Kayda's eyes flicked with understanding-but also horror.
"So," I continued, "if we get Grandenzil under control, we can convert them into a black-ops network. One where any class can rise up. With proper training. Real education."
Kayda's mouth opened and closed. "And... what about the choice thing?"
"It stays," I said firmly. "But we'll teach the kids about right and wrong. We will teach them about loyalty and morality. Let them decide for real."
Kayda narrowed her eyes. "And job requests?"
"Same as now," I said. "But high-risk or assassination missions? Those need to be cleared by Mom or Dean."
She studied me. "You've... thought about this."
"Only for a night," I admitted with a slight blush. "Couldn't sleep. Needed to keep my mind busy."
Kayda chuckled softly. "You're crazy."
"Maybe," I said, not denying it. "But you're still here."
"Hmph. So-have you figured out how to control Grandenzil?"
I smirked, summoning my chakrams and spinning one lazily on a finger.
"We use her daughter."
Kayda blinked. "What, daughter?"
"When I bought these," I gestured to the weapons, "Grandenzil tried to get them off me. She lost the auction, came to confront me... And she wasn't alone. A girl, half her size, spoke up. Sounded just like her-but younger."
Kayda frowned. "You're guessing."
"Yes, but when have I ever been wrong?" I teased.
Kayda gave me a withering stare.
"Anyway," I continued, "we kidnap her."
Kayda deadpanned. "Kidnap."
"Yup. Add her to my squad."
Kayda blinked. "That's your recruitment strategy?"
"She uses chakrams," I said as if that explained everything.
Kayda looked like she wanted to scream. "Seriously?"
"I mean, come on. How often do you meet someone like that?"
Kayda rubbed her temples. "You're insane."
I grinned. "That's why you love me."
She gave me a long, suffering look. "So-what about Grandenzil herself? You think she actually cares about her squad?"
"I don't know. But she did look genuinely upset when that axe guy died. Big Baby Axe or whatever."
Kayda tilted her head. "I've fought her before. Every time, she uses numbers. Like a coward."
"Then we'll see how she reacts when we take her kid," I said, spinning a chakram with a flick of my wrist.
Kayda was still staring at me. "You're not going to explain that comment from earlier?"
"Nope." I walked toward the back of the cave with a smirk. "Now come on-we've got trolls to slay."
Kayda groaned. "You're impossible."
"Hey, what kind of metal were we looking for again?"
"I dunno, hold on," she said, pulling out the quest paper. "Oh-blue gems."
"Got it." I caught my chakrams again mid-spin.
"You kill stuff, I'll search," Kayda said, summoning five floating scorch balls for light.
"Fine," I said, stepping forward. "I do need the kills."
[1 hour later]
"You still haven't found any?" I asked, crouched beside a dead troll.
"There's nothing," Kayda said, sounding annoyed. "But it's not just empty-it looks like someone already cleared this place."
"Already mined?"
"Not exactly." She led me over to a rock wall and pointed. "See this? These marks are straight, forced-like they tore the gems out instead of breaking them free."
I examined the grooves. "Yeah... this doesn't look right."
"Trolls don't mine gems," she reminded me. "But occasionally a troll king has different behavior."
My eyes lit up. "So we're fighting a troll king?"
"Seems like it."
"Can I kill it?"
Kayda gave me a playful nudge. "Only if it's slow."
"If it's hoarding gems, it's probably fat," I said dryly.
Kayda smirked. "Then let's go find the bastard."
Yo, long time no talk, I guess? Do tell me where I can improve, and don't forget to join the discord.
https://discord.gg/Jj8PSmWahU
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Chapter 105:
"Well, there are a lot of them," I whispered to Kayda, crouched just behind a jagged outcropping of stone. My eyes scanned the cavern ahead, narrowing on the crude gemstone throne where the troll king sat, massive and imposing, like a swollen blueberry covered in grime and muscles.
Dozens of trolls surrounded him, lazing about or gnawing on bones, drool dripping from their jaws. They looked dumb. Dumb and huge.
"What do you mean 57 trolls and one troll king-isn't that many?" Kayda whispered back with sarcasm so thick you could build a house with it.
I turned and gave her a deadpan stare. "Maybe for you, Miss 'I-bench-press-dragon-spines,' but I really don't think I can kill all of them and the troll king. I'm good, but I'm not that good."
"That might be so," she said, lips curling into a smirk, "but what if we let your ice magic go out of control? Freeze the place into a sculpture gallery?"
I scrunched my nose at the suggestion. "That won't be able to kill the troll king, though. Not to mention, I don't even have enough mana to do what you want me to do."
My gaze swept across the cave. Multiple tunnels snaked outward like the arms of some giant monster, joining together in this main chamber. It wasn't just big-it was massive. Trying to freeze all of that?
"You do have enough mana," Kayda argued softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "And I know it won't kill him. That's not the point."
"To encase the entire room..." I exhaled. "Kayda, I think you've forgotten something. There'll be backlash from a spell this big. I won't be able to hold both the spell and my healing. It'll snap me in half."
"I know," she said, her voice unusually calm. "That's why I'll give you my mana to fuel the spell. Just use your own for healing."
I blinked at her. "That might work... but the preparations will take time."
"Why is that?"
"Because I suck at big spells, okay?" I said, huffing and rubbing the back of my head. "Especially one this massive. The scale is completely off from anything I've done."
"So get started then," she said, nudging me forward with an encouraging smile.
"Yes, ma'am," I muttered. Sitting down cross-legged, I closed my eyes and let my body fall into stillness. Kayda's warm hands settled on my back, channeling a steady stream of mana into me.
With a deep breath, I let my senses unfurl like a net across the cave. Every little vibration, every sound-my world became sensation.
"Gurh."
"Girh."
Grunts and growls echoed in every direction. Trolls shuffled in the tunnels. Some snored. Some stomped. My awareness reached outward, mapping the whole place.
'There are 113 trolls spread across approximately five hectares of tunnels... 'That's a whole bloody army,' I thought, adjusting my plan accordingly.
I extended my ice two meters underground. It crawled slowly, a thin sheet of death spreading beneath their feet.
"They aren't that sensitive to mana. You can create it 50 centimeters underground," Kayda advised gently, reading my hesitation.
"Okay," I whispered. With a small twitch of concentration, I adjusted the ice, raising it closer to the surface. It began to pulse faintly, waiting for my command.
Two hours later...
"Sigh... "I'm done," I breathed, my voice trembling with exhaustion but satisfaction curling in my chest. I kept my eyes closed, feeling every inch of the ice field like a second skin.
"Let 'er rip then," Kayda said, amusement dancing in her tone.
"Un." With a nod, I activated the spell.
A deep rumble shot through the cavern, followed by sharp, wet crunches. Spikes and chains of ice burst upward in an instant, piercing troll flesh and snapping bones.
"Ugh!!"
"Augh!!"
The grunts turned to screams, then to gurgling silence.
The spell finished. My eyes opened slowly.
"Haah... haaaah... That was so tiring," I gasped, slumping forward, panting like I'd just run a marathon underwater.
"Good work," Kayda said softly, patting my head with a smile that made me feel ten years younger.
"I got a few spikes into the troll king too... Although I didn't inflict enough damage to kill him, my attacks should have slowed him down. Out of the 113 trolls, only nine survived. They are heavily wounded and should bleed out in about five minutes. I reported this with a small smirk of pride while still catching my breath.
"There were that many?!" Kayda said, visibly impressed.
"Yeah," I said, raising an eyebrow. "You really thought I was exaggerating?"
"Just give me a bit to rest, then I'll go take care of the troll king."
"Are you sure you're up for that?" Kayda asked, glancing at the towering beast who was seated on his bloody throne and surrounded by impaled, twitching corpses.
"He's a slow troll king, and I stabbed up his muscles, so... no. But that's why I have you here to save my ass if I mess up," I grinned.
"I'll interfere the moment I think you're about to die, okay?" she said, seriously.
"Thanks," I said, standing up and dusting myself off. "And with my mana full again... I'll go all out from the beginning."
"You better win," Kayda said, flashing her teeth.
"I'll try my best." I turned and stepped toward the throne, dispelling the ice. All around me, chunks of trolls fell with nauseating thuds. The cave filled with silence-except for the labored breathing of the blue troll king.
He looked... pissed.
"Ghu... What happened to my people!?" The troll king roared, rising slowly to his full height. His hulking figure was twice the size of the average troll, adorned with crude armor and a crown of blue gems embedded in his skull.
"They died. What else do you think happened?" I said, casually walking up to him and shrugging.
"Did you do this!?" he bellowed.
"Who knows?" I shrugged and summoned my chakrams to my side with a flick of my hand.
"You will pay-ugh!" He winced mid-sentence, buckling slightly as pain radiated from his right leg. Ice spikes still lodged in the back of his knee glistened like glass.
"Oh, you only found those now?" I asked, feigning disappointment.
"RAAAAGH!" he roared, charging at me with both hands outstretched like a toddler mid-tantrum.
"No weapon? How barbaric," I muttered, pulling two chakrams and flinging them at him.
Clunk. Clunk.
They bounced off like pebbles. There was not even a single scratch.
"What the-" I began but had no time to finish. I leapt into the air, just in time to dodge his massive grasp.
"Die!" he bellowed again, slamming a fist down where I had just been. I reappeared on his shoulder with my fist drawn.
"Let's see how long your defense holds up!" I shouted, slamming my fist into his left eye.
"RAAGH!" He flailed wildly, and I backflipped off his shoulder.
"So... he is not 100% invulnerable," I muttered, narrowing my eyes. I summoned the six chakrams and began spinning them mid-air, slowly increasing their speed until they whirled like a cyclone.
"This is going to take everything I have."
The troll let out another angry bellow and charged again.
'Can't dodge forever... I realized that I had to end this quickly, so I braced myself. I created a body-sized shield with two lower spikes in one hand and a bastard sword in the other.
Slamming the shield into the ground, I waited.
Bang!
His punch collided. Cracks spiderwebbed across the shield, but it held. Just. I winced, rebalanced, and lunged.
"You're definitely as strong as a high orc," I said, swinging the sword down at his wrist.
Clunk!
"Fuck!" The sword bounced off. I barely had time to lift the shield before his second punch sent me flying.
"Ugh!" I rolled across the rocky ground, coughing dust from my lungs.
"Ghahaha!" The troll laughed, stomping toward me.
"You think that was enough to finish me?" I snapped, blinking behind him. Swapping gear mid-flash, I reappeared with brass knuckles.
"You're a tough guy, right? Let's test that!"
Crack!
I slammed his right cheek with a left hook. He swung reflexively-but too slow. I danced up to his left shoulder, grinning.
"Too slow!" I mocked.
Frustrated, he began spinning wildly, flailing like a drunk ogre.
"He might be a troll king, but he's as dumb as a rock," I said, standing off to the side now. My chakrams had reached ten times their original speed, spinning like saw blades of death.
He roared and charged again.
I smirked. Disappeared.
Appearing right in front of his mouth, I grabbed two of his massive front teeth, then kicked upward with all my strength into his nose.
Crack!
"GUAGH!"
I planted my feet on his top row of teeth and pulled.
"Fuck you-I'm the tooth fairy now!!"
Snap!
Snap!
I leapt backward, the troll's massive canines in my hands. Kayda's voice echoed across the cave.
"Keep the teeth! They're worth money!"
"Got it!" I shouted back, tossing them into my dimensional storage. My grin returned. The chakrams floated obediently, waiting.
After teleporting again, I appeared next to his right knee and delivered a powerful punch.
No reaction.
'Of course. The kneecap. Idiot.'
"RAAGH!" He tried to slam his fists down again-but I didn't move.
"I got you," I said, raising my hand.
The chakrams shot forward in a blur.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Both armpits were shredded, rendering his arms limp and useless.
"AARGH!"
"Not done."
Flash. The action is now behind him.
Slash! Slash!
Both knees. Gone.
He crashed down like a felled tree.
Slash! Slash!
His eyes were the last to go.
"Now you can't see. Or stand. Or swing."
I took a few cautious steps back. 'Still alive. Barely.'
"...Actually," I muttered, forming two large ice bombs. I walked forward slowly.
"You were a worthy punching bag," I said, tossing the bombs into his mouth.
"See ya."
Snap.
Well, this is the second time or third time I did a proper fighting scene. I hope you guys enjoy it.
Oh, another thing. When you look at people's profiles, it seems you can like it but does that actually do something?
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Chapter 106:
Boom!!!!!
"Aah fuck, I should have flash-stepped away from him before doing that," I muttered, blinking through the thick cloud of smoke and guts that now painted the inside of the cave a grotesque shade of blue. The air was thick with the stench of burning troll flesh, charred blood, and something else I would rather not identify. Looking down at myself, I saw that I was absolutely drenched in the remains of the troll king-my arms, chest, and even my legs were coated in sticky, dark blue troll gore.
It dripped down my bandages in slow globs, staining everything it touched. The icy air seemed to cling to the wetness, making it all the more uncomfortable.
