Chapter 372
Chapter 372
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 372
Chapter Title: Troll's Song
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"Katt!"
"B-Blackie, you okay?!"
Cloudy and Winia rushed over and grabbed me.
Honestly, it fucking hurt like hell, but I couldn't just pass out here. We'd come this far and taken all this damage—if we let the troll get away now, it'd be like killing ourselves to fatten the dog. More than that, this bastard chewed up my gear, so I had to smash it flat no matter what.
"I'm fine...! If we let it go now, that fucker's gonna bolt into the forest for good! We gotta chase it right now! Otherwise, we'll never catch it!"
I immediately sat up, and "Teeeeeaaaang!!!" a grotesque scream burst from my mouth on its own. No, fuck. This bad?
Fracture, fuck!
A truly insane agony shot through me. No bullshit—this was the first time my bones had broken since coming to this world. That hunchbacked fucker was dead next time I saw him.
I wasn't threatening to send him home for nothing, damn it!!!
Of all places, why'd he have to pop up there, you fucking prick!!!
"Blackie, your arm! Sis, go grab a splint branch!"
"Got it!"
"Ugh...! Thanks!"
Winia instantly tore a strip from her robe hem and removed my gauntlet. The way she ripped it without hesitation looked so wild and cool.
"Tch, haa...!"
Even as she did, a scream rose to my throat, but I barely held it back. My pride was already in tatters—no way I could scream like a little bitch on top of that.
Soon, Cloudy returned with splint wood.
"Katt, hold still!"
"Got it!"
Cloudy and Winia performed emergency treatment on my arm. They skillfully fitted the splint and bound it into a cast.
I kept thanking them through tears.
"Sniff! Thanks! I love you guys, thank you!"
"Blackie, you fucking idiot, your shit got wrecked! I knew it the moment you charged like that! If it was bad, just run or something—why pull that stubborn stunt?!"
Winia bellowed.
Sure, I wanted to run, but then the villagers would've died instead. If I hadn't thrown myself in, that hunchback would've exploded too.
It sucked, but I couldn't allow that.
Better this than damage to my reputation.
"Hey, we at least clipped its ankle... Anyway, let's hurry! If that fucker gets farther, we might not catch it!"
"Yeah, like Blackie says, we chase. That fucking troll bastard! Blackie's getting an ass-kicking later!"
"Eek!"
Seemed like only my left arm was fucked; everything else was fine.
Good thing crashing into the paddy softened the impact. Gear saves lives, after all.
The fracture pain was beyond imagination, but I clenched my teeth and stood. Had to stand. The splint helped a bit.
"Katt, you did great. You gave it your all. I saw the monster's hand lying back there on the way—your doing, right?"
"Yeah... but that was all I could manage. Lucky the troll was wrecked too, or if it'd kept coming, I'd have lost for sure."
"That's plenty."
Cloudy retrieved my sword, and the three of us plunged into the forest in pursuit.
We couldn't let the troll escape. It got its rocks off on human flesh but took a big hit—might run forever now.
Had to catch it now; no other chance.
That massive body exploding into motion must've tired it out too.
Its speed was faster than a normal human, but seeing it flee on all fours with its long arms and short legs, its stamina didn't seem great.
Humans have the best endurance.
Tracking the trail like this, we could catch it.
"Sis! Hear anything?!"
"Too noisy in the forest!"
I kept my arm fixed as best I could and ran busily after them. Running speed was fine—legs weren't hurt.
With a cast and this much pain, I could grit through it.
Tears flowed, though.
"B-Blackie, you really okay? Doesn't hurt like a bitch?"
"Arm's hurt, not legs, so don't worry! If it was fatal, I couldn't run!"
"For real? Not bullshitting to hunt the troll when you're fucked up?"
"Just the arm hurts! I can run!"
Not as bad as Winia worried.
More importantly, the troll. Trail was super obvious—no blood, but frantic footprints everywhere.
Stretched in a straight line.
This troll fucker was running for its life. Lost half its hand, so of course it was hauling ass.
That much damage kicks in survival instinct.
So it'd tire soon.
Reckless flight eats stamina hard.
Just chase till then!
Tak-tak-tak-tak!
We ran like that for a good while.
Finally.
—Groooooaaarrr!!!
Ahead, the troll was visibly slowing, lumbering between trees on exhausted legs.
"Found it! Sis!"
—Pew!
The moment it entered view, Cloudy shot forward.
—Shiiiik!!
Insane speed. She reached its tail in a flash, swung her twin scimitars, and thick hide split with a spray of blood.
Know a mama who shreds with basic swings?
—Groooaaarrr!!!!
The shocked troll ignored the bleeding, spun, and lunged at Cloudy. It used terrain smart—grabbed a tree, monkey-leapt, and punched.
Didn't touch Cloudy, of course.
She dodged punches nimbly; every slash carved troll flesh like ham. Not even 30 seconds in, it was mangled, thrashing for life.
—Slash!
Unlike my ass-clown fight, Cloudy moved with ultimate efficiency, slicing it like torture.
—Greeeeaaahhh!!!
A pitiful wail erupted.
"Chain Lightning!"
—Pzzt-zzt-zzzt!!!
Then Winia's lightning struck its gap; the troll shrieked grotesquely, body convulsing. That was it.
Scimitars fell like a guillotine, severing the head.
"Whew, muscle made it slice nice."
—Shik!
Cloudy flicked blood from her blades with a refreshed tone.
After such a long chase, the kill was instant. Trolls were just dog chow to Cloudy.
My job was pulling aggro so it couldn't kill villagers.
Anyway, we caught our breath.
"Pretty big troll. Old one, looks like."
Winia, stamina restored, inspected the corpse.
"And sis, the hide's ruined now."
"Killing in one hit wastes less?"
"Tch."
Time for loot.
Winia had the backpack.
"Winia, just rip out the heart and drain blood, right?"
"Blackie, sit your ass there. What're you gonna do with a busted arm?"
"Damn."
Easy stuff I could do one-handed. Nighttime—better finish quick and head back.
"Katt, sit. I'll do it."
"Nah, I got this."
"It's fine. You've done enough, Katt? Chasing a monster solo like that—amazing."
Cloudy smiled gently, hugged me, and set me down softly. Yeah, couldn't beat the troll, but scared it shitless to flee.
Good enough for now.
No villager deaths either.
Quest clear.
"Alright, sis, poke a hole in the neck. Blood stopped."
As Winia said, Cloudy stabbed the severed neck; blood spurted again. Winia widened the jug mouth to catch it.
"Winia, I got that."
"Just sit, I said."
I could handle draining.
"Ain't hard."
I stood, snatched the jug from Winia, squatted, and caught blood. Easy. One hand fine. Winia looked uneasy but let go.
Cloudy and I inspected the body meanwhile.
"This... male? A male troll?"
Winia peered oddly.
"Male means?"
Cloudy asked; Winia explained. I kept draining and listened.
"Male, in heat too. Balls swollen like Blackie's nuts... weird."
"Wait, Winia? Why bring up my balls?"
"Just listen. A troll in heat not hunting females but lurking near village, hunting steady for days? Odd."
"That weird?"
"Blackie, if you were rock-hard at night, I'd help, yeah?"
"Uh... why say embarrassing shit suddenly."
Blunt as hell, but true—they handled me every night till dawn.
"What if you didn't?"
"I'd suffer bad."
"Same. Heat trolls obsess over mating females—nothing else. Scent sharpens; becomes female-hunting machine. Finds one? No food, just fuck till heat ends, then gone."
Balls still swollen meant no female yet.
"So why's this one here...?"
Winia pondered; Cloudy sliced belly, caught cavity blood, answered.
"Female nearby?"
"It'd stick then. Hard to miss for days... really a female close? Then why here?"
Monsters follow instinct, but sometimes act weird. If Winia questioned this much, something was up.
Anyway, busted-arm me awkwardly drained blood; work finished meanwhile.
Cloudy neatly butchered it.
Jug full of blood; backpack got heart, head, some bones. Hide worthless, ditched.
"Katt, I'll carry the pack."
"Sorry."
"No biggie. Not heavy? Hehe, just happy you fought that hard. Most warriors couldn't face that monster bravely. Yeah, trolls are tough."
She comforted sweetly.
Just embarrassing.
Compared to her one-shot, I was a pathetic momma's boy fucker.
"Sure, mama's strong so easy kill, but mama's older than Katt..."
"Heh heh, older?"
"Older..."
Cloudy shut up there.
Probably spared feelings—her easy kill vs. my injury. Half-elf Cloudy way older, obviously.
I didn't pry, just rubbed my face in her chest.
Her kindness too much.
"Tch, anyway, Blackie gets fucked up like that. Gonna?"
"No, but couldn't avoid injury."
Saved the hunchback, that's how.
"Anyway, Blackie needs a scolding. Throws body around too much."
"Isn't that Katt's charm?"
"Sis sees me and Blackie different."
"Does she?"
We strolled back to village. Still night; dawn soon.
Fuck. Arm means treatment focus awhile. But 20 silver quest plus extras make 30—worth it.
Painful loss.
Walking quiet, no energy to talk—then.
—Rustle rustle.
We spotted something, froze together.
"..."
Its silhouette: shrunken troll. Thought female troll? Nah, fancier.
—Hunchback.
"Ah."
No, fuck that guy...!
I almost yelled, shut mouth.
Signaled Cloudy and Winia to hush.
"Quiet. Follow."
He headed somewhere.
After warnings... no, after troll near-miss, back in forest? Weird.
Definitely off.
Why keep coming here?
I didn't smack him for nothing.
Sexual harassment pissed wives off too, but main goal: instill fear so he never enters forest.
Villagers don't know we killed troll yet.
Hunchback same.
I saved him from troll death, yet back in?
Not dense.
—Some intent.
Yeah, hunchback obsessed with this forest. That's why he snuck back despite warnings.
That clicked.
We tailed stealthily. He didn't notice. Hurried somewhere.
Soon, he stopped.
"...What’s he doing?"
Cloudy whispered in my ear. I swallowed, watched hunchback.
Moonlight revealed it.
He cleared a lump—
—small cave appeared.
He entered.