Chapter 407: Eighty-Ninth Floor, A Nation for Giants (5)
[Primary objective: avoid the giants’ gaze and meet the Giant Resistance. Time remaining: 13 hours 54 minutes.]
The tunnel was long and winding—too long to remain silent the entire time. Well, I didn’t see a reason not to chat in the first place.
I needed information about this place, and the small giant wanted assurance that I was an ally. Naturally, conversation flowed as we walked.
The small giant’s name was Tiring. Given his size, I had expected a rough, heavy-sounding name that matched his bulk. Contrary to expectations, though, his name was rather endearing.
A surprising contrast. Then again, I suppose it makes sense. He is a giant to me, but to other giants, he is the small one.
We talked a little more about his age, and Tiring grumbled something about how the difference in species made such things irrelevant.
However, he ultimately went along with it after I released some of my power. I wanted to avoid unnecessary suspicion about my capabilities, and I made sure not to overwhelm him with my presence.
Perhaps because of that, Tiring seemed slightly exhilarated. There was a buoyant optimism in his demeanor, characteristic of someone young. He wasn’t openly showing it, but he was probably imagining that I could save them.
Anyway, our exchange led to a useful revelation about the relationship between giants and the miniatures. Tiring admitted he didn’t know everything, but he shared what he could with sincerity.
“The tinies... they’re small devils that control people.”
His story reached back into the past.
While excavating for ore, the giants had come across a massive iron door buried deep beneath the surface, etched with strange symbols.