Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence

Chapter 457 - 377: "Giant Mage" Gordo

The towering stone house reached for the clouds, its crude stone tables and chairs untouched. Everything was just as he had left it.

Upon entering the Giant Dragon Realm, the rich, primal scent of the elements washed over him.

The flow of time was different here. It was morning, and brilliant sunlight poured through a massive opening in the stone roof, forming thick columns of light.

The four little ones—one white, one black, one orange, and one blue—leapt from Raylo’s giant-sized shoulder and scampered about the house.

Finally, Kado ducked and squeezed his way through the spatial rift.

Voices drifted from outside the stone house; it sounded like Marlin was talking with someone.

Stepping out of the stone house, Raylo was taken aback by the scene in the clearing.

The Hill Giant, Gordo, was crouched on the ground in a rather comical posture.

He was struggling to press his thick fingers together, attempting to imitate a human Mage’s gestures for Casting. His face was a mask of concentration and strain, and large beads of sweat rolled down his rocky forehead.

Across from him, the Great Mage Marlin, in his transformed Giant form, was giving instructions with a stern expression.

"Focus, Gordo! Feel the earth beneath your feet. Feel its breath, its pulse! The Earth Elements are not your enemies; they are your friends. You must call to them, not command them!"

Marlin’s voice had the stern precision of a scholar.

"I... I’m trying to feel it, Master Marlin."

Gordo replied in a booming, muffled voice thick with grievance.

"But they... they won’t listen. Sometimes they just ignore me."

"Of course they won’t! Your gestures are as stiff as a stone pillar! What Element would pay you any mind? Relax! Be more natural!"

Marlin bellowed.

Gordo took a deep breath, his massive chest rising and falling. He clumsily shifted his fingers, muttering under his breath.

"Friends of the earth, hear my call... come out to play..."

The corner of Raylo’s eye twitched.

Nearby, the orange cat that was the Sun paused, its eyes wide with astonishment.

Kado scratched his large head, staring at his kinsman in utter confusion.

Just then, a small patch of dust on the ground before Gordo trembled slightly. Then, a fist-sized mound of earth quivered and, with excruciating slowness, rose from the hard, stone ground.

"I did it! Master Marlin! I succeeded!"

Gordo saw the small mound and was so excited he began to dance, his tremendous roar making the entire stone house vibrate.

In his excitement, he wasn’t watching where he stepped and stomped right on the little mound that had just emerged.

SQUISH.

The ecstatic look on Gordo’s face froze solid.

Marlin slapped a hand to his forehead, unable to watch.

"Ahem."

Raylo gave a light cough, breaking the somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Only then did Marlin and Gordo notice that Raylo had returned.

"My Lord!"

Marlin hurriedly saluted.

Gordo stared at Marlin in astonishment. This master, so powerful in his eyes, this wielder of Magic, was actually Brother Carlo’s subordinate.

"What... are you doing?"

Raylo walked closer, studying Gordo with keen interest.

"Brother Carlo, you’re back!"

Gordo was as excited as a child to see Raylo. He pointed at the ground, speaking as if he were presenting a treasure.

"I’m learning Magic from Master Marlin! I did it just now, I really did! I made a dirt mound about this big!"

He made a fist with his thick hand to show the size.

"I saw,"

Raylo nodded, his gaze turning to Marlin.

"Master Marlin, what is all this? I’ve never heard of a Hill Giant being able to become a Mage."

This was truly beyond his understanding.

Unlike races such as the Frost Giants, Hill Giants were known for their terrifying physical Power. Their natural gifts were almost entirely focused on their physique; their Spiritual Power and fine control over the Elements were practically nonexistent.

A look of irrepressible excitement and pride spread across Marlin’s face.

"My Lord, it’s a miracle!"

Marlin said with great excitement.

"A few days ago, Gordo came here and saw me in Meditation. He was quite curious and came over to ask about it. I only explained a few principles of Magic offhandedly, but I never expected... I never expected this big fellow to have such an unimaginable affinity for the Earth Element!"

"His Spiritual Power is as crude as a rock, it’s true, but the connection between him and the earth—that resonance that comes from his very bloodline—is something I have never witnessed before! In a way, this resonance compensates for his lack of Spiritual Power."

The more Marlin spoke, the more excited he became, as if he had discovered a new continent.

"I tried guiding him, teaching him the most basic Elemental Perception and some simple Magic Seal Gestures. Although his movements are clumsy and his comprehension is... well, rather simple, he actually succeeded! He managed to mobilize the Earth Element! It was only a minuscule amount, but it proves that an entirely new path is possible!"

Raylo looked at Gordo, his eyes filled with amazement.

’Is this big oaf really going to become the first Hill Giant Mage in history?’

"Gordo,"

Raylo began.

"How does it feel to you?"

"It feels... wonderful!"

Gordo scratched his head, struggling to find the right words.

"It’s like... it’s like the ground beneath my feet has become part of my body. I can feel its presence. It’s still blurry, but when I focus my mind, I can feel something responding to me. Master Marlin says that’s Magic."

A thought struck Raylo as he looked at Gordo’s huge, excited face.

An idea flashed through Raylo’s mind, and he immediately seized upon a key point.

"Gordo, you just said it felt like the earth was becoming part of your body?"

Raylo asked.

"Yes! That’s exactly it!"

Gordo nodded emphatically.

"It’s blurry, but it’s there."

Raylo stared intently at Gordo.

"Then what did it feel like when you awakened your Domain?"

"Domain?"

Gordo scratched the back of his head, a look of confusion crossing his massive face as he seemed to struggle to recall.

"I think... I think it was pretty similar. I just woke up one day and felt closer to the rocks and dirt around me. I could make them... uh, listen to me a little bit."

He stretched out his massive, fan-like hand toward a head-sized rock in the distance.

"Come here."

The rock didn’t budge.

Gordo’s face flushed crimson. He looked flustered, glancing at Kado and then at Raylo, muttering.

"Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t..."

"What you just tried to use was your Domain Power, correct?"

Raylo stated, cutting straight to the point.

Gordo nodded blankly.

"Your Domain isn’t ’Gravity’ like Kado’s. It’s more like ’Earth Affinity’ or ’Earth Element Resonance’."

Raylo analyzed slowly.

"That in itself leans more toward the realm of Elemental Magic than pure physical laws. So when Master Marlin said you have an incredible affinity for the Earth Element, he wasn’t mistaken. That is your gift—your innate Domain talent!"

His words struck Gordo, Marlin, and even Kado like a clap of thunder.

Master Marlin’s eyes went wide. He looked as though he’d had an epiphany, his lips trembling as he pointed at Gordo.

"So... so that’s it! No wonder! No wonder he can trigger an elemental resonance despite his crude Spiritual Power! His Domain is a bridge—a bridge to the Elemental World!"

"Brother Carlo... you mean..."

Gordo was a bit slow on the uptake, but he seemed to be grasping the idea.

"I mean, don’t think of Magic and your Domain Power as separate things."

Raylo stepped forward and clapped Gordo on the shoulder.

"They are fundamentally the same Power. One just requires you to use Spiritual Power to guide the Magic Seal Gestures, while the other is your instinct. Try to combine the Magic Master Marlin taught you with the feeling you get when using your Domain Power."

"Combine... them?"

Gordo repeated, only half understanding.

He stretched out his hand again, aiming at the stubborn rock.