Ashen Dragon

"I will eat you all!"

A fervent roar echoed from the slope.

The towering figure, over five meters tall, with rough, brown skin, wielding a large tree as a weapon—still smeared with soil—draped in crudely stitched animal furs, sweat dripping onto the putrid hide, emitting a strong stench—that was a Hill Giant.

Hill Giants were selfish and dull-witted savages, often residing in hills and valleys and gathering in woodland camps or shanties.

They hunted, foraged, and pillaged everything in their path to gain more food. Prone to hunt prey over hills and forests with all their might, bullying the weak. If not for their massive frames and unending strength, the lazy and slow-minded Hill Giants would have likely gone extinct long ago.

But now, it seemed food had delivered itself to their door.

The Hill Giant licked its lips, foul-smelling saliva dripping from its mouth.

Ever since that unusually large Ogre led a pack of monsters to drive the Hill Giants out of the valley, they had been wandering the outskirts of Stormy Ridge, scavenging rotten food or devouring passing humans.

This greedy Hill Giant hadn't had a full meal in a long time; now clearly appeared to be a golden opportunity.

[Based on your capabilities, you can observe the following information.]

[Greedy Hill Giant]

Huge Giant, Chaotic Evil

AC:13 (natural armor)

HP:105

Strength—21

Agility—8

Constitution—19

Intelligence—5

Perception—9

Charisma—6

Senses: Passive Perception 12

Actions: Multi-Attack, Great Club Attack, Throw Rock, Bite

Challenge Level: 5 (1,800 XP)

Mantou sighed: "This creature seems strong. Can we really defeat it?"

Singo scoffed: "Afraid of what? With our setup, just basic attacks can crush it. We're here to level you up. If you were at Fourth Level, believe it or not, it'd already be dead."

"Alright, just don't get us wiped out later."

At the bottom of the hill stood the "Dragon Vein Quartet." Their team's strength had significantly increased, leading them to take on the highest-difficulty quest: [Defeat the Hill Giant Wrecking the Farm]. The official recommended challenge level for this quest stood at Level Five.

It's worth noting that even professional gamers like Singo had barely reached Fourth Level, a result of relentless effort day and night, with most players stuck at Levels One or Two.

Watching the Hill Giant charge down the slope with a large tree in hand, Singo remained unfazed: "War Maniac Bro, you and Autumn Rain keep it busy here. Mantou and I will launch an aerial attack."
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Natural War Maniac nodded simply: "Got it."

Then Singo and Mantou mounted their rides, steering their Bipedal Wyverns into the air.

Natural War Maniac advanced to meet the enemy head-on. Facing this larger-than-life foe, he felt no fear. After all, he had once slain even interstellar beasts. This Giant was nothing in his eyes.

He had chosen the Barbarian's Path of the Berserker.

For Barbarians, frenzy was a way to reach the extreme—violence at its peak.

The Path of the Berserker was a route chasing blood and unbridled rage. When players entered the Berserker's frenzy, they would shiver in the chaotic thrill of battle, abandoning any concern for their safety.

"Aaaaahhhh——"

Natural War Maniac roared to the sky, activating his frenzy.

Immediately, his eyes turned blood-red, muscles bulging exaggeratedly, veins popping out, his entire body emanating an aura of bloodlust.

In a frenzy, Natural War Maniac charged up to the Hill Giant, leaping high into the air, raising his Great Axe.

"Frenzied Strike!"

The Great Axe sliced through the air with potent force, cleaving downwards.

Given the Hill Giant's massive frame, the axe barely reached its chest.

Even the Hill Giant was startled by this ferocious "Little One," but soon realized it had been frightened by this small creature, who clearly wasn't afraid of it. A gnarly look of rage crossed its ugly face.

"I, I will smash you into pulp!"

The Hill Giant used the large tree to block the axe and, with all its might, swung it, sending Natural War Maniac and the Great Axe flying backward.

Natural War Maniac hit the ground hard, with his battle-axe embedded into the earth beside him.

Yet, having been knocked back, he showed no sign of retreating. In his blood-red eyes, there was a glint of joy and craze at the encounter with such a strong enemy.

"Aaaaahhhh——"

Natural War Maniac wrenched out the deeply buried axe and charged again with eyes aflame.

"Wait for me——"

A crisp female voice came from behind, yet Natural War Maniac ignored it and continued his assault.

Summer Night Autumn Rain sighed with a hand on her forehead. The Berserker occupation was great for offense and defense, but once in a frenzy, they wouldn't listen to anything and would only charge forward.

Luckily, she caught up and cast a Spell on Natural War Maniac.

[Enlarge Spell]

Natural War Maniac's size rapidly increased, growing from nearly two meters tall to almost four meters. Both his weapon and beast-skin clothing expanded accordingly, making him almost as large as the Hill Giant.

Feeling the heightened perspective, Natural War Maniac laughed loudly and leapt once more, aiming now for the head instead of the chest.

The dim-witted Hill Giant could not grasp magic but realized that the "Little One" had grown larger and posed a threat.

So, with an enraged roar, the Hill Giant swung its arms with all its might to smash down.