Instead of the dim, decaying forest, the interior was flooded with intense, golden-orange light from dusk—so vivid it burned like flame, yet inevitably carrying a sense of waning splendor, as though the brilliance could no longer be reversed. Daryl Berg held the "Cross of Light," formed purely of radiant energy, and walked steadily ahead. To his left rear stood Colín Iliat, the "Hunter of Monsters," with his white hair and two straight swords; to his right rear, Heinm, the towering "half-giant" over two meters tall, wielding the great hammer "Thor's Roar," always ready to exchange his current seal with Daryl. The light of the "Cross of Light" grew increasingly dim here, as if the sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving only a fading golden glow. Of course, no one from the city of Silver had ever witnessed such a scene before—only the ancient texts could offer a description. Today, for the first time, they truly understood what it meant to experience dusk. Hoo! As the exploration team pressed deeper into the forest, a quiet wind began to stir—like countless beings deep within were weeping. Yet Derek and his companions felt no breeze touching them. Whee! The wind grew stronger, more powerful, more poignant, and suddenly Derek sensed a coolness spreading down his neck, making his hair stand on end and his body shiver. Normally, humans would instinctively hunch their shoulders, raise their arms, shield themselves, and partially turn to assess the situation, preparing to respond to any threat. But Derek did not do so. In dangerous environments, a hasty turn often led to dire consequences, and behind him stood his chief and fellow team members—people he fully trusted to react swiftly and protect his life. A soft crack, and a slender, silvery blade streaked with fine electric serpents flew past Derek's neck, carrying with it a blurred, distorted figure that vanished into the golden hues of the evening light. At the same time, the "Cross of No Dark" suddenly stirred, abruptly breaking free from its drowsy, dim state, and its radiance regained clarity and purity. The surrounding area instantly transformed into dawn—successive, formless black shadows emerged in the morning light, only to swiftly dissolve. Once the scene settled, Derek gazed ahead, puzzled, asking, "What are these? They don't resemble wraiths, shadows, or malevolent spirits." "Hunter of Monsters" Colin surveyed the scene, speaking slowly, "Some residual essence—seemingly fused with the power of dusk, producing a certain transformation." "I've never seen anything like this... Deric tightened his grip on the 'Cross of No Shadow' and shifted his untouched finger toward the thorny vines. Thanks to the targeted abilities of the 'Cross of No Shadow,' the exploration team had progressed steadily, and soon they reached the deeper reaches of the decaying forest, where through the trees they could glimpse distant cliffs and the warm, orange clouds in the horizon. Though the damage here wasn't severe, the branches and leaves hung suspended in the air, blocking the still-setting dusk and casting the environment into a deep, somber tone. As they carefully navigated past this area, Deric suddenly felt a surge of clarity and spotted two towering, gray-white, weathered stone monuments. Before he could examine them closely, a series of golden hues filtering through the leaf gaps simultaneously underwent an unusual refraction, weaving together to form a massive, nearly ten-meter-tall figure. This figure was remarkably hazy, imbued with an eternal, timeless quality—like a reflection cast from the mythic ages themselves." Its skin was gray-blue, clad in silver-gray armor streaked with patches resembling blood, and its face radiated a glow reminiscent of sunset—seeming to be the embodiment of its eyes. Simply by existing, it caused the trees and the very void around it to bend, accelerating the decay of all things. Witnessing this scene, without any reason, every single person present simultaneously thought: "King of Giants, the ancient god Aurlimir!" Joshua, Heine, Antilna, and the other members of the exploration team began to develop small bumps on their skin, gradually turning gray-blue, and at their foreheads, flesh began to pulse and bulge, as though something monstrous were pushing through. They all entered a state of near-collapse. They had not yet seen the mythical form of the being—mere proximity to its presence was enough to trigger a cascade of symptoms, appearing one after another, growing increasingly severe. Derek Berg fared relatively well, as the pure light of "No Dark Cross" enveloped him, bringing a warm sensation that briefly resisted the encroaching decay. At this moment, Colin Iliath had bent his torso, holding two straight swords oiled with medicinal cream, charging toward the formidable figure at a speed that whipped up a hurricane. Yet, the "Hunter of Monsters" did not advance in a straight line; instead, his gait was unusual, his body swaying side to side, approaching the enemy in a rippling, wave-like motion. The massive figure standing in the twilight gazed at all this with eyes like the setting sun, utterly motionless—like a statue carved from stone. Suddenly, the glow on its face flickered. Then, it lowered its body, driving both fists hard into the ground. Thud! The earth trembled violently, splitting open a crack that disrupted the balance of Derek and his companions, causing them to stagger and nearly fall. Yet Colin, the Hunter of Monsters, rose first, leaping to a height of over ten meters and launching his twin swords with a commanding, elevated stance. At that moment, a figure seemingly drawn from myth emerged from the fissure in the earth, drawing a colossal, ethereal sword forged from the gathering twilight light and swiftly swinging it forward. A sudden surge of golden-red light storms formed, sweeping across the rear of Colin's companions, the Deric and others. Where the light touched, trees withered, soil turned to sand, and all things irrevocably entered a path of decline. Thud! The twilight storm was halted by an invisible wall, causing the entire forest to tremble. At some point, Elder Loviya, the Shepherd, appeared beside Deric, now accompanied by a towering, ethereal figure clad in silver armor before her. The figure, whose eyes glowed a deep, blood-like red, knelt on one knee, driving an ethereal great sword into the ground and forming an exceptionally solid, intangible wall. Thud! At that moment, the two straight swords of the "Beast-Hunter" Colin struck the figure's body—ten meters tall, exuding the aura of an ancient deity—setting off a cascade of brilliant electric sparks. Amidst the silver-white flashes, the formidable figure sustained no damage at all; only its silver-gray armor, streaked with blood-like patches, dimmed slightly. Leveraging the rebound force, Colin rose again, spun in midair, and launched a fresh assault. — Within the realm of decline, he dared not unleash his mythical being form, for once done, it might never recover. Seeing the legendary phantom now held at bay, Drik pressed his fingers hard against a sharp spike, responding to the sudden tremor and intense heat emanating from the "Cross of No Darkness" in his hands. His blood, mingled with pain, surged into the cross, and a vibrant, clear light erupted, rushing upward, then folding downward, instantly enveloping the figure clad in silvery-gray armor, whose eyes shimmered like small sunsets. Within the sacred, majestic, and pure light, the massive, ethereal form halted, froze—motionless, as though struck by an innate adversary, and the silvery-gray armor, tinged with the hues of dusk, began to dissolve. Seizing this moment, the evil knight before Elder Lovira, the "Shepherd," drew his phantom greatsword from the ground, its surface rippling with fleeting silver seams that sometimes vanished and sometimes reappeared, and struck the enemy with a decisive blow. Meanwhile, the "Hunter" Colin's two straight swords descended from above, radiating like a blazing dawn, covering the ancient figure's head. Joshua, Heinfried, and the others moved without hesitation, each unleashing their most powerful attacks. After three consecutive rounds, the ethereal figure, as if having crossed through time and space, finally began to dissipate, fracturing into bright orange sparks resembling flames. "The Hunter of Monsters" Colin landed on the ground, observing the scene, and after a moment's thought, said: "It appears that the guardian will of the King of Giants, after years of blending with the environment here, has developed a certain strength and form—thus belonging to a type of malevolent spirit. 'What secret lies hidden here...' " Hearing the chief's words, everyone turned their gaze toward the front, toward the very spot where the terrifying figure had previously blocked the way, the atmosphere growing notably still and tense. Fortunately, it was only a malevolent spirit, subdued by the "Cross of No Darkness"—only a faint remnant of will, barely possessing strength. Even after several millennia, it still seemed so formidable. What would a true ancient god truly look like? Ah, why does this being exhibit such a strong determination to protect this place? Because it was buried here—its parents, perhaps? Derek exhaled in relief, following the chief and others closer to the two stone monuments with a mix of curiosity and wonder. He sighed—no need for me to intervene. Honestly, the "Cross of No Dark" has been so incredibly useful in the "Kingdom of the Giants" that I'm starting to wonder if this wasn't actually Adam's true intention all along. Above the gray mist, Caine also relaxed, lowering his raised "Poseidon's Staff" slightly. He then turned his gaze toward the place where the King of the Giants' will had preserved its strength for millennia. First striking his eyes were two weathered, ancient stone tablets inscribed with the words "Father" and "Mother" in the Giants' language. These tablets radiated a mysterious power that could summon natural forces, instantly evoking a blend of longing, sorrow, pain, and guilt—so deeply affecting that one couldn't help but feel emotionally weighed down. Behind the tablets stood a burial mound, now partially destroyed, revealing beneath it two dark, heavy coffins. The lid of the coffin had been lifted by someone, as if to verify something, allowing the two pale skeletons inside to be bathed in the light filtering through the branches, staining them an orange-red, like blood. Both skeletons were human-shaped, one not exceeding 1.9 meters, the other not exceeding 1.8 meters.