Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Troll
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Troll.
The bastard child of the giant race.
Or the failed experiment, as they were called.
The gods granted them robust vitality and immense strength, but stripped away even a handful of intellect.
Their extinction was only natural.
Yet in the Forsaken Cliffs,
In this isolated abyss, they still endured.
"Troll!? You mean the bastard child of giants that vanished ages ago?"
"You're looking at it right now."
Rumble rumble crash!
Groooaaarrr!
Swinging a massive club from who-knows-where, it smashed through the stumbling boulders and charged forward.
"To think a creature I'd only read about in books still exists."
Luteon, burning with battle spirit, let out a hollow laugh at the troll's colossal form.
It was a predictable reaction.
The bastard offspring of the giant race, who once reigned like gods.
The troll inherited their blood, bones, and flesh, boasting power enough to shatter mountains, skin as hard as steel, and a towering frame over seven meters tall that exuded an otherworldly menace.
Its very existence was unrelenting violence to humans, a top predator in the food chain that crushed the spirit like a mouse before a serpent.
Crunch!
It roughly yanked a Lougaru hiding in a pile of rocks into its maw in one gulp.
-Kieeeek!
The pitiful scream echoed, only to be silenced by crunch, crunch-crunch.
The sounds of bones and flesh being ground marked the end of the Lougaru's cries.
All that remained where it had stood was the eerie drip of juices echoing through the valley.
The Lougaru pack, baring their fangs like jackals at the arrival of this mighty predator, had long scattered to the winds.
Naturally, the troll's yellow eyes now fixed on Luteon and Kallias.
"Luteon. You know what?"
"What the hell are you talking about in a situation like this?"
Just meeting the troll's gaze made his body stiffen like a mouse before a snake.
What could it possibly know?
Luteon scowled and glanced at Kallias.
But Kallias, face unchanged despite staring down the troll, calmly spouted nonsense.
"Trolls have a surprisingly low daily food intake compared to their massive size."
"...Spouting useless trivia in a time like this... You've got some rotten hobbies."
"It's not bad to know."
"Out with it then."
What good was knowing its daily meals?
Grumbling or not, Kallias flaunted his knowledge.
"Less than a hundred kilograms, they say. And since this one's not fully grown, half that should suffice."
While an elephant weighing four tons consumes about a hundred kilograms a day, a troll nearing ten tons eats far less.
A truly wondrous physiology.
"Is that supposed to be 'low'? And how the hell do you even know that? I don't recall it being in Hetaera's monster compendium."
Ignoring Luteon's confusion,
Kallias pressed on.
"It's negligible compared to its body. It's already devoured three Lougaru here, so it's near its daily quota. Someone your size should satisfy it."
Once it ate something Luteon's size, it'd feel full enough.
That was Kallias's point.
Trolls didn't hunt when their bellies were stuffed, like any beast.
In other words, be its meal.
A rotten joke.
"Cut the crap, Kallias. Even with one arm out of commission, I have no intention of dying here. Not when She needs me."
She.
Probably referring to that woman.
"Trolls don't scare me. Escaping in this state is impossible anyway. Same for you, right? The odds are abysmal, but together, we might take it down."
Even as remnants of giants, it was still living flesh.
In ancient times, knights who hunted trolls were role models for all.
Most who reached master rank today had faced trolls before.
"We'll see about that."
"Scared, Kallias? Your face looks just like when Esther beat you senseless in swordplay during your ascetic days."
"Shut your mouth, Luteon. I've never lost to anyone."
"You lost all the time."
Luteon grumbled, then grinned as old memories surfaced.
But suddenly, his smile turned bitter.
"Kallias."
Thud! Thud! Thud!!
The troll charged.
Each step pulverized the ground, sending shattered rocks flying and violent tremors filling the valley.
"What."
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'll never forgive you."
"Save the petty talk for later—it's coming!"
-Grroooaaarrr!
Roaring, the troll swung its club down.
Luteon channeled holy power through his body and stepped forward.
And in that instant.
Kallias, holy power surging through him as well, broke into a full sprint!
"Huh?"
Luteon whipped around, stunned, spewing curses no believer should utter.
"You damned bastard! Is that how a noble acts?!"
Kallias replied calmly as he sprinted.
"I'm a pilgrim. And when did I say I'd fight the troll?"
"You madman! We're obviously supposed to fight it together here!!"
Boom!!
Rolling aside to barely dodge the club, Luteon kicked off the ground. His genius reflexes remained even injured.
He minimized damage, wrapped his legs in holy power, and leaped away.
"Once we're out of here, you're first on my kill list, Kallias!"
"Don't expect anything from enemies, Luteon. Same here—once we're out, I'll kill you with my own hands!"
* * *
A valley devoid of sunlight, cloaked in eternal darkness. Here, ancient beasts of bizarre form and habit formed their own ecosystems, building lives in twisted harmony.
Glowing grasses and luminous stones scattered throughout cast an ethereal light. Now, in this Forsaken Valley, the beasts fled in panic amid sudden chaos.
Boom! Crash! Rumble!!
Massive quakes and intensifying blasts echoed. Bursting through sand clouds came the troll, pursued by two desperately fleeing men.
Luteon and Kallias.
"Damn it!! How does it know exactly where we're hiding? That thick-skulled freak!"
"This place hasn't seen sunlight for ages. Naturally, its sense of smell has sharpened over sight...!"
Before he finished.
Luteon and Kallias leaped aside in unison.
The troll's club cleaved the air.
Boom!! Dodging falling debris, they clutched creaking knees and ran.
Grrr! Yap yap!
"Get lost, you mongrel!!"
Luteon's explosive spear erupted, Kallias's sword slashed the beast.
Boom! Slash.
The fiends split in two and fell, but the men's faces were grim.
"Damn."
They slashed fiends while fleeing, fleeing while slashing. But ahead loomed a massive wall.
A dead end.
Groooaaarrr!
Thud.
The troll, exhausted too, huffed white breath.
"What a stench."
Anticipating its meal, it drooled thick saliva like a beast before prey.
A grin split its face.
Luteon grimaced at the filthy sight; Kallias raised his sword.
"Luteon."
"What now."
"I think its eyesight is practically nonexistent."
"...Yeah, seems so. It relies more on hearing and smell."
They'd glimpsed its style through skirmishes while fleeing.
Eyes present, but in this pitch-black sunless place, it hunted by scent and sound.
A survivor of eons, a living fossil—plausible.
"Troll skin is steel-tough... but not everywhere."
"Nostrils or earholes are softer, right?"
"Worth a shot."
Dead end.
All or nothing.
No other options.
This wasn't a place for Kallias as he was.
Even with a Soul-grade sword, it'd be tough—let alone his half-baked spirit sword, and with Luteon dragging him down.
Plans had gone utterly awry.
But what was done was done.
To survive, they'd try anything.
"Damn it, so I have to do it. Risky stuff on me? I'm not crazy."
"Luteon, with my sword and skills, drawing its attention is my limit."
He had to admit it.
His half-spirit Predatory Sword—Roas—couldn't deeply wound troll hide.
Any cut would heal in moments.
But Luteon's explosive spear was different.
Jamming his bomb-like spear into its nostril and detonating would deal real damage.
"But it won't kill it. It'll recover fast anyway."
Called giants' bastards, trolls excelled in one thing above them.
Regeneration.
"You know about troll regen."
A divine gift, they said.
Even dragons of old ate trolls to heal grave wounds. Pointless to argue.
"Arms regrow in no time—what's the point?"
Luteon was right.
With such regen, even inner strikes would heal quick.
"No, that's exactly it."
Just a moment.
If they could halt it briefly, that'd suffice.
"Damn, if it does nothing, I'll kill you before the troll eats me."
"Not planning to die by your hand."
Talk ended.
The troll attacked as if waiting.
Boom!!
It stomped with a massive forepaw, but they dodged. It snorted.
Then lightning-swung its club.
Crash! Boom!
Rocks pelted painfully with each move.
A sharp shard gashed Kallias's face, blood trickling.
Yet he watched for an opening.
'Silver Flower Sword Wave, First Form.'
Flower Breaking Path.
No need to carve with sword aura.
Instead, scatter his to confuse.
Then Second Form, White Mist.
Ultra-fast slashes everywhere, carving sword traces on the ground.
Sword aura reversed from earth, flying myriad swift strikes.
'Third Form, Other Shore Flower.'
Scattering Flower Breaking Path and White Mist.
Harmonized perfectly amid them, unleashing a blow.
Unfinished technique, but Threefold Vision aided maximal execution.
Silver auras lashed its body; crashing Flower Breaking Path struck its face.
Soon, Kallias's sword path blended silver petals and White Mist auras. Aura on blade vibrated sharply, emitting eerie hum.
Unifying a thousand variations into one sword.
That was Silver Flower Sword Wave: Other Shore Flower.
But then.
Whoosh!!
A casual swing shattered Flower Breaking Path and White Mist like tickles, engulfing Kallias.
Boom!!
"Urk!"
Whirl, crash!
The club blow hurled him into the wall.
'My arm...'
Left shoulder dislocated.
Twisted badly.
Thousand Variations Myriad Flowers had blunted the strike somewhat—direct hit would've killed.
Such was the troll's inhuman might.
But.
"Luteon!!"
Face contorted in pain, Kallias shouted.
Then.
"Die, you monster bastard!"
Luteon's soaring explosive spear Ames blazed red.
The smug troll recoiled, screeching at the light, eyes squeezed shut.
But Luteon was faster.
"Tenfold Fury Blast!!"
Boom!!
A massive explosion erupted.
All his holy power condensed and unleashed—smoke filled the air, winds howled.
Visibility zero. But.
-Grroooaaarrr!
Its agonized scream rang out.
Rumble!
The giant toppled, whipping up another sandstorm.
"Kallias! Quit dawdling and get out! I did what you said!"
"Was just about... to!"
Rustle.
Kallias pulled from the wall, stabbed Roas into the ground, and gripped something from his bosom.
"Hurry! It's stirring!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
To buy time, Luteon squeezed his last holy power into another explosive spear thrust.
But the troll's regen exceeded expectations.
-Grraaaahh!
Swipe, smack!! Boom!
"Arrrgh!!"
A fly-swatting gesture flung Luteon away.
Yet he didn't forget to swing his spear.
-Grroooar!
First true pain?
Its eyelids torn from blasts, weeping bloody tears.
But visibly healing in seconds.
One difference, though.
Its eyes. The eyes had changed.
Not a predator's glare, but prey's.
Fear.
Terror.
That's what filled them.
Unaccustomed to pain, this novel agony bred dread.
Thus, writhing unable to rise.
Now was the chance.
"Kallias!!"
At Luteon's cry, Kallias mustered all strength to climb its face.
He hurled the vial in his grasp into its maw.
His most precious creation.
Valterus's holy water.