Chapter 48: Tree Palace
Greg and the others were walking closer and closer to the huge tree while killing all the giants in their way.
Of course, this trip wouldn't go this smoothly if Skull and Kyle wouldn't be on the team. Their powers were top-notch in their field that was for sure.
Ben was also very good. Ben's gloves let him use inhumane strength. Even a Creator ranked giant got killed, because of his punch, demonstrating just how powerful he was.
Jake and David on the other hand were amazing support. With their strange stick, one could easily buff their allies' power, while the other one could weaken the enemy's, making the two of them a really deadly combination on a battlefield like this.
Rose was also a great help too. With her strange plant type powers, she could easily heal her team members and because she was already in the Creator rank, she could almost instantly heal anyone, who was in her proximity.
However, things were different for Joe and Greg. Joe could help with his thunderbolts, because of him reaching the third rank, but as for Greg... Because of his low rank, he could only do minimal damage to the giants and that was also because of his Soul Creature's ranks.
The 8 after killing the last giant, finally arrived before the giant tree, which had an enormous gate on it, making them feel a bit confused.
Greg was looking up at the huge entrance before him, while he was wearing a huge bag full of crystals on his back. Naturally, this was because he was the weakest one among them, so the role of carrying the energy crystals has fallen on him.
Kyle after looking at the gate for a while decided to touch it. In an instant, as his palm touched the wooden surface, the gate moved slightly.
Seeing this, Kyle put his other hand on the gate and started to push with everything he had.
*CREEEEAAAAKKK*
With a creaking sound, the wooden door opened up. After the gate was fully open, the 8 walked inside, but after a few steps, they halted, while their faces changed to utter disbelief.
What appeared before them was a huge hall, which other side couldn't even be seen, showing just how crazily huge the interior was.
On the side, there were stairs, one left and one right, which went up into the unknown, while below them, numerous wooden doors of ridiculous size opened into different rooms.
Everything before them was a masterpiece. The walls, the floor even the stairs had beautiful carvings on them, showing that whoever made them was a master.
However, the most amazing sight wasn't those, but another thing. Between the two stairs, a gigantic wooden statue towered above their head. However, the size of it was so huge that after looking up, one could see only the statue's knee and nothing else.
Before it, the 8 were as small as an ant before an elephant or a much bigger entity, an ancient dragon.
"Okay... What now?", asked Rose, while she was looking around in awe.
"Looking at the size of this place, it would take us an eternity just to explore everything, so..."
As Kyle talked, he took out a device from his pocket and continued, "After knowing that the type of monsters we will fight against will be giants, I went and bought this."
"What's that?", asked Skull as he stepped closer and looked at the thing in Kyle's hand.
The device looked just like a smartphone, but with the difference that it had 5 lamps on its front with different colors.
"With this, finding the zone's core will be child's play."
As he said that, he pushed a button on it and in an instant, the first lamp on it turned green.
Seeing this, Kyle started to walk around with it a bit, turning here and there from time to time.
Just as everyone thought nothing will happen, suddenly the second lamp with a deeper green color turned on, making Kyle smile.
"This way, let's go."
Without any hesitation, the others started to follow Kyle toward the leftmost door.
After walking through that door, they arrived inside another room, which was empty, except for the same gigantic statue.
Without looking at it, Kyle walked toward another door on the right and opened it.
The 8 walked from room to room, while in each of them except for the same wooden statue and some huge chairs or other common stuff, nothing interesting could be found.
After walking for more than 2 hours straight, suddenly all the lamps on the device in Kyle's hand turned red.
Looking up, Kyle looked at the gigantic door before him and raised up his eyebrow slightly.
The door before them was wholly different from the others they opened so far. On this door, different sized and shaped figures were carved and painted, while here and there strange writings could be seen.
"Be ready. Whatever lays beyond this door, we need to be careful."
With that, he put his palm on the door and pushed it open.
Slowly but surely the gate opened up, revealing the inside of the room. However what appeared before their eyes wasn't another room, but darkness.
Pitch black darkness.
Seeing this, Kyle took out a red orb and after fusing into some of his power, it started to shine with crimson light, lighting up the darkness in front of them.
"Let's get going."
After confirming that nothing was before them, Kyle started to walk forward with the others behind him.
While walking in the darkness, all of them were insanely concentrating, looking for any sign of movement. They didn't dare to put their guard down even for a second, fearing that there could happen anything at any moment.
As they walked for a few hundred meters into the darkness, suddenly a blinding light appeared above them, shining all over the place.
After a second, when their eyes used to the light, all of them looked around, but a second later, their faces turned paper sheet white.
"H-holy Lord..."
"We are doomed..."
All around them, more than a hundred giants of different shapes, colors, and sizes were looking at them with murdering gaze.
Seeing so many creatures in one place made Greg and the others feel weak and hopeless.
Just as they thought this will be the grave for them, suddenly a deep voice sounded somewhere above them.
"Welcome to my palace humans."
Hearing the strange voice, all of them turned their faces toward the direction where the voice came from.
Before them not far away in the sky, where a wooden staircase led, a man with a very muscular body was sitting on a throne, while looking down onto them with a strange smile.
Kyle and the others after looking at the man, instantly took up a fighting position, because of the immense pressure the man gave at them.
"Who are you?", asked Kyle, while his hand was on the blade's grip.
Hearing the question, the man started to laugh madly, while clenching his face.
After laughing for a while, the man calmed down and stood up slowly.
However, as his muscular body moved, the air around him started to distort a bit, making Greg and the others feeling even more terrified.
As the man looked down onto them, he smiled and shouted proudly.
"Me? I'm one of the seven general under the Giant King's hand, Kragnas!"