Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks

Chapter 886 - 110: Zeus and the Giant

In the Golden Horn Bay, the Sea Dragon commanded walls of waves as if intending to turn the entire port into a waterlogged country.

The King of Hungary couldn’t help but glance sideways, saying, "It’s Ceto. I didn’t expect it to heed your command. Over the years, you probably used it to deal with quite a few rival ships, didn’t you?"

Ceto was the name of the Sea Dragon, and legend had it that it was a sea monster sleeping in the Adriatic Sea Trench, frequently sighted by sailors.

Seeming to perceive the hidden worry in Bella III’s heart, Captain Dandolo replied nonchalantly, "No need to worry, Your Majesty, the Venetians aim for the seas while Your Majesty aims for the Balkans. As long as we stand together, Venice’s strong ships and sharp blades are at Your Majesty’s disposal."

Heh—

Bella III sneered, "Handle the Genoese first, and then we’ll talk about your ambition at sea."

"That won’t be too late."

Captain Dandolo revealed a reserved smile on his face.

According to their agreement with Alexios of the Anglos Family, once he ascended to the position of Emperor of the Empire, he must pay an exorbitant fee for ship hire.

If not, the Venetians would obtain the entire Aegean Islands, several cities on the west coast of Asia Minor, Thessalonica, and the Peloponnese Mainland as commercial ports.

As long-term partners, the Venetians had already penetrated every aspect of Constantinople.

They were well aware of Constantinople’s financial situation; even if Alexios occupied Constantinople, he could never repay this debt—unless he plundered the entire city and convinced the Komnenos, Ducas Family, and other noble families of the Empire to contribute generously.

But everyone knows that’s impossible. An Emperor who loses the support of the noble families is not far from being deposed.

Once they acquired these collateral securities, the Venetians would seize the golden maritime route from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, forever choking the Genoese along the Black Sea coast, eliminating them as a threat.

Rumble—

Countless bolts of thunder exploded in midair.

The frenzied spiritual radiance enveloped Eve, while over a dozen towers inside Constantinople projected brilliant lights, highlighting Eve, clad in tattered linen, like a goddess.

"Summon lightning, heed my command!"

Eve raised her hand, and countless bolts of thunder transformed into flickering arcs of electricity, condensing into a dazzling long spear in her hand, reminiscent of the Thunder Spear of Zeus, filled with destructive power.

Standing in the port, the giant Istvan felt this frenzied power, yet his face showed little shock.

If Constantinople did not conceal such formidable extraordinary power, why would he provoke the risks of the Levant Wizard Association and other entities, to be driven by secular monarchs to attack this queen of cities?

He let out a roar, and the immense surface of his body turned crimson. Ancient totems filled with primal aura climbed all over his body. His eyes turned scarlet, and flames spewed from his mouth and nose.

Istvan, in his earlier years, had ventured deeply into Eastern Europe, where he found and lived among a giant tribe for fifty years, mastering advanced transformation techniques and acquiring the form of a giant.

Later, leveraging the trust built over the years with the giants, he stole the tribe’s holy object, a "Magma Giant’s Heart" of ancient lineage, and implanted it in his body.

Bam—

Crossbow cannons on the city walls fired simultaneously, and the crossbow arrows equipped with Demon-Blocking Golden Arrowheads flew at Istvan. But he merely stomped on the ground, causing it to crack and spew boiling lava, transforming a radius of several thousand meters into his domain.

After stimulating the power of the Magma Giant’s Heart, Istvan, in a short period, possessed near-legendary power.

He raised a hand to summon a wall of lava, easily blocking those Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows.

Against wizards of this caliber, Demon-Blocking Gold, this inert demon metal, really struggles to be effective, unless in a close, confined space.

"I advise you to retreat now."

The magma giant scoffed.

As an advanced wizard, his greatest pursuit was breaking into the Legendary Domain, but over the centuries, the only one heard of rising to legend was that lucky old fellow Shemir.

That old fellow found the object of ascension from the ancient Library of Alexandria. He, too, wanted to find the same opportunity from the library of Constantinople.

There was no hint of fear on Eve’s face. Previously, witnessing such a terrifying giant would’ve scared her soul out of her body, but now, wielding such tremendous power, her courage had grown considerably.

"There’s nothing you desire here, dear Istvan."

She could feel that the life force within the magma giant was already very weak. Having the heart of a giant implanted did not mean longevity; in fact, giants often lived shorter lives than advanced wizards.

Istvan’s madness obviously aimed at the hidden secrets in the Library of Constantinople.

"There’s no divine artifact in the Empire Library to let someone ascend in one step. If there were, Anna wouldn’t have one foot in the Legendary Domain. There may be tomes useful to you, but with the vast sea of books, you’re likely to spend decades finding something useful for yourself."

"Add to that the process of implementing it..."

Eve earnestly continued, "Frankly, based on your talent, it would take at least another hundred years to break into the Legendary Domain."