Night fell over the Giant's Tavern.
The giants had prepared a lavish feast to welcome their guests from afar. Their warm hospitality made the Beasts Pirates momentarily forget the disappointment of the day.
Hajrudin, upon hearing the news, rushed to the tavern and kept a nervous, unblinking watch on Gurd. His instincts screamed that this devilish man was up to no good!
"I'm sorry, Mr. Gurd."
Gerd leaned close to Gurd, apologizing. "Actually, we giants welcome humans. It's just that Hajrudin was worried you might cause trouble, so initially—"
"I understand."
Gurd smiled at the giantess.
If there was one bright spot about coming to Elbaf, it was this sweet giantess before him.
Too bad that by tomorrow, they'd likely be mortal enemies.
Gurd asked softly, "Gerd, could you tell me more about King Harald?"
"Of course!"
At the mention of the king, admiration flashed in Gerd's eyes.
"King Harald is a lover of peace, the wisest ruler Elbaf has ever known. As a member of the Ancient Giant Tribe, he tore off his own horns—the symbol of our strength—without hesitation to convince giants to abandon violence."
"Mhm."
Gurd listened quietly. When Gerd finished, he suddenly asked, "Gerd, what do you think of Prince Loki?"
"Loki!"
Before Gerd could answer, Hajrudin—who had been eavesdropping—snapped. He rushed over, shouting uncontrollably.
"That Loki is cunning and cruel, an irredeemable villain! Even a hundred executions wouldn't be enough to atone for his sins!"
"A villain, huh?"
Gurd smirked.
What a coincidence—so was he!
"Hajrudin, you seem terrified of Loki."
"..."
Hajrudin's face stiffened.
He was afraid.
Gurd shook his head, leaped onto the towering bar counter, and addressed the giants in the tavern with a loud challenge.
"Giants! Are you afraid of Loki?"
"Loki?!"
A chill ran down the giants' spines.
"Of course we are! Do you have any idea how much suffering he's caused us?"
"Elbaf was nearly destroyed because of him!"
"Loki is the embodiment of evil!"
Having gotten his answer, Gurd jumped down and headed for the exit. "The drinks today were bland. I'm done here."
"Wait for us, Captain Gurd!"
His crew scrambled after him.
The tavern grew quieter.
The giants exchanged confused glances. Why had the little human left so abruptly? Had their hospitality fallen short?
Hajrudin picked up his mug.
"Bland?"
This was the finest ale in all of Elbaf!
And why did he suddenly feel so uneasy?
That man brought up Loki... Could he be planning to free Loki?
No, impossible.
Even if Gurd wanted to release Loki, he couldn't. The key was kept in the castle, guarded by giant sentinels.
If Gurd tried to retrieve it, he'd be caught immediately.
The harbor.
The group returned to their ship.
Gurd's gaze was icy.
"Set sail now. Wait for me at the tavern down the coast."
"Gurd, are you okay?"
Yamato hunched her shoulders, sensing the storm brewing in Gurd's aura.
Gurd shook his head and turned to Speed.
"Speed, sail."
"Yes, Lord Gurd!"
When Gurd got serious, Speed didn't dare entertain any thoughts and immediately commanded the crew to sail the ship onto the Rainbow Bridge.
Gurd watched as the Groudon Ship departed, then turned and headed toward the king's castle. His nearly three-meter-tall frame, combined with the dim nighttime lighting, made it easy for him to avoid the gaze of the giants.
Moving in stops and starts, he soon arrived at the base of the castle.
The castle was built atop a massive tree—though "tree" hardly did justice to its mountainous grandeur. Climbing it would take considerable time, especially with the enormous gaps between steps.
Not an easy ascent.
Gurd had no intention of climbing. Instead, he activated his Beast Form, his arms fully transforming into Groudon's razor-sharp claws.
In the next moment, Gurd leaped up, then dove toward the ground like a diver, moving through the hard earth as if swimming underwater.
"Underground Assault·Freestyle!"
With Groudon's physical form and the power of Earth, Gurd moved underground even faster than he could swim.
The only downside was the lack of grace.
But before dawn, he didn't want to cause too much commotion. Even if the giants noticed him, it would have to wait until daylight.
After breaching the surface three times, Gurd finally entered the castle interior. The vast, empty halls had long been abandoned, devoid of any people.
"I hope my judgment isn't wrong."
Gurd arrived at the throne hall.
Above the throne hung a portrait of King Harald—a man with a fierce countenance, his head bearing large scars on either side, likely from having his horns removed.
"Pathetic disgrace."
Gurd's gaze turned icy.
Cracks spread from beneath his feet, rapidly engulfing Harald's portrait and shattering it into countless fragments.
The castle's interior was enormous, making the search for a single key a daunting task—but not for Gurd.
He pressed his palm to the ground.
An invisible pulse extended through the earth, gradually enveloping the entire castle and forming a three-dimensional map in Gurd's mind.
Every layout became crystal clear.
"Found it!"
Most castles inevitably had hidden treasure chambers, typically located underground and equipped with secret passages and traps.
In such a dilapidated castle, the key could only be in the treasure vault.
"Hah, how predictable."
Gurd quickly located the treasure chamber. A massive key stood planted at the room's center—undoubtedly the one needed to free Loki.
But besides the key, the chamber also held an elderly man wearing sunglasses, clearly waiting for him.
"Young man, if I were you, I wouldn't touch that key."
"And if I insist?"
Gurd's expression remained cold. The old man's presence in the chamber didn't surprise him—he'd sensed a powerful aura in the castle all along.
Rumble—
The room trembled slightly as the walls began to warp inward, sharp stone spikes extending from them.
A fight was imminent.
Gurd spoke calmly.
"If you plan to stop me, I suggest you wait until tomorrow morning. Until then, I won't be doing anything."
"Oh, I have no intention of stopping you."
The old man hastily waved his hands, though his eyes behind the lenses darkened. He wanted to uncover the other's true motives.
"Young man, I've been observing you from the shadows since you entered Elbaf. I've heard the rumors about you—you're quite the figure, aren't you? Earth Calamity of the Beasts Pirates!"
"In that case, stay out of my way."
Gurd walked toward the key and pulled it out under the old man's watchful gaze.
The old man wore an expression of someone eager to see chaos unfold: "You want to release Loki? Even villains wouldn't wish for that to happen. A young punk like you probably doesn't know what Loki has done in the past."
"So what?"
Gurd curled his lips upward.
"Whatever Loki did before means nothing to me. If he gets in my way, I'll kill him."
"Besides, simply releasing Loki would be too boring."
"You want to stir up even more trouble?"
The old man looked delighted: "Hahaha, this is too good! I love watching excitement the most. Can you tell me what you plan to do?"
"Simple."
Gurd walked away with the key slung over his shoulder.
"I'm declaring war on Elbaf!"
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