Green-Skinned Trolls

The anticipated night raid never came, and everyone was in high spirits that morning.

"Luck be with us. We'll reach Quel'Thalin in one go." Halduron Brightwing encouraged his men. He also did not forget to curry favor with Shane, sending over fine food and fresh milk.

Not the hard bread the ordinary men chewed on, but cakes sprinkled with meat floss, preserved remarkably well with magic.

The party continued onward. Quel'Thalin was still two days away, where they would rest for a day before heading south. Good fortune rarely stayed by one's side for long. One of the wagons had its axle snap. Halduron Brightwing immediately ordered his men to transfer the cargo and push the wagon down below the roadbed.

Shane saw that the cargo consisted of weapons and armor, each bearing a faint magical glow. By his own experience, they were all "green-grade gear." The word "smuggling" immediately surfaced in his mind. A more despicable person could have used this chance to extort them. But what did it have to do with him? He sat atop the magical golem, tea at his side and a book in his hands.

Halduron Brightwing made no comment, and the party continued onward.

The farther they traveled from Quel'Thalas, the scarcer the magical energy in the air became, yet the air itself carried a different kind of lightness. Compared to the cloying density of Silvermoon City, the air here felt normal.

It was the first time Shane had experienced air so fresh. He took several deep breaths. It truly was different. The magical energy was primitive and clear. He closed his eyes and meditated, replenishing his mana smoothly. Compared to the Sunwell's radiation, it was as sparse as a trickling stream, yet it never ceased.

"User, a large number of humanoid lifeforms detected one thousand meters ahead."

Shane opened his eyes. Ahead lay a mountain pass, the road squeezed between two hills. For some reason, Capernian's cleavage came to mind. Both hills were covered in dense broadleaf forests.

"Can you determine their numbers?" Shane judged that they could only be trolls.

"Their distribution exceeds detection range. Unable to determine."

The best course now was to halt the party and prepare defenses. Shane searched the group for Halduron Brightwing. Just then, Halduron rode over on a hawkstrider and stopped beside the golem's feet.

"My lord mage, we'll make camp after passing the mountain pass. The accident delayed us for quite some time, so it may get rather late."

"If that were all, I wouldn't mind." Shane looked down at him from above. "But you'd best stop now and send someone ahead to scout the pass."

"Is something wrong?"

Naturally, Shane could not reveal his secret. "Your party only has seventy or eighty people?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"And you're transporting special goods?"

"Yes."

"Then I can't imagine why the trolls would let you pass."

Halduron Brightwing sent two attendants riding ahead to scout. The convoy made camp where it stood, slowly forming a ring. They would not travel any farther that day. The two attendants halted at the edge of the forest and observed within. One of them removed a shortbow, nocked an arrow, and fired it. A shrill whoooosh carried into the distance.

Shane had read about it in a book. It was a ranger signal arrow, fired into the woods to flush out anything hiding there.

"If there are trolls, with their lack of discipline, they won't be able to stay hidden," Halduron Brightwing explained beside him.

No sooner had he spoken than the two attendants tumbled from their hawkstriders. Then the two riderless mounts were pinned to the ground by javelins.

"They're here!" Halduron Brightwing jumped in alarm. He hurriedly sounded the alert, ordering everyone to take up their weapons and prepare for battle. Shane's position was the highest, giving him an unobstructed view of the trolls. Green-skinned figures poured from the forest like a rolling green carpet. They carried all manner of weapons, including wooden clubs and stone knives. Almost none wore intact clothing. They roared as they marched, waving what appeared to be massive weapons to display their bravery.

"Three hundred, four hundred, four hundred ninety-eight. Confirmed number: four hundred ninety-eight. Three anomalous individuals detected, containing special energy." The Eye of Truth reported the count. "User, prepare for battle. Aside from the three anomalous individuals, the rest are unable to effectively defend against the user's spell attacks."

By then, Halduron's men had climbed atop the wagons, swords drawn and bows ready.

"You don't mind if I take a spot, do you?" Hawkins Flamehawk appeared. He had spent the entire day in a wagon, being comforted by his two female attendants.

"Of course not."

Hawkins Flamehawk stood on the golem's hand and was lifted to Shane's height.

A thousand meters was a very short distance to trolls. Their defenses had barely been set when the trolls nearly reached them. The first rain of arrows flew out, dropping more than a dozen. Arcane radiance descended in succession: Keen Weapon, Sturdy Armor. Mana surged continuously around Hawkins Flamehawk, arcane spells taking shape in his hands as most of the men received his enhancements.

"He specializes in transmutation."

Shane also cast a fourth-level Summon Monster spell. A giant boar fell from the sky, smashing into the ground and crushing several enemies too slow to evade. It then charged wildly forward, aiming for one of the three hexers.

The second rain of arrows swept out, with better results than before. More than twenty trolls were shot down.

Then Fireball erupted along the outer edge, clearing a patch of open ground. Hawkins Flamehawk's cheeks turned purple as he activated Icy Veins. While his metamagic enhancement remained active, he continued casting Fireball after Fireball. In one burst, he actually kept the trolls from getting close.

The situation did not seem so dire after all.

"Look!" Shane motioned toward the troll hexers. His boar had broken through several layers of resistance and was about to toss one of the hexers aside when smoke flashed. The boar turned into a frog, and an approaching troll cleaved it in two with a single blow.

The trolls seemed to have learned their lesson. They stopped charging head-on and began circling around both flanks.

"Lord Shane, we've dragged you into this. If I survive this battle, I'll grant whatever request you make." Halduron Brightwing looked despondent. Surrounded like this, everything was over. Yet something in his heart told him that Shane, who seemed rather dependable, might have a chance to turn things around.

The trolls surrounded the convoy without rushing to attack. Several roars sounded from their ranks, and the trolls opened a passage. The three hexers stepped forward, followed by dozens of subordinates armed with metal weapons.

"They're warriors. Watch the throwing axes at their waists. Those are the truly deadly things." Halduron warned Shane.

The leading hexer babbled a long string of words at the convoy, then laughed smugly, prompting hundreds of trolls to join in the laughter.

"What are they saying?" Hawkins Flamehawk asked Halduron.

"I don't understand. Probably something like, if we give up resisting, they won't eat us. Hahaha."

"That joke is far too terrifying. If I survive this battle, I'm going back home to marry my two attendants." Hawkins Flamehawk said.

"If that's the case, then if I survive too, I'll join the Farstriders." Halduron Brightwing said.

"And you, Mage Shane?"

If you two die, it'll be entirely your own fault, Shane thought. The Eye of Truth had roughly calculated the strength of the three hexers. Their energy levels were basically on par with Shane's, giving him a strong chance of winning.

"I neither want to die nor will I die. You two should take good care of yourselves."

Shane commanded the Eye of Truth in his mind. "Eye of Truth, assign trajectories and assist with targeting."

"Understood. Beginning execution."

Shane activated his mana with all his strength, pushing his output to an unprecedented peak. Fortyfold imprints lit up at light speed. Arcane Blaze atop his head spread to his shoulders, its radiance shooting up a meter. The three elemental spheres that had been rotating above him filled the sky behind him in the blink of an eye.

Fortyfold casting—Frostfire Arcane Missiles.

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you won't lose it next time.

At the request of many readers, an ad-free VIP membership feature is now available.

Click to view