The Sophia Archipelago
At the far end of the crescent-shaped archipelago,
In the sky,
Ten thousand Winged soldiers formed a grand array in mid-air, drawing bows and preparing arrows, their armor gleaming and swords suspended at their sides.
After absorbing the Goblins' smithing techniques, the Winged had gained the ability to forge iron weapons.
With the development of alchemy and advanced armor-making techniques, their military strength had grown considerably.
Several centuries earlier,
Jano had sent the Winged across their territory to search for minerals.
As a result, after hundreds of years, the Winged had discovered several valuable ores in Losendas: a deposit of white iron, a fine gold mine, a magical crystal mine, and a blue vein spirit mine.
In Lomanda, they had also found a large deposit of secret silver.
Numerous other ordinary copper and iron mines were also scattered throughout the region.
With minerals at their disposal, they began forging weapons and armor!
Now, the Winged warriors wore shining armor, organized and solemn, standing tall with pride.
Below them, on the islands, a tribe of sea giants lived.
There were nearly a thousand of them.
The leader of the sea giants stood about fifteen to sixteen meters tall, with a strong and robust build, wielding a longbow made from a giant tree.
Their bodies were sea-blue, and nearly all sea giants were born with the ability to control water, making them distant relatives of the Titans.
Each adult sea giant possessed the strength of a Hero rank, making them incredibly powerful!
Since ancient times, they had been the masters of these islands, ruling over the archipelago.
They rarely ventured out and showed little interest in the mainland.
They obtained their food from the sea and rested on the beaches near the shore.
The islands also housed their nests or homes.
According to legend, their ancestors were said to have been born from drops of blood from the Sea Titan, which fell into the ocean, giving rise to the sea giants.
Unfortunately, the Sea Titan had been defeated and slain in ancient times while fighting for dominion over the Titans, and his remains sank into the ocean, lost to the ages.
The sea giants' society remained primitive, primarily governed by tribal systems.
In fact,
Sophia had already led the Winged to the archipelago once. At that time, the sea giants had formed several settlements at the beginning of the crescent islands, while the Winged occupied the tail end.
After several years of development, the sea giants crossed the archipelago, invading the Winged settlements that had already built cities.
The sea giants, numbering nearly a thousand, were led by three Legendary leaders, with the one at the forefront being an ancient Legendary who had existed since the age of the Titans.
Sea giants had extraordinarily long lifespans, often living for thousands of years, and their Legendary lives lasted even longer.
When these three Legendary sea giants mobilized, the resulting waves from the ocean nearly reached the sky.
Sophia was caught off guard, and the Winged forces suffered heavy losses.
They had no choice but to retreat to Losendas.
When the news reached Jano,
He comforted Sophia and decided to lead his forces on an expedition personally!
It had been several centuries since Jano defeated the Hawkmen King, and he had been quietly meditating atop Mount Celestia without taking any action.
Now, with the Winged tribe well-established, it was time for him to step out once again.
With his Sky Throne nearly ready to be raised, dealing with three Legendary giants would be well within his abilities.
Thus,
In the year 742 of the Goblin Empire,
One month after Sophia's expulsion,
Jano led a thousand elite Winged warriors across the sea to the Sophia Archipelago.
At this time, the sea giants had not yet disbanded and were still feasting along the coast.
When they saw the Winged approaching, their fury erupted.
With the mood of the sea giants shifting rapidly, the ocean waves surged violently!
The leader of the sea giants raised a massive stone club, his anger apparent.
"You shameless birdmen! This archipelago belongs to our sea giant tribe. How dare you come back!"
Behind him, nearly a thousand sea giants, both large and small, shouted angrily to the sky!
"Leave!"
"Get out of our seas!"
In the air,
Jano severed a giant arrow that came flying toward him. Facing the enraged sea giants below, he smiled faintly.
"We occupy the tail of the islands, while you occupy the head. We never intended to be your enemies. When did this entire archipelago become your territory?"
"Everything in this world belongs to the strong. You have harmed my people, and today you shall pay the price with your lives!"
With that, he drew his purple-gold longsword, and thunder roared throughout the heavens and earth!
It was as though the god of thunder had descended upon the world!