Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

Chapter 187  The Matriarch

Suddenly, not far from where the hole had been, a giant hand, twice the size of a common Ice Giant's, emerged, clawing its way through the debris and snow. The hand was covered in rough, jagged ice, and each finger looked like a sharp, shining needles. Blue veins ran through their whole skin.

Henry watched as a head finally broke through the snow, howling as it struggled to pull its massive body free. "That's the first creature to crawl out of that hole?" - Henry muttered, seeing an Ice Giant the size of a modern building emerge from the snow. Its eyes held a strange mix of emotions as it looked at the ruins of its home. It let out a howl filled with both sadness and fury.

In response to the sorrowful howl, dozens of hands began tearing through the snow, clawing their way out from beneath the icy layer. Under Henry's gaze, the valley slowly filled with giants, though it was only a fraction of the number that had once surrounded the hole. "Yes" - Yngvi replied, his voice trembling slightly at the sight of their growing numbers - "Accordin' to our ancestors, that was the first creature that emerged from the hole. She was the one who opened it, and the others followed after her. Their numbers grew so large that we couldn't fight back. We were forced to retreat, only sendin' scouts outside to monitor the valley." - His eyes locked onto the matriarch with a look of fear.

As if sensing his gaze, the creature turned its eyes toward their direction, and an intense killing intent radiated from them. The weight of it was overwhelming, freezing everyone on the mountain path in place. Even Yngvi, a Sixth Stage warrior, felt his knees tremble. Had he and the others not been gripping the mountain wall, they would have plummeted to their deaths. Henry also felt the crushing presence of the matriarch, it was the most powerful force he had ever encountered. It was as if death itself lurked within the sound of her howls. But then, as if in response to the fear spreading through him, Caelum appeared in his hands. The sword was vibrating fiercely, not from fear, but from excitement. Henry could sense the spirit's will, Caelum wasn't afraid. It was eager, as if it had found a delicacy that awakened its gluttonous side. It wanted to devour the Matriarch without even chewing.

The Matriarch fixed her furious gaze on them. She raised her massive arms, her ice-like skin glowing under the weak sunlight that pierced through the clouds above the valley. At her signal, the surviving Ice Giants roared and began storming toward the mountain, their glowing blue veins pulsing as they charged headfirst.

Henry's eyes narrowed as he saw the giants rushing forward - "Hold tight! Use your weapons!" - he shouted, driving his other sword deep into the icy layer of the mountain while gripping Caelum tightly, as the sword vibrated, craving for battle.

The others, following his lead, stabbed their weapons into the frozen surface of the mountain, anchoring themselves in place. The barbarians held their axes and closed their eyes with veiled fear. They were people of the Frozen Forest and didn't belong to the mountains or great heights. On the other hand, the dwarves hung there much more at ease. The impact of the Ice Giants crashing into the mountain sent shock waves through the entire structure. Henry gritted his teeth, holding firm to the mountain with his sword stuck deep into the ice. The sheer force of the collision made the ground beneath his feet quiver, but he stood his ground. But some of the barbarians and dwarves, unable to maintain their grip, were thrown from the mountain's side, their screams lost to the strong winds. The tremors paused briefly, but then resumed, more intense than before. "They're climbing up…" - Henry thought, his gaze shifting downward. He watched as the giants used their needle-like fingers to claw their way up the mountain, their massive frames causing mountain to tremble with every movement. In the distance, the Matriarch stood still, her eyes burning with hatred as she watched her children ascend the mountain. There was a chilling intelligence in those eyes, a cold, calculating malice.

"We have to stop them" - Henry's mind raced. The giants were closing in fast, and with each passing moment, the risk of more of his men falling grew. He knew that if they reached their position, it would be over. They had to be stopped, and quickly. The king's eyes locked onto the Matriarch, its frame much bigger than others - "I have to kill her to break their advance. But can I defeat such a monster?" - Doubt crept in his mind as he considered the sheer size and power of the creature before him. The matriarch was likely stronger than any foe he had ever faced, perhaps even reaching the legendary Seventh Stage. As if sensing his hesitation, Caelum shook fiercely in his grip, a purple flame covered the whole blade. The sword seemed to be urging him forward, taking out his fear and replacing it with fierce determination - "Let's do this" - Henry decided, and without a second thought, he released his hold on the sword's handle. Henry fell toward the first Ice Giant, like an anchor falling towards the sea's bed. As he neared his enemy, Caelum's purple fire shone even brighter, flickering with anticipation. With one fluid motion, Henry swung his sword, severing the giant's hand cleanly. The massive creature let out a bellowing roar as it lost its grip on the mountain and plummeted to the ground below. Henry used the falling giant's body to slow his descent, propelling himself toward the next target with precision.

As he approached the second giant, Henry twisted in mid-air, his sword ready for another strike. The giant barely had time to react before Caelum's blade cut through its head, sending its corpse tumbling down the mountainside. It didn't even have time to howl as its body crashed into the ground. Without wasting a second, Henry moved from one giant to the next like a force of nature, using their bodies or even the mountain to propel himself. His sword flashed again and again, like a purple comet.

The sharp whistle of his sword and the painful cries of the Ice Giants covered the whole valley. One by one, the giants fell, creating a small mountain of corpses, not a single one remained intact. After exterminating half of the giants climbing the mountain and unable to stop his descent, Henry landed on the pile of corpses reaped by his sword. Standing atop the pile of corpses, Henry caught his breath, Caelum's purple flames still flickering along the blade, hungry for more.

On top of the mountain, Yngvi watched with wide eyes, a mix of awe and disbelief. He swallowed hard, glancing between his hammer, Skybreaker, and Henry, who now stood on a pile of corpses. The sight was almost surreal, the ragged kind surrounded by the towering remains of the fallen giants. Yngvi exchanged a look with Leier and the other dwarf elders. A silent agreement passed between them, and without hesitation, they jumped down, ready to join the battle, letting go of the weapons' handle.

The elders descended like a storm, their hammers swinging with deadly precision. Each strike was aimed at the giants still clinging to the mountainside. Heads were crushed, and arms were severed, sending more giants plummeting to their deaths below. The ground around Henry soon became littered with even more bodies, forming small mountains of defeated enemies. Skybreaker's silvery lightnings engulfed its enemies, killing them on the spot or even breaking their whole arms.

After a few moments, Leier and the dwarves landed near Henry, their eyes scanning the battlefield. Only fifteen Ice Giants remained, still climbing determinedly up the mountain, their glowing blue veins pulsing with fury. They wanted to kill the barbarians and the remaining dwarves up the mountain. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Well, that was easier than I expected" - Yngvi said with a sigh of relief.

"'Course it was, old dwarf!"- Mani replied, rubbing her hairless head with a grin - "Strong an' Bald Mani was in the fight, an' those giants were easy pickin's, couldn't dodge or strike back!"