Legendary Mercenary

A white seagull soared across the blue sky, its massive body resembling that of an airplane. Beneath the blue sky, on a grassy slope, a robust figure lay there, leisurely resting his head on his arms, a blade of grass hanging from his mouth that he occasionally chewed on. He stood nearly two meters tall, with muscles coiling like dragons all over his body. Yet, he didn’t appear bulky; instead, he exuded a streamlined sense of power and beauty. Even as he lay flat on the grassy slope, his body stretched out naturally, like a lazy lion. Underneath his clean and short hair was a rugged face. Perhaps it was because of the fine weather today, with a pleasant temperature, that he appeared in a good mood. A slight smile curled up at the corner of his mouth, giving him a simple and kind look, like an honest man. At least, Zhang Ye considered himself one. "Mm~" A moan escaped his lips. After a refreshing nap, Zhang Ye felt invigorated. He sat up, stretched comfortably, and looked down the grassy slope. At that moment, he was sitting on a high grassy slope between two sides of a strait, from which a magnificent city could be seen below. This was Seadu, a prosperous city. It was said that two legends had emerged from here, and it was also a grand city that many rural boys dreamed of reaching. Looking out, Seadu lay half on land and half in the sea. Compared to the part on land, the part in the sea was evidently wealthier, likely the so-called rich district. Seadu was vast; even from Zhang Ye’s high vantage point, he couldn’t see the end of the great city. At the city gate, countless adventurers and merchant caravans from distant lands were lined up in a long queue. Zhang Ye smiled, reached out to pick up the enormous backpack over a meter tall beside him, and stood up. The clanging sounds from the backpack indicated that it wasn’t light. Moreover, on one side of the backpack hung a massive metal hammer over a meter long. Yet even so, Zhang Ye effortlessly picked it up with one hand and slung it over one shoulder. "Let's go!" he said, striding towards Seadu. It had been sixteen years since he reincarnated into this world. Anyone who saw his size would be shocked—sixteen, really?! After the old blacksmith who found and raised him passed away peacefully, Zhang Ye was once again left alone. In his previous life, he came from a wasteland, a world where advanced technology had been ravaged by war. Mercenaries thrived there, with killing and arson being everyday affairs. The former federal government had become a puppet of corporate capital, with the economic lifeblood of the lower-class people almost entirely controlled by companies. Those without money or a voice were ruthlessly exploited, struggling to survive in the cracks between corporations and the wasteland. One could imagine how harsh and cruel that world was. After struggling in the wasteland for many years, Zhang Ye had finally managed to form a top-tier mercenary team, only to be sent to the grave by those damned corporations. The company had hired him and his mercenary team to escort cargo to a fortress city under the control of another corporation. Along the way, they encountered numerous firefights, wiping out several wasteland gang convoys. After finally reaching their destination and expecting to receive a hefty final payment, they never imagined that what awaited them was a nuclear bomb! As he delivered the cargo, the bomb was activated, and in an instant, he and his mercenary team, along with the fortress city that housed over 300,000 people, were reduced to ashes. To hell with corporate warfare! But he accepted this reality. At least being vaporized instantly in a nuclear explosion was better than having his throat slit by an enemy or taking a bullet to the chest. From the moment he became a mercenary, he knew he'd die one day—forget about retiring peacefully. He just didn't expect to go out in such a "spectacular" way. Dying in a nuclear blast—sounds pretty badass, right? He only wondered if, after reincarnating, any of his brothers and sisters from the squad had reincarnated with him. Hopefully, they did. Who knows? For now, Zhang Ye could only take things one step at a time and build his foundation from the ground up. This world, while not as extreme as the wasteland, was no less harsh. It was equally unforgiving. Because in this world, there was magic, swordmasters who could cleave mountains in half with a single strike, and magical beasts even more terrifying than wasteland monsters. The power dynamics here were far more daunting than in the wasteland. Ordinary people had no voice here, either. So, Zhang Ye had no intention of being ordinary. After the old man passed away, he left Zhang Ye some wealth and a blacksmith's shop. For someone like him to have spent sixteen years peacefully forging iron in a blacksmith's shop under the guidance of an old man was already quite remarkable. The thought of spending his whole life there was unbearable. So, he handed over the blacksmith shop to the old man’s relatives, taking the money and the gear the old man left him, and headed to Seadu. Just like a young man trying to make it big in the city. Except, he was returning to his old profession. Mercenary! Thought of breaking free from a life of comfort and returning to the blood-soaked existence of living on the edge filled him with excitement. His blood was boiling—how could an ordinary person understand such a feeling? Maybe he was just born to be restless. He felt that if he didn’t do something with his life, it would be a waste of his robust body. Sixteen years old, 1.98 meters tall, with far greater strength than in his previous life. At this rate of growth, Zhang Ye estimated he’d reach 2.1 meters before turning twenty—a real giant. And not just a big guy who looked strong but was actually weak. Because he wasn’t ordinary. He was a giant! When he was reincarnated as a baby, a foreign memory was passed into his mind—Giant Heritage. That’s when he realized he was a giant. However, much of that inherited memory hadn’t yet been unlocked. Other than knowing he was a giant and some basic information about the giant race, he didn’t know much else. Fortunately, as his strength grew, more of his inherited memories would be unlocked. He had a hunch that this Giant Heritage would bring him a tremendous surprise. Because the incredible strength and physique far beyond others of his age and rank were gifts from the Giant Heritage. But there was one problem—he didn’t seem to have any talent for magic. He had always been fascinated by the idea of magic, which he had only ever seen in movies before, but even though he had strength and mana, he just couldn’t learn magic. So, in addition to becoming an adventurer and mercenary in Seadu, he also wanted to try his hand at becoming a mage. In this world of swords and magic, it would be a shame not to become a mage. Zhang Ye moved quickly and soon arrived at the city gate. Although he was big, he didn’t attract much attention. After all, there were others even bigger than him. For example, the guy in front of him, who seemed to belong to the Boulder Clan, with skin that looked as tough as stone and an average height of 2.5 meters, almost like a small giant. Zhang Ye even felt that his giant identity seemed a bit unworthy. According to his inherited memories, giants averaged over ten meters tall, yet here he was at sixteen, barely two meters—maybe he was a bit underdeveloped... After paying a ten-silver-coin entry fee, Zhang Ye finally entered the outer city of Seadu. Looking at the broad streets and the bustling crowds, Zhang Ye felt a sense of exhilaration. The half-month journey covering two thousand kilometers had not been in vain; this place was indeed lively! But now, the first thing he needed to do was find a restaurant and have a good meal. After gnawing on dried meat for half a month, his mouth was practically tasteless. Fortunately, he spotted a good place not far ahead. A Mercenary Tavern! A gathering place for mercenaries!