The so-called golden giant referred to a massive humanoid creature covered in golden scales.
After circling in the sky, the black dragon confirmed the specifics of the castaway's appearance. From his vantage point, he clearly saw a faint streak of blood trailing in the direction from which the giant had drifted.
Surrounding this blood trail, various sea creatures, large and small, floated belly-up on the water's surface. The sight was rather gruesome and explained why this seemingly defenseless creature could remain unscathed while drifting in the ocean.
This towering, golden, and imposing being was entirely toxic. The fact it hadn't been devoured suggested that any creature attempting to bite into it lacked sufficiently sharp teeth.
Truly powerful beings, however, could treat toxins like water and might even take the time to savor the taste—like himself, for instance.
Realizing the giant's dire condition, Muria dove down, gripping the giant's head with a foreclaw, lifting him from the sea, and flying toward a massive island in the distance.
Boom!
Muria flung the bloodied giant onto the shore, landing him in a lushly vegetated freshwater lake. The crash startled a flock of waterfowl into the air. Landing nearby, Muria waited patiently.
As a transcendent being, the giant possessed basic self-healing abilities. Muria noticed that as he pulled the giant from the sea, his wounds were already beginning to heal. Thus, there was no need to intervene further—he simply had to wait.
...
Jiuli slowly opened his eyes, his body, especially his back, throbbing with intense pain. Yet this pain didn't bring him suffering; instead, it gave him a strange sense of relief.
The pain signified that his condition wasn't too severe and remained within bearable limits. However, as he turned his head slightly, he caught sight of the massive black creature beside him—a being far larger than himself—and his heart skipped a beat.
The creature, a perfect combination of power and agility, was gazing at him indifferently, as though appraising food. Alarmed, the newly awakened giant instinctively swung his fist at the enormous beast without a second thought.
From his life experiences, Jiuli had learned not to place too much trust in any unfamiliar intelligent creature. Assuming the worst was often the safest approach—and, more often than not, the correct one.
But reality quickly taught him that attacking a stronger being was a mistake.
Before his fist could land, a sleek tail lashed out, striking him with enough force to send him tumbling through the air. Scales shattered mid-flight, scattering around him as he crashed back into the lake.
"Having a sense of caution is good, but being overly suspicious will do you no favors."
As Jiuli struggled to rise, intent on continuing the fight, a cold voice resonated directly in his mind. The words, spoken in the language of the soul, conveyed the creature's calm and unthreatened demeanor, easing some of the hostility in Jiuli's heart.
"What are you?" The giant asked, standing unsteadily as pain flared from the deep gash across his torso. He winced, feeling that this injury was particularly unfair.
"The dragon that fished you out of the sea," Muria replied, studying the five-meter-tall giant. Though humanoid in shape, the giant's features deviated significantly from those of humans.
For instance, he lacked a nose, with only two small holes in its place, and his hands had just three fingers each, giving him an odd, disjointed appearance.
"A dragon? Such creatures actually exist? I thought they were just legends."
"Indeed."
"Why did you save me?"
"Why? If you must have a reason, it's because I was in a good mood at the time and decided to pull you out of the water."
"I see." The giant fell silent, unsure how to continue conversing with a being claiming to be a dragon. He wasn't much of a talker to begin with.
"You've asked me, now it's my turn. What are you? Where are you from? What happened to you? And why are you so gravely injured?"
"I come from..." Jiuli half-closed his eyes, recalling his harrowing experiences of late. Staring at this mythical creature he'd only dreamed of as a child, his mind felt momentarily adrift.
"A place completely unlike this one. As for why I'm like this, it's because I clashed with invaders who attacked my homeland. The battles left me in this state."
"So, you're a warrior defending your homeland?" Muria assessed the giant, who now seemed less guarded. To him, Jiuli resembled an inexperienced young man rather than a seasoned, worldly creature.
"A warrior?" The giant hesitated briefly before shaking his head. "No, I'm not a warrior. I'm just..."
"What?"
"A rather lucky ordinary person."
"Lucky?" The imposing black dragon chuckled. "Indeed, encountering me is proof of your good fortune. But ordinary? Hardly."
Deep within Muria's heart, his epic-level consciousness opened its eyes, scrutinizing this being now reunited with his reincarnated form. In an instant, it saw the giant's essence, and the sight left Muria both surprised and puzzled. He sensed something intangible entwining the giant, something even he couldn't fully discern.
"Hahaha!" The giant laughed awkwardly, seemingly interpreting the dragon's words as praise.
"Are you planning to return to your land of faith?"
"Faith?" Jiuli blinked in confusion.
"Newborn Earth God, why do you seem so perplexed?" Muria, attuned to the giant's soul fluctuations, sensed that Jiuli's bewildered expression was genuine rather than feigned.
This perplexity only deepened Muria's curiosity. While the giant's strength was weak in his eyes—unable to rival even Muria's lowest-tier subordinates—he possessed something countless legends coveted: the power of faith.
Yes, this seemingly fragile being was surrounded by a force that granted immortality: the power of faith.
Such an absurd anomaly was unexpected, though not entirely shocking within this grand world.
"Earth God? Are you referring to me?" The golden giant pointed to himself in disbelief.
"Of course. Who else here is qualified to speak with me?"
"But how could I be an Earth God?"
"You don't even know what you are?" Muria scrutinized the giant, finding his naivety almost endearing. Deciding to be helpful, he explained further.
"You wield the faith of intelligent beings, which makes you a god. Judging by the quantity of your faith, you're a low-tier Earth God. True gods would consider you a mere pseudo-god.
"You can only manifest divine power within a limited area. Once you leave that zone, your strength diminishes drastically."
"Faith from intelligent beings?" Jiuli mused over Muria's explanation, his expression thoughtful.
"You must have displayed your power before weaker beings to earn their faith," Muria added.
"I've done so, yes. But I'm not sure if that makes me what you say I am." Jiuli hesitated, uncertain.
"Your confusion is infuriating. Becoming a god by accident? Didn't any elders guide you?"
"Elders? None," Jiuli replied, lips pressing tightly together.
"Then how did you cultivate your power? Did you figure it out yourself?" Muria asked, looking at him as though he were an endangered species.
"Uh..."
"Judging by your state, you started out weak and climbed to your current level through self-discovery, correct?"
"Yes. I relied on ancestral methods to reach this point, but I had no guidance."
"So you inherited a method and fumbled your way to divinity? Truly remarkable. You're not merely lucky—you're this world's..."
Muria stopped himself before finishing the sentence. His expression grew contemplative, his gaze turning inscrutable.
"Is there something wrong with me?"
"Something monumental. Based on my experience, most who follow your path are long dead, their graves overgrown with weeds."
"...?"
"Could you share your cultivation method with me?"
"This..." Jiuli hesitated. Such a foundational practice was not something to share lightly.
"Your caution is excessive. Our species differ entirely. What you cherish as treasure, I see as trash.
"Besides, if I meant you harm, would I need to go through all this trouble? Do you think you could defeat me?"
"Not a chance..." Jiuli admitted with an awkward smile.
"I was planning to give you some pointers, but since you don't trust me, never mind."
Jiuli continued to smile awkwardly but inwardly sighed with relief. He had been worried the dragon might insist, forcing him to choose between his life and his secrets.
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