The Paladin in the Abyss

Meanwhile, the figure of the first Frost Giant also emerged from the Portal. Lancelot had never observed such an enormous being from such close quarters before. The creature had deep blue skin, stood roughly three times Lancelot's height, and sported dirty grey hair and a beard.

This Frost Giant wore an iron helmet on its head, with huge mammoth tusks extending from both sides, resembling a demon's wicked grin. The giant's upper body was almost bare, while its lower half was protected by leg armor pieced together from various metal fragments—areas that were most vulnerable during combat with the shorter races. In its right hand, the giant held a bone Battle Axe, while its left hand pulled a cart with cages crammed with human, gnome, and dwarf prisoners, who looked like a group of farmers. Although most were still alive, some appeared to be unconscious or already dead.

Lancelot's position was directly above the giant's head, which allowed the Frost Giant, sensing something amiss, to fail to detect the threat immediately. Lancelot's body stalled in the air as if he had hit an invisible wall, then he spun downward like a thrown axe, aiming for the giant's exposed shoulder.

The Sword Blade of his Hand Half Sword blazed with green flames. Before the enemy could respond, Lancelot delivered a heavy blow to the Frost Giant's shoulder. He held nothing back in this strike. The Wood Attribute of the Sword Aura and the Fire Attribute of the Ignition Enchantment created a curious reaction, resulting in a peculiar green flame of unimaginable heat. His sword cut through like it was slicing through soft snow, practically feeling no resistance.

But the blade had indeed struck the enemy. A ghastly gash appeared where the Frost Giant's neck met its shoulder, looking as though it had been cleaved by a Beheading Axe. Though it was a colossus over twenty feet tall, the sword had severed its carotid artery, windpipe, and chest cavity—no creature that relied on respiration and blood circulation could survive such damage.

Instead of blood, a red steam spurted from the wound so hot that it instantly vaporized the blood. The dying giant couldn't even see its assailant but instinctively reached for Lancelot with its uninjured arm, only to have him leap into the air and dodged with an acrobatic maneuver.

As he landed, his hands caught onto the mammoth tusks of the Frost Giant's helmet. Using his own weight, Lancelot pulled down on the tusks, causing the wound on the shoulder to gape open further.

More blood sprayed from the wound as the giant collapsed helplessly to its knees, barely holding itself up with its hands. It wanted to continue the fight, but power had already left its muscles; it couldn't even shake off the enemy who had once again leaped onto its back.

Lancelot delivered a kick that sent the giant's helmet flying from its head, then, grasping Frostslash with both hands, drove the Sword Blade into the back of the giant's head.

Though this execution move was symbolically profound, Lancelot had no leisure to revel in the victory. After the kill, he didn't pause for a moment; he immediately withdrew his sword and jumped off the corpse of the giant, turning to face the direction of the Portal just in time to catch sight of a massive stone flying rapidly towards him.

Behind the cart filled with captives, two more Frost Giants had passed through the Portal, and a third was on its way out. The quickest to react among them hurled a stone, which was already in its hand, at Lancelot—but it was still not enough to save its comrade's life.

Lancelot rolled lightly on the snow, easily dodging the incoming boulder, and as his companions joined the battle with the loud invocation of Moradin's name, just as Lancelot had expected, Bruto was the first to join the fray. While charging, the Dwarf hurled his Magic Warhammer—this time not at the Giant's knees but at its head.

Worried about his son's forgetful nature, Bruto's father had enchanted the Warhammer with the unique Dwarf Flying Hammer Enchantment when forging it, ensuring that the hammer would always return to Bruto's hand. However, this Enchantment also had another title—Giant Slayer, capable of dealing extra damage to Giants.

In the Ancient Era, when many mortal races were enslaved by Giants, it was with this Enchantment, and under the guidance of Moradin, that the Dwarves bravely rebelled and made significant contributions to the destruction of the Giant Empire.

The moment the Warhammer struck the Giant's head, a thunderous explosion sounded, as if what hit the Giant was not a hammer but a bolt of lightning. The struck Frost Giant let out a piercing howl, clutching its head as it toppled to the side like an ancient tree felled.

"Like my hammer? Hahahaha!" Bruto let out a long laugh, not waiting for the hammer to fly back, he rushed at the downed Giant. Considering the original colossal height difference between them, such a 'fair' contest was rare, and the Dwarf certainly wouldn't pass up the opportunity.

Behind him, the Elf Priest followed closely with graceful steps. Although as a Priest of the Domain of Life, Alamir had undergone comprehensive combat training, familiar with Heavy Armor, Shield, and Nail-headed Hammer techniques, facing a Frost Giant alone was still too difficult for him. But, by working together with the Dwarf, he could well protect his partner's rear and flanks and provide timely Healing Divine Art, allowing Bruto in his Berserk State to vent his destructive desires to the fullest—achieving a synergy where one plus one was greater than two.

Another eager to enter the fray was old Reap. The Werewolf in his dire wolf form had a completely different fighting style from his human form, circling another Frost Giant incessantly. The moment the Giant's turning speed couldn't keep up, he would pounce and furiously bite, ripping large chunks of flesh from the Giant's calf or lower back.

Frost Giants were indeed possessors of immense strength, but they lacked agility, and their movements were as slow as a windmill in a light breeze—a terrible combination—that left them almost powerless when faced with swift and seasoned Adventurers.

This was precisely why Kalalin kept hiding behind the sled, not taking any action—because Spellcasters, with their equally poor agility, were actually not at a great advantage against Giants. These hardy life forms were difficult to kill with one or two spells, but if struck by a Giant-thrown boulder, a Scholar might be instantly obliterated.

In fact, no Spellcaster would challenge a Giant without a dozen protective spells, save for those with an exceptionally strong physique. There have been such examples, for instance, another Giant who mastered Arcane techniques.

The last Frost Giant also stepped through the Portal, its right hand holding a Magic Wand made from a whale bone, and its left clutching a large book with a purple cover. Faced with the situation, it immediately began chanting some strange Spell, while the large book in its left hand opened of its own accord, radiating an eerie red glow.