The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 464 - 488 The Frost Giants Game

Chapter 464: Chapter 488: The Frost Giants’ Game Chapter 464: Chapter 488: The Frost Giants’ Game “No, that fortress is actually a prison that holds Gorgiad, a Titan, one of the ten brothers of Solheim, the god of the Frost Giants.” Tijana shook her head, “The Prince of Wrath must have wanted to use it as a bargaining chip, but what it has gotten is just a continuous stream of Frost Giant Warriors who come for glory and faith, willing to sacrifice their lives. Defending that place has actually cost Kostcheqi dearly, but as long as the gates of the fortress remain in his hands, Kostcheqi will not admit defeat.”

“Sounds like a decent entry point.” Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin, “Maybe we can do something to use it to draw away some guards from the Glacial Fortress… Here, what is this Volsdtad?”

“That is a bloody town where the Frost Giants loyal to Kostcheqi gather. The chieftains quarrel with each other over who can serve Kostcheqi best—the great giver of endless glory and eternal life. These quarrels usually conclude in duels, sometimes physical fights and sometimes in the most traditional way of the giants: a stone-throwing contest.”

“Those towering fools do quite enjoy chucking stones.” Bruto agreed, “But I quite like their way of resolving disputes, whoever can throw the stone farther wins, how simple!”

“More or less, but according to the reports I’ve got, the details of such contests might differ a bit from what you think.” Tijana looked at the Dwarf with interest, “The challenged throws a stone first and then stands still, afterward, the challenger walks to where the stone landed and throws it back. If the stone hits the challenged, then he loses. It’s said to be a principal way the army under Kostcheqi reduces their numbers, but since the contest is very ‘giant’, the Prince of Wrath has no inclination to prohibit the activity.”

“Interesting, interesting.” Lancelot’s fingers tapped rapidly on his chin, “Can I understand it this way—that for giants, this kind of stone-throwing contest is sacred, and no matter whether the challenged is dead or injured, nobody else can take revenge, right?”

“Theoretically, that’s correct.” Tijana nodded, “But that only applies to giants. If you challenge a Frost Giant on the Iron Ice Plains, it would only laugh crazily trying to flatten you into a pancake.”

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“But what if I could turn into a Frost Giant?” Lancelot lifted a corner of the map on the table, “Kalalin once made a Succubus Transformation Ring with just a few strands of your hair, and we happen to have ready materials here.”

“I can indeed make a Transformation Ring, but that won’t give you the strength of a Frost Giant.” The Scholar shook his head, “Besides, a Transmutation Spell’s effect can’t change your size.”

“What if we add Enlarge Spell to that?” Bruto looked at Kalalin with eyes filled with exuberance, “That stone-throwing contest does sound really fun.”

“Unfortunately, it’s still not possible.” Kalalin replied helplessly, “Enlarge Spell can only double your height, but Frost Giants are over twenty feet tall; magic can’t make you look like a real Frost Giant.”

“Well, that’s a shame. Seems we can’t count on that method to wipe out all the Frost Giants on the Iron Ice Plains,” Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, his finger continued to move on the map, stopping at a long and thick black line on the edge of the map, “What is this place marked as the Black Mist Rift?”

“Many who are interested in Kostcheqi have asked the same question. The Prince of Wrath usually ends his patrols in his own realm at that spot, but to date, no one who has tried to investigate has come back alive to tell us what’s actually inside,” Tijana said with a serious expression, “One speculation that might be closest to the truth is that there’s a long-dead Lord of Obyrith inside the Black Mist Rift, and the environment of the Iron Ice Plains has preserved its corpse until today. When these ancient demons die, their spirit and memory don’t just dissipate; they’re like a book left open on the ground for anyone to peruse, and their madness-inducing characteristics are also preserved. You’ve dealt with a Giant Skull Demon before, so you should know what I mean by characteristics.”

“These once-rulers of the Abyss are indeed memorable,” Lancelot shrugged again, “We have resisted the influence of that Madness Stance before, maybe that gives us some advantage?”

“My advice is, it’s best to stay far away from that place,” Tijana crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, “Your goal is to help me retrieve that Armor, not to kill Kostcheqi. We don’t need to clear up all its little secrets.”

“That’s not necessarily true. Perhaps the secrets hidden in that rift could help us enter the Glacial Fortress, and not just as corpses or prisoners,” Lancelot slapped the table and sat up straight, “Another very important question… How strong are the Frost Giants?”

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“All Giants can launch boulders like an Archer fires arrows, which makes them very dangerous at long range. The giant weapons they wield also have devastating power, but with the agility you displayed when we practiced, those Giants will unlikely hit you,” Tijana gave Lancelot a toothy smile, “But you must be cautious of the spellcasters among the Frost Giants, as they command magical power to manipulate ice and snow and have the ability to summon beasts living on the plains. Remember, it’s hard to tell them apart from ordinary Frost Giants by appearance, so don’t be too surprised if Ice Armor suddenly appears on one just as your weapon is about to strike.”

“Speaking of weapons, let’s talk about equipment,” Lancelot said with a somewhat shy smile, “You mentioned you’d foot the bill for this adventure, correct?”

“Only reasonable expenses,” Tijana eyed Lancelot warily, “Any equipment you purchase must be returned to me at the end.”

“Fair enough, after the mission is complete, we’ll certainly have no need to go sightseeing in that plane again,” Lancelot spread his hands indifferently, “Let’s address the first problem: how to keep warm. Any suggestions?”

“Most equipment found in the Abyss is geared towards resisting flame damage; your options are limited,” Tijana glanced at Kalalin, “A spellcaster could cast the Endure Elements spell on each person every day, but that would consume all of his First Circle spell slots, which might not be very cost-effective. I do know of another method, though. It won’t just prevent you from being frostbitten but will also give you resistance to magically inflicted cold damage. It’s just not very comfortable… Interested in finding out more?”