https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-416-Castles-Kartpa-Hills-The-Wilderness-Answers-the-Call/13676822/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-418-Hono-Valley-Southernmost-End-of-the-Cattapa-Region/13676824/
Chapter 417: Destruction Tribe
“Roar——”
The Earth-Crawling Dragonbeast let out a deep, rumbling bellow as it charged straight into the Fire camp.
These Hill Giants were vastly taller than ordinary Humanoid Beings, yet they were utterly helpless before the onslaught of the Mountain-Sized dragon beasts.
“Ah!”
“Ow! It hurts!”
The crude giants were crushed beneath clawed feet, flattened like meat paste, their agonized screams and wails echoing across the battlefield.
“Who… are you?”
“Why have you invaded our tribe?”
The hunched, staff-wielding Hill Giant Elder stood trembling with fury and shock. For millennia, these creatures had lived like beasts atop the mountains—mindless, driven only by hunger and reproduction. Yet even they possessed a basic level of intelligence. And among them, the elders were often the wisest. This one could even speak a few words of Common Tongue, stunned by the sheer audacity of the invaders.
Having lived in the region of Kaita for years, the Hill Giants had long known the terrifying might of the Humans. They never attacked first—only greedily consumed everything in their path. Though they lacked any true culture of their own, they occasionally mimicked the behaviors of the creatures they devoured.
But it was always shallow imitation. They never paused to consider whether their own massive frames even suited such actions. Once, a whole tribe had tried to live in trees like Elves—only to collapse the entire forest under their weight.
Now, a new enemy had arrived. The ancient traditions of the Hill Giants were shattered. Confusion and fear gripped them.
Earl Goliath stood atop the Earth-Crawling Dragonbeast, glaring down at the scattered Hill Giants below, his laughter wild and merciless.
“Who are we? You ask who we are?”
“We are the Expeditionary Force of the Empire!”
“We bring only total death and destruction! Because you are vermin infesting the Empire’s lands!”
Jese had already raised his Spear, aiming to end the Elder’s life—but then he paused, a fierce grin spreading across his face. Instead, he drew his Pistol from his belt, snapped it up into aim with practiced ease.
“Foolish hominid. Taste the wisdom of the Empire.”
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. The Elder’s forehead burst open in a spray of blood. His massive body collapsed with a thunderous roar.
“Hahahaha!”
“Beautiful!”
Jese blew a wisp of smoke from the barrel of his Rifle, then carefully tucked it back into his waistband. Every shot filled him with deep, primal satisfaction.
After the war against the “Youshuang” tribe, the Empire’s troops had grown expert at massacring Hill Giants. They worked in tight, coordinated groups—splitting the battlefield, surrounding from all sides, firing in rapid volleys. The clumsy, untrained hominids never even saw their enemies coming before they were riddled with bullets.
Gunfire, the thunderous stomps of the Dragonbeast’s claws, the dying wails of the Hill Giants, and the battle cries of Empire soldiers all blended into a cacophony across the field.
Blood-scent and smoke hung thick in the wilderness.
Against the disciplined, well-trained Empire infantry and Rifle Cavalry, these wild, tactless giants had no chance—no matter how large or strong they were.
Vice Earl Goliath, riding the Dragonbeast, crushed a Hill Giant lying on the ground beneath his foot. He raised his voice toward Jese from afar.
“Lord Baron! There are still some little ones hiding in the cave!”
Jese’s face hardened instantly. “Leave no one alive. Kill them all.”
Though called “cubs,” these Hill Giants were still towering—taller than most men, the shortest standing at two meters. They trembled in terror, huddled deep within the cave’s darkness.
At Jese’s order, the Great Goblins heaved bundles of firewood into the cave’s mouth. Several Wyverns landed on the ground, blocking the entrance, and unleashed torrents of fire from their maws.
Flames roared through the cave. Smoke and fire surged inward, scorching the young giants. Choked and burned, they screamed and scrambled out in panic, desperate to escape.
But they hadn’t taken two steps beyond the entrance when a line of Goblin Infantry—waiting in formation—opened fire.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
The cave’s mouth was soon piled high with charred corpses, unrecognizable, many riddled with bullet holes.
“Lord, the surrounding Hill Giants appear to have all originated from this cave. We’ve cleared the area completely.”
“Good.” Jese crossed his arms, inhaling the sharp tang of gunpowder in the air, savoring the sweet scent of war.
Hill Giants were classified as Harmful Beasts—never to be granted National status. This decision had been made by the Empire’s highest councils.
Unlike their lawful evil cousins, the Frost Giants, Hill Giants were pure Chaotic Evil monsters, with intelligence levels barely above animal instinct.
And there was another, unspoken reason—something kept secret from outsiders. The Hill Giants bore a striking resemblance to Ogres in appearance, behavior, and bloodline.
Within the giant’s complex social hierarchy, Ogres ranked lowest of all giant castes. By nature, common Ogres would do anything to fulfill a giant’s demands.
Though the Empire’s Ogres had undergone a quantum leap in intelligence and were no longer bound by their kin, they still couldn’t fully displace the Hill Giants from their ecological niche.
Moreover, the Empire’s strategists had calculated: transforming Hill Giants into “valuable citizens” would cost far more than the benefits they could ever bring.
So while Frost Giants could still serve as slaves, Hill Giants were deemed pests—meant only for extermination.
Jese stepped forward, pressing his boot down on the giant’s severed head, then gave it a brutal kick.
“Bart, any movement from the Thrace Kingdom? After we burned down their original castles?”
“Lord Baron, over the past two days, the Crimson Scale Conqueror has detected a Thrace scout unit along the border. But from our observations, they’re just insignificant irregulars.”
“Their Divine-Blooded elite have all been redeployed southward to resist Cassander Kingdom’s advance.”
Jese narrowed his eyes, irritation flickering. “Pride! How dare they send scouts?”
“Clearly, they still don’t know the true strength of the Empire!”
Earl Goliath drew his Pistol, running his fingers over its cold metal, then aimed it toward the horizon.
“If not for King Kai Xiusu’s concern for citizen welfare, the armies of Ashen would have already marched straight through and crushed that so-called ‘City of Dawn,’ Ogu斯特!”
“We’ve done nothing, and yet they dare probe us?”
Goliath narrowed his eyes, turning southward. “How far is the scout unit’s bivouac from our current position?”
“Very close. Just sixty li southeast.”
Jese fired several shots into the air, the echoes ringing across the valley.
“Men! Move out now! Let these Thrace dogs learn the truth—of our Empire’s strength!”
“To the Empire!”
(End of Chapter)
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