Klein turned his gaze back to the dense forest stretching behind him, where the trees were so thick that little light penetrated. Now he had a clear sense of their current location. This was the "Fading Forest" that Groserel had guarded during his time at the "Kingdom of the Giants." The trees stood tall—some reaching several dozen meters in height—and were thick enough to require multiple giants to encircle them. Yet their bark was patchy and decayed, with many sections rotted, and their branches and leaves completely dry and drooping, tangled together like dim, floating clouds suspended in the air. Groserel and several other giants of similar stature stood at the forest's outer edge, either wielding axes or great swords, steadfastly guarding against threats coming from various directions. "According to Grolser's account, this 'decaying forest' is where the parents of the giant king Ormel are buried—only this ancient deity can enter, not even the guards themselves. ...Hmm, Ormel's parents must have been the very first giants—the most frenzied, fierce, and ruthless ones. Well, perhaps... Why would Grolser have such a dream?" Klein was musing when he suddenly sensed something was off. Based on the conversations he'd had while wandering around Pesot City earlier, the current Grolser is a native-born giant, raised locally, with no connection to the 'Court of the Giant Kings.' Therefore, this dream now seems quite unusual! "According to the psychological alchemy theory mentioned by Ms. Dailie and the 'Justice' lady, when characters are created in the book's world, their unconscious and collective unconscious are either drawn upon or copied, then subtly adjusted to meet the current narrative's needs. Thus, Grossel now experiences in his dreams the influence of his own unconscious, reenacting his life at the 'Kingdom of the Giants.' If this is indeed the case, then the author must be a cruel one." As Klein thought this through, a sudden insight struck him—this was an opportunity to gather information about the 'Kingdom of the Giants.' He had originally intended to directly ask Grossel about this matter, but the Giant Guardian, fulfilling his promise, had died in battle against the 'Northern King,' Yurisun. His spirit had swiftly faded after leaving the world of the book, leaving no chance for conversation. Now, he finally had an alternative approach: to explore Grossel's dreams. Certainly, there will undoubtedly be some elements that seem absurd or exaggerated, but the remaining content must be a true reflection of reality—once carefully examined, it's certainly discernible. "Grosel never entered the 'Waning Forest'; any scenes within it stem from his imagination, not from actual exploration—there's no need to visit it..." Klein slowly directed his gaze toward the mountain where the royal court stood. It wasn't particularly tall, indicating that the 'Waning Forest' lay close to the royal court on the mountain, and thus there should be a direct road leading to the ancient deity's dwelling. Klein didn't waste time searching; he simply walked straight toward Grosel, adopting his familiar, composed demeanor and calmly asking, "How do I return to the royal court?" He knew Grosel was an honest giant, and certainly even more so in his dreams. Grosel raised a hand, rubbing his scalp, and smiled slightly with mild confusion, saying, "Aren't we returning via the 'Desolate Tunnel'?" He pointed slightly to the side ahead, adding, "Just go past that large boulder and you'll see it." "Thank you," said Kline, bowing in appreciation. Watching his figure fade into the distance, Grolser scratched his scalp again, murmuring in bewilderment, "Who is he? Why do I feel so familiar..." Past the massive boulder jutting from the mountain wall, Kline was suddenly greeted by a vast cavern at least thirty meters high. A stone monument stood outside the entrance, carved with a vertical single eye, a high nose, and thick lips—like a giant's head had been forcibly pressed in, revealing only the front portion. As Kline approached, the mouth on the monument opened: "Why did you return to the royal court earlier?" "Summoned by the king," Kline replied calmly, lying through his teeth. After all, in this dream, the intelligence of all beings was roughly equivalent to that of the dreamer himself—Grolser. The lips on the stone trembled and hummed, saying, "Please answer one question, or you will not pass." ...At such a moment, if Arōdes, the Magic Mirror, were brought along, something quite entertaining would surely unfold... Klein muttered under his breath, then calmly nodded, "Very well." After three seconds of silence, the lips on the stone opened again: "If your wife, your daughter, and the woman you have long coveted were to ask you to judge which of them is most beautiful, how would you decide?" This is entirely different in style from the Magic Mirror's usual questions... Klein's mouth moved, his thoughts racing, and it took nearly ten seconds before he finally replied, "My judgment is not sufficient for this matter. I would appoint someone else, someone wiser, to render the verdict." How could he possibly answer such a question on his own? He mentally groaned, adding, "Then, who would that wiser person be?" The giant face on the stone remained motionless for a few seconds, then blinked. Klein replied solemnly, "Of course, our king." The stone pillar went silent, and only after a moment did it speak again, "Very well. Even if you've answered, you may pass." Klein immediately stepped over the strange stone pillar and entered the cavern ahead. The cavern floor was paved with large stones that had weathered over time. On both sides and above, vivid murals depicted tales of giants battling dragons, wolves, strange beings, demons, and immortals—drawn with a bold, expressive style, in muted tones, yet profoundly lifelike. As Klein observed the murals, he walked forward and noticed clumps of withered weeds scattered here and there, as well as numerous coarse gravel fragments nestled in the gaps between the stones and beneath the murals. The sense of moisture draining away and life fading grew more tangible and substantial the deeper he went. After walking for what seemed like a long time, Klein came upon a large, gray-blue door standing open. Standing on either side of the door were giants, each towering about four to five meters high. The giants stationed here differed from Grossel and his companions. They wore stiff, elegant iron-black armor and wore sturdy, intricately shaped helmets, resembling two massive statues. They did not obstruct Kline; instead, they allowed him to pass through the main gate and enter the inner hall. The hall was not particularly spacious, with clearly defined edges, and could comfortably accommodate about fifty or sixty giants. While observing the surroundings, Kline felt a sudden tremor beneath his feet, and then the entire hall seemed to be pulled upward by an invisible hand, rising swiftly. He steadied himself slightly, and watched as the gray-black stone walls of the entrance swiftly flashed by, sweeping downward. Within just a matter of ten seconds, a clanking sound echoed through the hall, and the ascent ceased. At that moment, the space outside was no longer a cave tunnel, but a grand hall supported by towering stone columns. Kline quickly moved from the original hall and took in the surroundings with growing interest. "Thus, the giants' royal court version of an 'elevator'?" This area seems to be where the guards live—there are long tables taller than human beings outside, and massive chairs arranged along both sides. There are also individual rooms, each containing neatly arranged large beds... Clain's gaze swept across the various features of the hall before settling on a mural. The mural depicted a giant clad in silver full armor. Without a point of comparison, Clain had no way of knowing just how tall this giant was. Standing at the edge of a cliff, the giant held his long sword diagonally upward, radiating a clear glow that shone like the rising sun, illuminating the surroundings. Several giants knelt on one knee around him, either in prayer or in anticipation of a blessing. The giant king's eldest son—the god of dawn, Badehail? Clain pondered, then turned his attention to the mural's central figure. There, a mask covered the face, leaving only a radiant glow in the eyes, reminiscent of dawn. Just as the "God of War" statue within the underground ruins of Bakersland has its face completely concealed behind a mask... Ah, the "Mysterious Queen" once said that the current "God of War" is a giant who has survived from ancient times—hence the reason the headquarters of their church, the "Dusk Colossus Hall," resembles the "Kingdom of the Giants." Perhaps this giant king's eldest son, the "God of Dawn," Bahdheir, managed to survive the fall of the royal court and, at some point, reclaimed the authority once held by his father? Kline boldly speculated, yet found no evidence or clues. Based on the corresponding imagery, he turned his gaze to the opposite wall, where another mural stood—this time, the central figure was no longer the "God of Dawn" Bahdheir, but a female giant clad in a leather cuirass and a long skirt. This female giant stood slightly inclined, with gentle facial contours and a vertical, single eye fixed downward, her deep brown hair flowing all the way down to her vest. She held out her right hand, cradling sheaves of grain and fruit, with golden fields, clear lakes, fruit-laden trees, and vibrant mushrooms flourishing all around. "Queen of the Giants, the Goddess of Harvest, Omébella?" Klein looked around, but couldn't find a mural depicting the King of the Giants, Aulmir. This was a remote watchtower, so perhaps there were no images of the ancient gods here—then, beyond this place, within the heart of the "Hall of the Giants," he should be able to find them. Klein approached the door cautiously, using the same method he had employed in the dream world of the divine war relics—falsely activating "The Hunger That Crawls," drawing upon the strength of the living corpses—to open the gate. Yet, instead of the palace frozen in twilight as he had imagined, the outside world was gray and hazy, with the landscape ahead appearing to have become a cliff face, its base completely out of sight. "Based on the 'Justice' lady's previous experiences, this should be the boundary of the dream—beyond this point, one can only descend, into Grossel's unconscious, and ultimately reach the ocean of collective unconscious... Within the human unconscious sea in her region, the 'Justice' lady discovered a great spiritual dragon. Then, what exists within the unconscious ocean of this world created by the 'Dragon of Imagination'?" As Klein's mind stirred, a staircase descending downward materialized clearly in the gray haze before him. The staircase was not vertical but spiraled and curved, plunging deep into the haze, profound and mysterious—its base and finer details indistinct within the realm of the mind. PS: Today's update is added, as usual.