Those two humanoid skeletons were no taller than 1.90 meters and no taller than 1.80 meters, appearing ordinary at first glance—yet they struck Klein with an unimaginable impact. At that moment, he felt as though he had returned to the time he first witnessed the light gate and the "silken cocoon," though his emotions differed, the sense of awe remained virtually unchanged. "This... this isn't the remains of giants. This is definitely human. Did the King of Giants, Aurlimor, have human parents?" Klein's pupils dilated dramatically, as if he wanted to see more clearly. Yet no matter how carefully he observed or examined them, he could not detect any characteristics typical of giants: their limbs were proportionally normal, and their skulls featured two eye sockets—far from those of a young giant! After a brief silence, the hand that held the "Poseidon's Staff" lowered once more, and thoughts flashed through Klein's mind one after another: "Perhaps not biological parents at all... Perhaps the very origin of the giants—traces back to humans. During the chaotic and frenzied First Age, did certain humans fuse with extraordinary traits, transforming into savage, bloodthirsty beings devoid of rational thought, yet possessing a strong instinct for reproduction? Their descendants inherited these physical traits and gradually regained mental clarity, stabilizing into a distinct, wild, and blood-soaked race. Among them, King Aurnir, the first to undergo such transformation, retained a certain level of rationality, thus becoming an ancient deity. Is the very origin of all this truly as mythic—crafted by the very first creator? As these thoughts settled into conjecture, Klein's mind continued to wander, giving rise to further questions: "Why did the King of the Giants designate the 'Fading Forest' as a forbidden realm, barring any living being from entering it?" "Doesn't He want the origin of the giants—something rooted in humanity—to be known? If that were truly the case, why not simply cremate their remains and make it that simple? What's the point of all this fuss? And then, what about this intense sense of guilt? Who opened that tomb? Who defeated the ancient sun god, the giant king, and survived—the 'Dawn God' Baudhail, or another god from the court of the giant kings? Moreover, if the giants originated from humans, what about the elves, the bloodlines, and other humanoid transcendents? Were the dragons originally lizards? Could it be that the conflict between the humanoid and the other factions in the mid-Second Age had roots that were distinct from one another?" At that moment, Colin, the "Hunter of Monsters," together with Lovianna, Deric, and others, had arrived at the stone monument and witnessed the skeletons within the tomb. They too were struck into an unspoken silence, with no one speaking for a long while. Finally, Joshua, wearing red-gloved hands, hesitated and asked, "Are these indeed the parents of the Giant King?" In Joshua's eyes, as a "Dawn Knight" of the Silver City, the height of these two skeletons seemed far from that of giants—indeed, they even fell short of his own height when he was just coming of age. Moreover, their body proportions and facial features did not match those of young giants either. Joshua's question hung in the air, and no one immediately responded. After several seconds, Colin, the "Hunter of Monsters," slowly spoke, "So that is the secret." He did not mention his own thoughts or speculations. "Isn't this evidence that the giants are actually a branch of humanity, differentiated by extraordinary traits evolving over time?" Antilena, with her deep red hair, replied thoughtfully. Could it be that the primordial giants were human? Dariq found this possibility staggering, sensing a vast disparity between the two. A thought then struck him—his fellow companions, especially those on the "Giant" path—perhaps they weren't so different after all. —These individuals often grew abnormally large, their skin turning gray-blue, with a massive fissure opening across their foreheads, drawing the eyes on either side inward and absorbing them. "Perhaps," replied the "Hunter of Monsters" Colin briefly. The members of the Silver City exploration team fell silent once more. In this atmosphere, Dariq glanced at Elder Lovira, the "Six-Body Council" member, and noticed her face calm, neither composed nor dazed. At that moment, the "Hunter of Monsters" Colin looked around and said: "Form groups of two or three, and search the surrounding area for any further discoveries." The exploration team quickly regained their focus and began their careful exploration as instructed by the leader. Alas, this "decaying forest" offered nothing of value beyond trees, stones, and tombs. Without further delay, Deric and Heine exchanged the sealed items upon their bodies, ensuring that their unique qualities would not be expelled by the "Order of No Dark Cross." Then, they followed the "hunter of monsters," Colin, out of the forest, bypassing a massive outcropping of rock on the mountain's face, and reached a vast cavern thirty meters high. Outside the cavern, there had once stood a stone monument, now shattered and collapsed, overgrown with weeds. In the warm, orange-hued twilight, an atmosphere of profound decay and desolation unfolded. Inside the cavern, the Silver City exploration team walked cautiously along weathered stone pathways and faded murals, navigating through withered grass and coarse gravel, ever vigilant in their advance. With every step they took, they felt their vitality ebbing, their moisture steadily draining. After an indeterminate length of time, the exploration team finally came upon a large, gray-blue door standing open. At either side of the main door, scattered fragments of dark iron lay, as though belonging to some kind of armor. "There should have been guards here," said Colin, the Hunter, simply, as he produced a bottle of potion and drank it down. The shade of his light blue eyes quickly deepened to a rich amber, and two complex symbols in deep green emerged clearly within his pupils. After carefully observing the gray-blue door for a moment, he nodded and stepped into the dark hall. Once everyone had passed through the door and entered, the hall seemed to be drawn upward by an invisible hand, rising swiftly with a series of clanking sounds. A few seconds later, the ascent ceased, and a grand hall, supported by a stone column, appeared outside—clearly the dwelling of the guards. Derek instinctively glanced left and right, his gaze sweeping across the various features within the hall, where he spotted two ancient-style murals. The central figure in one mural is a giant clad in silver full armor, radiating a clear glow, with a cluster of dawn light condensed at his eyes. In the other, a female giant stands slightly off-center, with deep brown hair and a long dress beneath her armor, holding sheaves of grain and fruit; around her are fields of harvest, clear lakes, fruit-bearing trees, and vibrant mushrooms. "The goddess of Dawn," Badehail... "The goddess of Abundance," Omibeira... Dariq nodded slightly, with a small realization. He then turned his gaze, observing the chief intently fixed on the mural depicting "The goddess of Abundance," his expression remaining as solemn as before. Was the chief hoping that Silver City itself could also achieve true abundance? Dariq pondered this as he followed the instructions of Elder Loviya, the shepherd, and formed a small team to gather valuable items and inspect for any hidden passages. About seven or eight minutes later, they gathered and followed Chief Colin Iliat to the grand hall's main doors. Colin Iliat inserted his two straight swords into the crevices of the stone floor in front of him, then placed his hands on either side of the door and with a single exertion, opened it with a heavy, resonant sound. The vibrant, golden-orange twilight light poured in silently, and the palace complexes and towering spires they had spotted from afar now appeared before them with striking intensity. The immense scale, the grandeur, the epic and mythic quality—amplified by the dramatic reduction in distance—became even more vivid and powerful, causing everyone to instinctively hold their breath and become completely immersed in the scene. Even Kaelen, above the gray mist, was equally struck. This was the royal court of the giants. This was the true divine realm. A few seconds later, Colin raised both swords, half-rotated his body, and addressed Luvia, the Shepherd: "Check the conditions on both paths—I can't see clearly." The two ink-green symbols in his eyes were slowly fading. Luvia nodded and took two steps forward, reaching the doorway. Outside, there was a platform with staircases on both sides, and a stone railing composed of gray and white pillars stood upright in front, facing the tallest building in the area. There, a massive blue-gray gate stood, with numerous mysterious symbols inscribed on either side, exuding a sense of solemn grandeur. Corridors and staircases linked the successive palaces and towers, creating an atmosphere of both spaciousness and elegance. Luvia's silver-gray, slightly wavy hair floated as the stones bathed in the golden twilight rose slightly, coalescing into a gray-white figure. This figure lacked spirit, resembling a puppet being guided, and stepped steadily toward the left. It descended step by step through the rich, deep orange glow, helping the exploration team verify the situation. Suddenly, its body halted, and a dense stream of silver light burst forth from within, shattering it into countless fragments. "The Shepherd" Loviea remained calm, following the same steps and creating another stone figure, sending it to move to the right. This time, the stone figure reached the end of the staircase and stopped at the entrance to the lower palace, without any incident along the way. "The Hunter" Colin observed intently throughout, only speaking now: "We go to the right, but we must remain cautious." Though no immediate danger had been detected, the fact that his exceptional abilities could not reveal the actual conditions spoke volumes. With this reminder, Daryl and the others grew increasingly alert, moving slowly downward in groups of three, supporting one another. As they walked up the tall staircase, Joshua, wearing red-gloved hands, suddenly heard a steady, rhythmic tapping sound coming from behind. It was as if someone were moving slowly and quietly behind them. At that moment, the elder Loviya, the "shepherd," who had been positioned to the side, could clearly see that the footsteps were not hers. Joshua felt a chill and quickly said in a low voice, "There's a sound of footsteps behind me." Loviya turned her head, allowing the silvery knight figure, about five meters away, to come into full view, and with eyes blazing like red flames, she examined the space behind Joshua. After a few seconds of silence, the elder Loviya shook her head, "Nothing at all."