Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 014
Chapter Title: I'm Fine Even Alone
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"T-Troll!"
The words that the warrior who'd just been crushed to death had tried to shout came from the mouths of those around him.
As the troll lifted its blood-smeared wooden club and rolled its eyes wildly, one nearby warrior muttered,
"It's huge..."
Its height was probably around three meters.
The overwhelming sense of intimidation came from its disproportionately thick bones and massive muscles compared to its frame, all covered in thick body hair.
What it held wasn't really a club—it was more like a whole log.
As if its silence until moments ago had been a lie, the troll bellowed a thunderous roar to intimidate the humans around it.
The earth-shaking sensation threw several off balance, sending them tumbling to the ground.
"Whoa!"
"Th-the ground's shaking."
The troll rolled its massive eyes, spotting the vulnerable humans, and charged while swinging its club.
Just as one dazed warrior was about to be crushed, something flashed in front of the troll.
"Fall back!"
A knight nearby swung his two-handed longsword, slicing halfway through the troll's incredibly thick right arm.
As the troll let out a scream like it was being torn apart, the man who'd nearly died scrambled back.
"D-Damn it! I almost died!"
"Get it together!"
"Attack!"
The subjugation squad, finally regaining their wits, surrounded the troll and pressed their assault.
Blades of every kind stabbed from all sides, barely cutting through its tough fur and hide, but the troll screeched in a mix of rage and pain.
As the king of the forest, it wasn't used to getting hurt.
Finally, the troll unleashed its fury on the most threatening target—the knight who'd just severed its arm—swinging its club down.
"Ugh!"
Boom. The knight blocked the club with his longsword and was pushed back nearly a meter amid the deafening crash.
But that was it. The longsword, slender compared to the club, neither broke nor cracked.
A transcendent defense that would be impossible under normal circumstances, made possible only by some mystical power.
Stunned by the unexpectedly unsatisfying impact, the troll glanced at its club for a moment—giving another knight the opening to thrust his longsword from behind.
Unlike the others, this strike pierced the tough fur and hide, slashing the troll's side and damaging its innards.
The troll gagged, stuffing its spilling guts back in with one hand while wildly swinging its club with the other.
Even in its awkward stance, the swings tore through the air with terrifying whooshes, forcing approaching warriors to recoil in horror.
Lucky for them—they were elite warriors. Ordinary folk wouldn't have dodged in time and would've been turned to mincemeat.
The clashes that followed played out similarly.
Whenever the troll swung its club madly, one of the two knights stepped up to block while the other landed a heavy blow. The subjugation squad kept up the pressure with minor cuts, drawing its attention.
All wounds healed almost as soon as they appeared, but each time, massive chunks of its fat reserves were burned away, slimming its body down.
Shan, who'd been observing quietly from behind, had just fully grasped the troll's movements and was about to join when it surprisingly covered its face with its club and hand, then broke through the thinner side of the encirclement.
Nearby warriors hacked at its legs with swords and axes with all their might, but they couldn't stop it.
The troll was sluggish for its size at the start, but once it built momentum, it was far faster than any human.
Those chasing it realized too late that an Altoin boy—brought along for his night vision—was right in its path, and they cried out in shock.
"Oh no..."
"Dodge!"
The middle-aged swordsman Kob, who'd felt a kinship with Shan as a fellow Altoin, shouted—but instead of fleeing, Shan released the horse's reins, gave its rear a light smack to send it back, and leveled his newly bought spear.
'Come on.'
From watching the fight, he'd analyzed its overall athleticism and patterns.
One step, two steps, three... Now.
Timing it to the troll's footfalls, Shan leaped as it irritably swung its club.
Even as the horrifying mass of violence passed beneath his feet, his green eyes didn't waver.
Throwing his full weight behind the spear into its eye, he felt the sensation of piercing something tough and sticky.
Different from skewering a thick tree or boulder—a heavy, fleshy give.
With a agonized shriek, the troll swung its club again. Shan kicked off the embedded spear with both feet to dodge.
The club grazed his back by a hair's breadth—enough force to shred flesh and shatter bone on contact.
"What!?"
"How in the world...!"
The warriors halted, stunned by the shocking feat from a boy who looked barely into his mid-teens.
Even in formation, pulling off such a risky move in real combat—against a monster, no less—was unheard of.
Unlike them, Shan clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction at his handiwork.
'Even that wasn't a one-shot kill.'
Despite his full weight behind it, the instinctively clenched eyelid and eyeball had stopped it short of the brain.
Should he have kicked the spear's butt to drive it deeper?
Roden was right—he needed more physical presence, spirit, and better gear.
As Shan regretted it, the troll yanked out the spear and its impaled eye in one go, roared, and bolted into the forest.
The knight behind barked,
"Everyone, pursue it!"
Once spotted, the next step was relentless pursuit until extermination.
A hunter who'd taken cover shouted after the runners,
"Be careful—it's a smart one!"
Monsters' intelligence varied by species and individual, but this troll was clearly exceptionally clever.
Average trolls didn't hide in trees, letting prey pass before ambushing.
While everyone chased, Shan retrieved his spear, pried out the troll's eye, and mounted his briefly sheltered horse.
"Let's go."
The dense forest didn't faze him—he rode skillfully, dodging low branches with reflexes or batting them away with his spear.
Soon, he caught up to the squad huffing after the troll.
The Altoin swordsman Kob saw Shan approaching on horseback and yelled between ragged breaths,
"Your skills... and confidence... the real deal!"
Shan gave an awkward look in reply and spurred ahead again.
The knights and squires weren't visible—probably mounted to speed up.
They crossed the forest at moderate pace for about a minute.
Two knights and two squires appeared on snorting, weary horses.
Plains were one thing, but chasing a troll through rough woods on horseback was tough—especially armored knights on warhorses, unlike Shan's lighter ride.
"Did we lose it?"
"...Yeah."
One knight scowled at Shan's question, but the other stopped him with a hand and answered.
"It bolted without looking back. It's no ordinary troll. Smart as the hunter said."
Its behavior defied typical ecology.
Big monsters exploded in rage at the first sight of blood, charging recklessly regardless of threat.
Soon, foot warriors and hunters joined, reassembling the squad.
The hunter had cut a lock of the blond warrior's hair from the first victim as a memento.
"What now?"
"We'll track the footprints first, but it probably won't attack unless cornered."
The hunter replied politely to the knight.
Having tasted inferiority, such a cunning beast wouldn't pick unfavorable fights.
Especially since familiarity dulled the big monster's signature roar.
One warrior sighed nearby.
"This'll be a boring chase..."
"We knew it'd drag on."
No one expected a half-day troll hunt.
Otherwise, Shan wouldn't have been included for his night vision.
But tracking was hard enough—chasing a fleeing one until exhaustion was another beast.
Sensing trouble ahead, some sighed.
As expected, they followed tracks till sunset without catching it.
The hunter scanned the dimming woods and pointed.
"Best to camp here tonight."
A cave of decent depth—back and sides walled, only one entrance to defend. Ideal against night raids.
"Then watches..."
The group glanced at Shan, then looked away.
By rules, night scout Shan should patrol all night.
But after his daytime display, no one dared suggest it.
He'd dealt the biggest blow besides the two knights.
After deliberation, one knight decided.
"You, Altoin!"
"Yes."
"You're off watch with us."
"Sir Catra!"
The other knight started at "us" including them with an Altoin.
Sir Catra ignored him.
"We need skilled fighters against it. Useless ones on watch saves our strength."
"Even so..."
"Got a better idea, Sir Soros?"
Sir Soros grumbled but backed down.
Shan thought them equally arrogant at first, but Catra held sway.
Thus, Shan was casually excused from watch.
"Damn, humiliating..."
"Jealous? Go poke a troll eye yourself."
Named warriors bristled at "useless," but didn't challenge knights after seeing them trade blows with that monster.
Nor vent at Shan.
The one who'd scorned him as Altoin now avoided his gaze.
Only friendly Altoin Kob clapped Shan's shoulder freely.
"Good for you, Shan."
"Gives them recovery time—we fight harder."
"Attaboy."
Kob chuckled briefly, then eyed the sword at Shan's waist curiously.
"Mind drawing that sword?"
"This one?"
Shan obliged, puzzled, drawing the bandit leader's blade—his first trophy.
Neglected for months post-acquisition, it'd rusted, but Roden's care tips had restored its shine.
Kob inspected it, then nodded knowingly.
"Familiar hilt... Thought so. Crest erased, but it's a Steel Lion Legion officer's sword. Where'd you get it? They don't recruit Altoins."
"Steel Lion Legion?"
"First time? Venerable merc band from northern Ajun Kingdom. Base in merc villages, only train lifelong warriors."
Kob explained slowly at Shan's blank look, proudly showing his scarred, twisted left arm stump—nearly lost fighting them.
"Steel Lion Legion..."
"If battlefield spoils, watch your back. Mercs don't hold grudges officially, but rules exist 'cause breakers do."
Shan had wondered about the bandits who razed Willow Village and others.
This quality sword amid junk might be a clue—Roden hadn't recognized it, but this veteran Altoin merc did instantly.
He'd tell Roden later, memorizing the name.
"GAAAAAH!"
In the dead of night, Shan snapped awake to a horrific scream outside the cave.
Others grabbed weapons, confirming it wasn't a dream.
"Wh-what is it?"
"Ambush!"
The two on watch by the fire looked panicked.
The veteran hunter stepped up.
"What happened?"
"Sir... the knight went out alone briefly..."
Shan whipped around—Sir Soros was missing from the dim cave.
Sir Catra, now armored with squire help, strode out.
"Why'd Sir Soros go alone?"
"No idea."
"Probably to relieve himself."
Someone muttered crudely about the knight, shrinking under Catra's glare.
But soon, Sir Soros's body was found—pants and underwear around his knees.
"Urgh."
"Grabbed and ripped clean in two..."
The torchlit horror silenced them.
Out for a moment, snatched by a lurking troll and torn apart?
For knights craving glorious combat death, the worst end.
Soros's squire sobbed, trying to recover the corpse, as one warrior paled, scanning around.
"I was here earlier... for the same."
"Me too. Lucky."
Excrement dotted the area—nearest clearing from cave, vision blocked.
Bad luck, and they'd be the ones ripped.
The hunter shook his head.
"Not luck. It targeted the knight from the start."
He pointed beyond the bushes where Soros died.
Deep grass imprints: troll crouched, ambushing from behind.
"Footprints show it hid here hours ago, since we picked camp. Waited for a familiar face."
Mouse-like stealth for that bulk and tread.
First raid too—this troll was unusually patient and sly.
As they analyzed, Shan's night vision spotted it.
"Over there—troll watching us from afar."
"What?"
"That bastard!"
They glared angrily, fearfully—but no one charged.
One torch into pitch black against a troll? Not bravery, suicide.
Dumb trolls, sure—but it'd flee, then pick them off scattered.
Silence, then Sir Catra sighed.
"Recover Sir Soros's body. Rest here tonight. Altoin, switch horses if needed, but you're on watch till dawn."
"Yes."
One knight down, troll lurking—no choice.
The squad forced sleep amid terror of shadows.
Shan stared down the troll at the entrance till morning.
Its regenerated eyes—two now—watched back.
It vanished just before dawn.
Morning meeting amid fatigue and despair.
"Head back?"
"Yeah, beyond us."
"Never heard of a troll this cunning."
Most morale broken.
One knight dead—their biggest asset.
But surviving Sir Catra refused firmly.
"No. Retreating stains Sir Soros's honor. To make his death a warrior's glory, we kill it."
Soros's squire nodded fervently.
Some inwardly grumbled, 'Shit yourself to death, and it's 'warrior'? Piss off.'
Leader said no—now plan capture.
Life-on-line ideas flowed, none viable.
Good ones would've been used yesterday.
As debate dragged, lips chapped, Shan raised a hand.
"I have an idea."
"What?"
Some scoffed—"kid's opinion?"—but Catra listened seriously.
"First question: are your warhorses slower than the troll?"
From yesterday's failed chase.
The knight hesitated, then shook head.
"No—faster on plains or full gallop in woods. But risking legs, we held back."
"Figured. Lure to plains, pincer it? It'll flee in forest."
"No conclusion on luring yet."
"It won't attack till we seem weaker. Split into two groups looking frail."
[Head to nearby plains, split into two.
Groups visible but too far for instant aid.
Troll attacks one—other charges, joins, kills.
If it flees to woods, mounted block and drive to plains.]
All faces said, 'That work?'
Why hadn't it come up?
One knight dead.
One left couldn't cover both splits.
Sir Catra asked skeptically,
"...You lead one group?"
"Yes."
"Reckless."
Eye poke impressive, but frontal fight different.
Warriors without spirit mastery couldn't critically wound or block trolls.
Shan met doubtful stares calmly.
"Holding is fine."
Low offense, but he could dodge strikes forever.
Catra reluctantly agreed, dubious.
Issue: who joins Shan?
No one wanted high-death odds.
Couldn't force—worst punishment execution same as troll-smash suicide.
Shan solved that too.
"I'll go alone then."
Soon, squad headed to broad plain scouted mid-chase.
Eleven warriors with Sir Catra; Shan, Kob, Soros's squire.
On dead knight's warhorse, Shan eyed awkward-riding Kob.
"Didn't need to come."
"Can't leave kids alone..."
Blunt words, terrified face.
Ignoring sulky squire, Shan grinned, patted Kob.
"Scared? Stay behind me. We Altoins stick together."
Kob smiled faintly—Shan echoing his earlier words.
The joke eased tension.
Minutes crossing plains chatting.
Shan spotted.
"It's here."
A brown-furred brute burst from woods, charging full speed.
Shan gripped spear tight—brain thrilling at battle's promise.