Chapter 401 - 352: The Giant City-State Paved with Gold

’A Tier Five Magic Core?’

’Just for this... thing?’

Raylo was shocked.

He simply couldn’t believe his ears.

In his eyes, this so-called Black Iron Giant Hammer was an absolute joke.

The material was full of impurities, the forging technique was crude, and the structural design was utterly nonsensical.

Aside from the decent quality of the black iron used for its head, this weapon had almost no redeeming qualities.

Yet, such a shoddily made weapon was priced at the exorbitant cost of a Tier Five Magic Core.

Raylo’s gaze swept over the other weapons in the market. Without exception, they were all equally simple, massive, dark, and crude.

The Giants seemed to only pursue absolute weight and solidity, completely ignorant of craftsmanship and technique.

A thought flashed through Raylo’s mind like a bolt of lightning.

The Giants possessed immense individual strength and lived in a resource-rich Peach Blossom Spring. They didn’t lack High Tier Magical Beast Materials or Rare Ores.

The only thing they lacked was the skill to work with metal.

Especially metal smelting and forging techniques.

Their smelting skills were likely still at the primitive stage of heating ore until it was soft and then hammering it into a lump. The efficiency of their mineral extraction was appallingly low.

’If...’

’What if I could provide them with high-quality weapons, or even full sets of Giant Armor?’

’Using the superb forging techniques of the Valen Family from Black Stone Territory, I could create weapons and armor to the Giants’ scale. If I brought them here, how many precious resources could I get in exchange—resources they treat as common, but are worth a fortune in the outside world?’

’The potential profit is simply incalculable.’

’And then there’s the Giants’ favorite hard currency: salt and strong liquor. In the Human World, those things can be acquired in massive quantities.’

’This isn’t just a business opportunity—it’s an undiscovered gold mine!’

Raylo’s breathing grew slightly ragged. As he watched the Giants argue until they were red in the face over a single crude iron weapon, his eyes shone with a brilliant light.

Raylo calmed himself, his gaze sweeping over the boisterous, primitive market before him.

The Giants’ voices were thunderous as they argued, red-faced, over a few blocks of low-quality salt, a barrel of murky liquor, or a single shoddily made weapon.

Their wealth and their poverty formed a contrast that was as absurd as it was fascinating.

They stood atop priceless veins of ore and could casually hunt High Tier Magical Beasts coveted by the outside world, yet they lived in the most primitive fashion.

One stall displayed several pieces of so-called "Leather Armor."

It was nothing more than the thick hide of some Giant Beast, simply tanned and crudely stitched together with sinew. A few pieces of unrefined iron were nailed to the vital areas.

This Leather Armor was so simply stitched that its defensive properties relied almost entirely on the natural toughness of the Giant Beast’s hide.

At another stall, an old Giant with a white beard and hair carefully cradled a crystalline herb that shimmered with a luster like Moonlight.

It was a Moonlight Dragonflower, a Tier Five Magic Plant that could directly enhance one’s Spiritual Perception. An herb of this caliber would be coveted even by a Domain Level Powerhouse.

And yet, this old Giant only wanted to trade it for five hundred pounds of refined salt—enough for his tribe to survive the winter.

Raylo’s gaze seemed to pierce through these crude stalls, seeing the incalculable value that lay beyond.

’This business is doable.’

’But how should I go about it?’

He needed a foothold, something that would allow him to establish himself in this Giant City-State and gain a measure of influence.

He needed an opportunity to demonstrate his worth to the true rulers of this city-state.

He walked over to Kado and gently patted his leg.

Kado took the hint at once, stopping his bragging session with Ug.

"Kado, who calls the shots in this city-state?"

Raylo asked quietly.

"The Great Elder, of course."

Kado answered without a moment’s hesitation.

"He is the leader of all the tribes. He’s lived for over a thousand years, and all the Giants respect him and obey his commands."

"Where does he live?"

"In the Giant Stone Tower at the very center of the city-state. But, sir, no one is allowed to approach it without the Great Elder’s summons."

Kado cautioned.

Raylo nodded, falling into deep thought.

’The Great Elder... he’s the key.’

The Giants’ market lasted for three days, and today was the final day.

Time was short, leaving him with few opportunities.

Raylo’s eyes scanned the market restlessly, his mind racing as he tried to find some sort of lead amidst the chaos.

He saw Giants arm-wrestling, the winner earning the cheers of the crowd and a small bag of ore. He saw two tribes arguing over trade quotas, ultimately settling the dispute with a primitive wrestling match.

’Power.’

’In this world of Giants, the most universal and direct language is power.’

Just as a thousand thoughts raced through Raylo’s mind, the low, long blast of a horn suddenly echoed from the center of the city-state.

BWOOOM!

The sound was like a roar from the throat of an ancient Giant Beast, carrying an air of desolate majesty that instantly silenced all the noise in the market.

Every Giant—whether they were trading, arguing, or boasting—stopped dead in their tracks. As one, they turned their gazes toward the sprawling Giant Stone Plaza in the city-state’s center.

The once-raucous market fell into a solemn silence.

Immediately after, a contingent of the Giant Guard emerged, marching in heavy, uniform steps, each member wielding a Giant Axe.

The Giant at their head stood a full head taller than the guards around him. He strode to a raised platform in the center of the plaza, took a deep breath, and spoke with a voice like rolling thunder.