Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 176

Chapter 176: Killing Giants
Chapter 176

Henry watched as the two dwarves bravely protected their injured brother, fighting against the Ice Giants and even managing to kill one of them, while giving the other three a difficult time.

“Should we help them, my liege?” – Leier asked, seeing the king’s interest in them and noticing that the dwarves were getting tired from the fight, their movements already quite slow.

Henry shook his head, his purplish eyes glowing – “No, let’s wait a little bit. They can still hold on. I want to understand more of their strength. And…if we want to win their help, isn’t it better to wait for a direst situation?” – he asked, thinking on the best outcome.

The fight dragged on for about half an hour, until one of the dwarves began to slow down, and one of the giants punched him. The other standing dwarf kept going for a few minutes but also succumbed to the Ice Giant’s fists. The dwarves lay there hopeless, sharing their last smiles and welcoming death as those giant fists fell upon them.

At that moment, Henry activated the Sunfire Steps and brandished his weapon, completely coated in purple fire, advancing rapidly forward. He was like a comet, following a straight path ahead as there were no trees in the way, reaching the place within a brief moment. With a single slash, the arm of one of the Ice Giants fell to the ground just as it was about to crush Boris’s head.

The Ice Giants roared in anger and turned their attention to Henry as if they didn’t know pain. The king stood his ground, his eyes blazing with a calm and steady demeanor. The now armless giant swung its massive fist at him, but Henry dodged with incredible speed, the Sunfire Steps making him almost a blur. He countered with a swift slash to the giant’s knee, causing it to howl in pain and collapse, incapacitating it for a brief moment but not cutting through the knee.

“Next one!” Henry didn’t stop. He moved like a shadow, evading another giant’s attack and leaping into the air. His sword, enveloped in purple flames, cut through the air and also sliced off the other giant’s arm. He roared, staggering back as what seemed to be a white mist came out of the severed limb, as if it was the creature’s blood.

The third giant tried to grab Henry from behind, but he sensed the movement and spun around, his sword slashing through the giant’s fingers. The giant bellowed in pain, and Henry took the opportunity to drive his blade into the giant’s chest, the purple flames burning through the ice and flesh. The second Ice Giant fell. Henry didn’t aim for the forehead, since he didn’t want to damage the mysterious gem.

Henry pulled his sword out and turned to face the remaining two giants. “Not coming?” – he mockingly asked, waving his sword at them. Although they didn’t understand his words, the giants still madly charged at him. Henry gave a cold smile, deciding not to show mercy – “The sword is also about to break, but it’s enough to finish both of you.”

Henry’s normal sword was already filled with cracks all over and it wouldn’t be able to sustain any more than six attacks – “Here they come!” – He thought, seeing one of them charging towards him without an arm, unable to contain its desire.

The first of the two remaining giants lunged at Henry, swinging both its massive fists down. Henry sidestepped swiftly, using the momentum to slash at the giant’s leg, severing it cleanly. The giant roared in agony, collapsing again onto one knee. Henry took advantage of the situation, leaping onto the giant’s chest and driving his sword into its heart. The purple flames burned intensely, and the giant let out a final, pained cry before falling lifelessly to the ground.

The final giant, now filled with rage and desperation, wishing to avenge his brothers charged at the king with a deafening roar. Henry stood his ground, waiting for the right moment. As the giant swung its fists again, Henry ducked and rolled beneath its legs, slicing through both ankles. The giant toppled over, unable to stand.

Henry climbed onto its back with swift precision and also plunged his sword into the giant’s heart from behind, the purple flames consuming the creature’s icy flesh. The giant writhed for a moment before succumbing to the fatal blow.

“It’s easier than I thought to fight against these creatures. They only have a great strength and no brain. We only need to be faster and stronger.” – Henry thought.

He stood atop the fallen giant, his sword still ablaze with purple fire. He surveyed the battlefield, ensuring no more threats remained, before digging out the gem from the creature’s forehead. The snow beneath their feet was filled by the fighting remnants, with Henry’s steps clearly visible.

Leier and the rest of Henry’s soldiers approached – “Go tend to those dwarves and see if they are alive” – Henry commanded – “I will remain here to confirm if everything was giving”

Leier nodded and quickly moved to check on the dwarves, while Henry remained vigilant, his senses heightened for any potential danger. As the soldiers worked to stabilize the injured dwarves, Henry kept digging out the four mysterious gems out of their foreheads.

It didn’t take long for Leier to return to Henry’s side, her expression serious – “The dwarves are badly injured, but they’ll live. We need to get them to safety quickly.”

“Any one of them is awake?” – Henry asked – “We need to know the whereabout of their village. We’ll escort them back to Stone Village and learn nonstop. And perhaps, in turn, they will become valuable allies.”

“No, my liege…” – Leier responded.

“Then, let’s wait for tomorrow. We’ll escort them back to Stone Village. They’ve earned our help and respect. And perhaps, in turn, they will become valuable allies.” – Henry said – “Let’s go somewhere to help them recover as fast as possible.”