Sorcery Monarch

Chapter 71: Hunting Trolls

At the break of dawn, lively shouts already spread across Bay Village.

Thanks to the abundance of food, everyone had grown much stronger.

The main reason driving them to work so hard wasn't just the generous wages but also a newfound sense of belonging.

Near the village's military camp.

Many attempted to lift several rows of 100-kilogram stone locks.

Only a few succeeded, joining the next round of training assessments.

The rest shook their heads in disappointment, returning to their tasks.

Many resolved that as soon as they were strong enough, they would try again.

After all, the conditions and treatment of reserve soldiers were something everyone envied.

Emerging from a low tunnel, Jifan tightened the sandbags on his back and glanced at the figures behind him before crouching down.

He was in the lead, so there was no need to rush.

Ahead were several rows of wooden houses with open windows and doors, where two or three figures patrolled the perimeter.

Suppressing his slightly racing heart, Jifan successfully avoided the searching eyes and darted out from the shadows.

He carefully bypassed the traps buried underground, stealthily tiptoeing forward. Several times, he was nearly caught but skillfully used obstacles to evade detection.

Nearby, the sound of another contestant being captured echoed. Seizing the opportunity, Jifan slipped into the last wooden house.

Through the window, he could see the finish line not far away.

If he could cross the white line just 10 meters ahead, he would successfully join the reserve soldiers.

Just then, Jifan noticed a slightly hunched figure sitting in front of the white line.

Instinctively, Jifan froze, sensing danger. He didn't let his guard down, even though the figure's back was turned.

He cautiously hid in the shadows, not looking directly at the figure, waiting patiently for the right moment.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Jifan suppressed his growing anxiety, silently counting down.

As an aspiring rogue, patience and concealment were his greatest assets for survival.

With only 30 seconds left,

At that moment, more than a dozen impatient contestants suddenly charged forward.

Jifan remained motionless, watching as the others rushed ahead.

He remembered clearly that there had been 50 participants, and 24 had been eliminated. The current group only numbered 13...

While the assessment outside the village camp was in full swing, the adventurers heading towards the Gloomy Forest looked on with curiosity.

"Is Bay Village still recruiting soldiers? They must be nearing 200 by now, right?"

"Who knows what the lord's thinking? He probably believes the dangers in the Gloomy Forest are still significant and wants to bolster the military."

"Even reserve soldiers get pretty decent treatment..."

"Stop overthinking it. Focus on how to catch a troll."

"Our target isn't far this time. There are three of them in total, and with 30 of us, we should be enough..."

"They left early this morning, and it looks like they're planning to go deeper into the Gloomy Forest for a bigger haul."

"No, I heard they're going after five trolls at once. With 50 or so people, it should be enough..."

"It's rare to see so many adventurers working together..."

"Who could disagree?"

"What do you think of the vitality potions sold in Bay Village?"

"They're pretty effective. Slightly better than basic healing potions. The soldiers can vouch for that, and some adventurers tested them too..."

"No wonder the Ser family's lord has such an ace up his sleeve..."

"..."

Their lively discussion fell silent as they entered the Gloomy Forest.

These were seasoned adventurers, and they didn't underestimate their foes, even with a wealth of information.

Loud-mouthed adventurers had long since died off. Those who survived were the cautious veterans.

Following the information provided by Bay Village, they passed by the bustling logging camp.

Around twenty or thirty large carts, loaded with timber, were being transported to the village's lumber mill.

Smelling the lingering scent of blood in the air, they quickly suppressed their shock and hurried towards their destination.

Most regular adventurers excelled at bullying kobolds and murlocs.

But when it came to creatures like trolls, unless absolutely necessary, they avoided confrontation due to the low rewards.

For mid-tier adventurers, who were usually the captains of small adventuring teams, their average level hovered around 3, occasionally including a few level 1 or 2 newcomers.

The average challenge level of trolls was 4, and sometimes elite troll berserkers appeared—creatures only mid-tier adventurers could handle.

The fighting strength of hundreds of trolls was terrifying. Most adventurers wouldn't feel confident about winning.

This also underscored Bay Village's military strength, capable of easily defeating adventurers.

As they passed the kobold mining area, they spotted a patrol of soldiers.

Beside them, the muscular dragonborn kobold Goldtooth was overseeing the digging efforts of over a thousand kobolds.

The adventurers, intrigued, quickly abandoned any foolish thoughts and hurried on towards their goal.

Goldtooth glanced at their retreating figures, baring his sharp teeth in what seemed like a cold grin.

Nearby, a carefree deer munched on tender leaves.

The watchful mother deer chewed her food while staying alert, ready to flee at the slightest disturbance.

Kris gave them a brief glance, then quietly adjusted his breathing as he stealthily circled the tree.

Caution and care were the reasons he had survived as a decoy for so long.

He had accepted this dangerous job to earn more money, but that didn't mean he intended to die.

Thanks to his refined skills and expert stealth, he avoided all the animals along the way, carefully approaching a stone forest.

As soon as he got close, the stench of rot hit him, and scattered bones of various colors littered the area.

Even starving hyenas wouldn't dare approach this place—the overwhelming stench clearly marked it as a troll den.

Pushing aside his fear and forcing himself not to think about his terrifying memories, Kris steadied his breathing and adjusted his composure.

He could faintly hear the trolls' grunts and quarrels. Raising his hand, he made several gestures towards the air.

The adventurers in the distance perked up. Acting as their temporary leader, Alice signaled for them to follow the plan while musing to herself:

"It seems Bay Village's information was not only accurate but this detailed too..."

"Could it really be that Lord Matthew's only goal is to clear out the dangers of the Gloomy Forest?"

"That's impossible. The Gloomy Forest is massive—whether it's kobolds or trolls, they'll just keep coming back..."

Alice had no idea that Matthew was focused on the endless source of experience points.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Alice shook off her doubts and called out in a clear voice:

"Let's begin! Whether we eat meat or chew black bread this year depends on this fight!"

A bright red cloth waved in the air, and Kris, seeing it, pulled out a black metal sphere from his pocket.

It was a goblin bomb, a device crafted by halfling engineers.

With a loud bang, the sound of the bomb was far more intimidating than its actual destruction.

Amid the trolls' screeches, several hulking figures emerged from the dust, charging towards Kris.

As soon as he had thrown the goblin bomb, Kris had already started sprinting away!