Beneath the Red Dragon

In the royal tent, the clamorous sound of war songs and fervent conversations suddenly quieted down. These Frost Giants, though all unified under the absolute might of the Frost Giant King, weren’t necessarily without intentions to lead the Frost Giants toward strength by following in his footsteps.

Even though the thoughts of each tribe were different, few would dare to question the seemingly quiet Giant King directly, for he had long surpassed legend and possessed a power so formidable that even the united tribes could not withstand it.

Only Som, the Tribal Leader of the Eternal Freeze Tribe, who was among the earliest to submit voluntarily to the Frost Giant King, would have such confidence and courage.

A faint smile suddenly appeared on the calm face of the Frost Giant King. This collected ruler spoke with a deep, resonant voice, full of confidence and conviction.

"Couldn’t hold it in anymore, Som,"

The Giant King’s gaze swept over all the staring eyes, and he smiled, saying, "Do you all know why I defeated the leader of the Ice Wind Tribe but did not kill him, even though he retaliated against my tribe, avenging my kindred?"

"That is your great forgiveness and mercy," the Frost Giant leader of the Ice Wind Tribe said loudly, his massive fist beating against his chest with a booming sound.

"Wrong, Nule," the Frost Giant said lightly, "You annihilated my tribe, killed my kindred; how could I be so forgiving?"

"At first, when I fled alone to the depths of the ice plains, surviving on the bones of deceased creatures, I thought that when I became strong enough, I would surely twist off your head, use it as my chamber pot, and slaughter your entire tribe, hanging them in the ice plains as a warning for thousands of years."

The bold actions of the Frost Giant named Nule, pounding his chest, abruptly stopped, his neck stiff, and he dared not move.

"But as I grew, and gained more power, the tribulations on the Frost Plain also enlightened my wisdom,"

The Frost Giant King’s smile reappeared, and he softly said, "I have always been pondering, is it the generational animosity among the Frost Giant tribes that resulted in this tragedy? Yes and no,"

"Is it the Frost Giants’ shortsightedness and ignorance that caused all this war? Yes and no,"

"Ultimately, the root cause lies in this harsh and barren environment of the Extreme Ice Frost Plains,"

The Frost Giant King’s voice made all the tribal leaders perk up and listen, as if this ruler was born with a convincing power, the charisma and aura where wisdom and might coexist.

"The whole Frost Wasteland, its vast territory is dozens of times larger than the land occupied by the Golden Empire, yet after unifying all the Frost Giant tribes, I discovered the Frost Giants number only three thousand,"

A peculiar gleam appeared in the Frost Giant King’s eyes as he gravely declared, "Such a vast land can sustain only a few thousand Frost Giants. This harsh and barren environment is the brutal root cause of the generational slaughters among the Frost Giant tribes."

"Understanding this underlying cause, I hereby swear to eradicate the millennia-old scene of mutual slaughter among the Frost Giant tribes, to prevent tragedies like mine from playing out day and night."

"I also swear to lead the Frost Giants away from that impoverished and meager frostland, so that this race can embark on a brighter future, finding a prosperous land for them to thrive and grow stronger."

At this moment, every Frost Giant warrior and leader showed respect for the ruler’s wisdom and admiration for his ambition on their cold faces. They pounded their chests and cheered, feeling elated to submit to such a ruler.

The Frost Giant King’s voice was resounding and firm: "And so I move toward my goal, I have unified all the Frost Giants, defeated every tribe on the Frost Plain, and bested those arrogant White Dragon tribes, ascending beyond legend."

"This is my vow, my goal, my path. How can I be afraid?"

"Then why stay here, my King? We are only awaiting your command to unleash a storm from the frost plains, advancing all the way,"

The Frost Giant Som, who first queried, raised his War Axe and shouted, "The Frost Giant Warriors will flatten everything in the direction you point."

"The Frost Giants have never feared war, only feared no war!"

"Southward, Southward,"

The atmosphere in the royal tent was fervent and inspirational, the cold blood of all the Frost Giants at this time grew boiling hot, and even their cold eyes emitted light like fiery flames.

The Frost Giant King gently shook his head, speaking slowly and methodically: "Those few Giant Dragons are nothing in my eyes, and those thousands of Legion Warriors cannot halt our steps either."

"But haven’t you noticed that the balance of power between the Frost Giants and the Dragon Realm is not equal? The advantage in numbers doesn’t compensate for other disparities,"

"The opposing legions, even the lightly armed support corps, are uniformly armored, armed with sharp blades. Our legion’s power fundamentally doesn’t match theirs, not to mention other measures,"

"Moreover, the kingdom of the Dragon Group has only shown us the tip of the iceberg of their true power."

"We are not afraid, King. Frost Giants are willing to give all their might, following in your footsteps," a Frost Giant Shaman, dressed in pale blue skin covered with icy runes, loudly declared.

All the tribal leaders pounded their chests and roared to express their combat readiness.