Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Facing the Trolls
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“……Troll?”
Seo Woo-jin wore a slightly surprised look.
It was the first day of the academy’s official schedule.
Trolls on leashes had appeared before the gathered heroes in the large training grounds, so it was no wonder he was startled.
“Some of you heroes have likely seen trolls before.”
The speaker was an upper knight of the Empire and an instructor at the academy.
“Killed one around level 10, I think.”
“Their recovery was insanely fast. Caught me off guard.”
Most of the heroes seemed to have encountered trolls before, just as the instructor said.
Seo Woo-jin was no exception.
The northern trolls in particular were far more powerful specimens than the ones standing before them now.
‘Nearly died back then.’
Regeneration that could heal all but the worst wounds in a few breaths.
Strength that no platoon of a hundred men could match.
And cunning that belied their massive size.
Trolls were monsters notorious even in the north.
And now, a full hundred of them stood leashed before the heroes.
“Today’s training is combat against trolls.”
The heroes snickered at the instructor’s words.
“Thought it’d be something big, but just trolls?”
“Still, they’re fun to chop up. Might be more interesting than I thought.”
The heroes traded jokes.
They acted as if the trolls before them were beneath notice.
‘You guys who get wrecked by goblins saying that?’
The trolls they’d faced were probably on the brink of death.
Weakened to the point where a few sword swings or punches would finish them.
They strutted with confidence after killing a few like that.
“Never fought a lively one before, though…….”
“Isn’t this kinda dangerous?”
Of course, there were heroes with their heads on straight.
The problem was there were so few you could count them on one hand.
“Complacency is the enemy. The trolls you’ll face today are a bit different from the ones you’ve seen before.”
The instructor scanned the heroes with cold, hardened eyes.
He’d already heard about the recent incident.
Setting Gerald aside, the fact that heroes over level 20 had nearly all died to a goblin horde.
Without the complacency, regular soldiers alone could wipe out a goblin village.
Yet these were the heroes, the hope against the Demon King……
But the heroes, oblivious or not to the instructor’s thoughts, even started making bets while giggling.
Sighing despite himself at the sight, the instructor continued his explanation.
“This battle serves not only to hone your real combat sense but also to accurately gauge your abilities and set the direction for future training. So please give it your all.”
Seo Woo-jin nodded at the instructor’s words.
Truth be told, he hadn’t thought the academy would be particularly helpful.
From what he’d heard, the academy’s original plan was just monster hunting for leveling up.
The only difference from what other heroes had done was that it happened under academy supervision.
They’d throw in some combat training and miscellaneous lessons along the way, sure……
But after Ban Slane’s tutelage, Seo Woo-jin didn’t expect much from that.
Things had changed, though.
He didn’t know if it was because of the goblins or Gerald……
‘The academy curriculum’s completely different now.’
Troll combat?
He hadn’t expected anything like this.
‘Not bad.’
Honestly, trolls were child’s play for Seo Woo-jin now.
He’d handled them even back at Massive Guardian, let alone after six more levels.
But what about the other heroes?
Guys who’d nearly been slaughtered by goblins—could they even show their true potential against trolls?
Seo Woo-jin was pessimistic.
Faced with a troll’s berserk killing intent, the heroes wouldn’t even breathe right.
He knew that better than anyone, having experienced it firsthand.
“We’ll call names one by one. Step forward when called and begin combat.”
The heroes moved to the waiting benches set up on one side of the training grounds.
And the first one called was.
“Go Han-seong.”
Someone he didn’t know.
* * *
His name came up first, startling Go Han-seong to his feet.
C-rank, level 20.
If you lined up all hundred heroes by skill, he’d be in the last ten.
He knew that full well.
He knew he wasn’t among the standout heroes.
Still, Go Han-seong strode forward, snorting through his nose.
‘A troll’s nothing. One thrust of my spear’ll do it.’
His class was ‘Spearman’.
Nothing special about it.
Just proficiency with spears and a handful of related skills.
Of course, that alone made it impressive.
In fact, Go Han-seong had once pierced five trolls in a single strike.
He’d long since forgotten that they’d been limbless, helpless wrecks.
To him, trolls were just big, stab-friendly sandbags.
“Are you ready?”
Go Han-seong nodded at the instructor’s question.
No need for prep against a mere troll.
The instructor frowned at him casually resting his spear butt on the ground.
But he said nothing more.
“Then begin.”
At the instructor’s signal, one troll’s leash came off.
Krurrrr—
Whether due to some magical treatment or not, the docile troll erupted with savage killing intent the moment it was freed.
‘Huh?’
Go Han-seong’s face twisted in confusion.
He’d planned to raise his spear right away and pierce the troll’s head.
Using his flashiest, most impressive skill, ‘Piercing Strike’.
Low rank or not, killing a troll in one hit would change how others saw him, or so he thought.
But Go Han-seong’s plan didn’t even get off the ground.
‘Why… why can’t I move?’
He couldn’t twitch a finger, let alone stab the troll’s head.
Sweat poured down like rain; he just blinked in shock.
Kraaaah—!
The three-meter behemoth charged at him.
Faster than its bulk suggested.
“U, uwaaaak!”
Only then could Go Han-seong move.
But his movements were far from the flashy display he’d envisioned.
The opposite, really.
He yelped in terror, fell flat on his ass, and flailed to escape the troll even a little.
The spear—his kingdom’s treasured support—went rolling across the training ground dirt.
But the troll was several times faster than his scrambling retreat.
It closed in instantly and reached out with both hands.
As if to shred its prey before its eyes.
“That’s enough.”
Slash—!
Thankfully, Go Han-seong didn’t end up troll chow.
The watching instructor stepped in and decapitated it with one stroke.
The troll dropped to its knees with a thud.
No regeneration could fix a severed head, impressive as its healing was.
“Puhaha!”
“What was that? Heroes making total asses of themselves.”
Laughter exploded from the waiting benches.
The heroes sneered pitifully at Go Han-seong, who’d pissed himself.
Humiliating.
But Go Han-seong had no time for such feelings.
He couldn’t believe he was still alive.
“I, I… d-d-died…”
Even with the troll dead, Go Han-seong trembled in frozen terror.
“Haa…….”
The instructor sighed at the sight.
He’d expected this, but not to this degree.
As the heroes said, just a mere troll.
Yet they couldn’t land a single attack and pissed themselves.
A disgrace even regular imperial soldiers wouldn’t show.
“Take him away.”
At the instructor’s order, attendants came and dragged the dazed Go Han-seong from the grounds.
‘Now I get why the curriculum changed so suddenly.’
From Go Han-seong’s display, the instructor saw exactly what the heroes needed.
“Next.”
Politeness had vanished from the instructor’s tone.
* * *
Gulp—
Someone swallowed dryly.
Over ten heroes had already faced trolls, pissed themselves, and collapsed.
Most couldn’t even stand properly, let alone attack.
The heroes who’d mocked Go Han-seong stopped laughing after an A-rank level 27 hero wet himself.
‘Tsk tsk.’
Seo Woo-jin clicked his tongue inwardly.
The heroes’ standards were even worse than he’d imagined.
He’d thought A-ranks would be different……
A single proper sword swing would bisect a troll.
Yet they couldn’t manage that one swing.
Overwhelmed by the first taste of crushing killing intent.
Heroes who’d only ever ridden the bus couldn’t handle it.
In the heavy silence, the moment finally arrived.
“Seo Woo-jin.”
The instructor called his name.
“…D-rank, right?”
“He gonna faint?”
“Might have a heart attack.”
The oppressive mood lightened a touch.
Seo Woo-jin was the lowest rank among the hundred heroes.
Humans always found comfort in those beneath them.
Snickers arose, but Seo Woo-jin ignored them.
“Are you ready?”
The instructor asked with zero expectations.
“Yes.”
He answered while drawing his sword.
The instructor signaled again, freeing a troll.
Kraaaaaah—!
The beast unleashed its long-suppressed savagery in newfound freedom.
It glared at Seo Woo-jin.
Its cry brimmed with killing intent—the very pressure that had broken the others.
‘Still weak.’
But Seo Woo-jin had slain countless northern trolls.
Low-grade intent like this wouldn’t faze him.
‘Now, what to do?’
He wanted to stay low-key, but not by pissing himself.
‘Killing it in one hit’s too flashy, though.’
The way to draw the least attention.
As Seo Woo-jin pondered that,
The troll mistook his pause for fear, like the others before.
And charged, just as its kin had.
Seo Woo-jin swung his sword on instinct.
His body reacted automatically to the sudden surge of intent.
And…
Slash—
A thin red line appeared on the troll’s body.
From head to groin.
The impeccably clean cut left the troll unable to even scream as it split and collapsed to either side.
‘Ah, damn…….’
Seo Woo-jin looked up with a troubled expression.
The instructor stared back in shock.