The encounter with three Blackrock Giants along the way was merely a minor incident, but it provided Akira and the others with greater insight.
While magical beasts existed across the Six Continents, creatures like treants and stone giants were unheard of.
Compared to them, the magical beasts of the Six Continents were as weak as sheep, posing no threat whatsoever.
Beyond the knowledge gained, the stone giants also brought Akira another reward—their cores.
Blackrock Giant Core: Originating from the lowest tier of the stone giant race, these serve as the energy source for their massive bodies.
Akira had yet to encounter other types of stone giants, so he couldn't draw definitive conclusions.
But he could confidently assert that the most crucial—and valuable—part of these Blackrock Giants was their core.
Their rocky bodies came second.
If these items had only held collection or research value before, the birth of Steelix had now endowed them with immense practical worth.
This further piqued Akira's interest in this rocky terrain, fueling his anticipation for more surprises.
About an hour's walk beyond where the three giants had been, they made another discovery.
On a slightly elevated stretch of rocky ground.
Akira narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the terrain ahead.
The others mirrored his actions with uncanny synchronization.
It was as if some monstrous presence lay before them, drawing everyone's gaze in eerie unison.
Meowth scratched his cheek with a paw, exclaiming in astonishment.
"Is that… a hole, meow?"
"How can there be such a huge hole, meow?"
Following their line of sight, they saw a vast, pitch-black chasm seemingly suspended in midair.
A section of what should have been flat ground had vanished without a trace, leaving behind an abyss as dark and fathomless as a black hole.
This indicated the hole wasn't just enormous—it was also incredibly deep.
Clearly, this was no ordinary occurrence.
The edges of the hole were unnaturally smooth, ruling out causes like meteor impacts or other natural collisions.
It looked more like the product of deliberate construction.
After their earlier experiences, the first thought that crossed Akira's mind upon seeing this unprecedented chasm was:
A stone giant's lair!
A hole this large, with no signs of meteor strikes or battle damage, left few other possibilities.
"Notice anything?"
Akira kept his expression neutral as he turned to the others, particularly addressing Ging and his group.
Beyond stroked his well-groomed beard, murmuring, "It's too perfectly shaped—almost as if it formed naturally."
Pausing, his face twisted slightly in contemplation before he continued, "Honestly, I do have a theory…"
"This colossal cave might be connected to the stone giants we encountered earlier."
"Assuming something lives inside, the only beings that would fit a cave this size are stone giants."
"Stone giants, huh?"
"That aligns with my own hypothesis."
Akira nodded in agreement before shifting the focus:
"Whether this cave is related to stone giants isn't the real issue. What matters to us is the choice."
"The choice of whether to enter!"
This massive cave clearly wasn't ordinary—anyone could tell danger lurked within.
But danger often walked hand in hand with opportunity.Especially in a place like the Dark Continent, this statement couldn't be more true.
Akira was focused on the possibility of encountering Stone Giants inside, which could be used to help Steelix continue growing.
As for the others...
Beyond initially frowned deeply, but after working through some thoughts, changed his stance again.
"I support it."
At the same time, he paid extra attention to the subtle expressions on Akira's face.
His statement was the result of careful consideration, weighing all aspects before speaking.
First, with Akira leading them, the danger level would be greatly reduced—at least so far, none of them had been lost.
Second, one of their main purposes in coming to the Dark Continent was exploration.
This included both challenges and rewards.
For Ging and others, the challenges might be more appealing.
For another group, the rewards would take precedence.
But either way, entering the cave would likely satisfy everyone.
The most crucial point was the ore.
They had long known that this rocky terrain produced ore.
Common sense dictated that ore was usually found underground, meaning this cave leading downward was likely to contain some.
This was a reward too significant to ignore.
Of course, all this was predicated on a relatively high safety factor—otherwise, few would take such risks.
And Akira was the very embodiment of that sense of security.
After a brief discussion, everyone unanimously decided to explore the cave.
After all, their mission this time also included obtaining more 'Hope' with mineral-type Hope naturally being one of them.
Seeing everyone in agreement, Akira led the group to the edge of the massive hole.
Even from a distance, it was astonishing, but up close, its sheer size was overwhelming.
Just standing at the edge of the entrance made one feel insignificant—it was so vast that an entire building could easily be tossed inside.
With the available light, they could make out some traces on the surface.
The hole didn't have a vertical passage but rather a sloping one.
Because of this incline, there was a path inside with a relatively gentle slope.
The ground here, the entrance, and even the interior were all composed of Black Tremor Rock.
This made the interior even darker, with light only illuminating the surface layers while the depths remained shrouded in gloom.
It was as if wisps of black mist lurked in the depths, deliberately shielding themselves from prying eyes.
Peering down from the edge, everyone noticed chaotic marks on the path near the entrance.
The normally unyielding Black Tremor Rock now bore overlapping depressions, as if trampled into soft soil.
They had witnessed something similar not long ago.
If it was just speculation before, now they had much greater certainty—Stone Giants were inside.
Unlike the Treant, the Stone Giants appeared in groups of three.
If the Treant could be considered unique individuals, the Stone Giants clearly belonged to a distinct race.
Where there were three giants, there could easily be more.
"No need for me to repeat the warnings. Stay alert, everyone, and put on your goggles."
Akira steeled himself and addressed the team, giving final instructions before they advanced.
As for the glasses he mentioned, they weren't ordinary spectacles but rather an invention by Meowth.
Daylight Glasses: When worn, they absorb a small amount of aura while making everything appear as clear as daylight, providing perfect visibility.
Even in pitch-black spaces, the wearer would still see a bright, illuminated scene.
As they ventured deeper, the cave's light would inevitably fade into endless darkness.
Using conventional lighting methods could easily attract hidden dangers from the shadows, catching them off guard.
With 'Gyo', they could see slightly better—but only marginally so.
It was nowhere near as effective as the Daylight Glasses, which not only performed better but also consumed less energy than maintaining 'Gyo'.
This was the charm of Meowth's inventions.
With these tools, many problems could be solved far more conveniently.
Despite being called Daylight Glasses, their design resembled sunglasses, with black lenses.
Yet once worn, the previously dim and blurry surroundings below instantly became bright and visible.
Every detail could now be seen with perfect clarity.
"Alright, let's go!"
Just as Akira and the others began their exploration, something tragic was unfolding deep underground.
*****
In the unfathomable depths below, the place resembled a fairy-tale wonderland, shimmering with the glow of gemstones.
The surrounding walls were studded with dazzling diamonds.
Each diamond was exquisitely beautiful, crystal-clear, with a radiant sheen dancing across their surfaces.
The soft glow illuminated the surroundings, creating an ethereal, dreamlike beauty.
Though varying in size, the smallest were at least the size of a fist, gleaming brilliantly against the rocky walls.
Each one surpassed the Seven Great Beauties of the World in splendor—if displayed on the Six Continents, they would undoubtedly be hailed as the world's most magnificent treasures.
Had Biscuit Krueger been here, her eyes would have sparkled with greed, drool uncontrollably dripping from her mouth.
Her gaze would have been fixated solely on these countless, breathtaking diamonds, oblivious to all else.
Despite being buried deep underground, this place would have been nothing short of paradise for Biscuit.
Yet within this seemingly idyllic wonderland lurked unknown darkness, oppressive and suffocating.
Strange creatures clung to the walls, their bodies emitting a hazy glow.
Within the bright, milky light, faint starlight flickered like countless shimmering galaxies.
As these "galaxies" touched the walls, the supposedly solid rock rippled like water, sending out waves.
Then, radiating from these points, the walls gradually brightened, their material structure transforming in the process.
This was the origin of those countless "diamonds."
These creatures were turning ordinary rock into stunning diamonds—but these gems were far more than met the eye.
The creatures themselves were bizarre in appearance, their bodies composed entirely of a single large diamond, roughly the size of a child.
Embedded in these crystalline forms were distinct facial features, complete with pairs of pale blue eyes.
Their expressions were lively and endearingly cute.
Most hovered mid-air without touching the ground.
A few exceptions existed—larger in size, with fully formed limbs, as if they were evolved versions of their kin.
One small diamond creature seemed exhausted, its eyelids fluttering weakly, unable to fully close.
Though utterly exhausted, it had no choice but to force itself to stay alert—all because it was left with no alternative.
"Whoosh! Crack!"
A whip lashed out violently, splitting the air before striking the dozing little diamond with a resounding snap.
The sharp crack echoed through the cavern chamber, lingering ominously.
The whip resembled a vine but was studded with jagged rock barbs, making it exceptionally vicious.
"Don't even think about slacking off!"
"Get back to work now!"
A silver giant snarled menacingly at the little diamond knocked to the ground.
This silver giant belonged to the Stone Giant race, a higher evolution of the Rock Giants.
Strangely, despite being a higher tier than Rock Giants, the silver giant wasn't larger in size—in fact, it was noticeably smaller.
This was unique to Stone Giants' evolutionary path.
They advanced by purging impurities from their bodies.
The expelled impurities would then form lower-tier giants, with Rock Giants being the lowest.
Thus, through persistent effort, Rock Giants shed their impurities to evolve into silver giants, naturally resulting in a more compact form.
But what remained was pure essence.
Though not as massive, every inch of a silver giant's body radiated formidable power.
Upon evolving, they not only changed in appearance but also gained significantly greater strength and heightened intelligence.
The most notable trait was their newfound ability to use a language system with relative fluency.
This wasn't the Common Tongue of the Six Continents used by humans but a unique sonic wave emitted by Stone Giants.
Only their kin and certain mineral-based creatures could comprehend it.
This proved that Stone Giants were fundamentally different from the creatures Akira and the others had encountered before.
They were an intelligent species!
"Y-yes…"
The little diamonds also possessed intelligence and could respond with similar sonic waves.
The struck little diamond struggled to rise, its crystalline tears welling up but refusing to fall.
The silver giant's whip had struck with brutal force, leaving a jagged gash on its diamond body—akin to a chunk of flesh being gouged from a human, unbearable for most.
Yet under the silver giant's oppression, the little diamond could only submit and resume its labor obediently.
Their task was to transform more rocks into special diamonds, a craft exclusive to their kind.
"Tch!"
The silver giant curled its lip, its expression flickering between glee and fury—capricious and discontented at the lack of entertainment.
As an overseer, its greatest joys were lashing these servants and pilfering the Treasure Diamonds they produced.
The Stone Giant race referred to these diamonds as Treasure Diamonds.
To them, these were incredibly rare treasures—consuming one granted indescribable, monumental enhancements!
Thus, the Stone Giants exploited the little diamonds, treating them as nothing more than drudges.
Under such inhumane conditions, the little diamonds led lives of unrelenting misery.
A horrifying contrast to the ethereal, fairy-tale beauty of their surroundings!
-----------------------------
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