Building A Carnal Empire In The Fantasy World-Chapter 43: Sabertooth Wolves

Lady Leya reached for her purse, but Kael stopped her. He pulled out a small pouch from his system inventory and counted out the coins. The ranger’s equipment was better quality than most of what they could find in regular shops.

"One more thing," Garrett said as they prepared to leave. "If you meet any giants, show respect. They value honor above everything else. Lie to them, and they’ll throw you off the nearest cliff. But if you’re honest and brave, they might even help."

The back door of the station opened onto a narrow ledge that wound up the mountainside. The path was barely wide enough for one person, carved directly into the living rock.

"Follow the red paint marks," Garrett called after them. "They’ll lead you to the old dwarven road. And remember, if you see giant footprints in the stone, you’re going the right way."

They filed out onto the ledge just as the hunting dogs reached the front of the station. Through the walls, they could hear Garrett talking to the Church soldiers.

"Haven’t seen nobody all day," he was saying. "But you’re welcome to search if you like. Just mind the tea kettle, it’s still hot."

The ledge path was terrifying. On one side, the mountain wall rose straight up. On the other, empty air dropped away into darkness. One wrong step would mean a fall of hundreds of feet.

But the red paint marks were clearly visible, and the path was solid despite being narrow. After twenty minutes of careful climbing, they reached a broader section where everyone could rest.

"Look," Lila pointed back the way they’d come.

Far below, torchlight was moving around the ranger station. The Church soldiers were searching the area, but they hadn’t found the hidden back entrance yet.

"We need to keep moving," Madam Vex said. "Once they realize we’re not down there, they’ll start looking for other routes."

The path continued upward for another hour before joining what had to be the old dwarven road. It was much wider than the ledge, carved from black stone and lined with ancient runes that glowed faintly in the moonlight.

"Incredible," Lady Leya breathed, running her fingers over the carved symbols. "This must be thousands of years old."

Velara nodded in agreement. "Dwarven stonework. Look how perfect the joints are. Not even a knife blade could fit between these blocks."

The road made traveling much easier. It ran along the side of the mountain in a series of gentle curves, rising steadily but not too steeply. Guard posts built into the rock showed where dwarven sentries had once watched for enemies.

But the posts were empty now, worn smooth by centuries of wind and weather.

They walked in silence for a while, conserving energy for the long journey ahead. The mountain air was crisp and clean, free of the smoke and dust of the lowlands. Stars showed more brightly here, undimmed by city lights.

"There," Lady Morwen pointed ahead. "Do you see that?"

In the road surface, clear as day, was an impression in the solid stone. A footprint longer than a man’s arm and twice as wide.

"Giant footprint," Sara whispered in awe.

Kael knelt beside the print, studying its details. The toes were clearly defined, and he could see the texture of skin pressed into the rock. "This stone is harder than steel. What kind of strength does it take to leave marks like this?"

"More than any of us want to find out," Madam Vex said grimly.

But they followed Garrett’s advice and continued along the road. The giant footprints appeared regularly now, sometimes in groups that suggested entire families had passed this way.

As they climbed higher, the temperature dropped noticeably. Everyone was grateful for the warm cloaks Garrett had provided. The mountain peaks around them seemed to glow with their own inner light, spiritual energy made visible in the clear air.

"The mana concentration is incredible up here," Lady Leya said, flexing her fingers as power flowed through her Earth Rank cultivation. "I feel like I could punch through solid rock."

"Probably could," Velara agreed. Her own cultivation was responding to the energy-rich environment. Some of the gray streaks in her hair were starting to fade as her body healed from Cole’s attack.

Even Sara and Lila seemed stronger despite their lower cultivation ranks. The mountain’s spiritual energy was boosting everyone’s capabilities.

"We’re making good time," Kael observed, checking the map for direction. "At this rate, we’ll reach the border by dawn."

But even as he said it, he could feel eyes watching them from the peaks above. Whether they belonged to giants or something else, he couldn’t tell.

The Blackwood Mountains held many secrets, and they were walking deeper into giant territory with every step.

Behind them, far below in the forest, the hunting dogs had finally lost their scent at the ranger station. But Kael knew the Church wouldn’t give up easily.

They would find other ways to hunt their prey. And the mountains, for all their beauty and power, could be just as dangerous as the enemies they’d left behind.

The road ahead wound around a massive peak, disappearing into shadow. Somewhere beyond the chain of mountains lay the Astralion Empire and, hopefully, safety.

But first, they would have to survive whatever waited for them in the realm of giants.

The ancient dwarven road curved around a massive boulder the size of a house. As the group rounded the bend, they came face to face with something that made everyone freeze in terror.

Over fifty pairs of glowing yellow eyes stared at them from the shadows ahead.

The Sabertooth Wolves were huge, each one standing nearly two meters tall at the shoulder. Their black fur seemed to absorb light, making them blend perfectly with the mountain shadows.

But it was their teeth that drew the eye. Curved fangs as long as daggers jutted from their upper jaws, gleaming white in the starlight.

The pack had spread across the road in a perfect hunting formation.