Chapter 314: Hell Baron!

Crack! Crack!

At the very moment Gervas completed the contract, the trembling of the stone humanoid intensified.

Then, cracks began to appear on the stone surface.

The cracks spread, multiplying until they covered the entire three-meter-tall stone mass.

Crash! Crash!

Finally, shards of stone flew outward, revealing a massive arm composed entirely of stone, followed by another.

Once both arms emerged, the stone being used them to slowly lift its upper body.

Crash! Crash!

Then, the stone being's legs also appeared, slowly rising from within the stone mass.

Roar!

When its legs fully straightened from the ground, the stone being's complete form finally emerged.

It resembled a human almost exactly—two arms, two legs, and a gigantic head.

As if celebrating its own birth, the stone being let out a deafening roar toward the sky.

Faced with this sudden transformation and the stone being's roar,

all the soldiers and knights instinctively stepped back several paces.

After all, a five-meter-tall stone being carried immense pressure.

The soldiers' panic finally drew the stone being's attention.

Though it had never seen a human before,

it sensed a faint threat from these creatures, especially from knights like Mick.

Immediately, the stone being prepared to roar at the soldiers and knights.

"Don't be nervous—they're just like me, they won't hurt you!"

At that moment, a voice reached the stone being's ears.

The voice, of course, came from Gervas, standing on its shoulder.

Bound by the master-servant contract, Gervas could clearly sense the stone being's initial excitement at its birth, then its growing unease and hostility upon seeing Mick.

Hearing Gervas's reassurance, the stone being froze mid-motion, then turned its head toward this presence that felt strangely familiar.

Seeing this, Gervas simply leapt directly onto the stone being's palm.

"You… are strange. I feel unfamiliar with you, yet I can't help wanting to draw near. And there's a voice in my mind telling me—you… you're my master?!"

"That's right! I'm your master, and also your friend. You feel unfamiliar with me only because you've just been born. From now on, I'll protect you and help you grow—then we'll become truly familiar!" Gervas understood the complex thoughts in the stone being's mind.

"Y-yes, Master!"

Thanks to the magic of the master-servant contract, there was no longer any need to worry about the stone being rebelling after the contract was completed.

Though its eyes still held doubt and curiosity as it gazed at Gervas, it clearly understood its bond with him.

"Do you have a name?"

Though legends said stone beings were terrifying—that angering them could destroy an entire small city—

looking at this dazed, clumsy stone being, Gervas felt it seemed almost… well, perhaps "earnest" was the better word.

Especially now that it belonged to him.

"I… I don't have a name, Master!"

"Then I'll give you one!"

"Yes, Master!"

"From now on, your name is Hell Baron!"

Recalling the hardened image of the Red Baron from his past life, Gervas felt this name suited the stone being perfectly.

Especially once it fully matured, reaching ten or even twenty meters tall.

Of course, this "hell" was meant as the hell of its enemies.

"Yes, Master!" The stone being did not understand the meaning behind its name, so it showed no particular emotion.

Gervas didn't mind—after all, it wasn't like Yueyue or Tu Haojin, those two divine beings.

For a normal creature, this kind of childlike state at birth was the norm.

Gervas instructed Hell Baron to set him back on the ground, then informed his subordinates of the situation; only then did they gather around again, curiously studying Hell Baron.

Having received Gervas's earlier instructions, Hell Baron no longer resisted the crowd's gaze, and stared back with its round, wide eyes.

"My lord, congratulations! You've acquired a magical stone giant born at the power level of a second- or third-rank being!"

Wood gazed at Hell Baron with shining eyes, even unable to resist reaching out to touch its legs.

Often, mages like him needed a powerful contracted beast.

Because their own bodies were their greatest weakness.

If they could obtain a pet as powerful as a stone being, their life safety would be greatly assured.

"Wood, when the right opportunity arises, I'll find you a powerful contracted beast too!"

"Thank you, my lord!"

Wood didn't take it seriously.

Not because he doubted Gervas was making empty promises.

But compared to rare, powerful beings like the stone being, ordinary second- or third-rank beasts like wolves or lizards were vastly inferior.

Especially since stone beings could grow, while ordinary beasts had extremely limited growth potential.

Gervas understood Wood's likely thoughts, but said nothing in reply.

When the right chance came, he'd definitely pick out a good one for him.

"Let's go, back to the coast!"

Now that the Hell Baron is found, there's no need to linger in this stony area.

With time still early, Gervas must still seek the dragon's nest.

……

"Ah! Captain Jack, look over there!"

"Good heavens! What is that!"

"It looks... it looks like a monster made of stone!"

"Good heavens, it's coming toward us—could we be in danger?"

"Don't panic! Look at its shoulder—isn't that my lord Gervas!"

On the Black Pearl, the crew had been relaxing, breathing the sea breeze, basking in the sun, waiting for their lord to return.

Suddenly, they heard a deep, muffled boom coming from the coast.

When the crew turned in confusion toward the shore, they nearly dropped their jaws.

On land, a towering figure composed entirely of stone was approaching the sea.

This sight terrified many of them so badly they nearly soiled themselves.

Old Jack, however, spotted something—on the stone giant's shoulder, there was a human silhouette.

"Huh! It really is my lord Gervas! Look—he's sitting right on the giant stone creature's shoulder!"

"Good heavens, has the stone giant already been subdued by our lord?"

"It must be—how else could our lord sit so casually atop that stone beast?"

"Good heavens, my lord is mighty!"

Amidst these exclamations, Gervas finally reached the coast.

He then boarded a small boat and returned to the Black Pearl.

"My lord, was that massive stone monster just captured by you?" Old Jack blurted out the moment he boarded.

The other crew members stared eagerly, eyes gleaming, awaiting their lord's reply.

"Correct. My luck was good—I bonded with him. But it's not a stone monster; it's a Stone Giant, a relatively rare race of beings!"

"My lord, you are truly a noble blessed by the God of Glory!" Old Jack immediately flattered.

In this world, saying a noble is favored by the gods is equivalent to praising their fortune.

Gervas nodded, accepting the praise, then wasted no time in giving orders.

He would soon venture inland over fifty miles, so the Black Pearl must wait at the coast.

He would take only Wood and the Griffin Squad with him.

After all, this region is part of the Death Mountains—entering the interior by land is utterly impossible.

Only this area, where the Stone Giants give birth, is unusual—free of other beasts.

Otherwise, Gervas and his men searching as they had just done would be no different from walking into death.