章 217: Gaint Hunting
Faced with Wayne's display of power, King Brahmwell hesitated but did not refuse. After all, a favor could be interpreted in many ways. For a seasoned ruler like him, when faced with a request that he truly couldn't fulfill, he knew he could always find a way to deflect or delay it with various excuses.
Moreover, having Wayne, with his mysterious background, as an additional safeguard for his daughter's safety seemed like a prudent move. As a king, Brahmwell quickly ordered his subordinates to form a rescue team, composed of the best climbers among the royal guards. Each one was a brave warrior, willing to sacrifice his life for the princess.
Meanwhile, just as in the original story, upon hearing Wayne's description of the giants, the villain Count Roderick subconsciously touched Eric's Magic Crown hidden in his pocket, feeling a surge of excitement. He then hypocritically and loudly volunteered to join the rescue team, claiming it was his duty to save his fiancée, Princess Isabel.
Since Roderick was the suitor chosen by King Brahmwell for the princess, his noble gesture was readily accepted. The film's protagonist, Jack—a poor boy who had lost his magic beans—also pleaded to join the rescue team, driven by both his adventurous spirit and his unreachable dream of rescuing the princess.
While these ordinary individuals worked hard for their dreams, Wayne had already ascended on his magic flying carpet to a point about one thousand meters above the ground. Unfortunately, as he had anticipated, when the magic carpet reached a certain height, it could no longer ascend. No matter how Wayne tried to control it, the carpet's flight stability faltered, and pushing it further risked a dangerous failure of the spell.
With no other choice, Wayne decided to stop at the base of the magic vine and, like the rescue team below, rely on his climbing skills to ascend.
However, as a Witcher, Wayne was far from ordinary. His physical fitness was more than five times that of the soldier. Coupled with his skills and physical strength, the climb that would take the rescue team two days to complete was far less challenging for him. Unlike the others, Wayne reached the top of the magic vine, ascending about 8,000 meters, in just six hours and arrived at Gantua, the territory of the giants.
At this altitude, Wayne had passed through the cumulonimbus clouds and reached the upper layers of the troposphere. Contrary to what many might imagine, the floating continent of the giants was a breathtaking, windswept landscape.
When he reached the top of the magic vine, Wayne found the dilapidated wooden house that had been carried into the giants' territory by the vines. However, Princess Isabel was nowhere to be seen—she had already left the house.
Seeing this, Wayne couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Isabelle was certainly a restless princess; running away from home and fleeing from marriage seemed to be her routine. But he had to admit, she was a courageous young woman.
Of course, it was also possible that she was simply hungry, as by his estimation, the princess likely hadn't eaten in a day.
As an excellent Witcher, Wayne's investigative abilities were sharp—perhaps not as refined as Geralt's, but still formidable. He quickly determined the direction Isabel had taken, following the footprints and other clues she had left behind.
Though rescuing the princess was something Wayne intended to do as a matter of course, the reward for completing a master-level mission was certainly tempting.
The magic vine connected to a skull-shaped drainage channel located at the very edge of the Giant Continent. Gazing at this eerie structure, Wayne speculated that there might have been a higher power in this world in the past—perhaps some kind of god or even angels, as mentioned in stories. But as magic waned and the Age of Ending Law began, these beings could no longer survive and eventually left this place. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain how such a massive continent could float in the sky, along with these sculptures that seemed beyond human craftsmanship.
With these thoughts in mind, Wayne quickly followed the trail left by Princess Isabel. After all, there were still many giants on this continent. While the princess hadn't faced immediate danger in the movie, reality might be different.
Wayne moved swiftly, tracking the princess across a plain, along a canyon, and into a forest.
About an hour later, he spotted from a distance a slim girl wearing a black cotton coat and long riding boots. Her beautiful long chestnut hair flowed behind her as she ran in panic.
Chasing after her leisurely was a massive humanoid creature, about eight meters tall, with rough skin, a chest clad in iron armor, and shaggy hair. Princess Isabel was clearly terrified, shouting for help as the giant pursued her with a playful grin, clearly enjoying the thrill of the chase.
Seeing this, Wayne quickly reached into his space bracelet, and a massive bow, over a meter long, appeared in his right hand. The bow was a striking combination of metal and special wooden materials, both gorgeous and imposing. This was the gift from the female elf Toruviel, meticulously crafted by a master elf bowmaker.
Gripping the Bow tightly, Wayne pulled out a large black arrow, made entirely of steel and about a meter in length, from his space bracelet.
Wayne took a steady breath, aimed at the running giant about two hundred meters away, drew his bow, and released the arrow all in one fluid motion. The massive Bow was pulled into a full arc, and with a resounding thrum, the metal arrow shot forward, turning into a streak of light. It covered the distance of over two hundred meters in an instant and pierced precisely through the back of the giant's neck.
It was as if a hole had been punctured in a water-filled bag; the giant let out a howl as a large amount of blood gushed from the wound torn open by the arrow. The stunned giant clutched his throat with both hands, his expression filled with disbelief. Due to the momentum of his run, he staggered a few more steps before crashing heavily to the ground. His eyes remained wide open as he made a desperate but futile struggle before succumbing to his wounds.
Princess Isabel, who had been fleeing in terror, instinctively looked back at the sound of the giant collapsing. When she saw the massive creature with an arrow lodged in its throat, she gasped in surprise, covering her mouth.
Soon, her eyes followed the direction from which the arrow had come, and she saw a man flying toward her on a magic carpet, holding the magnificent Bow, clad in armor.
Despite her astonishment, when Wayne reached her side, he nodded slightly and said in a calm voice, "Your Royal Highness, Princess Isabel, my name is Wayne. Your father has entrusted me with your rescue."
"From now on, stay with me, and I will ensure your safety."
After speaking, Wayne glanced back at the lifeless giant, then extended his hand to Princess Isabel, inviting her to step onto the magic flying carpet.
Princess Isabel hesitated for a few seconds, glancing once more at the terrifyingly dead giant. Then, she reached out to take Wayne's hand, and with his assistance, she stepped onto the magic flying carpet. Compared to the dangerous environment around her, she clearly had more trust in the man before her.
After climbing onto the magic carpet, Isabel stood behind Wayne, following his instructions. As the carpet slowly lifted off the ground, she instinctively wrapped her arms around Wayne's waist, her voice trembling with a mix of excitement and fear as she asked, "Mr. Wayne, are we flying back to the ground now?"
Wayne didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stored the Bow back into his space bracelet, then maneuvered the magic carpet closer to the giant's body. He patted the black money bag at his waist, and the wealth elf, Vivian, emerged, laughing with a sound like tinkling silver bells.
Vivian first circled around Wayne and Princess Isabel, then landed on Wayne's outstretched palm. She stretched, revealing her slender waist beneath her shirt, and cheerfully asked, "Wayne, you called? What can Vivian do for you?"
Ignoring Princess Isabel's bright and curious gaze from behind, Wayne pointed at the giant's corpse below and asked calmly, "How much is this thing worth?"
Vivian glanced curiously at Princess Isabel behind Wayne but didn't pry. She immediately fluttered her wings and flew down to inspect the giant's corpse. Unfazed by the fact that it was a dead body, she examined it like a piece of cargo, even casting a spell akin to an identification technique. After her brief assessment, Vivian quickly flew back to Wayne's palm, pouting as she gave her report.
"Wayne, this is just a very ordinary humanoid corpse," Vivian reported. "There's almost no magic power in the body, the soul is weak, and the body lacks any nutritional value. It can only be sold for the price of a wild boar—about five orens, maybe!"
"However, the armor he's wearing, although of rather poor quality, is quite heavy and can be sold as scrap iron. I estimate it weighs about half a ton and could fetch around eighty orens."
Vivian was always thoughtful, knowing that Wayne preferred dealing in orens. So, whenever she appraised items for him, she converted their value into orens so Wayne could accurately gauge their worth.
Wayne nodded lightly. Eighty-five orens—decent enough. The trophy acquisition center would give him half that amount, but since he was offloading junk anyway and had neither the time to sell them at market nor the storage space to hold them, it wasn't worth haggling with profiteers.
Besides, the giants in this world didn't compare to those in the witcher's world. In the witcher's world, a giant's body could fetch over ten times as much due to the chaotic magic coursing through it. If any mutation-inducing substances were found, the price would double.
"That's fine, Vivian. I'll sell it to you—take it away quickly; it's quite an eyesore."
Vivian chuckled and quickly flew over to the giant's corpse. She chanted a spell and made a few intricate gestures with her hands. Whatever she did, the giant's body was soon enveloped in a layer of magical fluorescence. Within seconds, it disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only Wayne's arrow, slightly deformed from impact, still lying on the ground.
Seeing such a magical display, Princess Isabel, standing behind Wayne, couldn't help but be awed. Everything she had witnessed over the past two days had upended her entire years of understanding, filling the already excited and curious princess with a mix of fear, worry, and a heightened sense of curiosity and wonder.
Princess Isabel tilted her head, peeking out from behind the tall figure of Wayne. She pointed at the adorable-looking Vivian and asked, "Mr. Wayne, who is this cute—um, cute little girl? Is she the elf from the stories?"
Wayne met Princess Isabel's curious, shining eyes and responded calmly, "Almost, but she's not an elf. She's a wealth elf, and she's my assistant."
At that moment, Vivian finished her task and flew in front of Princess Isabel, flashing a contagious and flattering smile. She cheerfully introduced herself, "Yes, my lady, I am Master Wayne's most loyal servant, Vivian. Vivian likes Master Wayne the most."
Wayne, listening to Vivian's flattering words, knew that what she truly liked most wasn't him but the tips he gave her. He couldn't help but pat the black money bag at his waist and said with a touch of helplessness, "Come back, Vivian. No need for flattery. There's a big job coming soon, and I'll make sure you get a generous reward."
Upon hearing this, Vivian excitedly flew up to Wayne's head, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then happily zipped back into the black money bag, saying sweetly before disappearing inside, "Mr. Wayne, whatever you need, just ask. Vivian loves you the most."
After Vivian returned to the purse, Wayne was about to take off when he suddenly heard a growl from Princess Isabel's stomach. He turned to see the princess, blushing in embarrassment, holding her stomach and avoiding eye contact.
As a princess of the kingdom, Isabel had never experienced hunger before, and she felt quite embarrassed by her body's reaction, especially in front of Wayne.
Wayne found the situation amusing but kept his expression neutral. When dealing with strangers, he preferred to maintain a stoic demeanor, making it difficult for others to read his thoughts.
Reaching into his space bracelet, Wayne pulled out a piece of bread coated with butter and honey and handed it to Princess Isabel. This was a dessert he had specifically crafted to win over girls. With his exceptional culinary skills, it was nearly impossible for anyone to resist his creations.
Unsurprisingly, Princess Isabel was no exception. Having grown up with the notoriously bland cuisine, she was instantly captivated by the aroma alone. Her face lit up with happiness as she accepted the bread and began eating it in small, delighted bites.
After she had finished the bread with rapt attention, she realized that Wayne was quietly watching her. Embarrassed, Isabel shyly avoided his gaze, but when Wayne offered her a second bun, she couldn't resist the temptation and took it eagerly.
After their meal, Wayne didn't make any move to return to the ground. Rescuing the princess had merely been a side task; his primary goal was to subdue the giant clan and bring them under his control.
Even though Wayne hadn't yet acquired Eric's Magic Crown, it didn't stop him from planning to instill fear in the giants who inhabited this land. He understood that merely relying on the crown might allow him to control the giants temporarily, but it wouldn't be enough to truly conquer a race that inherently looked down on humans.
Wayne knew that almost all creatures shared a common trait: they feared power more than they respected virtue. Fear and overwhelming power were the foundations of true domination.
To completely control these giants, Wayne needed to make them fear him from the depths of their hearts, understanding the dire consequences of disobedience and defiance.
Thus began a unique hunting operation on the continent known as Gantua, the territory of giants.
With his magic flying carpet, Wayne transformed into a deadly hunter soaring through the sky. His exquisite archery skills, combined with agile aerial maneuvers, allowed him to systematically hunt down every giant that came into his view.
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