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Troll.
The Bastard Son of the Giants.
Or a being that could be called a failure.
God gave them strong vitality and physical strength, but the intellect was almost entirely stripped away.
It was natural for them to have become extinct.
But amongst these deserted cliffs –
In this isolated abyss, such an existence was still alive and well.
“A Troll!? Are you talking about the Bastard Sons of those Giants who’d disappeared during the Age of Dusk[1]?”
“You’re watching one right now.”
Kugugugung!
Grooooooowl!
Wielding a gigantic club of unknown origin, he advanced, shattering every scrap of stone barring his path.
“To think that a creature I only ever read about still exists.”
Lutheon, whose fighting spirit had been burning just now, could only fake a grin as he looked at the gigantic form of the Troll.
Of course, it was natural.
A Bastard Son of the Giants who had once reigned like Gods.
The Trolls, who inherited their sires’ blood, bones and flesh, were strong enough to break even the tallest mountains, their skins were as hard as steel, and their gigantic bodies taller than seven meters exuded an otherworldly majesty.
To humans, such an existence was nothing less than a transcendental incarnation of violence. Facing an apex predator like a Troll, any being in the food chain could do naught but lose their spirit, like a mouse cowering in front of a lion.
Kwadadak!
It found a loup-garou hidden under a pile of rocks, grabbed it at once, and put it in its mouth.
– Kiyyyyiiiing!!
There was a pathetic scream, but soon, kwad, kwadadak.
Along with the crunching sound of bones and flesh being chewed, the loup-garou’s screams cut off.
In its place, only an eerie sound of some unidentifiable liquid dripping on the ground echoed through the silent valley.
Like jackals in the presence of a far more powerful predator, the group of loups-garous had long since disappeared.
Naturally, the Troll’s yellow eyes now turned towards Lutheon and Callius.
“Lutheon. Do you know?”
“What are you babbling about in this situation?”
Just by facing the Troll’s pupils, his body had stiffened like a mouse in front of a snake.
What the hell was the guy asking in such a situation?
Lutheon glanced at Callius with a frown.
Even at the sight of the Troll, the maniac’s complexion had not changed, and he quietly spat out some nonsense.
“It’s said that Trolls eat little food compared to their huge size.”
“… Is that some good information in this situation… You really have some nasty hobbies.”
“It won’t hurt to hear me out.”
“Tell me, then.”
How much food do they eat per day.
While he was grumbling, Callius showed off his knowledge.
“They say it’s less than a hundred kilos. He’s probably not a full-grown adult, so maybe half that would be enough.”
Whereas a four-ton elephant eats about one hundred kilograms a day, a Troll weighing close to ten tons eats far too little in comparison.
It has some very strange biological functions.
“That little? No, how do you even know that? I don’t think Hetaira’s Monster Encyclopaedia mentions that kind of detail.”
Ignoring Lutheon’s doubts –
Callius continued to speak.
“It’s not much compared to the Troll’s body size. He ate three loups-garous here, so he’s almost reached the recommended daily amount. Probably, he’ll be satisfied with somebody your size.”
Once he ate another serving the size of one Lutheon, he’d feel full enough.
That’s exactly what Callius wanted to say.
Trolls, like other beasts, do not hunt when they are full.
So he was saying, get eaten.
It was a bad joke.
“Don’t spew bullshit, Callius. Even if I can’t use an arm, I’m not going to just die here. Not even for her.”
Her, huh.
Maybe the ‘her’ he was talking about…
“I’m not afraid of Trolls. It’s too late to run away with this body anyway. Isn’t it the same for you too? The odds are pretty bad, but you and I might be able to defeat the Troll.”
Even the remnants of Giants were, after all, living creatures.
Once upon a time, Knights who hunted Trolls were considered paragons.
Most of those who had risen to the ranks of Masters[2] in the current world, had a history of encountering Trolls.
“We’ll have to wait and see.”
“Are you scared, Callius? You had the same expression on your face when Esther slashed at you with a sword when you were a monk.”
“Shut your trap, Lutheon. I’ve never been defeated by anyone.”
“What are you saying, didn’t you used to lose every day?”
Despite his grumbles, Lutheon curved his lips as if remembering the old days.
However, suddenly, that turned into a bitter laugh.
“Callius.”
Kung! Kung! Kung!!
The Troll started jumping.
Every time his feet hits the ground, broken rocks scattered and a violent quake ripped across the valley.
“What.”
“Please don’t get me wrong. I will never forgive you.”
“We can chat about those little things later, he’s coming!”
– Grooooooooooooowl!
The Troll screamed and wielded his club.
Lutheon took a step forward, his divine power swirling all around him.
And at that very moment –
Callius sprinted, with divine power all around him!
“Huh?”
Lutheon, who had a blank face for a moment, turned and looked back, pouring out a few words that shouldn’t have come from the mouth of a believer.
“You god-damned bastard! Aren’t you still a noble?”
Callius, still sprinting, answered calmly.
“I’m a Pilgrim. Besides, when did I ever say I’ll fight the Troll?”
“You crazy –! Here, of course, we should fight together!!”
Kwaang!!
Lutheon, who managed to avoid the Troll’s swing by falling into a roll, stomped on the ground with a kick. No matter how injured he was, his uncanny reflexes still remained.
While minimizing damage, he began to run, forcing divine power into his legs.
“If I can leave here, I’ll kill you right away, Callius!”
“What did you expect from an enemy, Lutheon? Likewise, if I can go out here, I will surely kill you with my own hands!”
A valley with no sunlight, only darkness. A place where ancient beasts with strange shapes and habits still coexisted in an ecosystem with their own habitats.
In this deserted valley, where luminous plants and glowstones embedded in various places emitted a mysterious light, the animals began to escape causing an untimely commotion.
Kwang! Kwaaang! Kuuuung!!
Along with a huge quake, there were intermittent loud bangs. As the Troll appeared through the cloud of sand and dust, two men run away like their lives depended on it.
It was Lutheon and Callius.
“Damn!! How does he know exactly where I’m hiding! That sluggish idiot!”
“Sunlight hasn’t reached this place since forever. Naturally, instead of sight, his sense of smell has become more sensitive…!”
Before they even finished talking –
Lutheon and Callius threw themselves away, one as fast as the other.
At that moment, a great club cleaved through the air.
Kwaang!! While being hit by the scattered debris, they forced their creaking legs once more and ran.
Kreung! Kekung!
“Get off, you dogs!”
An explosion burst from Lutheon’s Exploding Spear, and Callius’ Sword slashed at the other beast.
Kwang! Chwaak!
Contrary to the scene of the beasts being routed in an instant, the complexions of the two men were not that good.
“Damn it.”
They ran away by cutting down all the beasts in their way, and ran for so long. But what they found at the end was a huge wall.
It was a dead end.
Gwoooooooooo!
Kuung.
Their pursuer also seemed to be quite tired, as he sprayed a lot of white drool.
“It smells awful.”
Anticipating the upcoming meal, viscous saliva was dripping from its lips like an animal waiting for its prey.
Lips were filled with a smile.
But confronting that filthy and disgusting gaze, Lutheon merely frowned, and Callius just raised his sword.
“Lutheon.”
“What now?”
“I think he has little to no vision.”
“… I guess so. He seemed to depend more on hearing and smell than sight.”
They had already had a few rounds of confrontation followed by escape, enough to get a glimpse of the predator’s style.
This place was dark and untouched by sunshine, so although the Troll did have eyes, his hunting method relied more on smell and hearing rather than sight.
He’d been living down here in the dark for a long time. Enough to be called a living fossil. So it was a safe assumption to make.
“A Troll’s skin is as hard as steel, true… but not all parts of their bodies are.”
“The nostrils and the ear canals would be different, is that what you mean?”
“Worth a try.”
They were at a dead end anyway.
It was all or nothing.
There was no other way out.
In the first place, this was an area where the current Callius should not have stepped foot on.
This was a place where you’d have difficulties even if you carried a Vision Sword, but what Callius was carrying instead was not even a proper Spirit Sword; and to top it all off he fell down here with Lutheon in tow.
If you say the plan was derailed, then it was derailed from the start.
But it’d already happened.
Now he had to do whatever he could to survive.
“Damn it, so I have to do it in the end? You telling me to take the most dangerous part? I’m not that crazy yet.”
“Lutheon, with my sword and skill, grabbing his attention is the limit.”
You have to admit what you have to admit.
Predator Sword – Loas, which was nothing more than a half-finished Spirit Sword, couldn’t inflict deep wounds on a Troll’s skin.
Even if it did, it would be a scratch that would regenerate in a moment.
But the Exploding Spear was different.
If one inserted that bomb-like spear into the Troll’s nostrils and explode it, they could probably do a lot of damage.
“But it won’t kill him. He’ll recover soon anyway.”
Trolls were called the Bastard Sons of the Giants, but there was one area in which they were superior.
Regenerative ability.
“You have no idea how far a Troll’s regeneration goes.”
It can be rightly called a grace of God.
It’s said that even the Dragons of that ancient age would eat a Troll to recover if they got sick or seriously injured. Any further explanation is unnecessary.
“Even if you sever an arm or two, they’ll heal that quickly, if you can imagine that.”
Lutheon was right.
With that power of regeneration, even the attacks that bypassed the Troll’s armour-like skin would heal quickly.
“No, that’s all I need.”
Even if it was a very short time.
It was enough if they could stop its movements for just a brief moment.
“Damn, if this doesn’t work, I’ll kill you before the Troll can eat you.”
“I have no intention of dying for your sake.”
Just as their conversation finished –
As if waiting for that moment, the Troll’s attack began.
Kwaang!!
He tried to smash them with his huge front paw, but when they both evaded immediately, a snort resounded.
And he swung the club in his right hand with the speed of lightning.
Kwang! Kwaaang!
Hududuk!
Every time the Troll moved, scattered shards of stone stung the duo’s forms.
A sharp rock shard struck Callius in the face, and blood gushed out.
But Callius saw an opportunity.
‘Silver Flower Wave Sword: First Martial Skill.’
Raging Flower Wave.
The opponent held no sword that could be scraped away.
Therefore, Callius scattered his sword energies to confuse the opponent.
And also, the next martial skill, White Haze.
Wielding an extremely swift quick sword in all directions, he painted the technique onto the ground.
The energies scattered from the sword nestled within the ground, reversed directions and flew back upward countless times faster.
‘Third Martial Skill: Other Shore Flower[3].’
The scattered energies of Raging Flower Wave and White Haze –
They intermixed exquisitely, and delivered a single blow.
It was still an unfinished technique, but it was achieved as precisely as possible with the corrections of the Tricolour Eye.
Silver-coloured sword energies sharply struck the Troll’s whole body from all directions, and an undulating burst of Raging Flower Wave attacked his face.
Soon, the silver petals and the translucent haze merged into Callius’ sword. The sharp energies condensed on the blade trembled sharply, and something strange burst free from it.
A sword skill imbued with a thousand changes, yet unified as one.
Silver Flower Wave Sword: Other Shore Flower.
However, at that instant –
Huuung!!
As if the attacks had merely tickled him, the Troll swung his club in a simple blow that smashed both skills apart, and struck Callius as it passed.
Kwaang!!
“Ugh!”
Whirlik, kwang!
The Troll’s club, despite it being a glancing blow, threw Callius into the opposite wall at once.
‘My arm…’
His left shoulder had given way.
It had been completely twisted.
At least he’d managed to offset enough of the shock with the Six Peak Flowers technique, otherwise a direct hit would’ve killed him instantly.
The Troll’s power was too strong for mere humans to easily resist.
However –
“Lutheon!!”
His face distorted with pain, Callius exclaimed.
At that time –
“Look here, you monster bastard!”
Lutheon’s Exploding Spear Ames, which had soared high into the sky, burst with a crimson blaze.
The happy expression on the Troll’s face faded, and he screamed at the bright light, closing his eyes tightly.
But Lutheon was one step faster.
“Berserker Verse[4]!!”
Kwaaaaaang!!
A great explosion bloomed from the spear’s tip.
As if most of the divine power had been collected, condensed, and burst, the explosion filled the entire area and ravaged it.
One couldn’t even see an inch ahead within the smoke. However –
– Graaaaaaaaaaah!
A scream filled with pain rang out.
Kuuung!
As the giant form fell, a cloud of sand and dust once again filled the valley.
“Callius! Stop procrastinating and go already! I did everything you told me to do!”
“Did you… yes!”
Hududuk.
Callius rushed out from where he’d struck the wall, grabbing something in his hands, leaving Loas behind on the floor.
“Hurry up! He’s getting up!”
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!!
In order to buy even a little more time, Lutheon squeezed out the last of his remaining divine power and unleashed another blow of the Exploding Spear.
However, the Trolls’ regenerative power was even greater than they had anticipated.
– Grrrrruaaaaa!
Whirlik, pug!! Kwaaang!
“Kkaahaaah!!”
Lutheon was blown away with a single gesture that was akin to swatting away a fly.
However, he did not forget to wield the spear even at that moment.
– Grrruaa!
Was it the first time he was experiencing pain?
The Troll’s eyes had ruptured from several explosions, and tears were now flowing freely from them.
But even so, the organs was recovering quickly, at a speed visible to the naked eye.
But one thing was different.
His gaze. His eyes were different from before.
They were the eyes of a prey, not those of a predator.
Fear.
Terror.
The eyes contained such an emotion.
Perhaps because how unfamiliar it was, the very first experience of suffering pain in his life had filled his eyes with terror.
That was why he couldn’t get up and was struggling now.
This moment was their only and last opportunity.
“Callius!!”
At Lutheon’s cry, Callius squeezed out the last dregs of his power and climbed onto the Troll’s face.
Then he threw the vial in his grasp into the creature’s jaws.
A vial filled with the most precious substance he had ever created.
Holy water of Valtherus.
Editor’s Notes:
[1] 옛 저녁 (lit. old evening) is being translated as Age of Dusk. Old Night (the Goddess of Miltonian mythology, a popular term in fantasy literature) was also a contender, but we’ll see how the author explains it in the future.
[2] 마스터 (lit. master) is a rank we’ve seen a few times. Also called Transcendent, as they have escaped the shackles of humanity. (Don’t mix it up with Bruns calling Callius master, or the -nim honorific being translated as Master.) However, since the term Sword Master (소드 마스터) will start appearing, 검술명가 (previously, swordmaster) will now be master swordsman instead. Previous chapters have been updated as much as possible to reflect this.
[3] 피안화 (pianhua), red spider lily. In Japanese folklore the flower is called other shore flower, as it is said to grow on the shores of the Sanzu river (the Japanese version of the Styx). Why use that specific name? Because it fits, and also rule of cool.
[4] 열장광폭 is being translated as Berserker Verse. Some artistic license here. 열장 = a book shaped with a wide tip and narrower inward, 광폭 = (commonly) width, but also, extremely rough and ferocious as if going crazy.