Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Translator: Penny
Chapter 10
Prey 3
"Haa..."
Lawrence Rubel von Crowngard, Third Prince of the great Kingdom of Astraria, a noble of the social elite, and self-proclaimed heir to the qualities of a saintly king, gazed at the distant mountains.
Why am I doing this?
From the moment he left for the Veilain Fief until now, not a single good memory remained.
He'd nearly been killed by a Demonic Beast, then beaten by a Lord who might as well have been a barbarian.
Now, he was being forced to hunt monsters.
"Is everything ready?"
"Hey... I'm a prince, you know."
"I'm a count."
"Aish, that's not the point! You're a count—how can you possibly go monster hunting yourself?!"
Agron tilted his head, looking puzzled.
"The strongest becomes the leader. In this fief, I am the strongest. Therefore, it's only natural that I go to capture it."
"What kind of three-step logic is that...?"
"Didn't you become a prince because you're strong too?"
"...No."
"I was just saying."
Fucking bastard?
Lawrence gritted his teeth, noticing Agron's slightly contemptuous gaze.
This muscle-brained idiot showed no respect for anyone who wasn't a strong warrior.
"Heh heh heh, looks like you've made a new friend."
"You've arrived, Elder."
Lawrence stared at Agron with wide eyes.
"What?"
"You... you know how to use honorifics?"
"Of course. It's all in the books."
"Why don't you speak politely to me too?!"
"I don't use honorifics with weaklings like you, you girly boy."
This bastard?
Lawrence bit his lip, glaring at Agron. He vowed that when he became king, he would make this man his servant.
Agron, standing between Baek Woon and Lawrence, briefly introduced them to each other.
"Greetings. I am Daoist Baek Woon from the Eastern Continent."
"Pleased to meet you. I am Lawrence Rubel von Crowngard, Third Prince of the Kingdom of Astraria."
"Alright, let's get moving."
After the brief introductions, Agron's group immediately set off for the neighboring village where the monster had reportedly appeared.
Lawrence tried to use the carriage he had arrived in, but Agron grabbed him by the collar, dragged him out, and forced him onto a horse.
Pushing on relentlessly without rest, they soon arrived at the neighboring village.
"This... this is serious."
The monster's tracks were easy to find.
From the village entrance, they spotted a brutally mangled corpse.
Agron dismounted and approached the body.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Lawrence frowned and tried to stop him, but Agron ignored him, bending down to examine the corpse.
"The body temperature has dropped significantly. Judging by the congealed blood and twisted worms, the victim has been dead for at least half a day."
"Uh... you can tell all that just by looking?"
"You learn these things after seeing enough corpses."
Agron pressed his ear to the ground, then leaned in to sniff the wounds on the body.
A faint, acrid stench hung in the air, distinct from the usual smell of decay.
This time, he meticulously examined the stab wounds.
The mangled, crushed cuts were clearly inflicted with a single blow.
His expression twisted subtly.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"It's a troll."
"A troll?"
"But they rarely come down to human settlements."
"Usually, that's true. Whether they've been driven out of their hunting grounds or just come down for amusement... either way, it's definitely a troll."
Agron leaped onto his horse, pointed in two directions, and declared, "I'll take this route. You and the Elder go that way."
"What?! Why aren't we going together?"
"Do you know what monster always appears alongside trolls?"
"Uh... goblins?"
"You know your stuff. There are goblin bite marks on the corpse. They must have followed the troll down to the village."
Their relationship wasn't symbiotic; it was closer to parasitism.
Goblins are social monsters, but forming groups doesn't make them strong.
Instead, they trailed behind trolls, scavenging scraps like scavengers after a feast.
"The village is vast and crowded. Even ordinary goblins could easily kill panicked civilians, even without the troll."
"Ah... so you're saying the troll and the goblin horde have separated and are rampaging through the village independently?"
"You grasp things quickly."
"Ahem! Despite appearances, my grades in Royal Studies were—"
"I'll go this way. You go that way."
Agron spurred his horse and vanished before the other man could finish speaking.
"Heh heh heh, Your Highness. Let's proceed this way."
"Master Daoist, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Has that fellow always been so dismissive of others' words?"
"He must have fully understood Your Highness's profound intentions."
"No, he didn't seem to be listening at all..."
"No time for that! Giddy up!"
Lawrence merely tightened his grip on the reins, realizing that no one ever listened to him until he finished speaking.
Their forces were meager.
Having brought only a handful of cavalry from the fief and the knights Lawrence had brought, their total number barely reached ten.
They had to move quickly, leaving no time to gather infantry.
"Hunts, can we take down a troll with this few men?"
"Against trolls and goblins, yes. Normally, it takes about five knights to fight a single troll."
"So, even with the goblins, this number should be enough?"
"Yes, more than enough."
Hunts nodded firmly, his eyes resolute.
He had disgraced himself before the wolf pack and the Wolf Demonic Beast the previous night, but that was only because they hadn't been fully prepared for battle.
Now, knowing their enemy and having prepared for combat, there was nothing to fear.
Although Hunts and Harkin weren't the Royal Palace's top-tier knights, they were still Guard Knights of the Royal Family.
"I've heard trolls are quite strong..."
"They're definitely among the strongest monsters. Even those ferocious Orc hordes avoid confronting them directly."
"Uh... then aren't we at a disadvantage?"
"Your Highness, do you know what the most terrifying aspect of trolls is?"
"I don't. Their strength?"
Hunts shook his head at Lawrence's words.
"Strength is part of it, but the real problem lies in their astonishing regenerative abilities. They're practically monsters that can even regenerate their hearts."
"Wait, if they can regenerate so well, how do you kill them?"
Trolls' regenerative abilities were so renowned that mages and alchemists even processed their blood into potions.
Records even claimed that trolls couldn't be killed by stabbing their hearts. It was said that warriors had to pin them down and chop off their heads with axes to finally kill them.
"That's what everyone used to believe," Hunts said, tapping his sword sheath. "Only recently have their weaknesses been discovered: fire and Holy Relics."
He tapped the pommel of his sword. "This sword contains Saint's Bone Dust in its pommel. I bought it from a merchant for a hefty price and had it added."
"Oh—that's the best news I've heard all day! Excellent! Let's catch this troll or whatever it is and head back to the castle right away!"
People feared demons and witches as much as they praised their gods, and superstition ran deep in their bones. This was true for everyone, from rural serfs to battlefield mercenaries and even the lords of the fiefs.
"Saint's Bone Dust, eh? Your sword should complement my talisman nicely, Sir."
"Oh, Master Daoist, you can even write talismans?" Hunts asked.
Baek Woon stroked his beard and chuckled. "Despite my appearance, I'm quite a renowned Daoist in the Eastern Continent."
"Heh—you certainly don't look like one."
"Tsk, tsk, Your Highness. People can only perceive others according to their own level of understanding."
"...?"
While Lawrence struggled to determine whether Baek Woon's words were praise or insult, Baek Woon quickly strode forward.
"The damage here is severe. This isn't the work of an ordinary troll..."
"I share your assessment, Sir. The way it demolished buildings and slaughtered livestock and people... it's beyond typical troll behavior."
Baek Woon and Hunts surveyed the ravaged streets, their expressions grim. They had already discovered seventeen corpses.
Among the corpses were those of sturdy men, their bodies crushed by some immense force, a truly gruesome sight.
"A single blow... It's just like what we saw at the village entrance."
"Damn, this is incredible. How could a single troll inflict such devastation?"
"Your Highness, shouldn't we send for reinforcements now?" Hunts asked cautiously, sensing the situation was beyond their control.
"Shit, it's too late to call for help now! You said five knights would be enough to win, didn't you?!" Lawrence snapped, his voice laced with reprimand.
Ha, should we have left the Prince at the village entrance?
Hunts couldn't shake off his unease, constantly glancing at the Prince.
They could certainly subdue a single troll with their current numbers.
In fact, they could probably handle two without much trouble.
Hunts, Harkin, and the Daoist were present, and Agron, who could subdue a Wolf Demonic Beast with a single blow, was also with them.
Right, two should be manageable. Trolls don't roam in packs like Orcs or Goblins, so there's no chance three would descend. At most, it'll be a mated pair.
Hunts gripped the reins tightly, forcing himself to conceal his excessive anxiety. He vowed to prioritize the Third Prince's safety above all else.
"Hmph..."
Hunts and the knights advanced, weapons drawn, their bodies tense with anticipation.
Gradually, the corpses thinned out, and an unnatural silence descended.
"Something's off..."
"I was thinking the same thing."
"Wait! I hear something—"
Before Hunts could finish his warning, the adjacent building collapsed, and a massive club crashed down from the wreckage.
콰앙!
"Kuaaaak!"
Hunts screamed as he blocked the club with his staff, protecting Lawrence and the Daoist.
"What... what is that?" Lawrence stammered, his jaw clenching as he stared up at the house-sized monster.
What stood before them was, quite literally, a monster.
The creature's grotesque, gray body oozed with fat and reeked of a nose-burning stench. In its hand, it wielded a club larger than a grown man.
This was clearly a different creature from the trolls they knew.
"That's a troll... a Troll Warrior!" Baek Woon shouted.
He had only seen this monster once before—a vicious beast that had destroyed hundreds of homes and driven an entire fief to ruin.
Kwaroooargh!
The Troll Warrior roared at the heavens.
The group covered their ears and ducked their heads.
"D-damn it...! We have to run...!"
Hunts, who was closest to the monster, barely managed to shout, blood dripping from his ears and nose.
The Troll Warrior far exceeded the size he had imagined.
This was no creature that six or seven knights could handle.
"M-Master Daoist...! P-please protect Your Highness...!"
Just as Hunts, his face twisted in desperation, spoke to Baek Woon, the monster's club swung down upon them again.
KWAANG—!
With a single blow, three Royal Palace knights were sent flying.
"You damn monster!"
Adjutant Harkin's eyes flashed as he charged at the creature.
"N-no! Stop!" Hunts shouted, but his warning came too late.
The Troll Warrior's sideways strike landed squarely on Harkin's flank.
The knights were overwhelmed by a crushing sense of despair, unsure of what to do.
They had enough manpower to easily defeat two ordinary trolls, yet they couldn't even mount a counterattack against a single Troll Warrior. This bitter reality struck them hard.
"Master Daoist... you must leave quickly! I don't think we can hold out much longer..."
"Hmm, I'll do as you say, Sir. Your Highness, snap out of it!"
Baek Woon shook Lawrence, who was half-dazed, by the shoulders.
"Huh? Oh, uh... I'm awake now."
"We must flee immediately. I'll provide what little assistance I can!"
Baek Woon retrieved a talisman from his robes.
The talismans shot forth from his palm like rays of light, adhering to the Troll Warrior's body from all sides.
He clenched his fist, extending only his index and middle fingers, and brought them before his face.
"Explode!"
Kugagagaga!
No sooner had the words left his lips than the talismans exploded in a chain reaction, engulfing the surroundings in thick smoke.
Lawrence and Hunts stared at Baek Woon with wide eyes, astonished by the unexpectedly devastating attack.
"What are you waiting for? Why aren't you running?"
"Uh, ah, I understand... no, I understand."
"Then please, Master Daoist!"
"Hey! Hunts, you need to run too!"
For the first time, Lawrence was looking out for Hunts, and an indescribable emotion surged through Hunts' chest.
"...Please be careful!"
Hunts gripped his sword hilt roughly and charged through the dust cloud toward the Troll Warrior, slashing diagonally downward.
With a schlick sound, the dull sensation of slicing through thick flesh traveled up the blade.
Did that damage it...?
Hunts swung his sword repeatedly, slashing through the dust-obscured battlefield.
The blade tore through flesh, piercing skin to gouge muscle and organs beneath.
Thick, dark green blood splattered everywhere, its nauseating stench making his head spin.
He had clearly struck near the heart, so the damage couldn't be negligible.
I wish it were dead... But even if not, this attack infused with Holy Relic energy will surely slow its regeneration.
Even if trolls were monstrous beings capable of regenerating their hearts, the healing rate for a severed finger couldn't possibly match that of a pierced heart.
I just need to buy enough time for Your Highness to escape...
But his hope was short-lived.
As the dust settled, a perfectly intact Troll Warrior stood before him.
KWAHHH!
The monster roared again, swinging its club wildly in all directions.
The attack was devastating, akin to a meteor shower crashing from the sky.
"Kuaaaah!"
"H-Hunts... Sir..."
Having left the knights half-dead, the Troll Warrior turned its attention to Lawrence, who was fleeing in his shimmering golden robes.
"Your Highness!" Baek Woon shouted urgently, running alongside him.
The Troll Warrior was leaping toward them, covering dozens of meters in a single bound.
Baek Woon frantically pulled out the talismans he had hidden in his sleeve and hurled them at the creature.
A massive explosion shook the air, but Baek Woon instinctively knew the monster would emerge unscathed once again.
I need time to prepare stronger talismans...! I can't face it alone...
Biting his lip, he desperately racked his brain for a way to evacuate the prince.
A pitch-black shadow flickered across the ground. Instinctively, Baek Woon shielded Lawrence and tumbled to the ground, rolling to safety.
KWAH!
The monster's club slammed into the ground where their heads had been moments before, burying itself deep into the earth.
It had hurled the club with all its might.
"Damn it...!"
Baek Woon staggered to his feet, his face etched with dismay.
The Troll Warrior loomed before them, baring its yellowed teeth in a menacing grin.
"A... ah..."
Lawrence, still crouched on the ground, scooted backward on his rear.
It felt as though their impending death was staring them in the face.
KWAH-ROOOOOAR!
The Troll Warrior's gnarled, tree root-like hand lunged toward them.
Baek Woon and Lawrence squeezed their eyes shut.
At that moment...
CRACK!
The Troll Warrior's head and upper body were torn apart, and a familiar voice rang out.
"Hmm? Why are you blubbering like a little girl?" Agron asked, looking down at Lawrence with a nonchalant expression.
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny