However, the snake only took up a small part of the "en," hinting at something else inside that wasn't drawn.
Ging stared at the strange snake and the white "en," his eyes unusually filled with fear.
Unlike the tree people, whom he avoided clashing with simply because their strength was similar, the snakes in the wetlands were a different matter altogether-an existence he knew he couldn't afford to mess with.
Around him, Ging was the only one fully aware of just how terrifying those snakes really were.
The snakes themselves weren't particularly strong, but it was the eerie sounds they made that demanded caution.
What truly frightened Ging was the symbol behind the snake.
Just catching a glimpse of the shadow's edge made him feel suffocated, and the stones embedded in his body began to crack.
If he hadn't realized the danger early and escaped quickly, he might have been trapped there for good.
Keep in mind, Ging was the strongest among his people, the only one who had even grazed the limits of their power. His strength far surpassed that of the other tribesmen.
Yet, when confronted with the hidden force behind these snakes, his only option was to flee in panic.
As a result, he abandoned the east direction completely and turned to look elsewhere, his expression improving considerably.
Except for the east, the toughest area, the other three directions posed no real threat, and their strongest enemies were roughly equal in power to him.
Plus, Ging's rate of growth far outpaced theirs.
A grin spread across his face as his golden right hand, strong and steady, reached for a dazzling diamond nearby.
Beneath the stone wall lay a pile of stunning diamonds, large and small, gleaming with vibrant colors.
While these gems were priceless to most, to Ging they were like magic potions that boosted strength.
These weren't ordinary diamonds but special gems created by the small diamond tribe, possessing unique effects.
For a species that thrived on minerals, these diamonds were the ultimate delicacy.
Gazing at the scene reflected on the diamond's clear surface, Ging quickly popped it into his mouth.
"Crack! Crack!"
In an instant, a pure essence of the earth flowed into Ging's body, and his breath gradually grew stronger.
He gently exhaled a breath of thick air and clenched his fists tightly.
A powerful, kingly aura surged from him.
'Soon! I'll break through any moment now!' he thought excitedly.
'When that happens, I'll take on that tree man and expand my territory to include the surrounding lands!'
As he chewed on a diamond, Ging pictured himself as a king in the near future, and the royal determination inside him grew stronger by the minute.
Eating lots of diamonds every day was why his strength was improving so quickly.
While the other golden giants were only at S+ level, as their leader, Ging was already approaching SS- level, just one step away!
Once he reached that point, he would lead his tribe to conquer new territories.
With his power continuously rising, he stuffed another diamond into his mouth and stared fiercely at the various terrains etched on the stone wall, except for the wetlands.
The stone wall was mainly made of dark black shock rock, which made the white markings stand out sharply.
That was why the snakes were circled in white-to show they were more dangerous than the tree people and deserved greater caution.
In other words, "Don't provoke them!"
If Larry had been there, he would have recognized the snake Ging meant: the Hell Bell Twin-tailed Snake, one of the five great disasters.
This infamous creature was far more complex than people realized.
Human understanding of disasters was still shallow, and the cost of exploring them was much higher than the rewards.
Under certain conditions, these disasters could unleash powers beyond the norm, tied to their mysterious origins.
After dealing with the three giants blocking their way, Larry and his group didn't change course but continued deeper underground.
Perhaps because they had reached a deeper level, they no longer encountered any stone giants, and the number of branches they saw began to thin out.
Riding on the back of the steel snake, Miru calmly observed, "I think there's a clear hierarchy among the stone giants. The ones we saw on the surface are the lowest level."
"They're not just pretty weak, but their status isn't very high either," Miru said quietly. "The three we ran into earlier are stronger and hold a higher rank. They live further down, deeper underground."
He paused for a moment.
before adding, "Maybe there are stone giants along each of the side paths. As for the very end of this main road..."
He trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished. Beyond glanced at Miru and spoke slowly, "Maybe this is the toughest enemy we've faced."
If their guess was right, the leader of the stone giant race was likely hiding deep within this main cavern. Judging by their movements, it seemed they were spread out in different positions.
Usually, a species has one or more leaders, so Miru's assumption made sense. Beyond took a moment to steady his thoughts and warned, "The next fight will be even tougher.
"Everyone stay alert!"
So far, they only knew that stronger foes awaited them below, but the exact number remained unknown.
It was better to be cautious than careless.
Meanwhile, Larry sat cross-legged atop the massive steel snake, calmly gazing into the depths ahead.
He reached out, resting his hand on the golden head of the mechanical serpent, feeling its cool surface.
Larry still found it incredibly convenient to have the steel snake with them.
Moving underground was much easier with such a shining, powerful vehicle.
Plus, the snake's presence opened up new possibilities. Perhaps they'd encounter shiny Pokemon or even bosses among those being raised here.
More shiny Pokemon could appear in the future.
After traveling for a while, they finally arrived at the cave's deepest point, the most dangerous area, full of hidden secrets.
Suddenly, a faint buzzing sound echoed.
A small diamond-like creature pressed itself against the rocky wall, using the aura within its body to transform the inside of the 197th rock face.
This little diamond had just been knocked down by a silver giant guarding the area, yet it was still struggling to hold on.
Its companions didn't come to help, worn down by relentless labor day after day, year after year, both physically and mentally exhausted.
This massive, maze-like cave was filled with ordinary, untouched rock walls alongside colorful diamonds.
It was a place specially designed by Shijin for these little diamonds to create more diamonds.
Perhaps selfishly, the cave was directly connected to Shijin's own chamber, making the two spaces nearly adjacent.
This meant Shijin could enter and exit freely, closely supervising their work.
Among the busy little diamonds, some were noticeably larger and looked a bit different from the rest.
Though all of them hovered in the air, a few shone more brilliantly. The diamonds symbolizing their bodies were noticeably larger, and their faintly glowing auras felt stronger.