Chapter 31: Hill Giant
Hiro moved deeper into the dense woodland. He noticed the flow of mana become clearer with each step, and he followed the swirling energy. The point of convergence was not far away.
Tall trees loomed overhead. Their thick canopies blocked the scant light that slipped through the cloudy skies. Shadows stretched across the uneven ground. The scent of damp earth and aged bark filled Hiro's nostrils.
A faint sense of curiosity and anticipation grew within him.
"Is this the feeling of adventure?" Hiro wondered.
As he ventured deeper, the atmosphere changed. The air felt heavier, and the dense mana seemed almost tangible. It pricked his skin.
Finally, Hiro neared his destination, but what he saw from afar made him pause.
First, there was a plant. It stood about waist-high. Its thin stalks swayed slightly despite the still air. At first glance, it looked unremarkable, but an ethereal blue glow pulsed around it. That glow gathered most intensely around a small bulge near the top. The bulge looked ready to bloom into a fruit at any moment.
The plant was not what made him stop though. Hiro very much wanted to examine it, but the presence beside it deterred him.
"A giant...?" he thought.
A massive humanoid figure sat near the plant. Its height rivaled the trees around it. Its deep blue skin had a rough, uneven texture. Its thick arms rested on its knees, and its heavy legs sprawled around the plant.
"This must be a Blessed Manawell," Carnalia's voice echoed in Hiro's mind.