area I surveyed, there are at least fifteen small tribes. And in that main valley, there’s a large Giant City-State. I estimate the number of Giants inside exceeds one thousand."

"One thousand?"

Kado cried out in shock.

"That... That’s impossible!"

Raylo asked.

"How long has it been since you were last here?"

"About... twenty years."

Kado mumbled, his gaze distant.

Twenty years.

For humans, that was the passing of a generation.

For the long-lived Hill Giants, it might not seem like a long time, but it was enough for earth-shattering changes to occur.

It was also possible that Kado had only visited one of the small Hill Giant tribes here twenty years ago and never learned the full picture.

Raylo fell into deep thought.

’The previous plan was based on faulty intelligence. It has to be completely scrapped now.’

’The total number of Hill Giants here probably exceeds two thousand, maybe even more.’

’For a powerful species like the Hill Giant, that’s an absolutely terrifying number.’

’It’s a delicate situation. In a massive Giant society like this, rashly attacking any single tribe could provoke a siege from all the others.’

’More than two thousand Hill Giants, even if they were just ordinary ones, would be a terrifying force capable of crushing a Human Kingdom if they gathered together.’

’And that’s not even considering how many Domain Level Powerhouses like Kado might be hidden among them.’

’Or even...’

’Could there be beings who have surpassed the Domain Level and reached the Catastrophe Level?’

Raylo didn’t dare to take that gamble.

If they were to awaken a terrifying existence slumbering here, his small force wouldn’t even be enough for a snack.

Silence fell over the camp. All the Knights who heard his words felt immense pressure.

What they had thought would be a guaranteed conquest had now turned into a nearly impossible mission.

"My lord, what do we do now?"

Ed asked in a low voice, a trace of worry in his tone.

Raylo didn’t answer immediately.

’A direct assault would be foolish, but I’m not willing to retreat.’

’Black Stone Territory needs the Giants’ Power.’

’I have to find a way.’

After a long moment, Raylo’s gaze fell upon Kado once more.

’Before deciding what to do, I at least need to understand the situation with the Hill Giants in this Giant Valley.’

"Kado."

Raylo spoke.

"Here, my lord."

Kado snapped out of his daze and responded in his booming voice.

"The previous plan is canceled."

Raylo said.

"I have a new plan."

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this.

"Let’s try a different approach."

Raylo said to the crowd.

"Without knowing the internal situation and distribution of power in this Giant City-State, any military action is a gamble. And I never fight a battle I’m not prepared for."

He turned to Kado, his tone becoming serious.

"So, Kado, we are going to the Giant City-State together."

"Go to the Giant City-State together?"

Kado’s huge head shook like a rattle drum.

"My lord, that’s too dangerous! There are no humans in this world..."

"Exactly, so I can’t be a human."

Raylo cut him off, his gaze shifting to Moonlight.

Moonlight seemed to feel his gaze and looked up.

Raylo knelt, meeting its eyes.

"Moonlight, can your Transformation Magic work on others? For example, can you turn me into a Hill Giant?"

Moonlight tilted its head, as if contemplating the feasibility of the request.

The next moment, a vast and pure silver Magic Power surged out like a tide, instantly enveloping Raylo completely.

This Magic Power wasn’t violent; on the contrary, it was as gentle as a clear spring.

Ed and the surrounding Knights gripped their Weapons nervously, but they were pushed back by an invisible, gentle force, unable to get close.

Kado, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed and motionless at the brilliant ball of silver light.

Within the ball of light, Raylo felt his body being stretched and reshaped by an irresistible force.

His bones made soft creaking sounds as his muscle fibers were subjected to Decomposition and Reorganization, and his skin grew rough and tenacious.

His field of vision kept rising, and everything around him rapidly "shrank."

The tents became small mounds, and Ed, standing beside him, looked like a child in his eyes.

When the light faded, a Hill Giant nearly ten meters tall appeared. He had a powerful build and skin the grayish-brown color of rock.

He had a head of coarse, black hair, and his facial features were sharp and defined. He bore a slight resemblance to Kado, but looked far more heroic.

"This... this..."

Kado was utterly speechless.

He circled the transformed Raylo again and again, leaning in to sniff him, and even extended a thick finger to carefully poke Raylo’s rock-hard muscles.

The texture, the smell, and even the aura he unconsciously emitted were all identical to those of a real Hill Giant.

"How is it?"

A deep, heavy voice rumbled from Raylo’s throat.

It was Raylo’s voice, and yet not at all.

Notably, after the transformation, Raylo had not only changed in appearance but had also directly mastered the Giant language.

Moonlight’s Transformation Magic was truly wondrous, always full of surprises.

Kado scratched his messy hair, his face a mask of incredulous shock.

Raylo was very satisfied with his reaction.

’If even Kado, who spends every day with me, can’t see through the disguise, then the strange Giants in the Giant City-State will be even less likely to notice.’

"From now on, when we’re in front of other Giants, you’ll call me Carlo. My identity will be your older brother."

Raylo moved his new body around.

A sense of Power surged from his limbs. Every step made the ground tremble slightly. The feeling was new and immense.

"Y-Yes! Carlo..."

Kado still stuttered a bit, but he had finally accepted this bizarre reality.

Just then, three small figures agilely scrambled up Raylo’s leg.

Moonlight landed lightly on his left shoulder and sat down leisurely. Coal Ball, as usual, snuggled up with its "big sister" Moonlight, constantly surveying the scene below from this new "high ground."

The large orange cat that the Golden Dragon Sun had transformed into occupied the right shoulder, its golden eyes half-closed in a lazy expression.

Ever since transforming into an orange cat, it was as if a new world had opened up for Sun. It no longer liked walking or flying on its own, spending most of its time using Raylo or Baofeng as a mount.

A ten-meter-tall Hill Giant with three cats of different colors perched on his shoulders—the scene had a bizarre feel to it.

"Ed, you and the Griffin Knights will make camp here. Stay alert, and do not approach the Giant Valley. Wait for my signal."

Raylo instructed Ed.

"Yes, my lord!"

Ed accepted the order.

"Let’s go, Kado."

Raylo strode forward.

"Alright, Carlo!"

Kado responded excitedly and followed with large strides.

The two "brothers" walked side-by-side, quickly disappearing at the edge of the dense forest.