Chapter 165
Tommy Lloyd
Lloyd District, Lloyd Society Building, top floor office.
8:30 AM.
Tommy Lloyd had just sat down when he immediately received an internal call.
“Yes, this is Lloyd.”
The burly man, standing at over two and a half meters tall, even taller than most male elves, spoke in a deep voice. He was waiting for some good news.
Elves were typically slender, but President Lloyd’s entire body was filled with solid muscle. He was so massive that his fingers were equally thick, making it impossible for him to use a human rotary dial telephone. The telephone he used was a custom model specially ordered from the telephone company, much like the black suit he wore and the furniture and chairs he used daily. While ordinary people could hold food in their hands, he could only pinch it with his fingers.
President Lloyd found many inconveniences using products designed for humans. Only genuine elven products could somewhat satisfy his needs. However, no matter how inconvenient his daily life was, it was ultimately a minor issue. What truly bothered him was the racial discrimination he faced daily, or rather, the scapegoating.
Avalon was, after all, a kingdom of humans and elves. Here, let alone the ignorant and uncivilized trolls and the lizardmen living in deserts and swamps, even goblins and dwarves were driven out. Much less a half-giant like him. When the people of Avalon won, almost all the giants in the Giant Kingdom were killed—this act met no resistance at the time. Because all giants were warriors, and every giant had eaten humans. This was a hatred passed down for generations, which simply erupted then.
But what truly perplexed and angered Tommy was that those who were allowed to preserve the giant bloodline were the half-giants who had previously supported Avalon. In other words, these half-giants were not of pure giant blood but of half-giant blood, and they should not have been discriminated against. He had even considered leaving Avalon to go to the Far North. It was said that giants still remained there—an heretical branch that existed even before the Giant Kingdom fell. They were giants of the Path of Wisdom. Unlike the giants in the southern plantations and the trolls, giants possessed brains and used them effectively, just like Tommy today. Pureblood giants had higher intelligence than humans, but they were blinded by endless rage and chose not to use it.
Those giant philosophers who embarked on the Path of Wisdom went to the Far North, using the cold outside to suppress their inner rage. They gave up eating humans, opting instead for fish, seabirds, and seals. They became slightly smaller, their dark red, burning skin covered with thick white fur, and their tempers became gentler. Day and night, they fell into profound philosophical contemplation, and one even produced an Apostle of a Great Philosopher. Tommy also wanted to go there; at least it was quiet. Moreover, the giants living in the cold regions would accept half-giants who came to seek refuge. The only problem was that Tommy didn’t know if he could calm himself down. He sometimes thought he might move there to retire when he got old.
But before that, he wanted to seize the opportunity while he was young and strive for something. After the Path of Power transformed into the Path of Authority, the residual Path impulses in the bodies of giants who did not turn to the Path of Wisdom naturally became the Path of Authority. Some giants resisted this impulse with ambition, reversed it, and embarked on the Transcendent Path—these were the high-ranking members of the Noble Red Society. They had completely chosen a different path, diverging from those giants who still wallowed in their bloodline impulses.
But even after accepting the “Son of the Serpent” ritual and gaining adaptability for the Transcendent Path, Tommy ultimately lacked the talent for the Transcendent Path. He always had a heart of authority, an instinct flowing in the blood of giants. For him, transcendence was merely a tool; authority was the true goal. Tommy could not control the ever-boiling desire for power within him… Because of this, despite being a half-giant himself, his position within the Noble Red Society was not high. Even his own kind looked down on him. They could completely resist the “erroneous call” of the Path of Authority in their bloodline and choose another path, but Tommy could not. He actually wanted to, too. That was why he gradually gave up managing the Lloyd Society, deliberately distancing himself from the center of power to gradually adapt to the purest desire for transcendence, much like monks who cultivated the Path of Wisdom to purge their desire for authority.
But he had clearly failed. As Tommy sat back in his seat again, he couldn’t help but let out a sweet sigh, like drinking a potent wine, its fragrant aroma filling his brain. He was, after all, an anomaly. Whether among humans or giants; whether in the Lloyd Society or the Noble Red Society. But so what? The giants looked down on him, but how could he look up to them? They lacked culture and didn’t use their brains. The Giant Restoration Plan—could they even restore their kingdom? The giants currently involved lacked the population to support such a restoration. And with the development of the times, human technology could partially negate the talent gap between humans and giants… And most importantly, their god, Supreme Heaven, was no longer in his position. The Noble Red Society’s plan was merely a castle in the air. They were just pawns being used by the Star Antimony people, a disposable force to disrupt Avalon’s situation.
Because of this, Avalon had never worried about them… for who would choose to become food for giants when they could be esteemed knights? They possessed power, but fundamentally, they could not shake the foundations of Avalon. And their strength was simply not enough… At least any one of the few powerhouses in Avalon could make the Noble Red Society extremely wary.
Tommy’s task was much simpler. He just needed to sit on the throne. Whether it was by marrying a princess, usurping the throne, or acting as regent—it didn’t matter. Tommy didn’t care about his race or his descendants. He only cared about himself. Now, all of Tommy’s plans were progressing smoothly—using the Lloyd Society to increase his voice and influence within the Noble Red Society, relying on the power of the Noble Red Society to consolidate human merchants, and then, through the Lloyd Society, to influence the Round Table Hall, thereby becoming the underground emperor of all of Avalon. Because his plans were highly executable, many intelligent people stood by him. And one day, the underground emperor would emerge into the light. At that time, all those who looked down on him would pay the price. For now, he just needed to be patient and wait.
“…What?”
After hearing the news on the phone, Tommy was slightly taken aback. It was not the news he had been waiting for. But he did not panic. After a moment of contemplation, he replied plainly, “Please ask her to come up.”
He tidied his collar and poured two cups of tea. One was for himself, in a large cup; the other was for a human. This required precise handling on his part, a skill he had practiced for a long time. Not long after, a sprightly old lady walked up with energetic strides. Her hair was silvery white, her cheekbones high, and her face bore clear wrinkles. But her back was straight, her arms were full of muscle, and her eyes shone brightly.
“Tommy!”
The moment she entered, she let out a roar, causing the half-giant’s hands to tremble slightly. But Tommy dared not act presumptuously in front of her and could only reply with a smile, “Madam Meg, what do you need me for…”
“—Stop fucking around!”
Meg rudely interrupted him. She didn’t use Path Power, but her fiery gaze was like the muzzle of a gun. “Where did you take that Moriarty? Send him back!” Meg commanded.
Tommy first thought that the matter of him sending people to attack yesterday had been exposed. But he quickly realized: …taken away? Didn’t he have them attack the opponent?
“I believe you must be mistaken. This matter should have nothing to do with our Lloyd Society… At least, I am unaware of it…”
“Tell the truth,” Meg commanded directly.
“I really didn’t send anyone to capture him. The Noble Red Society was unhappy about Eivass joining the Lloyd Society, so I sent a group of people to kill him directly.” Tommy blurted out. The moment the words left his mouth, his expression turned grim.
“Hmph.” Meg snorted coldly.
This old lady, less than half his height, looked at Tommy, making him tremble with fear. “What was the personnel configuration? Tell me everything.”
“Four Demon Scholars, two Second Tier, two Third Tier. With a Whip Demon, a Blade Demon, and two Demonic Hounds…”
“…Blade Demon?” Meg let out a cold laugh. “You really wanted him dead. Well then, if he dies, you die with him.”
As her words fell, her voice rumbled like thunder. Silvery white runes embedded themselves deep into Tommy’s mind like a phantom. Tommy no longer dared to speak, and a strong sense of fear made cold sweat stream down his back.
“Listen, kid. You can’t touch this person, understand? I’ll give you three days to send him back.”
“It really wasn’t me who captured him…” Tommy’s voice became almost pleading. “You should be able to discern if I’m telling the truth…”
“Heh, I know it wasn’t you. But this matter must be related to you sending people to attack him, right? Just because you didn’t kill him doesn’t mean you’re innocent. If you didn’t do it, then it must be some other faction in the Lloyd Society that’s at odds with you, or someone within the Society. I don’t care who it is; you know them better. You handle it.”
“Here’s some information for you—the one who captured him should be a Fiend with a Shadow Demon, possibly named Alistair. In any case, go find him, and take someone to kill him. Then bring Eivass back.”
“If you can’t do it, you die, understand? They wouldn’t dare touch you, but I would.” Meg’s Word Spirit fell again, branding itself onto Tommy’s soul. She extended three fingers, emphasizing, “Three days, remember. Don’t think about running; you can’t escape.”
“Yes, I understand…” The giant lowered his head submissively. “I will do my best for you…”
“Don’t pledge loyalty to me here. Do your best for your own life, kid.” With that, Meg turned and left without any lingering.
A bit late, but the update is complete!
