The boy's teasing comment immediately provoked a burst of laughter. The One-Eyed Tapir was a harmless herbivore, far from being a fierce beast. Only the weakest of the Yinhuang people would use such a creature for their coming-of-age ceremony.
The boy being mocked, Heizhen, stood up with a gloomy expression, said nothing, and walked out of the cave, heading toward the back mountain. The warriors had already driven out all the dangerous creatures from there, making it a safe place to clear his head.
"If I don't have a father to hunt a coming-of-age offering for me, I'll hunt one myself. I, Heizhen, will become the strongest warrior in Yinhuang, just like my father."
Heizhen clenched his fists tightly. His father had once been the strongest warrior in the tribe, so well-known that even the lord of a distant city had sent people to recruit him. But after responding to the lord's summons, his father returned three years later as nothing more than a pile of mangled remains.
Since then, Heizhen's status in the tribe had plummeted. Even the compensation sent by the city lord was seized by the elders and distributed among their children, leaving Heizhen with nothing. The reason? Heizhen was deemed unworthy of enjoying the treasures his father had exchanged for his life because he was too weak. Even children two or three years younger were stronger than him. His inherent weakness had led the elders to label him as a failure, unworthy of receiving any valuable resources.
"But how is it my fault that I was born weak and lacking in talent?" Heizhen thought bitterly. He knew why he was so frail—before his birth, his mother had been attacked by a Black Dragon and injured, leaving him weaker than other Yinhuang youths from birth. His mother had died shortly after giving birth to him, leaving him an orphan.
Heizhen wandered aimlessly in the back mountain, where small herbivorous animals roamed freely, serving as training targets for the young. As he walked, he suddenly froze, spotting a towering figure standing on a boulder, examining a dazzling, multicolored axe.
As Heizhen approached, the sound of his footsteps seemed to alert the figure. The being, who was even taller than the hunters in his village, turned around, and Heizhen found himself staring into a pair of radiant golden eyes.
"Hmm?" The figure let out a soft hum, and Heizhen's body began to tremble uncontrollably. A powerful urge to kneel and worship this being surged within him, but Heizhen fought it off with all his might. However, his legs still began to buckle, and he ultimately collapsed, sitting on the ground.
...
Muria gazed at the jade-like stone axe in his hand, deep in thought. When the Dominion Spirit had handed him the axe, it had been a dull, gray object, seemingly devoid of any power—its only notable feature being its incredible hardness.
But as soon as he had entered this world, the stone axe underwent a strange transformation. It became a jade axe, radiating a rainbow-colored divine light, a clear sign that it was a powerful artifact.
"Hmm?" Muria's contemplative gaze shifted to the side, where he saw a black-haired boy sitting on the ground, trembling slightly as he stared at him in shock. "A local native who looks quite human."
"No, not human at all—more like a Titan," Muria thought, comparing the boy's height to his own. To his surprise, the boy was about twelve meters tall, roughly the height of an adult Cloud Giant. Yet, from the looks of him, the boy's body wasn't fully developed, meaning he could still grow taller as he matured.
"Are you from the city, sir?" the boy asked nervously, his voice trembling as he gazed at Muria with a mix of reverence and awe. His eyes were filled with envy as they lingered on the jade axe in Muria's hand.
"Hmm!" Muria was momentarily taken aback by the familiar Titan language. But upon reflection, it made sense. After all, this world had once been ruled by two Titans. It was only natural that the local inhabitants would speak their language.
"No, I'm not from the city. I come from beyond the sky," Muria replied in the Titan language, a slight smile on his face as he addressed the boy.
"Beyond the sky?" The boy laughed awkwardly, assuming Muria was joking or simply dismissing his question. He changed the subject. "Sir, is that weapon in your hand a replica of the legendary Nine-Phoenix God Axe?"
"A replica?" Muria glanced at the jade axe, noticing the intricate patterns of nine intertwined phoenixes on it, making it appear even more extraordinary. He could sense the power within the axe growing, befitting its title as a godly weapon.
"Heh." Muria chuckled but didn't respond directly. He had no idea what the Nine-Phoenix God Axe was, so how could he answer? It was likely a famous weapon in this world.
"Boy, tell me, where am I?"
"Sir, this is the back mountain of the Yanlun Tribe."
"The Yanlun Tribe?" Muria nodded slightly and glanced into the distance. He saw a group of small giants, each wielding various weapons, heading toward his location. It seemed his presence had already alerted the locals.
"Your people have noticed me," Muria remarked to the boy. Even though nearly a hundred giants were approaching, Muria remained calm. He turned back to the black-haired boy sitting on the ground.
"What's your name?"
"Sir, my name is Heizhen!"
"Do you know a lot about this area?"
"Yes, sir! I know more about this area than anyone except the Great Priest." Heizhen's voice was full of confidence. Because of his physical weakness, he couldn't match his peers in training, so he had turned to books to strengthen himself. As a result, he had gained extensive knowledge.
"Very well. From today on, you'll be my guide here. If you can answer my questions, I'll reward you with opportunities that will benefit you for a lifetime."
As Muria appointed his guide, the giants from the Yanlun Tribe surrounded him. But rather than attacking, they stood in awe, watching Muria with reverence.
"Excuse me, sir, are you from the city?" One of the giants, a burly man covered in strange tattoos, stepped forward, his head slightly bowed as he addressed Muria with a mix of respect and flattery. Despite sharing the same black hair as the others, Muria's golden eyes and the metallic armor he wore set him apart from the fur-clad giants.
"No, I come from the sky," Muria replied with a smile.
"From the sky?" The giants exchanged glances, then looked at Muria with even greater reverence.
"Sir, is there something you need here?"
"I'm just exploring," Muria said. He needed to thoroughly understand the current state of this world. Cassio had informed him that it had been ten thousand years since the last Titan had visited the Yinhuang world, so anything could have changed.
"Do you need any assistance?"
"I only need this boy to be my guide," Muria replied, pointing to Heizhen. "Oh, and I'll need a temporary place to stay. See to it."
From these giants, Muria could feel the traces left behind by Titans. These beings had likely been deliberately cultivated as a servile race by the Titans, meant to assist newly adult Titans in forming their armies.
"As you wish, sir. I'll leave some of my men to serve you. Please feel free to command them as you see fit," the strongest of the Yanlun Tribe's hunters bowed slightly to Muria, then left with the rest of his warriors, leaving behind about twenty giants.
"Not bad, they're cautious," Muria noted, recognizing that the giants left behind to "serve" him were actually there to monitor him. But he didn't mind. After all, these giants were destined to follow him, so the more competent they were, the better. He would be disappointed if they were overly trusting and gullible.
Ignoring the giants, Muria motioned for Heizhen to stand and follow him. He led the boy on a walk around the area, hoping to learn more about this world's unique characteristics.
Compared to Erathia, this world didn't seem all that different, except that the trees and animals were noticeably larger. There wasn't much else that stood out.
"Well, there is one thing. This world barely suppresses my power at all. I can unleash my full strength here," Muria noted, clenching his fist. He could feel that this world not only lacked the usual restrictions but seemed to accommodate his power, a stark contrast to the Soros Locust World, where he had felt much more constrained.
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