Trolling with Berserk Trolls
"Huh? Using it on monsters?"
-Trolling whoa
-But what does that even do?
-Making the NPCs suffer lol.
It was the same enhancer that Nastbed Bares had used. The idea of dosing monsters with it left everyone baffled.
"Making the NPCs suffer isn't entirely wrong. It's to raise awareness, after all."
"Awareness aside, we can still kill them, right?"
"Just control the dosage. Their attack power shoots up, but they get dumber."
That Bares guy had chugged way over the safe limit. With his baseline human physique scraping the bottom of the barrel, he never stood a chance against the side effects.
"Black Dragon!"
Off in the distance, Avant-garde came sprinting up, with a flustered Bollibo scrambling after him.
"Sorry. Got caught up in the story and lost track of time. But using the awakening agent on monsters... what on earth...?"
"You heard right."
Kang Hanbit cut off what promised to be another rambling explanation. Enthusiasm was great, but issuing orders came first.
"Elder, please head to the underground shelter with the villagers."
"Yes. But those numbers..."
The elder, who'd been eyeing the barricade, stared out at the city outskirts in bewilderment. This assault dwarfed the earlier raid. If they'd stayed in the village, annihilation would've been a given.
"You'll be safe underground. But you'll need to put on a little show."
"...A show, you say?"
The elder's face twisted in confusion at the out-of-left-field request. Hanbit flicked his gaze toward the base of the distant walls. Another small shadow was stirring down there.
"Nothing fancy. When the monsters swarm the village, just scream. Then bolt straight underground."
"That's... all?"
"That's it."
"I see..."
The elder sighed in relief at how straightforward it was. If Hanbit had asked them to fight, he'd have blacked out on the spot.
"Understood. We'll do exactly as you say."
"Thank you. Jaeha-hyung, stick with them underground and help out."
"Got it."
Kim Jaeha nodded, pulling out his hammer.
"What about me?"
Avant-garde, still hanging on every word, asked eagerly.
Hanbit handed him the glass vial in his hand.
"Avant-garde, you sprinkle this on the monsters."
"Oh, me for such a crucial role? You sure?"
"I know you'll nail it. Aim for their noses and mouths. Once that's done, haul ass to the gates. The extermination squad needs to move fast."
"Crystal clear."
Avant-garde nodded with steely resolve. His specs made it a walk in the park.
"Alright, let's move."
"Yes!"
Thud! The two kicked off, leaving the others behind.
The shadows wriggling in the forest were still lurking. Growl! Sensing the intruders, they rose.
First came the Teng Lizards and kobolds. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Boom! A massive tremor shook the ground as trees snapped and toppled sideways. Vision clearing, a colossal shape heaved itself up from within. Over three meters tall with grotesquely muscled bulk, it stood out sharp even in the gloom.
A Forest Troll—the most common breed.
"What about the forest on the other side?!"
Avant-garde shouted mid-stride, glancing at the distant treeline. Even for a first monster wave, the numbers wouldn't stop at this front forest.
"Prioritize the enhancer on the trolls here! Open the lid and finish within five minutes!"
"Got it!"
With Hanbit's shout, the pair split. Avant-garde accelerated into the woods.
Shing! Sword drawn, Hanbit leaped high toward the pitch-black shadows.
Splat! His thrusting kick smashed a goblin's face. Landing with it underfoot drew every eye around.
"So many, so many."
Mostly goblins and kobolds. Some clutched staffs and odd trinkets. The rest were beast-types resembling wolves and foxes.
Growl! Squeak!
They charged without hesitation. Hanbit slipped through a gap and bolted.
Kieek! The horde gave chase as he fled outright. Wind steadily gathered on his blade.
"Black Dragon! Done! Twenty trolls dosed!"
Avant-garde's voice echoed from afar after dashing through the woods.
"Straight to the gates!"
"Yes!"
Whoosh! He burst from the brush in a rustle of leaves.
Hanbit veered toward a thicket of broken trees. Deeper in, a few trolls loomed motionless.
Hand outstretched, Hanbit chanted.
"Fire Burst!"
Boom! The fireball's blast banished the surrounding dark in a flash.
That instant—
Grk! Growl!
Monsters far off snapped their gazes over. Thud! Thud! Other trolls barreled in, eyes bloodshot. The spell-hit ones moved even wilder despite the damage.
Thud! Hanbit pivoted and sprinted for the forest edge.
Right between the gates and dwarf village. Rumble! Bursting past the perimeter, the glass walls gleamed again. The broad plaza teemed with monsters already.
First wave underway.
Pop! Pop! Changes rippled from atop the walls. Dozens of beams lanced from disc-shaped magic tools, shredding the night veil.
Whirr—Next, the massive crystal below the discs hummed to life. Ifrit's pride-and-joy tech turrets.
Bang! Boom! Flashing blue orbs rained down, effortlessly popping the lesser mobs in range.
-Turrets OP as expected.
-Easy, right?
-Hmm. Do adventurers even matter?
-End of the human era...
Dozens of turrets firing in unison overwhelmed. Plenty of monsters left, but momentum secured.
"Don't stray into turret range!"
Hanbit turned at the bellow. Soldiers and adventurers poured from the open gates. Up front, guild master Jinook Artua stood with a bored look.
Rumble! Monsters dodging turret fire reached the walls. Hanbit was between them and the rearmost lines.
"Aaaagh!"
"Save me!"
"Urk!"
Screams erupted from the north wall. Fast black wolf packs beelined for the dwarf village—Shadow Wolves, packing punch from their bulk.
"Kyaaah!"
"Gahk!"
Crash! The screams carried far and clear. The wolves smashed the barricade and rampaged through. Arriving goblin and troll reinforcements were icing on the cake.
Ding.
「Kim Jaeha」
「Everyone's safe inside. No worries.」
Kim Jaeha's message pinged in. Short act, but they overdelivered. Now the rest was all on Hanbit.
"People over there!"
"An adventurer!"
"Crazy! Filthy horde behind him!"
One extermination squad nearby spotted him. Others had fanned out far.
Thud! Thud! The frenzied mob tailing him. The trolls especially accelerating.
"Dodge!"
Pop! Boom! Warning shout and turret fire rained from above. Hanbit weaved the trajectories, but the trolls didn't.
Bang! Kaboom! Several trailing ones ate direct hits. Powerhouse enough to insta-kill anyone.
"He's good!"
"Lucky bastard!"
Adventurers cheered as Hanbit emerged from the dust.
But—
Thud!
A hulking silhouette followed.
"W-what the...!"
"How?!"
Trolls missing arms, waists, heads—fatal wounds by any measure.
"What... what are those? Why're they moving?"
"Insane..."
-Whoa.
-Holy shit, terrifying af;
-What the hell. Stay back!;
-I surrender Ifrit.
Thud! Thud! The trolls moved unchanged from pre-hit. No—faster.
Boom! Turret barrage swept the ground relentlessly.
But the trolls never stopped.
'Right to the line.'
Enhancer-raged monsters chased the biggest mana sources in range. One massive signature: the decorative magic stone embedded in the walls.
Rumble! They quit tailing Hanbit, fixated solely on the front walls.
"Huh? Turrets..."
"Reload time!"
Panicked eyes turned upward for a different reason. The firing turrets had paused to recharge.
"Don't just stand there dumb? Kill 'em again!"
"Form up first!"
"Screw that! Let the adventurers handle it!"
Extermination squads splintered in judgment. City troops and adventurers pulled in opposite directions.
Whoosh!
"Lightning Burst!"
Unable to unify, they struck out individually. Goblins and wolves were no sweat. Sane trolls manageable too.
The freakshow trailing them? Problem.
Kaboom! Thwack!
"Urk!"
"Ngh!"
Ragged trolls' assaults hit hard. Undead would've been easier—at least they had weaknesses.
"Why won't they die?!"
"Hit harder!"
"I am!"
The unknown bred terror. Even dodgers faltered. To the trolls, it was just clearing pests.
Bam!
"Guhk!"
A soldier punched by a troll flew into the wall. Hanbit clocked the fresh crack.
Thud! Thud! Target locked, it charged the soldier again. Left alone, certain death.
Thud! Hanbit rocketed in, swinging his sword while conserving wind power.
But—
Slash! Slash!
The single expected cut doubled. Looking up, guild master Jinook stood atop the troll's shoulder.