Lifesaving Benefactor Thanks the Heavens for the Reward

Loris couldn't care less about that; she simply grabbed Milor by the ear and took flight. The other giants followed suit, activating their own flight spells as they prepared to head back together.

Solam watched this unfold, feeling it wasn't his place to interfere. Having finally found a glimmer of hope to escape the Spine of the World only to see it vanish, disappointment was inevitable, but he had no real reason to stop the giants from leaving.

At this moment, that blockheaded kid Milor proved to be quite loyal.

"Wait, wait! Sis, take Solam with us too. I promised him I'd help him find Father," Milor shouted, tugging on his sister's hand.

Loris glanced at Solam, then said to Milor, "Don't be ridiculous. Our Cloudtop City doesn't welcome outsiders. You haven't even solved your own problems yet, and you still have the heart to worry about others? Just look after yourself."

"No, don't say that! Solam is my savior. I gave him my word that I'd bring him to the city. I can't go back on my promise. Didn't you teach me that we Cloud Giants always repay kindness?" Milor said to his sister with uncharacteristic firmness.

The group of giants paused in mid-air, looking down at Solam.

"Savior? You ran into trouble?" Loris looked at Milor nervously, terrified that he might be hurt.

"Yeah, I ran into a White Dragon. If it weren't for Solam, you wouldn't be seeing me right now." Milor exaggerated the situation significantly.

Loris was deeply shaken by this. To think this brat had actually encountered a White Dragon—it was a miracle he'd made it back alive. While Cloud Giants didn't fear dragons, that applied to adults. Despite his hulking frame, Milor wasn't even a hundred years old; he was essentially a minor. (Cloud Giants generally live for 800 years, making them the longest-lived of the giant kin, with adulthood reached at 150.)

"Did you save my brother from a White Dragon?" Loris scrutinized Solam. She couldn't see any sign that this fellow had the ability to rescue her brother from such a beast.

"Uh, no. I didn't see any White Dragon. I just found him passed out over there and helped him wake up. I wouldn't call it saving his life." Solam felt it was better to be honest. For one, things weren't as dramatic as Milor claimed, and Solam wasn't the type to steal credit. For another, these giants were far too arrogant and had no intention of dealing with him, so Solam had no desire to keep interacting with them either.

Unexpectedly, his honesty won the giants' favor. At the very least, they decided he wasn't a bad person; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so truthful. Had he actually claimed the credit, the other giants would have been suspicious. These giants weren't rookies; they could tell Solam wasn't a powerful warrior, and the magical fluctuations on him were too weak for him to have stood a chance against a White Dragon.

"Aiya! Solam, are you stupid? Would it kill you to be a little less honest? You could have just played along; they wouldn't have known!" Milor was getting anxious on Solam's behalf.

Hearing the kid's words, Solam felt both touched and amused. Though he hadn't known him long, he could tell that while Milor was a bit of a dimwit, his heart was in the right place.

"I appreciate your good intentions, but it's no big deal. You made it sound so serious that even I started feeling guilty. Besides, without your help, I'd just have to spend a bit more time, but I'd find my way out eventually. You should just head back in peace."

After saying this, Solam picked up his discarded weapon, stowed it away, and sat back down by the campfire.

Seeing this, Milor grew desperate and looked at his sister with pleading eyes; he didn't want to break his word.

"What exactly did you promise him?" Loris asked helplessly, unable to withstand her brother's begging gaze.

"I promised Solam that I'd have Father take him out of the Spine of the World," Milor said hurriedly.

Loris considered this. Solam had indeed helped Milor, and his request wasn't excessive; it was entirely within reason.

"We Cloud Giants do not go back on our word. Tris, take this one. Solam, was it? Take him, and we'll all return to Cloudtop City together." Loris assigned a female giant warrior to carry Solam.

"Uh, thank you very much." Seeing the sudden turn of events, Solam considered it and didn't refuse. After all, he did need a guide.

"Hehe, little dwarf, big sister is going to take you for a flight." A female warrior clad in silver armor flew to Solam's side, scooped him up into her arms, and soared into the sky, joining the others as they set off for Cloudtop City.

Although the faceplate obscured her features, Solam could tell by her sultry voice and the way her form-fitting armor highlighted her hot, curvaceous figure that she was likely a beautiful older sister.

Even though he was being held against the chest of such a fiery beauty like a ragdoll, Solam didn't get to enjoy any perks. Damn it, the breastplate was so hard it was making his back ache. Since he couldn't enjoy the benefits, Solam naturally didn't want to be held like this; it was too embarrassing.

"Um, big sister, I want to—" Before he could finish, she interrupted.

"Aiya! Right here? Although I don't mind, with so many people around, isn't it a bit inappropriate?"

Hey! Big sister, what kind of game are you playing? Is it really okay to start off with that kind of talk?

"I wanted to—" Before Solam could finish again, he was cut off.

"Aiya! Don't be so impatient! Once we get back to the city and go to my place, you can do whatever you want." The last two sentences were whispered into Solam's ear. He had to admit, the female giant's words made his imagination run wild, but Solam knew better—his small frame couldn't handle such an invitation.

"Big sister, can we have a proper conversation? Is talking like this really necessary?" Solam protested. Damn it, you've stirred the fire, but you aren't going to put it out. "You're the one teasing me, but who is this little brother supposed to vent his frustration on? That's not fair."

Having lived two lifetimes, he wasn't afraid of a little banter.

"Hehe, do you think I'm the type of person who doesn't take responsibility? I'll take responsibility." For some reason, the girl's laughter reminded Solam of the ladies in the brothels from the television dramas of his past life, waving their handkerchiefs and saying, "Come play with me, master." The imagery was vivid.

"Forget it. With my 'little toothpick,' I'm afraid you'd accidentally break it and leave me without an heir."

"Hahaha! 'Little toothpick.' Hahaha!" The female giant named Tris heard Solam's words and nearly choked on her own laughter, her body trembling in the air.

This scared the life out of Solam. They were flying hundreds of feet in the air; if he accidentally fell, he was definitely done for.

Before Solam could speak, a giant warrior flying in front turned around—it was Kermit, the uncle who had first stopped Loris.

"Tris, can't you be serious for once? You know that kind of talk is highly improper for a lady." It seemed this giant warrior named Kermit was also very dissatisfied with Tris's behavior.

"Fine, fine, I'll be careful," Tris said casually, though the perfunctory tone was obvious even to Solam.

"Sigh, the other clansmen are already quite dissatisfied with your conduct. Don't make everyone dislike you. Forget it, just watch yourself." With that, Kermit shook his head and flew ahead.

Seeing Kermit leave, Tris made a face at his back. "Tch, old stick-in-the-mud. No sense of humor at all."

She looked at Solam and hugged him even tighter. "You're much more interesting, human."

"Damn it, don't hug so tight, I can't breathe!" A giant's strength was no joke; she was about to crush his ribs.

"Hehe, sorry, sorry. It's not often I run into someone I click with, I got a little excited." She hurriedly loosened her grip.

"Phew, almost choked to death." Solam could finally breathe again. "Also, I'm not human. I'm a half-orc."

"You're not human? You're a half-orc?"

With no other choice, Solam had to repeat the explanation he'd given Milor to Tris.

"Oh, oh! So that's how it is. This is my first time hearing of such a thing."

After chatting idly with Tris for about half an hour, they arrived at Cloudtop City. The sight before him left Solam stunned; he had never imagined that Cloudtop City would look like this.

They were at the base of the mountain Milor had pointed out earlier, flying rapidly straight up along the mountainside until they pierced through the clouds. There, Solam saw a city nestled atop the peak and resting above the cloud layer.

The city bore a resemblance to the style of ancient Rome from his past life, with magnificent, golden palaces filling the entire expanse. Some structures were built directly upon the clouds, interspersed with countless trees and flowers. Although it was already night, the light emanating from the buildings turned the city into a place that knew no darkness, making it look breathtakingly beautiful under the moonlight.

They soon flew before a structure that resembled a city gate, somewhat like a Triumphal Arch from his past life. The entire building was at least 50 meters high and 100 meters wide, with the main gate itself standing 30 meters tall. It was covered in various reliefs, presumably depicting the stories of heroic figures. The gate stood wide open, both silver leaves shimmering and adorned with intricate carvings.

No sooner had they steadied themselves than several giant warriors guarding the gate approached them.

"Thank the heavens, you've returned so quickly; otherwise, I truly wouldn't have been able to keep this hidden any longer." A middle-aged giant wearing silver armor walked over. He was adorned with an abundance of sparkling jewelry, and his silver hair and beard were groomed with meticulous care. His features were refined yet imposing, bearing a faint resemblance to both Milor and Loris.

"Has Mother noticed?" Loris asked the middle-aged giant.

"Not yet, but it won't be long. She hasn't seen her precious son all day. She was just asking me about it a moment ago, and I barely managed to bluff my way through. If you hadn't returned, the secret would have been out." As he spoke, the middle-aged giant shot a fierce glare at Milor.