[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen":3,"chapter-giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-chapter-197":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},577749,826,"Chapter 197 - 191: Close Combat: Barrier VS Iron Guard","giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-chapter-197",197,"\u003Cp>On the Fiery Sun Kingdom’s side, Karachi saw Rodney take the field. He raised an eyebrow slightly, a playful smile touching the corners of his lips as if he’d just thought of something amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a Knight also emerged from the ranks of the Fiery Sun Army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Knight’s build was on par with Rodney’s; he too possessed the towering physique of a Giant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Armor was the Fiery Sun Kingdom’s signature gold. However, unlike Leonhardt’s light and ornate style, his Golden Armor was heavy and archaic, exuding a sense of Power. Every plate seemed forged from solid gold, carved with patterns of mountains and city walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Weapons were also a Giant Shield and a Battle Hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The square, golden Giant Shield had a relief of a glaring lion at its center, and it radiated an aura as solid as a mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Galio the ’Iron Guard’!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it was the Fiery Sun Kingdom’s soldiers who let out confident cheers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Galio was the strongest Shield Guard under the command of the Domain Knight, Aston \"Blood Lion.\" He was a Knight also renowned for his defense. It was said he had once withstood a frontal assault from a Tier Four Siege Golem and proceeded to forcibly dismantle it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two Heavy Armor Knights, both famous for their defense, faced each other from a dozen meters apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An eerie silence fell over the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind swept across the empty battlefield, kicking up a few withered leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rodney, his face expressionless, slammed his Tower Shield onto the ground with a THUD, making the earth tremble slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He assumed a standard defensive stance, seeming to merge as one with the ground beneath him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Galio followed suit. He held his golden Giant Shield before him and lowered his stance, his presence becoming as steady as a mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then... nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A minute passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them hadn’t moved a muscle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five minutes passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They remained perfectly still, as if they had turned into two statues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere on the battlefield started to turn strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, the soldiers on both sides had held their breath, anticipating an earth-shattering clash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as time went on, that tension was gradually replaced by a strange sense of absurdity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh... are they in a contest to see who can stand still the longest?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young soldier in the Allied Army’s formation couldn’t help but mutter under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shut up!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The veteran soldier next to him hissed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is a duel between masters! They’re looking for an opening in each other’s defense!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his words, the veteran himself couldn’t help but crane his neck, his eyes filled with confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’These two guys are practically screaming \"I have no openings,\"’ he thought. ’How is anyone supposed to find one?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was much the same on the Fiery Sun Kingdom’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s Sir Galio doing? Go on, attack!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you know? This is a battle of presence! See? Our Sir Galio’s aura has him completely intimidated. He doesn’t even dare to move!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the speaker himself sounded a little unconvinced by this forced explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, after a stalemate that lasted for over ten minutes, perhaps realizing he would become a laughingstock if he just kept standing there, Galio, the Fiery Sun Kingdom’s \"Iron Guard,\" made the first move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t charge. Instead, he took heavy steps, one by one, heading toward Rodney.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of his steps was powerful and heavy, making the ground tremble with dull thuds—THUD, THUD, THUD—as if an ancient Giant Beast were awakening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his opponent move, a flicker finally appeared in Rodney’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not retreat. He too lifted his feet and moved forward to meet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distance between the two mobile iron fortresses in the center of the battlefield rapidly closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone subconsciously clenched their fists, their hearts in their throats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, under the watchful eyes of all, the two \"mountains\" were about to collide!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Galio let out a low roar, pouring all his Power into his shoulder and Shield as he charged forward for a brutal slam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rodney roared in response, his Black Iron Tower Shield meeting the charge head-on like a city wall!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deafening boom, loud enough to shatter eardrums, exploded in the middle of the battlefield!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t the crisp sound of Weapons clashing, but the thunderous roar of two metal mountains colliding!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A visible shockwave spread out from the two men, kicking up a huge cloud of dust and smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers in the front ranks of both armies could even feel the ground shaking violently beneath their feet. Some lost their footing and nearly fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the dust, everyone stared intently at the center of the impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was the result?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dust slowly settled, revealing the scene within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rodney and Galio had their Shields locked firmly together. The ground beneath their feet had cracked, and their massive bodies were trembling slightly, clearly bearing an immense amount of Power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But both stood their ground firmly, neither able to push the other back even half a step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An even match!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"ROAR!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Galio pushed with another burst of strength, trying to shove his opponent away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rodney grunted, not yielding an inch, his Black Iron Tower Shield seemingly rooted to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, an extremely comical scene unfolded on the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two fully armed Heavy Armor Knights, like a pair of Barbarian Bulls fighting over territory, began a contest of strength, pushing against each other with their Shields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nngh... Hah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hrg... Yah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both their faces were flushed red, veins bulging on their necks. The air was filled with their heavy panting and the incessant CREAK of their Armor grinding together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had given up on attacking with their hammers, because at such close range, whoever retracted their Shield to attack first would be sent flying by the other’s Shield bash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, the duel no longer had anything to do with technique, Magic, or Fighting Spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had devolved into the most primitive, purest competition of Power and endurance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go! Sir Rodney!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sir Galio! Knock him over!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Fiery Sun Kingdom’s camp, the smile on Blood Lion Aston’s face had vanished, replaced by a look of resignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He watched the two guys on the field still \"locking horns\" and rubbed his temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I sent Galio out to secure a solid win this round,’ he thought. ’Or at the very least, ensure we didn’t lose. But I never expected their commander to play so ’dirty’ and send out an identical ’iron turtle.’ If this keeps up, forget deciding a winner; they’ll probably still be pushing each other when night falls. This isn’t a duel anymore. It’s a trial of everyone’s patience.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Aston seemingly couldn’t watch any longer. He spurred his horse forward a few steps, his booming voice echoing across the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Luke,\" he called out, \"it seems our two Warriors have met their match, and it’s impossible to determine a winner. If they continue, they will only waste their stamina. How about we call this round a draw?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he spoke, the cheering from the battlefield came to an abrupt halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luke glanced at the two men still locked in their contest of strength. From the looks of it, they could probably keep pushing for another hour or two without issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded, his face impassive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Agreed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With permission granted, Rodney and Galio on the field seemed to let out a simultaneous sigh of relief and abruptly took a step back at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two looked at each other, the previous hostility in their eyes gone. Instead, there was a hint of... mutual respect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Galio faced Rodney and, using the Battle Hammer he never got a chance to swing, thumped his own chestplate, creating a muffled sound as a sign of respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rodney silently nodded in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, they both turned and, with heavy steps, returned to their own lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so a magnificent duel of Close Combat ended in an anticlimactic, almost farcical, manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First round: the Allied Army lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second round: a draw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the final outcome of victory would be decided by the last and final round: the aerial duel.\u003C\u002Fp>",1372,"2026-05-30T16:08:59.262Z","2026-06-01T04:31:39.774Z",1,"novelbin.me","148160b786a21b553fb47e7a14e6c6901c338837fdd85bc270a4fea30b350931","giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-chapter-198","giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-chapter-196",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fgiant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-cover.jpg"]