The moment he stepped through the rift, his vision was swallowed by endless darkness.

A dizzying sensation washed over him in an instant—the world spun as he was pulled and torn by spatial turbulence.

But the sensation lasted for only a moment.

When light once again filled his vision, a gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of fresh grass and rich earth brushed against his face.

The air was thick with a rich concentration of Magic Power. A single breath was enough to make one’s entire body feel utterly refreshed.

Two Suns hung in the sky, vying to spread their brilliant light.

They were on a vast highland.

And not far in front of them, two figures as massive as small mountains stood silently.

They were the Hill Giants, Kado and Gordo.

Seeing Raylo appear, they immediately strode forward to greet him.

"Sir!"

Their voices boomed like muffled thunder.

Before arriving, Raylo had already sent Kado and Gordo ahead into the Giant Dragon Realm. He had tasked them with secretly moving the Space Stone Wall—the gateway to the Giant Dragon Realm—from within the Giant City-State to this remote location.

He was well aware of the immense uproar a Catastrophe Level Giant Dragon would cause by appearing without warning in the heart of the Giant City-State. It could even provoke unnecessary conflict and fighting.

ROAR!

A high, clear dragon’s roar, filled with boundless joy and relief, suddenly thundered high above their heads.

High above, Astra’s massive draconic body stretched out to its full extent.

It greedily drank in the world’s incredibly abundant Magic Power, feeling a sense of belonging and joy welling up from deep within its bloodline.

The dragon’s roar, like rolling thunder, echoed across the sky above the highland, lingering for a long, long time.

Raylo looked up, quietly watching the blue figure stretch its massive draconic body across the sky.

He could clearly feel the torrent of emotions surging through Astra—it was like a wanderer, after many long years abroad, finally returning to the home they had dreamed of day and night.

He didn’t disturb it.

Only when the piercing roar finally subsided did Astra’s massive draconic body slowly descend from the sky, coiling on one side of the highland.

Its giant eyes, like twin golden Suns, were filled with a vitality he had never seen before.

"Astra, welcome home," Raylo said to it.

The simple phrase, "welcome home," made Astra’s giant eyes shimmer for a moment.

It fell silent for a moment, as if to calm its turbulent emotions.

Now that he was in the Giant Dragon Realm again, Raylo already had everything planned out.

His primary objective was the region to the north known as the Endless Forest Sea.

At the edge of the Endless Forest Sea, in the domain of the Jade Dragon Emperor, stood a colossal tree called the Heaven-Reaching Divine Wood. The Divine Wood Fruits it bore were the very Treasure his little ones needed most for their growth.

’But before heading to the Endless Forest Sea, I have a closer, more easily achievable goal to complete first.’

Raylo’s gaze traveled past Kado and Gordo, settling on the massive valley nestled between the mountains below the highland.

That was the Giant Valley.

According to the intelligence the system had provided, the Giant Valley contained a primeval Giant Wood Forest. Within that forest grew an ancient tree, one that had existed for over ten thousand years.

Over the long millennia, that ten-thousand-year-old ancient tree had absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, nurturing a Tier Six Wondrous Object: the Heart of the Ancient Tree.

Raylo was determined to obtain this Heart of the Ancient Tree.

It wasn’t just a priceless Tier Six Wondrous Object in its own right. More importantly, its immense life force and Natural Energy would be incredibly beneficial for many of the units under Raylo’s command.