Inside the canyon, the rich aroma of roasted meat interlaced with the scent of fermenting wild berry wine.

  The central bonfire crackled and popped. The massive flames cast a crimson glow over the primitive, resolute faces of every Stoneborn tribesman.

  Children chased one another. Women pounded grain. Men slammed beast-bone cups together in boisterous toasts.

  It was primal, yet pulsing with the feral warmth of life.

  They were celebrating.

  They celebrated Crag’s return from the brink of death.

  Two days ago, after that ominous dark-red pillar of light vanished, Crag had walked out from the Heart of the Ancestors.

  He was awake.

  Now, he sat by the bonfire. His massive frame carried a sense of pressure far greater than before.

  His originally grayish-brown stone skin had deepened into a profound hue, nearly the color of obsidian.

  Beneath that hardened skin, traces of dark-red crystalline textures flowed slowly—like magma surging under a frozen riverbed.

  Every contour of his muscle looked as if it had been carved by a god, brimming with explosive power.

  This was a complete metamorphosis.

  Elder Granite told him everything. He recounted how Kane had pulled him back from the gates of hell and how he had sacrificed that "Artificial Heart."

  Crag listened in silence.

  The giant, already a man of few words, had become even more taciturn.

  He simply used his massive, intact hand to stroke his chest over and over again.

  The stone skin there had healed, leaving behind a totem-like mark of a darker shade.

  He owed that human kid a life.

  No. Two lives.

  Crag looked up, staring toward the wind-blown entrance of the canyon.

  A thought took root in his mind, sprouted, and became as indestructible as the earth beneath his feet.

  I will protect him.

  "How does your body feel?" Elder Granite’s aged voice carried deep concern.

  Crag retracted his gaze. He felt the surging, turbulent power within him and answered in a low, muffled rumble.

  "Good."

  "Better than ever."

  "It is more than just 'good.'"

  Excitement flickered in Elder Granite’s eyes. "The energy from that 'heart' was too pure, too domineering. Combined with your brush with death, blessing and disaster intertwined. You actually awakened two bloodline talents! In the history of our tribe, this is unheard of!"

  The old Elder stood up and lightly tapped Crag’s chest with his obsidian staff.

  "The first..."

  [ Unyielding Bastion ]

  Type: Passive

  Effect: Automatically forms a layer of hardened stone protection over the body when attacked. Reduces damage taken by 60%. When the protective layer shatters, grants 3 seconds of damage immunity.

  [ Cooldown: 3 Minutes ]

  As the words fell, a solid, heavy layer of rock armor instantaneously erupted across the surface of Crag's body!

  A faint golden light flowed over the armor’s surface, making him look truly like a wrathful Guardian Deity stepped out of myth.

  "This truly makes you an unshakeable mountain!" Elder Granite praised.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Crag felt the solidity radiating from the armor and nodded with satisfaction.

  "The second one," Elder Granite said, pointing toward Crag's legs, "[ Seismic Leap ]."

  [ Seismic Leap ]

  Type: Active

  Effect: Leap high into the air followed by a violent impact upon landing. Generates a powerful radial shockwave within a 10-meter radius.

  [ Cooldown: 1 Minute ]

  "Give it a try," Elder Granite commanded.

  Hearing this, Crag bent his knees. His knotted muscles instantly coiled like a massive, fully drawn bow.

  Boom!

  His massive frame launched skyward like a cannonball, soaring ten meters into the air before crashing down like a falling meteor!

  THUD—!

  A deafening roar erupted as the entire ground shuddered violently.

  Centered on his point of impact, a visible shockwave tore through the earth’s surface, ferociously blasting sand, stones, and debris outward.

  A collective gasp rose from the surrounding tribesmen, followed by a burst of even more fanatical cheering.

  "Crag!"

  "Our warrior!"

  Crag stood in the small crater he had smashed open. He felt the explosive power radiating through his legs. His usually dull eyes were now sharp enough to pierce the night.

  Defense. Burst. Mobility.

  He was no longer just a meat shield meant to take a beating.

  Elder Granite smiled with relief.

  The tribe had gained another powerful guardian.

  It was at that exact moment.

  A piercing, mechanical roar—an engine sound that did not belong to this land—approached from the distance, crudely tearing through the joyful night sky.

  The laughter around the bonfire died instantly.

  Every Stoneborn warrior lunged to their feet, gripping stone spears and axes, staring warily toward the canyon entrance.

  "What’s happening?"

  "Sand bandits?"

  Elder Granite’s expression darkened immediately.

  The moment he spotted the human military insignias on those steel constructs, he let out a low growl to Crag.

  "Hide!"

  Crag was confused, but the Elder’s command was absolute. His massive frame quickly vanished into the shadows.

  Leaning on his staff, Elder Granite walked briskly toward the entrance.

  A dozen black armored personnel carriers emblazoned with the Kunlun Corp logo sat outside the canyon like hideous beetles.

  Blinding headlights forcefully illuminated the entrance, washing out the angry, guarded faces of the Stoneborn into a deathly pale white.

  A door hissed open. A man in a crisp officer’s uniform with a cold, chiseled face stepped down.

  Commander Andrew Zoe. Kunlun Security Division.

  He scanned the "savages" holding their primitive weapons, his lips curling into a sliver of contempt.

  "I am looking for two individuals."

  His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly to the ears of every Stoneborn present.

  "One is a member of your tribe. A Stoneborn giant."

  He paused, his gaze sweeping through the crowd. He didn't find his target.

  "The other is his accomplice."

  Andrew’s voice turned abruptly cold, carrying an arrogance that treated all life as beneath him.

  "Hand them over."

  Andrew’s voice echoed through the canyon entrance.

  The Stoneborn tightened their grip on their weapons, low, beast-like growls vibrating in their throats. The atmosphere was a powder keg ready to blow.

  Elder Granite stepped forward with his staff. His aged face remained unreadable under the glare of the headlights.

  "A Commander of Kunlun Corp leads an army into the home of the Stoneborn in the dead of night just to spout some nonsense from a dream?"

  Andrew let out a short laugh, as if he’d just heard a joke.

  "Nonsense? Your clansman, alongside an Ability User, attacked a Kunlun Corp transport convoy and stole company property. Now, those people are in your tribe, and you tell me this is nonsense?"

  "Absurd!" Elder Granite slammed his staff into the ground. "Our warriors would never deign to commit such petty thievery! This is a slander! A mere excuse for you humans to provoke a war!"

  "An excuse?"

  The smile vanished from Andrew’s face, replaced by a chilling grimness.

  "It seems you won't admit it unless I show you something."

  He raised a hand. A subordinate immediately switched on a portable loudspeaker. After a burst of harsh static, the distorted voice of a man rang out in fragments.

  "Bzzzt... Ability User! ...Initiate... Plan!"

  "...Prioritize... attack that... Stone... born... giant... he is...!"

  Bzzzt—

  The sound cut off abruptly.

  The words "Stoneborn giant" had been crystal clear.

  Every Stoneborn warrior froze. A crack finally appeared on Elder Granite’s otherwise impenetrable face.

  He hadn't expected the other side to possess such evidence.

  He fell silent.

  Andrew was satisfied with the effect. He took a step forward, radiating pressure.

  "Now, what do you have to say? The attackers are in your tribe. The evidence is conclusive. I will say it one more time: hand over the giant and his accomplice. Otherwise, I don't mind initiating 'Sector Purification' procedures."

  "Your evidence is forged. A few fragmented, stitched-together sentences prove nothing."

  After a brief silence, Elder Granite spoke again. His voice was raspy but as firm as iron.

  "Our tribe has no such people."

  "They aren't here?" Andrew’s patience seemed to hit its limit. "Then we search. My soldiers will turn this place upside down until they are found."

  "You wouldn't dare!"

  An astonishing aura erupted from Elder Granite’s frail frame.

  He locked his cloudy eyes onto Andrew’s, declaring word by word:

  "The moment your soldiers take a single step into this canyon, the Stoneborn will fight to the last drop of blood! And the Gaia Coalition will view this as a total declaration of war by humanity against us!"

  War.

  That word was like a massive boulder crashing into the hearts of everyone present.

  Andrew’s pupils constricted.

  He could disregard the survival of a primitive tribe, but he could not ignore the consequences of starting a war with the entire Gaia Coalition.

  He stared intensely at Elder Granite, searching for even a flicker of wavering on that wrinkled face.

  But that face was as hard as the mountains themselves.

  Finally, Andrew gritted his teeth and slowly raised his hand, signaling his troops to stand down.

  The dozen armored vehicles did not retreat. Instead, they deployed on the spot, forming a semi-circular perimeter. The dark muzzles of cannons and machine guns were aimed silently at the canyon entrance.

  A blockade.

  Meanwhile, from behind a distant sand dune, Kane had witnessed the entire scene.

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