By the time Kado and his people had secured the last Mammoth, the first batch of roasted meat was ready on the high ground.

Beneath the golden, crispy skin, the meat was juicy and tender, its rich aroma filling the air.

"Let’s eat!"

At Ed’s command, the Giants roared with delight and charged toward the roasting racks.

They had no need for utensils. They simply tore off massive, steaming chunks of meat with their bare hands, unafraid of the scorching heat. Shoving the meat into their mouths, they chewed voraciously, grease dripping from their lips as satisfied grunts rumbled in their throats.

The Knights received their portions as well, and a joyous atmosphere enveloped the entire camp.

Raylo accepted a perfectly roasted beast leg from Ed, tore off a small strip of meat, and held it out for Moonlight.

Watching the boisterous, vibrant scene before him, Raylo felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

’Thirty Mammoths. This is enough to raise the power of Black Stone Territory’s heavy Giant Beast unit to a whole new level.’

As the twin suns passed their zenith, the lavish feast began to wind down.

Raylo tossed the bone he had picked clean into the fire and dusted off his hands.

"Alright."

He swung himself back onto Baofeng’s back, his gaze sweeping over the assembled troops and their thirty new prizes.

"All troops, move out! We’re returning to Black Stone Castle!"

At Raylo’s command, the massive procession began the journey home.

The thirty captured Mammoths trudged forward, their steps heavy. The Hill Giants had roped them together with thick cables, forcing them to follow their new masters like a helpless, mobile mountain range.

The Hill Giants led the column, holding the ropes in one hand and their Weapons shouldered in the other, occasionally glancing back at their prizes.

Griffin Knights circled at low altitude, guarding the flanks of the column.

The column moved at a slow pace, mainly to accommodate its massive new members.

When they reached the clear stream again, the water barely rose past the Mammoths’ shins.

The Giant Beasts clearly enjoyed the water. They used their long trunks to spray cool streams over their hot skin, letting out a series of low, seemingly joyful rumbles.

Just after the column had waded across the stream, a black dot appeared on the horizon.

The black dot grew at an astonishing speed, its silhouette becoming clearer by the second.

It was a gigantic Flying Magical Beast with a wingspan of nearly a hundred meters. Its long neck, sharp beak, and massive, membrane-like wings covered in dark red scales all proclaimed its status as an apex aerial predator.

A Wind God Winged Dragon.

"Everyone, land! Form a defensive perimeter!"

Raylo commanded.

The order was swiftly executed.

The Griffin Knights descended one after another, tightening their formation on the open ground by the riverbank.

There were no trees or rocks for cover; they were completely exposed to the sky tyrant’s gaze.

Sun raised its enormous head, a dangerous glint in its pale golden draconic eyes. It moved to intercept the dark silhouette, shielding the entire column behind it.

The Wind God Winged Dragon had clearly spotted the massive company on the ground as well.

A Golden Dragon, fifteen Hill Giants, and thirty Mammoths—such a conspicuous target was like a bonfire in the dark, impossible to ignore.

It let out a piercing shriek, changed course, and dove toward them. Its target appeared to be the Mammoths, which radiated a potent life force.

For an aerial predator, this was an unexpected feast.

However, before Sun could even react...

From amidst the column, the Hill Giant Kado suddenly let out a heaven-shaking roar.

His face was now a mask of ferocity and vigilance.

"ROAR!"

Kado bent his knees sharply, his thighs exploding with terrifying Power as the ground beneath him instantly cracked and caved in.

His massive body shot into the sky like a cannonball, leaping an incredible hundred meters. He soared right over Sun and landed at the very front of the column.

BOOM!

The earth shook violently.

Kado slammed the viciously spiked Wolf Fang Club in his hand onto the ground, assuming a classic offensive stance.

He regarded the uninvited Wind God Winged Dragon as a thief attempting to steal their "barbecue reserves."

In the world of the Giants, the only Law was that the strong prey on the weak.

Kado had stolen from others and had been stolen from in turn; he was all too familiar with this game.

’For a "thief" who dropped out of the sky like this, he had only one solution: smash its head in.’

The fierce winds stirred by the Wind God Winged Dragon blasted them, whipping the Knights’ capes about.

Amidst the flying sand and stone, its massive shadow swept across the ground.

The instant the dragon came within four or five hundred meters, Kado stomped his right foot.

HUMMM!

An invisible ripple suddenly spread out from him as the center.

Gravity Domain!

In an instant, the air around the Wind God Winged Dragon became thick as a swamp. Its vaunted diving speed plummeted, and its flight grew sluggish and labored, as if it were caught in a massive, invisible spiderweb.

A look of horror appeared in the Wind God Winged Dragon’s vertical pupils.

It sensed a fatal threat.

Below, the Giant Kado was already grinning savagely, raising his enormous Wolf Fang Club. The gnarled muscles on his arms bulged as he aimed for the dragon’s head and swung, the weapon whistling as it tore through the air!

If that club connected, it wouldn’t just shatter flesh and blood—it would pulverize a small mountain.

At the precipice of life and death, the Wind God Winged Dragon unleashed all its Power. With a bloodcurdling shriek, it flapped its wings desperately, just barely breaking free from the terrifying pull of the Gravity.

The devastating force of the Wolf Fang Club swept past its underbelly by a hair’s breadth, the resulting gust of wind strong enough to shear off several of its tough scales.

Kado seemed displeased that his attack had missed and was about to hurl his Wolf Fang Club like a javelin.

But it was clear he cherished his new Weapon—the first he’d ever had that felt so right in his hands—and couldn’t bring himself to throw it away.

Having narrowly escaped with its life, the Wind God Winged Dragon had lost all thought of its prize. It shot a terrified glance at the Demon Deity-like Giant below, beat its wings frantically, and scrambled into the sky. Without a single look back, it fled toward the distant horizon, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

What could have been a vicious battle was thus ended before it began, scared off by a single, brutal swing from Kado.

"Good work, Kado."

Raylo said with approval.

’The process was a little unexpected, but the result was good.’

Pleased with the praise, Kado excitedly beat his chest.

The column set off once more. This time, no other foolhardy Magical Beasts dared to bother them.

After crossing plains and rolling hills, the column finally arrived before a seemingly unremarkable cliff face.

This was the secret passage connecting the Giant Dragon Realm to the Black Stone Territory.

Coal Ball let out a low growl, and the cliff face rippled violently like water, revealing the hidden spatial rift once more.

The column began to pass through the Space Stone Wall one by one.

Light and shadow warped around them. When Raylo’s vision cleared, he found himself in the small plaza inside Black Stone Castle.

The arrival of the thirty Mammoths immediately caused a great stir within Black Stone Castle.

The once-spacious plaza was instantly packed to the brim, completely filled by the enormous creatures.

The Knights sized up the Mammoths from the Giant Dragon Realm, comparing them to the ten the Black Stone Territory already had.

There were major differences. The original ten Mammoths had migrated from the cold northern lands and had longer fur. In contrast, the thirty captured from the Giant Dragon Realm had coarser, shorter coats. Their tusks were also straighter and sharper, giving them a more aggressive appearance.

"Ed."

"Take these behemoths to the Giant Beast camp on the back mountain and see that they’re well cared for," Raylo commanded.

"Also, select thirty loyal and reliable Knights from our ranks who have achieved the Great Knight Level and have sufficient battle merits. They will become the Black Stone Territory’s second squadron of Mammoth Knights."

"Yes, my lord!"

Ed accepted the order and departed.

’Thirty Mammoths. Only under the control of Knights could these enormous Magical Beasts unleash their true power as living War Weapons.’