The Twin-Head Troll's Demise
The Twin-Head Troll let out a piercing roar and charged forward at full speed. Its massive frame shook the ground as it closed in, swinging a fist straight at me. I dropped low, letting the blow whistle over my head. The troll didn't pause. Its follow-up kick came up fast, but I twisted aside and slipped past its flank, letting the attack sail by harmlessly.
Frustrated by my repeated evasions, the troll shook both heads and bellowed. It swung the club in its hand with brutal force. This time there was no room to dodge. The weapon slammed into my side, and the moment it connected, mana wrapped around my body and absorbed the worst of the impact. The breath was knocked from my lungs as I was hurled backward, smashing through trees. Elly's water barrier coiled around me a second time, softening the collision. Cold currents brushed over my wounds, and healing followed.
I caught my breath and rose just in time to realize the troll had vanished from sight. As I scanned the area, Arin's voice rang out.
"Jihoon! Above you!"
I looked up. The troll was plummeting toward me, club raised high. I reacted instantly, flaring telekinesis to seize its falling body, twist its trajectory, and hurl it sideways. The troll lost its balance midair, spun once, then crashed through the trees and slammed into the ground. The impact echoed across the entire battlefield.
I raised my sword and assumed my stance, then used Flash Step to close the distance. I aimed for its legs, but without mana the blade only scraped shallow lines across its thick hide. The wounds immediately filled with a dark-red glow and began regenerating.
While the troll regained its footing, I poured mana into my sword and formed a mana blade. I dashed in again with Flash Step and executed the movements of the Flash Sword Art, carving through both legs in rapid succession. One knee was severed cleanly. The troll howled in pain and swung its arms to grab me, but I was already behind it. With one knee gone, it staggered, struggling to stay upright. I didn't waste the opening. I sliced deep into the back of its remaining leg, then targeted an arm as it tried to brace itself, severing it at the elbow.
Both heads screamed at once. Dark-red smoke billowed from its body as the lost limbs began regenerating at terrifying speed. I stepped back and reset my stance while the wounds sealed before my eyes.
Once the regeneration finished, the troll heaved great breaths, both heads glaring at me.
"Its regeneration is ridiculous," I muttered.
Arin and Elly nodded beside me.
The troll snorted and pushed itself upright. I gave a short laugh.
"You look pretty worn out. I'm still feeling fresh."
"Arin, Elly—each of you take one head."
I charged forward. Arin blasted flames into the left head's face, blinding it, while Elly enveloped the right head in a sphere of water that completely obscured its vision. As the troll thrashed in confusion, I slipped beneath it and severed both knees again. Its enormous body pitched forward. In that instant I cleaved through the left neck. The head flew free in a fountain of blood. I immediately turned toward the remaining head, but the troll reflexively swung an arm and sent me flying.
I rolled across the ground, regained my footing, and sprinted back in. Mana gathered at my fingertips, sharpening into a pointed projectile—a mana bullet. The moment the troll's mouth opened in a roar, I hurled the bullet inside. It lodged deep in its throat thanks to a quick telekinetic nudge. A violent explosion followed.
The troll's body convulsed, then the headless torso slowly toppled. The Twin-Head Troll was dead.
A surge of exhilaration rose from deep in my chest. B-rank boss monsters were supposed to require either one S-rank hunter or three A-rank hunters working together. I had just defeated one—alone, or rather, with two spirits. All the loot was mine. The thought brought a brief thrill, but it was quickly followed by a wave of exhaustion. My knee buckled and warm blood trickled down my side.
Arin rushed over and grabbed my arm.
"Stay still. You're bleeding."
"I'm fine—"
"Fine, my foot."
Elly extended her hand at once.
"Wave of Healing."
Blue light spread, and a gentle current of water enveloped the wound. The gash slowly closed and the stinging pain faded. A few seconds later Arin approached, worry etched across her face.
"Jihoon… that was really close this time."
"I'm okay. And…" I glanced at the fallen Twin-Head Troll. "We took it down in the end."
The troll's massive corpse had already begun to cool. Its severed heads lay stiffening on the dirt, and the stench of blood spread through the forest. So this was a B-rank boss monster. The reality of it sank in slowly. My strength had clearly changed from before.
Elly withdrew the last of her healing water and checked me over once more.
"You can move now. The recovery is sufficient."
"Then… let's collect the spoils first."
Boss monsters left behind plenty of valuables. A Twin-Head Troll could yield combat gear, materials, and possibly a top-grade mana stone. I crouched and examined the area around its waist and chest. My fingers brushed against something hard beneath the rough hide.
"Found it."
Inside the belt was a small box and a pouch fastened with metal clasps. Arin leaned in, eyes sparkling.
"What is it? What did you get?"
I opened the box. Several old rings and fragments of metal rested inside.
"Some of the equipment looks decent. Appraisal should fetch a good price."
When I opened the pouch, small crystals—some silver, some red—shifted and clinked. Elly peered inside.
"Oh, refinement stones. They're used to enhance high-grade equipment."
"Right. We'll take these too."
I gathered the loot together. Finally, I pressed down on the troll's lower ribcage. A solid yet faintly pulsing sensation met my palm.
"…There it is."
A boss-grade mana stone the size of my palm slid free, heavy as a rock. Red light slowly rotated within it, and powerful energy resonated through my fingertips.
Arin gasped in admiration.
"It's huge… really huge!"
I stored the mana stone separately in the deepest part of my spatial pouch.
"Good. Loot secured."
Now for the final step. After one last check of the corpse, I opened the spatial pouch.
"We'll take the entire body."
Mana flowed out and the pouch's mouth widened. The troll's corpse rose slowly and was drawn inside without a sound.
"Recovery complete."
I exhaled and stood.
"This was a solid haul."
The Twin-Head Troll's cave held another pile of treasure. Inside were several gems, well-forged metal pieces, armor that looked like it belonged to medieval knights, and one heavy chest. When I opened it, rings, talismans, and ornaments still pulsing with faint mana lay neatly arranged. Even after so much time, a subtle vibration reached my hand when I drew near.
"We'll take everything. Nothing to throw away."
Outside the cave, the sound of breaking trees echoed from the forest. It came again, then once more—closer each time. I stopped and stared ahead. Leaves beyond the cave entrance whipped about as though caught in a gale. The forest itself wasn't shaking, but shapes that had been hidden among the trees were now emerging.
"Hold on."
I climbed the nearest tree for a better view. From above, the forest was far busier than expected. Large shadows moved slowly between the trunks, while smaller, quicker shapes darted beneath them. In the distance, a dull mass was also converging.
Iron Bears. Night Wolves. And scattered remnants of orcs.
I glanced briefly toward where the Twin-Head Troll had fallen, then back at the forest. With the boss gone, the blocked flow of monsters had finally been released.
"Arin, Elly. Can you check the situation ahead?"
"Sure, just a moment."
"Got it. I'll start on the left."
The two spirits scattered into the trees. Arin returned first and pointed.
"Front and right. Monsters are rushing this way like crazy."
Elly's voice followed immediately.
"Left side is the same. They're fighting each other while heading toward the area where you absorbed the dungeon core."
"Maybe… the mana left behind after I absorbed the core hasn't dispersed yet?"
"That could be it. Since the boss is gone, they're charging in without hesitation."
"Monsters get stronger with more mana, after all."
"So what? The dungeon's going to disappear soon anyway."
"They don't know that, so they're rushing like mad."
"Kekeke."
"Now that you mention it, it's kind of funny even though it's serious."
"Still, no need to get tangled up with them. Let's get out of here."
"Agreed. Some of them are heading straight for where the boss was. Mostly trolls."
"Trolls? Hmm… should we grab a few more corpses? I heard troll blood sells for quite a bit."
"Hohoho! Byun Jihoon, you're really getting greedy. Do you have enough space in your pouch? And do you even know where to sell troll blood?"
"That's right, Jihoon. With your current connections, it'll be hard to sell anything you get here. Don't push it—let's just leave for now."
"What! Greedy?! And whose fault is that?! You two are the ones who said we should move to a bigger house! And redecorate the rooms! That takes money! Seriously… did you think I was doing this just for myself? Hmph! I've already got plans. Even the internet shows there are ways. Anyway… you two are really disappointing."
"Kekeke, Byun Jihoon. Look at you getting mad because you're embarrassed."
"Arin, don't tease him too much. Jihoon looks like he's about to get really angry."
"I'm not! It's all because of you two! Hmph… whatever."
"Let's just go. And instead of leaving right away, how about we train a bit on the way out? I still haven't fully adapted to my body… so let's break through head-on."
"Yeah! Arin and I haven't properly used our upgraded powers yet either. Let's loosen up while we leave."
"Worst case, we can just fly away. Jihoon should be able to fly pretty fast and far by now, too."
"Right. Let's fight at full strength and carve our way out."
In the end we held nothing back. Though the dungeon hadn't been crowded with monsters, once the scattered ones began moving together, clashes erupted at every choke point. I combined Flash Step with my sword to quickly dispatch anything blocking the path. Arin used flames to cut off pursuit and clean up anything that tried to follow. Elly layered water and currents to disrupt approach angles, keeping unnecessary fights from even starting.
After a few pushes, almost no monsters remained in our way. I lifted into the sky, and Arin and Elly joined me at once. Passing through the gate, we emerged to find a lone guard post. The attendant inside was fast asleep, head bowed. Cold, clear dawn air filled my lungs, and I finally let out a long breath.
"Ha… let's just go home and sleep today."
When we arrived home, my small but cozy space felt especially precious. My body was exhausted, and even washing up seemed like too much trouble.
"Elly, just for today… please."
Elly nodded and gently raised a wave of purification and healing. Warm water-light—not cold—wrapped around me, washing away the day's dust and blood smell in an instant. Life was becoming more convenient by the day. Arin shot me a brief glare from the side, but I pretended not to notice and collapsed onto the bed.
"Both of you, go rest. Sleep well today."
The two spirits returned to the spirit realm, and I sank into a deep sleep.