Chapter 31: Troublesome

Ugga Bonecrusher stepped up to the sun sculpture, and with some effort, he lifted it with both hands, his forehead veins bulging from the strain.

The sun sculpture wasn't very large, being about a meter in diameter, including its base.

But due to Garon's caution, it was now encased in a thick layer of ice, significantly increasing its weight.

Additionally, the biting cold of the frost crystal made Ugga shiver uncontrollably.

To avoid frostbite, he exerted all his strength to quickly carry the sun sculpture outside the stone house, setting it down heavily on an open area, catching the attention of the other ogres.

Garon observed Ugga Bonecrusher closely interacting with the frost crystal without any issues, which made him thoughtful.

"When looking directly into the eyes on the sun sculpture, Ugga also wasn't affected."

"Me, and the devout two-headed ogre, on the other hand, were both influenced."

"Could it be targeting only species with magical talents?"

Garon shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it.

After all, he had resolved to destroy the artifact, and its specific effects or target species were no longer his concern.

Stepping out of the stone house, Garon appeared outside.

His scales shone like new mirrors, his wings defined and muscular, his claws sharp and menacing. His mere appearance instilled a hint of fear in the ogres gathered there, clearly still intimidated by his previous displays of power.

Simultaneously, a thunderous noise echoed above the ogre basin.

Boom!

Following the sound, it was Ugga Bonecrusher wielding a black nail hammer he had acquired from the two-headed ogre, raising it high and striking down hard onto the frost crystal.

When he used his full strength, the hammer was wreathed in blood light, significantly enhancing its force.

The frost crystal cracked densely but didn't shatter immediately.

With many of his kin watching, Ugga Bonecrusher's face turned red as he lifted the hammer again and brought it down hard.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The thunderous noises continued, and the frost crystal slowly cracked open to reveal the actual sun sculpture.

Under Garon's expectant gaze, Ugga Bonecrusher's muscles bulged as he swung the black nail hammer down toward the core of the sun sculpture.

Clang!

A metallic sound rang out over the icy plains.

To Ugga's astonishment, the hammer was repelled by a tremendous rebound force, tearing his palms and almost hitting him back on the head.

The sun sculpture remained unscathed, not even a scratch on its surface.

Garon's eyes narrowed, realizing this object wouldn't be destroyed easily.

He avoided making eye contact with the eyes on the sculpture and surveyed the area. Speaking firmly to the eager ogres around him, he declared, "My kin, show your skill and strength, and destroy this sun sculpture."

Pausing for effect, Garon's voice then rose, resounding like a dragon's roar, "To the successful one, I will grant the bloodline of a true dragon!"

Now that he had a sufficient number of kin, Garon decided not to casually transform kin into dragon-lineages as he had done before. He intended to use the transformation as a motivational tool to stimulate their zeal.

The ice spirits of the far north had indeed reaped a great benefit.

Meanwhile, the ogres, upon hearing Garon's words, displayed excitement. All members of the Bonecrusher tribe rubbed their hands together, their eyes greedily fixed on the sun sculpture.

Although ogres were simple-minded, they were still intelligent beings with their own cultural heritage.

They understood what a dragon lineage was and recognized this as a rare opportunity. Some cunning ogres even considered that if they obtained the transformation, they could increase their strength and challenge Ugga Bonecrusher for the leadership, aspiring to become the premier ogre under Garon's wing.

After Garon spoke, seeing his eager kin, Ugga Bonecrusher took a deep breath and turned to Garon earnestly, "Master, please give Ugga another chance, let me try again."

His voice trembled slightly, fearing that his earlier performance might have diminished his standing in Garon's eyes.

Garon nodded slightly without saying a word.

Ugga, overjoyed by the trust shown, thanked Garon, "Thank you for your trust, master. Ugga is deeply grateful."

Then, with a serious look, he stepped back from the crowd of ogres, retreating more than twenty meters away from the sun sculpture before fixing his gaze intently on it.

Ugga Bonecrusher then charged, his massive weight leaving faint footprints with each step, his approach ferocious.

Four meters from the sculpture, Ugga roared and leapt high into the air, clutching the black nail hammer above his head and using the force of his fall and charge to strike at the sun sculpture

.

Such a full-force blow would be unwelcome even for Garon to endure.

A second later, the hammer wrapped in blood light struck the corner of the sun sculpture.

Crash!

The ground trembled violently, and the frost crystal shattered into large pieces of ice, causing slight red swelling on the skins of the surrounding ogres.

But they ignored the pain, eyes unblinking as they watched Ugga Bonecrusher and the sun sculpture.

Whoosh!

The hammer flew from Ugga's grasp in the surging backlash, his broad palms dripping blood, his face pale with disbelief.

Before him, the sun sculpture had been driven three feet into the ground.

Incredibly, it remained undamaged, as if the full force of the ogre's strike was merely a gentle breeze.

Garon's heart chilled as he felt an involuntary pull toward the sculpture. The eyes seemed to become vortexes drawing in his spirit, but he quickly broke away from their gaze, refusing to look any longer.

"I'm sorry, master, Ugga has failed, I've let you down," Ugga said, his face pale as he looked up at Garon.

Garon's expression was unreadable.

"Doing your best is all that is required."

After his brief response, Garon looked to the other eager ogres and said sternly, "You all try as well."

One after another, the ogres tried excitedly, then left disappointed.

The more intelligent ogres, realizing that brute strength was futile, resorted to burning the sculpture on a bonfire or steaming it in a large iron pot, exhausting their limited intellect.

But without exception, none succeeded.

The sun sculpture silently endured the ogres' machinations.