Chapter 297: The Supossed Reward

Solomon blinked in confusion. "What does that mean? What does ’anything’ include, and what kind of ’ask’ are you referring to?"

"The temple slave told me right before he departed that you may take anything you want from this city," the maid girl responded, her voice perfectly even. "There is no limit to what you can claim. As long as you can physically carry it, you may take it with you."

’That sounds like some kind of test. I can take whatever I want? Usually, hearing that would make me excited since it gives full freedom, but right now....’

Solomon’s mind immediately jumped to the glowing artifact hanging in the temple. "What about the crown?"

"That crown belongs to the King of the Giants," the maid girl explained. "Although there is currently no king ruling over them, there are still giants out there residing in other realms who could one day ascend to the throne. However, if you truly wish to take the crown with you, you may claim it. Given that you can actually carry it."

Solomon mentally recalled the sheer, impossible size of the gilded crown. Carrying it was not even a viable option. It was simply impossible.

Even the temple slave, while fully transformed into a gargantuan giant that was three times larger than Solomon’s own giant form, had to use both of his hands just to lift it off the ceiling hook. There was absolutely no way Solomon could even budge it, let alone carry it, in his normal human form.

There were certainly other valuable things Solomon could take. The colossal weapons stored in the armory cave were clearly forged from ancient, indestructible materials. The serrated spear he had used during the boss fight hadn’t even chipped or bent when he channeled his dense silver aura through it to execute the Eden Imperial Sword Arts.

There were also a few giant weapons that Solomon could technically carry, even though they were massive. For instance, a hunting dagger designed for a giant would essentially function as a heavy broadsword for a normal human.

However, Solomon didn’t actually need any more weapons. He couldn’t wield such disproportionately heavy gear efficiently in his human form, and dragging a colossal spear around would be a logistical nightmare. He could easily sell the ancient metals at the Vanguard Exchange for a massive fortune, but he was currently sitting on over hundreds of thousands of gold coins, and he was not in desperate need of money.

He also had millions he had looted from the financial company. Although he wasn’t planning on using it on anything and he had already decided what to do with that money.

His family was already secured and they could live comfortably with the money they were making, given that there was no debt to repay now.

Solomon pondered his options, rubbing the back of his neck. ’What should I do? Should I try to take the crown anyway?’

He knew exactly how his Convergence talent worked. It wasn’t as if he could just chip a tiny piece of the gemstone off, eat it like a piece of candy, and expect to gain the giant bloodline powers. The strict requirement was to eat the full crown, with nothing left behind.

Even if Solomon somehow managed to break the massive gemstone apart and ate one kilogram of the crystal every single day, it would still take him years to finish consuming the entire thing. And properly absorbing that much raw divine energy in his inner world presented an entirely different problem.

Since he had been standing in silence for a while, the maid girl spoke up. "Have you decided what you wish to take? There is not much time left."

"I am still thinking. I cannot decide," Solomon responded, pacing back and forth on the cobblestones. He suddenly stopped and looked at her. "Out of pure curiosity, can I just drink another bowl of that glowing liquid the temple slave gave me, and turn into a giant again to carry the crown out of here?"

The maid girl shook her head. "That ritual essence can only be used once per individual. That is exactly why the temple slave warned you earlier about utilizing the power wisely. Once you ran out of the giant’s stamina and reverted back, the blessing was permanently spent. However, if you wish to try and drink another bowl of the liquid, you may do so. But it will not yield any physical transformation."

Solomon let out a heavy sigh. "I really should have expected that."

He crossed his arms and looked at the empty city streets. "What if I do not want to take anything right now? Will I get some kind of alternative reward, or perhaps some kind of divine credit or a promise that I can redeem later when I actually need it?"

"The designated reward was for you to take anything you wanted from this city, without any restrictions, terms, or hidden conditions," the maid girl repeated flatly. "Except for the rule that you must be able to carry it yourself."

Solomon let out an annoyed groan. "Is there anything in this city that is not specifically scaled for giants, but still possesses immense value or magical equivalence? Maybe some kind of rare metal ore, a hidden human-sized artifact, or a spellbook? Or even coins or whatever?"

"This city is merely a sacred pilgrimage site for giant pilgrims to visit," the maid girl explained. "There is only the main temple, and the grand armory acting as the resting place for the past kings of the giants and their weapons. There is nothing else here." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

"There definitely should be something worthy of a reward for someone who passed the trial," Solomon argued, gesturing around the empty streets. "Especially since the temple slave explicitly used the words ’divine reward’ when he pitched the trial to me. There is absolutely nothing ’divine’ about the reward I am currently being offered. The loot is not even suitable for a human. It is exclusively tailored for giants."

"You are entirely free to choose whatever you wish," the maid girl stated, her tone remaining completely emotionless. "But I must remind you once again that there is not much time left."

Solomon frowned. "What do you mean by that? You said that before, too."

The maid girl raised her hand and pointed a slender finger toward the distant horizon.

Solomon turned his head and followed her gaze. A massive, towering wall of dark, churning sand was rapidly approaching the city. An apocalyptic sandstorm was barreling directly toward them, swallowing the desert dunes and blotting out the sun.