Chapter 314: Hell Baron!

Crack! Crack!

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

Then, cracks began to appear on the stone.

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 rock, followed by another.

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

Crash! Crash!

Then, its 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 in shape—two heads, two legs, and a massive 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 caught the stone being's attention.

Though it had never seen humans before,

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

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

"Don't be nervous—they're no different from me; they won't harm 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 clearly sensed the stone being's initial joy at 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 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?!"

"Correct! I am your master, and also your friend. You feel unfamiliar because you've just been born. From now on, I will protect you and help you grow—then we'll become truly familiar!" Gervas understood the complex thoughts within the stone being's mind.

"Y-yes, Master!"

Thanks to the miraculous nature of the master-servant contract, there was no need to worry about any rebellion from the stone being 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—if angered, even a small city might not survive them—

looking at this dazed, clumsy stone being before him, Gervas felt it seemed… well, perhaps "honest" 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, "Hell" here meant 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 care—he wasn't dealing with two divine beings like Moonchaser or Goldplated.

For normal creatures, infancy looked like this stone being—this was the norm.

Gervas instructed Hell Baron to set him down 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, instead staring back with wide, round eyes.

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

Wood gazed at the Hell Baron with shining eyes, even couldn't help reaching out to touch its legs.

Often, mages like him needed a powerful contracted beast.

For mages, their bodies were their greatest weakness.

If they could obtain a powerful pet like this stone being, their life safety would be greatly secured.

"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 promising empty things—

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 chance came, he'd definitely find him a worthy one.

"Let's go—back to the shore!"

Now that Hell Baron had been found, there was no need to linger in this stone region.

With time still early, Gervas needed to search for the dragon's nest.

…

"Ah! Captain Jack, look over there!"

"Good heavens! What is that?!"

"It looks… like a monster made of stone!"

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

"Don't panic! Look—isn't that Lord Gervas on its shoulder?!"

On the Black Pearl, the crew had been lounging casually, enjoying the sea breeze and sun, waiting for their lord's return.

Suddenly, they heard a deep, muffled boom from the shore.

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

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

The sight terrified many of them so badly they nearly wet themselves.

But old Jack spotted it first—barely discerning a human silhouette on the stone being's shoulder.

"Hey! It really is Lord Gervas! Look—he's sitting right on the giant stone being's shoulder!"

"Good heavens, has the lord already tamed that stone being?!"

"Of course—he couldn't sit so casually on it otherwise!"

"Good heavens, the lord is mighty!"

Amidst the exclamations, Gervas finally arrived at the shore.

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

"My lord, is that massive stone monster what you just captured?" Old Jack blurted out the moment Gervas stepped aboard.

The other crew members stared eagerly, awaiting their lord's answer.

"Correct. I was lucky—I contracted it. But it's not a stone monster; it's a stone giant, a rare species."

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

In this world, saying a noble was blessed by the gods meant praising their fortune.

Gervas nodded, accepting it, then immediately turned to business.

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

He would take only Wood and the Griffin Squad.

After all, this region was part of the Death Mountains—entering the land from here was impossible.

Only this area, where stone beings gave birth to offspring, was uniquely free of other beasts.

Otherwise, Gervas and his men searching this way would be no different from walking into death.