"Really."
Ryan glanced at Father Sergei, accepting the document he handed over.
With a quick scan, Ryan began to understand the cause of yesterday's commotion. What he didn't expect was that it was related to Giant Peak.
"What a coincidence, happening at this time. Is it an illusion? Why does it feel like it's connected to me?"
Ryan began to murmur to himself, feeling a strong sense of connection to this event.
As he continued reading, Ryan gained a clearer understanding of the situation.
The massive dust cloud from yesterday was caused by the simultaneous collapse of Giant Peak.
All thirteen peaks collapsed, changing the landscape of the valley, now filled with huge boulders. The small rivers below had disappeared without a trace.
The only casualties were those from the small base he had seen while riding the sightseeing train.
The more Ryan read, the more he felt an unsettling connection, especially since the collapse of Giant Peak happened right after he had taken the Divine Judgment Axe—Olaf's Fury.
This couldn't be a mere coincidence.
Ryan looked at the document, his expression strange. His intuition told him that the connection was almost certain.
But why hadn't he sensed it at the time? Given his current power, this shouldn't have been possible. Even the Church had no information suggesting any link between the Divine Judgment Axe and Giant Peak.
"Has the cause of the collapse been found?" Ryan's tone was subtle. If it was truly connected to him, then those people at the small base had suffered unjustly because of him.
Father Sergei replied respectfully, "Bishop Ryan, the Norwegian government has sent an expert team to investigate. We should have news soon."
After a pause, Father Sergei continued respectfully, "Due to the strangeness of the event and its connection to the legendary Norse myth of giants, Bishop Giorgi from Oslo Cathedral has also sent a team to investigate."
Ryan looked at Hannah and Alessa playing in the snow, as well as Irene, and sighed.
"If there's any news, bring it to me immediately without delay."
Feeling connected to the event and considering the unjust suffering of the small base, Ryan couldn't stand by and watch. Even if he didn't feel much, he didn't like this situation.
Father Sergei bowed his head, "Yes, Bishop Ryan!"
Ryan nodded slightly, looking towards the direction of the dust cloud from yesterday, squinting his eyes.
---
The now-restricted Giant Peak area was bustling with experts inspecting the boulders.
Engineering teams were also present, moving the rocks to locate the small base at the foot of the peak.
Evidence suggested that the small base was the epicenter of the event, with the highest point positioned as the focal point of the explosion.
Geologists, archaeologists, and biologists concluded that the massive boulders filled the valley, all seemingly originating from the small base as the center.
The scene was chaotic.
In addition to this, several drones hovered overhead, filming the site. Far above, several military reconnaissance planes flew, seeking other suspicious information.
This level of activity suggested that Norway considered this a matter of national security.
"Strange, Scholar Haldan. After ruling out new weaponry or terrorist attacks, we can't find an explanation."
An expert group gathered near an engineering base, addressing a middle-aged man with mixed black and white hair.
Scholar Haldan, a rising star in Norway's geology and biology fields, didn't immediately respond. Instead, he looked at the valley filled with boulders, gazing at the highest point, and asked.
"Have you heard the fairy tales about giants?"
The expert group looked at each other. Most Norwegians were familiar with the fairy tales about Giant Peak.
"Do you think the collapse is related to the legendary giants?" someone hesitated to ask.
"Is that possible? Giants are just a myth. Many have investigated Giant Peak, including myself, but for centuries, no one has proven the existence of giants."
Haldan narrowed his eyes, saying nothing. However, considering all the information, he envisioned a scenario where all thirteen peaks suddenly collapsed, and a towering giant emerged from them.
---
"This is Bird Reconnaissance One, have you found anything?"
A reconnaissance plane from the Air Force surveyed the area around Giant Peak.
"Bird Reconnaissance Two here, no findings."
"Same for Three."
"..."
The pilot of Bird Reconnaissance One listened to his colleagues' reports, adjusting the controls to fly in a different direction.
"This is Bird Reconnaissance One, expand the search range by fifty kilometers."
"Two received!"
"Three received!"
"..."
The reconnaissance planes spread out from Giant Peak, seeking more information.
Bird Reconnaissance One flew over, the pilot seeing only the snowy landscape below. Feeling somewhat defeated, he decided to make another pass over the uninhabited mountains below.
"Too vast," the pilot muttered, scanning the ground below. Finding nothing, he prepared to return to base for refueling.
"This is Bird Reconnaissance One, returning to base for refueling. Continue the patrol."
"Two received!"
"Three received!"
"..."
Listening to the responses, the pilot of Bird Reconnaissance One began to turn back.
But in that moment, something caught his eye. He looked to the left, eyes widening.
"What is that?"
In the snow-covered terrain, he saw a large depression, several meters wide.
"This is Bird Reconnaissance One! I think I've found something suspicious."
---
The report of a suspicious location quickly spread.
The expert team, about to hold another meeting to find a breakthrough, received the news.
"Scholar Haldan! New findings!"
As everyone gathered in a temporary cabin, a breathless person rushed in with a tablet.
Haldan raised an eyebrow, hurrying over.
"The aerial reconnaissance plane spotted something in a mountainous area about twenty kilometers away."
The messenger, sweating and panting, handed the tablet to Haldan after delivering the crucial information.
Looking at the tablet, Haldan felt a strange sense of anticipation. Keeping his composure, he took the tablet, and the surrounding experts gathered to watch.
Haldan tapped the screen, and as the video played, he held his breath.
The aerial footage showed a large depression, followed by another nearly a hundred meters away, continuing for about ten kilometers.
When the video ended, the surrounding experts were breathing heavily.
Haldan looked at the screen, then at his colleagues, taking a deep breath.
"Let's have a meeting."
The scene shifted to a room with a long table and chairs. A large screen at the front played the tablet's video repeatedly for the seated experts.
Besides the expert team, there were also officials and the operation's leaders.
After several viewings, Haldan paused the video, turning to his colleagues.
"What are your thoughts?"
The experts exchanged glances before a middle-aged man hesitantly spoke.
"Could it be caused by karst topography?"
An official, puzzled, asked, "What?"
Another expert explained, "A karst collapse occurs when water dissolves underground limestone, causing the ground to cave in. Alternatively, it could be related to large underground gas reserves."
This sparked more theories from the experts, each offering their perspective or agreeing with others.
"Yes, it could be climate change."
"If mishandled, further activity could trigger chain reactions, potentially causing more explosions."
With Haldan silent, the experts' voices grew quieter, then ceased. They exchanged nervous glances, waiting for his response.
"Have you all finished?" Haldan placed the remote on the table, speaking calmly.
"If everyone has shared their thoughts, it's my turn."
Scanning the room, he continued.
"Are you all pretending not to see or know? Doubting your own eyes?"
The experts opened their mouths but said nothing, struggling with the clash between their long-held beliefs and the evidence before them.
The official, noticing the tension, addressed Haldan.
"Scholar Haldan, have you noticed something unusual?"
"Commander Nuri, can you confirm the authenticity of this video?" Haldan asked.
The official looked at his staff, then nodded seriously.
"Scholar Haldan, I assure you this is genuine footage from the reconnaissance plane. The pilots all witnessed it."
"Good."
Haldan exhaled. "It seems my hypothesis might be correct."
"Hmm?" The official blinked.
Haldan resumed the video, pausing at the clear view of the depression.
"Commander Nuri, look closely at this depression. Do you see a pattern?"
The official squinted at the screen, then widened his eyes, uncertainly.
"It looks like a footprint."
Feeling unsure and thinking it too fantastical, he chuckled nervously.
"With you experts here, I shouldn't speculate."
To his surprise, Haldan confirmed his observation.
"You're right, Commander Nuri. This is indeed the shape of a footprint."
The official's face stiffened, staring at the paused video.
Under Haldan's affirmation, the footprint seemed more apparent.
"If this is a footprint, how large would its owner be?" the official asked hesitantly, grappling with the conflict between his logic and the evidence.
A creature leaving such a massive footprint would be as tall as a skyscraper, defying logic.
Realizing the experts' earlier discomfort, he understood their reluctance to accept this possibility.
"Maybe it's just a footprint-shaped depression?" the official suggested quietly.
Haldan shook his head, looking at the screen. "If it were just one, you might be right. But these depressions are similar in shape and size. It's undoubtedly a footprint, not a natural formation."
The room fell silent. The experts, faced with undeniable evidence, had no rebuttal.
The official shook his head, imagining a giant as tall as a skyscraper walking or running through the mountains.
Shaking off this absurd image, he took a deep breath.
"Scholar H
aldan, as one of Norway's leading biologists, do you have any idea what kind of creature this might be?"
Haldan stared at the screen, speaking seriously. "Giant Peak, giant fairy tales, giants!"
___________________
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