Parallel Vol. 6

Chapter 29: A Day in Kerta

"Forgive me, but can you repeat that?" On the beach, serenaded by lapping waves, chopping wood, and the rustic smell of salty freedom, Kang Konglu stared at the draconian before him. Zeing's punch permanently destroyed the dreaded vortex, freeing the giants from their millennium-long commitment. Without that covenant hanging over their heads, Kang, for the past few weeks, led the giants to build a massive fleet to return their people to the mainland. The efforts were fruitful, evidenced by the piles of logs and boat skeletons that lined the beachside. However, even with most of their people dedicated to the task, it would still take a month to finish.

But Kang was not sure they could last that long. The isolated island had little in the way of edible plants and, likewise, local wildlife. Fortunately, the vortex provided more than just demons. The giants relied on the monsters it also spat out for food. Having grown accustomed to the vortex over centuries, the giants did not bother learning farming or fishing, content to live off the meat from the monsters and local shrubbery.

Now, however, with the vortex destroyed, the giants suddenly faced the threat of possible starvation. They needed to return to quickly find more fertile land before their reserves ran out. Just when Kang was considering the possibility of relearning fishing to buy themselves some time, the sleeping draconian that turned their world upside-down suddenly awoke and proposed something absolutely impossible.

Kashi smiled, eyes glowing with mischievous triumph. "Yeah, you don't need to build boats. I can take you all to the mainland in minutes. But are you sure that's what you want as your final destination?"

Kang's brows furrowed. He felt like the draconian wanted to play a trick. Still, seeing as Kashi held all the cards in this negotiation, Kang was compelled to follow his lead for now. "What do you mean?"

"The giants' reputation hasn't lessened in a thousand years," said Kashi. "In fact, your people are something of an urban legend. Over a thousand years, stories of your conquest have mutated and changed so many times to something grotesque. People believe you pillage, kill, destroy, rip apart your enemies, drink their blood and feast on their flesh. Suffice to say, you will not receive a delightful welcome on your return to the mainland."

"We are giants. We are not afraid of battle."

"Very much so. But some of those on the mainland happen to be my people. If you fight, I will have to take their side."

Kang's brows tightened even further at Kashi's less-than-subtle threat. As a proud giant, he should have squashed the draconian immediately for his insolence. However, the memory of an empty sky haunted his thoughts, preventing him from moving. Though he refused to believe Kashi could command the half-giants' god, Zeing, he also did not know the extent of their relationship. Zeing did not speak about that during his brief visit to his ancestors' island.

As if sensing Kang's thoughts, Kashi smiled and said, "By the way, Zeing's half-dwarven side happens to live on the mainland. I cannot guarantee he won't retaliate if you move on the mainland."

The giant king's face whitened in shock and fear. He did not doubt the draconian's words. Kashi was many things, but he did not give off the aura of a liar. In that case, Kang might have really brought about his people's extinction due to his pride. Swallowing hard to stifle his nervousness, Kang asked, "Assuming you are correct, what is your proposed alternative, and what price do we have to pay?"

Kashi grinned. Holding up two fingers, he said, "You have two choices. First, you live in my independent world, Orez. Think of it as a separate dimension. Yggdrasil is housed there, so your future generation will gain the boon of being born under the world tree. There's also plenty of space, so you can forgo that boon to find a brand-new nation. But, you will be heavily isolated from all other races. Right now, all sentient beings live in the plains surrounding Yggdrasil. If you want to live under Yggdrasil, the only thing I require of you is a sworn agreement to lose any thoughts of conquest and instead work together with the other races to build the city."