Chapter 78
Emerging from a narrow passage, Lynn proceeded forward with two goblin wanderers leading the way.
Redeyes took the lead, claiming that as the temporary captain, it should shoulder the responsibility of the most dangerous path. Lynn found this small goblin’s assertiveness admirable. These monster lairs seemed to follow a consistent layout. Most of them featured a narrow passage leading to a large hall where the monsters resided quietly, awaiting either the apprentices’ attack or their own raid.
Upon entering the hall, Lynn was greeted by thunderous snoring.
In the center of the hall lay a towering monster, its grotesque appearance highlighted by its dark green skin, oversized nose, and protruding pair of tusks. Draped in crude animal skins patched together from various species, the monster clutched a massive club adorned with sharp spikes. Despite its rudimentary appearance, there was no doubting the lethal potential of this beastly figure, which, even while lying on its side, stood nearly as tall as a human.
“A troll!”
“It’s a troll.”
The goblin wanderers appeared somewhat panicked, even fearful.
Redeyes, too, seemed nervous upon spotting the troll, but quickly composed itself.
“Master, trolls are the natural enemies of our goblin clan,” Redeyes explained through gritted teeth.
“Natural enemies?”
“Yes, it’s true. Our goblin race resides in the wilderness, and besides us goblins and some other natural species, the most numerous are the trolls,” Redeyes remarked.
“Trolls reign supreme in the wilderness. While a lone wandering troll may not pose much of a threat, encountering a hunting party of trolls is a different matter altogether. We can only pray that these trolls don’t spot us. Wherever a group of trolls hunts, nothing grows, and everything living is captured to be devoured.”
Redeyes’ breath quickened as it spoke of the troll hunting parties.
Were trolls that formidable?
According to his knowledge, the Wizard Continent harbored a diverse array of species. Some were native, while others were brought by wizards from afar.
Trolls were indeed renowned monsters, but they still had a considerable way to go before becoming the overlords of the wilderness. The wilderness wasn’t merely representing a desolate expanse; it encompassed rugged and wild territories beyond the areas where humans thrived. It comprised various complex terrains like forests, swamps, tundras, and mountains.
In this vast wilderness resided various legendary beasts such as dragons, powerful mutated wyverns, wild behemoths, and subspecies of titans. In the presence of these formidable legendary beings, trolls were mere novices.
It seemed that Redeyes’ previous plane was not part of the Wizard Continent but another plane within the multiverse, where trolls were indeed the top predators of the wilderness.
“I’ll handle this,” Lynn announced, retrieving his magic staff to cast a spell.
‘Sleeping Curse’!
A gray-white mist drifted toward the troll, whose snoring grew even louder.
Uncertain if the ‘Sleeping Curse’ had taken effect, Lynn cast the spell twice more on the monster.
With three rounds of ‘Sleeping Curse’, it should have been able to sleep a little longer.
Since the use of a ‘Terror’ spell might easily awaken the troll from its slumber, Lynn opted for an ‘Earth Ring’ spell.
He then directed a transparent chain to emerge from the ground, securely binding the troll’s legs.
With these preparations made, Lynn cast a ‘Touch of Fatigue’ spell on the troll.
“You lot, go in first and poison the arrows,” Lynn instructed.
Four goblin wanderers cautiously entered the monster lair, activating the spell ‘Venom Extraction’ to coat the arrows with poison. The prospect of hunting down a troll filled them with excitement and anticipation.
Lynn kept his gaze fixed on the troll lying on the ground, its eyes still tightly shut. He aimed and directly launched an ‘Acid Missile’ spell at its eyes!
Sizzle—
Amidst the acrid smoke and a deafening roar, the troll was jolted awake by intense pain.
Its eye sockets were a mass of flesh and blood, with even the upper half of its skull corroded into a gaping hole. Yet, despite this, new flesh continued to regenerate at a visible rate.
Rising from the ground, the troll swung its massive club in a frenzy.
The club whipped up gusts of wind, slamming into the ground and leaving behind a sizable depression.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Three arrows soared through the air, aimed at the troll’s head.
Dealing with a tough, thick-skinned behemoth like a troll, the best tactic was to strike at its vulnerable spots, especially considering its current head injury.
Hearing the whistling of the arrows, the blinded troll instinctively swung its massive club, intending to run, but the ‘Earth Ring’ spell tightened around its legs, anchoring it in place. One arrow was deflected by the swing, but the remaining two, sharp and merciless, found their mark in the troll’s skull.
A shudder ran through the troll’s massive frame as a blinding crimson light suddenly emanated from its body. A thick mist of blood poured out of its pores, enveloping it in a crimson haze.
In this state, the troll’s ears twitched, then, without hesitation, it hurled its club like a projectile!
“Roar!!!” The troll’s visage twisted into a ferocious expression as it unleashed an angry roar.
With a deafening crash, bricks and stones shattered in a corner, and amidst the spraying debris, a goblin wanderer was impaled on the wall.
Its upper body completely embedded into the wall, reduced to a bloody pulp.
Almost simultaneously, a reddish-orange flame streaked through the air, the ‘Minor Fireball’ spell accurately striking the troll’s head.
Explosive flames scattered in all directions.
The troll’s body trembled, the massive creature, towering over two adult men, crashed to the ground with a resounding thud.
Watching the fallen troll, Redeyes let out an excited shriek, leaping up and rushing over, brandishing its slender rapier frantically at the troll’s neck. Strange, guttural cries escaped its mouth, its tear-filled eyes gleaming crimson with excessive excitement.
Observing the troll’s lifeless form, Lynn was amazed. Dealing with this monster was indeed challenging. If not for the multitude of spells prepared in advance, his team might have struggled against it.
And this was just one troll. He’d heard that trolls tended to congregate.
It was unimaginable what a group of trolls, let alone a horde, could do if they launched a full-scale assault.
In the center of the monster lair, the ground sank slowly before rising again moments later, revealing a three-meter-long black treasure chest.
Approaching and opening the treasure chest, Lynn found three items inside along with a points scorecard with a description of the three items.
One was a miniature fountain model about a meter in diameter, resembling a fountain statue.
Another was a black-covered book with the words “Troll Manual” written on the front.
And there was also a manual on the transformation into an extraordinary profession of the goblin mad hatter shamans.
Setting aside the fountain model, Lynn flipped open the Troll Manual.
“Trolls are dangerous, evil, aggressive, and barbaric creatures. They have built a civilization of trolls composed of clans and possess great adaptability, thriving in various harsh environments. Their malleable bodies undergo different evolutions in different harsh environments.
“Trolls attach great importance to their offspring and regularly expel or execute individuals threatening clan stability, banishing them to the wilderness, where most wandering trolls originate.
“Ordinary adult trolls can reach heights of over four meters, but due to their hunched posture and habit of dragging their hands, most ordinary trolls appear to be only about three meters tall.
“These voracious trolls never feel satiated and can devour a large pig every day. They also possess powerful regenerative abilities; even if limbs are severed, placing the broken limb at the wound site can quickly heal it, or they can expend a great deal of energy to rapidly regenerate new limbs.”
Reading this, Lynn clicked his tongue. Such potent healing abilities? If the battle had dragged on, that blinded eye of the troll might have regenerated!
Lynn marveled at the troll’s formidable vitality.
If the troll’s healing ability could be thoroughly studied, or if the special factors brought by this powerful talent could be isolated and bestowed upon other creatures, the mortality rate of his retinue could be significantly reduced.
“To deal with trolls, one must exhaust their physical strength. When a troll is starving, its regenerative ability is greatly diminished. Alternatively, destroying its severed limbs to force it to expend more energy in creating new ones is also a good method.
“A portion of trolls in troll groups awaken spellcasting abilities. These trolls with awakened spellcasting abilities are often heavily cultivated within their clans and typically hold higher positions in troll society.
“Additionally, trolls have numerous advanced professions: Troll Guardians, Troll Bloodseekers, Troll Wandering Warrior, Troll Mountain Warriors, Troll Wrath Messengers, Troll Overlords, Troll Dragon Slayers.”
The subsequent content was extensive, including a detailed introduction to each advanced profession of the troll and their weaknesses.
Lynn merely skimmed through it hastily before closing the book.
He’d take a closer look at it when he had more time at night.
——