After Han Shuo reached the fat man's side, he noticed that among the dozen or so mercenaries shielding him, the strongest were two Intermediate Warriors, followed by six Novice Warriors and some Apprentice Warriors.
All of them were covered in wounds. The two strongest Intermediate Warriors were the most seriously injured and had almost completely lost their ability to fight.
"Mr. Fubin'en, we're the ones protecting you!" Seeing Han Shuo approach rapidly, the Intermediate Warrior with blood still pouring from a hole by his ribs could not help looking anxious as he spoke to the short, stocky fat man.
"The situation is quite clear. You've lost your ability to fight and can no longer provide effective protection. I've already paid your Mercenary Group half the gold. Since you haven't managed to escort me safely back to the Empire, I won't be paying the other half." Fubin'en spoke with a helpless expression, then put on a warm smile and bowed to Han Shuo. "Brave warrior, please take me away from here. I'll pay you two hundred gold coins."
"All right. Give me a hundred gold coins first, and I'll get started immediately!" Han Shuo replied with an equally unruffled smile.
At that moment, seeing that Han Shuo apparently had no intention of leaving, the Troll Chief finally bellowed in fury, "Cunning, evil humans! Kill them all!"
As soon as the Troll Chief spoke, the Troll Warriors, Troll Hunters, and Troll Priests who had been standing there in a daze began shouting in the Forest Trolls' strange language again and charged toward them.
"All right, here's a hundred gold coins. Once you've taken me safely away from here, I'll give you another hundred. Damn it, they're already coming! Hurry up and do something!" Seeing the Forest Trolls charging over with weapons in hand and savage expressions on their faces, Fubin'en hurriedly took out a money pouch, poured out a hundred gold coins, and handed them to Han Shuo as he spoke urgently.
As soon as he received the hundred gold coins, Han Shuo suddenly rushed toward Fubin'en with a smile. Before Fubin'en could react, Han Shuo had hoisted him onto his back. He pulled several strips of gauze whose ends were sticking out of an open bag nearby and, without further discussion, bound Fubin'en tightly to his back.
"Let's go. I'll get you out of here safely. Make sure you hold on tight. Don't blame me if you fall off along the way!" Han Shuo gave these hurried instructions, threw away the battle-axe in his hand, grabbed a spear nearby instead, and abruptly charged toward the perimeter.
Seven Troll Warriors were already blocking the way, with several Troll Hunters and two Troll Priests behind them. The moment they saw Han Shuo charging toward them, they hurled spears and javelins that whistled toward him.
Even with a fat man on his back, Han Shuo moved over the uneven ground with ease, darting and weaving. Nimbly changing direction, he easily dodged several spears and javelins.
As Han Shuo reached the seven Troll Warriors, the waiting warriors swung their battle-axes and charged at him with great strides. Tightening his grip on his spear, Han Shuo rapidly closed in and thrust its point straight at the chest of the first one.
A flower of blood suddenly bloomed on his chest. The Troll Warrior shuddered and fell backward. At that moment, the Troll Priests behind them began chanting Healing and Spiritual Fire spells, and several green halos settled over the Troll Warriors.
The Troll Warrior who had fallen staggered back to his feet. Once Spiritual Fire covered the other Troll Warriors, their already tough green skin took on a metallic sheen, as though coated with a layer of iron. Their speed and strength increased together, and they charged forward with piercing howls.
"Hurry! Hurry and get me out of here!" Fubin'en cried in panic from Han Shuo's back, his face pale with fright.
His expression unchanged, Han Shuo turned a deaf ear to Fubin'en's shouting and hurled his spear. It pierced the neck of the Troll Warrior who had staggered upright and pinned him forcefully to the ground. He then pulled up the spears and javelins embedded in the ground and hurled them one after another at the priests hiding behind the others.
One Troll Priest failed to dodge in time and was killed on the spot by a javelin. Two Troll Hunters also died with their chests and abdomens pierced. By then, Han Shuo had casually pulled up another spear and begun meeting the Troll Warriors who had reached him head-on.
Spiritual Fire had enhanced every physical function of the Troll Warriors, but Han Shuo had now attained a measure of success in his Demonic Cultivation Art, and his body's toughness and agility still far surpassed theirs. As his spear danced, it knocked their battle-axes away one by one.
During this exchange, after their battle-axes flew out of their hands, the Troll Warriors likewise pulled up javelins and spears embedded in the ground, stubbornly blocking the way and keeping Han Shuo engaged. Fighting six opponents with a fat man on his back, Han Shuo could not avoid every injury, however swiftly he dodged.
Whenever danger came close, Han Shuo would wickedly use Fubin'en on his back as a shield, letting the man's fat body lessen the harm to his own flesh.
"Damn it, you can't do this! Otherwise, you can forget about the other hundred gold coins!" A spear had jabbed Fubin'en in the buttocks, and javelins had left several bloody wounds on his back. He kept shouting anxiously from Han Shuo's back.
Unfortunately, Han Shuo treated Fubin'en's complaints as though he could not hear them at all. He casually pulled his spear from a Troll Warrior's chest, and blood spurted out, spraying all over him. His face was already savage and cold; splashed with blood, he looked even more like a god of slaughter reborn. The terrified Fubin'en immediately froze, no longer daring to babble, and merely sobbed on Han Shuo's back.
"Kill him! Kill him! Everyone, attack!" Seeing Han Shuo kill several Forest Trolls in succession, the Troll Chief suddenly roared in fury. Even he raised a battle-axe and charged from the rear.
Han Shuo was now fighting five opponents alone. Although he did not appear particularly strained, breaking through their encirclement was still extremely difficult. As the Troll Chief's words rang out and more Troll Warriors charged toward him, Han Shuo dodged a crashing axe blow and retreated several steps.
"Fallen Undead Warrior, answer the Dark Messenger's summons and reveal your existence!" Spreading both hands, Han Shuo suddenly chanted the incantation for Undead Summoning.
"Oh, heavens! You're a mage too!" Fubin'en, who had been whimpering and sobbing, was instantly stunned when he heard Han Shuo chanting a spell. He stared at Han Shuo with a bewildered, peculiar expression and cried out.
The distant Troll Chief was startled as well, then charged even faster, roaring, "Kill him! Hurry and kill him!"
Little Skeleton suddenly appeared before Han Shuo, carrying his Bone Blade. His small, skinny body stood there alone, his empty eyes surveying his surroundings with some bewilderment.
"You can't be serious! Why is it only a little skeleton, and such a scrawny one at that? What good is this?" Seeing that Han Shuo had summoned nothing more than a skeleton, Fubin'en could not help crying out through his tears.
"Wahahaha! It's only a skeleton! Gave me a fright. Finish them off!" After his initial shock, the Troll Chief discovered that it was merely a little skeleton and immediately began jeering loudly, directing the Forest Trolls Warriors to close in quickly.
Han Shuo's eyes were cold, and a mocking smile curled his lips as well. As soon as the Troll Chief finished speaking, he ordered Little Skeleton to attack.
After receiving Han Shuo's order, Little Skeleton bent and straightened his little leg bones, suddenly shooting forward like a sharp sword. The Bone Blade in his hand traced a dark gleam through the air and flew out ahead of him. With a wet thud, it pierced the forehead of the first Troll Warrior charging toward them as though he were made of paper, and he toppled backward, stiff as a board.
After piercing that Troll Warrior's skull, the little Bone Blade did not stop. Under Little Skeleton's control, it whistled through the air like a life-reaping phantom, letting out a deafening shriek as it followed an eerie, unpredictable arc and pierced two more Troll Warriors in succession. When Little Skeleton reached the Troll Warriors, it returned to his hand of its own accord.
A single throw of the Bone Blade had claimed three Troll Warriors' lives in an instant. After Little Skeleton's strike, both Fubin'en, who had just been utterly disappointed, and the loudly jeering Troll Chief froze in horror. They stared in disbelief at Little Skeleton as he plunged among them like a tiger among sheep, nimbly beginning to reap the Troll Warriors' lives with the little Bone Blade clutched in his hand.
"Oh, heavens! Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Is this really just a Skeleton Warrior?" Fubin'en finally recovered and shrieked in excitement. Had the gauze not bound him completely, he might have fallen straight to the ground in his excitement.
"Don't get close to him! Everyone, get away from that skeleton! Use spears, javelins, and battle-axes! Kill that little skeleton for me!" Recovering from his shock, the Troll Chief shouted orders with a terrified expression. He forcibly halted his approaching body and began retreating timidly.
The Troll Warriors who were still close to Little Skeleton all withdrew. Once they moved away, spears and javelins filled the air, flying out together with the Troll Warriors' battle-axes to smash and stab at Little Skeleton.
Han Shuo was startled. However powerful Little Skeleton is, he'll probably still get hit by such a fierce, all-encompassing attack. There was no longer enough time even to chant the spell to recall him. Secretly anxious, Han Shuo began to worry sincerely for Little Skeleton.
Yet Little Skeleton's subsequent, inconceivably dazzling performance completely overturned Han Shuo's knowledge and understanding of him.
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