Chapter 371
Chapter 371
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 371
Chapter Title: The Troll's Song
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—Kwaaaaaaaaah!!!!
I bolted toward the source of the scream.
Could I take on a troll by myself? Hell no, it'd be damn tough. Victory wasn't guaranteed. Sure, I'd gotten pretty strong, but I wasn't delusional enough to think I could beat a monster I'd never even seen before.
But this was a paid job.
I'd taken the money, and I'd come here to slay the troll.
The village had shelled out big bucks to the guild for an adventurer, and now one of the locals gets offed by the troll? That was a credibility issue. Civilian casualties were a problem.
So, time to go.
At the very least, I had to buy time with my body until Claudy and Winia showed up!
—That was the duty of a Heavenly Demon.
"Save meeeee!!!"
"Adventurer! Where's the adventurer?!"
Running at top speed, I reached the scene in no time. I could see people clutching farming tools, screaming their heads off.
No, you fucking lunatics!
If a troll's out, hole up in your damn houses! What the hell are you doing outside?!
"I'm right here, you assholes!!!! Get your asses inside, you fucking idiots!!!! You all wanna die to the troll or what?!?!"
I bellowed at the top of my lungs, yanking my sword free as I charged in. If you don't wanna die, quit gawking and run!
"Whoa, he's here! The adventurer's here!"
"Save us!"
"It's Jake!"
"Shut your cocksucking mouths and run, you morons!!! Get in your houses and lock the goddamn doors!!!"
They seemed panicked, so I roared another threat. Finally snapping out of it, the villagers clutched their heads, tossed their tools, and fled.
Sure, I used some harsh language, but there was no time for polite explanations, and the situation sure as shit didn't call for it!
Where's the troll?!
—Kwooooooooaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!
Right then, the beast's roar echoed out.
It was night, pitch black. Only scattered torches on the ground pierced the darkness here and there.
—A shadow cast on the wooden fence.
"You motherfucker...!"
—That was it.
A monster from myths.
Its hunched back reminded me of that stubborn hunchback who wouldn't listen earlier, but the size was on another level. Over two meters tall. If it straightened up, it'd be even bigger.
Its tough, knobby skin was like an inhuman, murky green toad, and those muscular, elongated arms evoked images of some brutal deep-sea crab that lurked in the abyss.
—A troll.
"Kweeeeeeeeaaaaak!!!"
The troll had grabbed Jake with both hands and hoisted him high into the air! Wasn't killing his brother enough? Now it was going after the older one too?!
This bastard's antics were no different from those imperialists torturing black folks in the sugarcane fields!
—Kwooooooooouuuu!!!!
"Keeehiiiiiiing!!!!"
Seemed like it planned to crush Jake with pure brute force, squeeze out his guts and blood, and slurp them down its massive maw like a glutton.
I quickly assessed the situation.
"Kgh...!"
"Krahk!"
Nearby, two villagers lay collapsed.
I considered abandoning the one already caught and rescuing the living first, but they were still crawling, so they weren't dead yet.
Then I had to save Jake.
"...Fuck."
Charge in?
Honestly, I was scared shitless.
It'd be a lie to say I wasn't terrified facing that freakish monster.
"Y-You... you motherfucker!!!!!"
Still, I raised my sword and bellowed.
"You cock-sucking son of a bitch!!!!!! Put him down right now!!!!!!!!"
—Krook?!
The monster looked tougher than I'd expected.
Of course, no running away.
It was just a monster a couple heads taller than me at worst. If I fled from something like this, I'd never hear the end of it from Claudy.
I overcame the fear.
I suppressed the terror.
"Kieeeaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!"
With a maniacal battle cry fueled by my courage, I charged. —Kwooouuu!!! Startled, maybe, the troll hurled Jake at me.
"Uwaaaaaak!!"
"Move!"
I easily dodged the screaming Jake mid-air and used footwork to close in on the troll.
The troll didn't flee. Of course not. A monster like that had no reason to run from a mere human.
It wanted to fight me.
—Flex!
No armor, just bare flesh, but the troll's bulging muscles and tough hide were a fortress in themselves.
Weak humans rely on gear.
True monsters have bodies that are weapons!
—Kwooooooooaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!
The troll let out its own threatening roar, raising its murderous arms high.
—Long arms.
The swordsmanship I'd learned was purely for killing humans—a murder art.
Useless against a muscle freak with abnormally long arms.
My fist and kicking arts and internal techniques were the same. They worked on people and small monsters, but against giant beasts? Worthless.
"Come at me."
All I could do now was rely on experience and improvise a primal brawl!
"Monster."
Kim Katt the madlad never backs down!
"I am the Heavenly Demon, Kim Katt."
—Kwooooooooaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!
The moment I charged, the troll's massive, elongated arm came smashing down.
—Kwoom!
The fist that cratered the ground like a meteor was a devastating blow, but its trajectory was too obvious—I dodged easily.
Now, ram a Dismantling Slash into that arm!
—Kwooooooooouuuu!!!
"Fucking bastard!"
But it nimbly pulled its fist from the earth and whipped it like a flail.
—Whoosh!
A lethal strike packed with insane physical power. The force from those long arms and dense muscles couldn't be ignored.
But my body, honed to the limit with mana, could evade it. Using fluid, adaptive Dismantling Footwork, I slid back gracefully.
—Kwoah?!
The troll's arm savagely whipped through the space I'd just occupied.
But the assault didn't end. As I retreated, the troll advanced, palm open to snatch me in a grasping strike.
—Fast.
Explosive speed bursting from that massive muscle mass. —Kwoooooaaaah! Mouth agape, it even short-jumped on those relatively stubby legs, charging me.
Hesitate, and you're done.
Doubt, and you're dead.
"You fucking short-legged prick!"
Drawing on experience, I instantly executed Heavenly Demon Supremacy, sidestepping. The troll had leaped straight at me, so when I shifted off the line, it couldn't adjust and slammed into the ground.
—Kwoerat!
Exposed troll back and lower body!
"Dismantling Slash, motherfuckeeeeeer!!!!!!!"
Hit it once before it recovers and bail!
I braked with Heavenly Demon Supremacy, twisted my hips hard, gripped the hilt tight, and unleashed mana!
—Squeeeee!
A pure-power strike—my pitch-black blade, swung with full force, tore through the air toward the troll!
—Kwoooo!!
But the troll was more agile than expected.
"No way, fuck!"
It rolled, spread its legs in an M, eye-gouging while yanking its legs from my slash path, then counterattacked by thrusting its long hand at me.
Hand lunging at me!
Split-second call: all-in, no stopping—plant the Dismantling Slash in its palm.
This situation was do or die!
—Slash!!
And my judgment paid off.
The awkward trajectory and stance made it sloppy, but the blade powerfully severed the troll's palm.
—Kwooooooooaaaaaaaaaah!!!
The troll's scream erupted as hot blood sprayed.
Half its severed hand flew through the air. The attack landed perfectly. But monsters have superior pain tolerance over humans.
Even with its palm chopped off, the troll's arm rocketed toward my torso.
What waist strength, what grit.
"Fuuuuuuck yooooouuuuuu!!!!!"
—Pwoof!
Pain hit instantly.
By the time I registered it, I was tumbling across the ground. The impact had launched me. Luckily, I protected vitals—no fatal wound, but fuck, it hurt like hell!!!
"Gyaaaaaaaah!!!!"
—Kwoooooaaaah!!!!
But lying there meant death!
I suppressed the pain, rolled sideways, and sprang up—what about the troll?
"No! You fucking pussy!"
The troll was already smashing through the flimsy fence and fleeing.
Footsteps fading into the dark.
"You pussy-ass bitch, where the fuck you running, you dog shit!!!!!!"
I chased after the troll. Igniting my resolve within. A Heavenly Demon doesn't forgive those who show their backs—madlad Katt never spares runners!
Winia and Claudy would arrive soon.
They'd figure out which way I went in no time. Trusting them, I pursued!
—Kwoooooaaaah!!!!
Through the breached fence, I spotted the troll sprinting down the paddy path.
Pain throbbed from where I'd been hit.
Half my mana depleted, slight dizziness too.
"Snow Treading Without Trace!"
Still, I ran.
Ignoring the pain, chasing the troll!
—Kwoook?!
The troll noticed my pursuit and picked up speed. So did I. Mana pushed me beyond human limits!
Mana surged, dulling the pain.
"Get over here, you fucker!!!!"
—Kwoooooaaaah!!!
The forest loomed soon.
Fine in open fields, but the woods were troll territory. Even dogs rule their turf—dense trees and bushes? No way I could fight it there!
—Kwooooooo!!
In the midst of this bullshit deadly game of tag.
—Clouds parted, moonlight spilled down.
Ahead, the troll fled.
This speed, I could catch it.
But it wasn't alone up ahead.
"Hunchback!"
Something hunched moved at the forest edge!
The hunchback!
"You fucking idiot, I told you to hole up at home, you prick!!!"
It was digging its own grave to the end. No, crawling into it! Standing right in the troll's path!
Of course, couldn't let it die.
No civilian deaths allowed!
"Get the fuck outta there, you cocksuckeeeeeer!!!!!!"
I yelled with all my might, and finally the hunchback started running. But weird—it wasn't fleeing properly; panicked, it was charging toward the troll.
Shit, fuck!
—Heavenly Demon Supremacy.
Mana burst, boosting my speed. Explosive kicks propelled me at inhuman velocity—
"—Kieeeaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!"
Closing the gap in seconds, I saw the troll raise its arm. Ahead of it: the hunchback. If that arm swung, it'd be burst pizza, not hunchback!
"U-Uwooh! M-Monster! Stay back!"
"Stay back my ass, you prick!"
If you die, the payout's fucked, you dumb fuck!!!
—Whish!
The instant the troll swung, I stomped fiercely, blade forward, launching at the troll.
—Body airborne.
At this momentum, stabbing its back would block the hunchback attack and land a finisher, I thought.
—Kwoooooaaaah!!!!
Suddenly, the troll twisted, mid-punch at the hunchback, and targeted me.
—Whish!
Rotation-boosted massive arm hurtled at me. The scene glitched like a laggy old video—eerie.
Ah.
Fuck.
Can't dodge this.
"—Degyaaaaaas!!!!!!!!!"
Insane impact—I flew like a baseball.
—Pwak!
On hit, I ditched the sword, curled up. Tried max defense, but ate it full—gauntlet shattered. Fuck, 100% arm fracture.
Yeah.
Unbelievable agony.
"Waaaaay beyond the creator's expectations in propulsion fooooorce!!!!!!"
—Pwoof!
I crashed into the paddy like a terrified kid's pathetic wail. Tried to rise, but pain too severe. Hurt so bad tears welled up...!
The troll?
—Thud thud thud!
Already bolted for the forest.
Hunchback?
"Uh, uwaaaaaah!!!"
Screaming and running off somewhere. That fucker runs now, goddamn prick. Should've beaten it harder—my fault for holding back.
"Ah, fuck."
Lost the troll.
And it hurt like hell.
"Loot's all gone, you fuuuck."
Consciousness fading—
"Katt!"
"Darky!"
—Their voices.
They were rushing over, fully dressed. I'd stalled enough. Maybe two, three minutes. Forcing my dimming mind awake, I yelled.
"Fuck, I'm fine! It went to the forest! We gotta chase it!"