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Chapter 199: First Contact

Chapter 199: First Contact

Several hours had gone by since the expedition began. Down by the shore, Freya’s team had divided into smaller groups to protect the camp, construct cabins, and plan a safety strategy for the upcoming night.

"How about a huge shield? What if we could deploy a shield covering the entire beach? That way, there’s no need to worry about an attack!" » suggested a young woman.

Freya crossed her arms, thinking for a bit before shaking her head.

"It won’t work, we don’t know how long it will last, do you think anyone here could create that kind of shield and maintain it indefinitely? Also, suppose we do that, it will be a huge generation of "energy, an ideal way to signal our presence to the things of this earth. We know Wrath came this far once, so maybe we should think about something less visible..."

Hope, Cid, and several emissaries were watching the forest from a distance. A young boy repeatedly glanced at the young hero, causing the latter to suppress a sigh, fully aware of the attention.

"What’s up? Do you want his autograph?" Cid asked nonchalantly.

"Ah... Um... no, it’s just... hmm..."

"Hm? What? Don’t tell me you’re his biggest fan." He nudged Hope with his elbow, a smirk on his lips. "What part of that crybaby impressed you?"

Hope turned to the young boy, still surprised. The boy looked away, twiddling his thumbs.

"...Well...uh...actually, I was just curious. Your name is Balder, right?"

Cid’s eyes widened, next to him, Hope, observed the boy before losing the light in his eyes.

"I heard about you, you were one of Candace Elysium’s closest students, right? Closer than any of us...I mean, you know her personally."

"...Oh, are you curious about the dean? Well...I wouldn’t say we were closed off, I really don’t know her any more than you do..."

"Oh, it’s really you then?! So you’re really the brother of the legend?!"

A shared gasp passed through everyone around them. Cid gave the boy a quick pat on the shoulder and shook his head.

"H-hey! How about we talk about our powers? To have good synergy later? Right? Right??"

He turned to Hope, but his friend didn’t show the reaction he expected. Previously, he would either throw a tantrum or shout nonsense, but now his face just sank.

The young boy appeared distressed, and another boy handed him a small trowel.

"You idiot! Why are you talking to him about her? He’s probably in pain! Think about it!"

"Huh... I just wanted to... oh, sorry sir." He made a small pout while scratching his neck.

Hope suddenly stood up, under the worried eyes of the crowd that began to form around him. He took a quick glance towards the forest and put his sword on his back.

"Hey, Cid, I think I’ll join the group looking for materials, I’m bored here."

Cid raised his eyebrows and smiled at him.

"I see, care if I join?"

A little later, the two of them walked into the forest, right alongside the camp. In many areas, one could find two or three other members of the group. Silently, they gathered tree branches and looked at the leafy ground for fruit, then slowly walked away into the forest.

In this silence, Cid sighed and nodded.

"You know, Hope, I told you before that sometimes it’s better to put the past behind you. I know you hate talking about it but...one day you have to accept what happened and live with it."

"I already know it happened. Can you change the subject? I’m not in the mood for anything."

"...Just to be sure, did you come here hoping to die? I’m really trying to help you there but..."

Hope stopped walking, gritting his teeth, he turned to Cid.

"Why do you all keep trying to bother me?! I’m not even trying to get attention anymore! What if I die?! Who cares?! Everyone hates me, and no one cares from me, so why-"

"HOPE!"

Cid kicked him in the back, sending him flying towards a nearby tree. Hope stood up, fuming with rage.

"That’s it! I’m tired of..."

His heart skipped a beat.

On the beach, Eryl’s eyes were shining and everyone was frozen after a single sentence from the servant: "Take your weapons!!!"

An unfamiliar species of birds soared through the sky, startled from their slumber by the rustling of the trees. Hope stumbled backward at the terrifying sight in front of him.

Just a few feet away from Cid, who had managed to evade in time, the creature yanked its hand from the earth. It rose to its full height, with lengthy black hair obscuring its grotesque face, complete with an elongated, repulsive nose.

Its massive frame was adorned with filth, grime, and debris, featuring a protruding belly, elongated limbs, and arms that seemed to stretch on forever. However, the most chilling aspect was its sheer size, towering over fifteen meters tall. Hope and Cid found themselves face to face with a giant.

The two jumped back, Hope grabbing his sword and shaking all over.

"....What the hell...what the hell is that?!" he whispered.

The giant looked at the palm of his hand before turning to Cid and then Hope as if to size them up. They both backed away slowly, the thing sending shivers down their spines.

The beast sniffed the air and let out a strange growl before turning to Hope.

" Watch out!!!" Cid shouted, and at that moment, the thing rushed towards Hope.

One, two steps, in less than a second the distance was covered by the hand reaching for Hope’s head.

"Damn... MOVE!" Cid shouted, preparing a lightning spell.

"High Aura!"

Hope unleashed a sudden surge of crimson energy. He vanished and reappeared behind the towering giant, delivering a precise vertical slash across its chest. Cid halted in astonishment as his companion sheathed his sword, casting a concerned glance at the beast before facing his stunned comrade.

"...What? You seem surprised, you thought I couldn’t manage to defeat a single monster?"

"...Huh?...That’s...damn, why did you...Arh, forget it!"

Cid rushed towards him, both observing the body of the giant creature. The more they looked at it, the more terrifying it seemed and the more disgusted Cid felt.

"What is that? Do you think it’s one of those giants?" Hope scratched his chin.

"Urgh...I...I’m going to throw up...Hey, we’ve got too far, let’s go back to the beach, I already hate this place."

Hope crouched in front of the creature’s head, peering into its dead eye.

"... I expected them to be bigger... and... hey, this means that there are still giants that close to the beach! We should..."

A blast reverberated across the woods, causing the trees to tremble and the ground to shake. The two young boys pivoted towards the source of the sound, beads of sweat forming on their brows.

"... The camp," Cid murmured.

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