"Hahahaha... Since you saved Hajrudin, you are now friends of the Giant Race."
A kindly smile appeared on the aged face of Chieftain Jorul.
"That's right," Chieftain Jarul, standing beside him, nodded in agreement.
"Chieftains, I actually came here with a presumptuous request," Reno suddenly changed the subject.
"Speak your mind. You are friends of the giants. As long as it is something within our power, we will not refuse," the straightforward Jorul declared with a wave of his hand.
"We wish to learn the giant warrior technique: Ikoku (Sovereignty)!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the smiles on the Chieftains' faces froze. Their raised arms lowered, and their expressions became somewhat unnatural.
"Learn Ikoku??"
Jorul and Jarul looked at each other, seemingly in a dilemma.
Ikoku was a technique unique to the Giant Race, a powerful method they used against enemies. It was never taught to outsiders.
But Reno and Linlin were Hajrudin's saviors, leaving the two Chieftains undecided.
"Chieftain, just agree to it! If it weren't for them, you wouldn't be seeing me right now!"
Hajrudin, who was only seventeen or eighteen, rolled his eyes and immediately started pleading with the Chieftains like a child.
"Alright, alright."
Unable to resist him, Jorul gave Hajrudin a doting look.
After all, he was right. Reno and Linlin had done a great favor for the Giant Race; this could be considered repayment.
"Very well, I agree. However..." Jorul looked at Reno, then at Linlin, and continued, "Although you are Hajrudin's saviors, this matter must follow the rules of the Giant Race."
"We giants have always revered strength. Have a match with us. If you win, I will have someone teach you Ikoku. But if you lose..."
"If we lose, we will never mention this matter again."
Reno took the initiative to finish Jorul's sentence.
However, he was confident they wouldn't lose.
"Good!"
The two Chieftains took a closer look at the confident Reno.
"Which one of you two will compete?"
"Linlin will do it!" Linlin volunteered, standing up.
"Hajrudin, gather everyone."
"You got it!"
Hajrudin shouted loudly, calling all the giant warriors in the village over.
After briefly explaining the situation, the giant warriors all looked at Linlin in unison.
"Compete with us giants?? Kid, are you serious??"
"Do you know how much strength we giants possess??"
"We're grateful you saved Hajrudin, but competing with us... I'm afraid you might get hurt."
"Chieftain, I think this is unnecessary, isn't it??"
The giant warriors discussed spiritedly among themselves; none of them thought highly of Linlin's chances.
"Enough!"
Jorul snorted coldly, silencing the noisy crowd.
When the highly respected Jorul spoke, all the giant warriors quieted down.
"Chieftain, if there must be a match, let me do it. I know how to hold back," a relatively less robust giant warrior volunteered.
His strength was only average among the giants, but in his opinion, handling Linlin would be a piece of cake.
Jorul looked at the warrior, then at Linlin, recalling the scene Hajrudin had described of Linlin fighting the Silver Wolf Pirates. He shook his head.
His gaze shifted to another giant warrior in the crowd.
"Hulk, you do it."
Hulk nodded to Jorul from the crowd. Without saying a word, he walked directly up to Linlin.
The first giant who volunteered frowned. He hadn't expected the Chieftain to specifically name Hulk for the match.
Hulk was one of the best among the younger generation of giant warriors. He had once single-handedly wiped out several formidable pirate crews.
Was it really necessary to go this far just to compete with a little girl??
But since it was the Chieftain's decision, he couldn't say much and returned to the crowd.
"To prevent you from getting hurt, let's just compare strength. A tug-of-war."
"We'll each hold one end of the rope. There's a red line in the middle. Whoever crosses the red line loses."
Hulk briefly explained the rules of the match.
The rules were simple, and Linlin understood them immediately. She nodded in agreement. "Okay! Okay! Linlin loves playing games!"
Hulk didn't think he would lose. As a giant warrior, his physical capabilities far exceeded those of other races, and he was a standout even among giants.
Although Linlin was huge, she wasn't a giant, and she was still just a child.
"Hulk, don't be careless!"
Sensing Hulk's underestimation of his opponent, Jorul spoke up to remind him.
"Don't worry, Chieftain. Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit. I won't lose," Hulk promised confidently.
Jorul took a deep look at the calm and composed Reno. From beginning to end, there was a faint smile on his face.
For some reason, Jorul felt something was off. Reno didn't give off the feeling of a twelve-year-old boy.
Aside from his appearance, there was no trace of youthfulness about him; instead, he possessed the temperament of an adult.
"I hope I'm just overthinking it," Jorul shook his head inwardly.
The venue and props for the match were quickly prepared.
It was very simple: a red line and a rope. Hulk and Linlin stood on either side, each gripping one end of the rope.
Hulk wrapped the rope around his hand several times and gripped it tightly with both hands.
The giant warriors, who hadn't participated in such an event for a long time, were excited. They cheered for Hulk, as if they could already envision the scene of Linlin being instantly defeated.