Sorcery Monarch

Chapter 82: Adventurers Gone Mad!

 

A gentle breeze blew through the Dark Forest.

 

A faint stench carried with the wind, spreading far and wide.

 

Five trolls fled in terror. Once the rulers of the Dark Forest, they had now become prey.

 

Blood poured from their bodies, dripping down, and with the barbed bleeding arrows lodged deep, the more they ran, the weaker they became.

 

Three large nets dropped from the sky.

 

Two trolls that couldn't dodge in time were caught, bound tightly by ropes and stones fastened to the nets.

 

The remaining three trolls cast a fearful glance at their captured comrades and frantically fled, not daring to stop.

 

Over ten strong adventurers rushed out, using specially made steel forks to pin the net ropes from afar, working together to subdue the trolls on the ground.

 

Alice shot them a look of delight, shouting hurriedly:

 

"Don’t stop! Keep chasing them! Don’t let them catch their breath."

 

"Tie up their arms and legs! And be on guard—watch out for other adventurers!"

 

After hearing Alice's orders, Chris quickened his pace, focusing on the tall figures running ahead. With a few swift strides, he leaped onto a small hill, steadied himself, and drew his bow.

 

With a sharp whoosh, the arrow streaked through the air, aiming for the troll’s back.

 

"Ah...!"

 

The troll let out a scream as the arrow struck its knee, causing it to collapse to the ground. It thrashed wildly, reaching for the arrow's shaft.

 

But as it grabbed hold, the brittle arrow shaft snapped in its grip.

 

Now, the troll’s hopes of pulling the arrow out vanished instantly.

 

Slick blood trickled down, filling the troll with terror. Just as it looked up to seek help from its comrades, all it saw was their retreating backs.

 

Excited, Chris charged closer but didn’t approach the troll directly. Using a nearby sturdy tree for cover, he drew and fired another arrow.

 

The troll, struggling to rise, was hit again, collapsing back to its knees with a heavy thud.

 

Despite its incredible strength, the troll wasn’t ready to surrender, swinging its heavy club in a desperate attempt to take Chris down with it.

 

Chris, now well-practiced, swiftly ran away, not intending to engage the troll head-on.

 

Within just a few breaths, the other adventurers caught up.

 

They patted Chris on the shoulder with excitement, then threw a prepared net over the troll.

 

No matter how strong the troll was, it couldn't overpower seven or eight brawny adventurers. After struggling for a while, it was subdued.

 

Chris decided not to pursue the others further. With his current contribution, he could already claim 15 gold coins. Pushing for more might make others envious.

 

Ten minutes later, the last two trolls were also captured and locked up.

 

The adventurers, brimming with satisfaction, stared at the ugly, stinking trolls and began chatting excitedly.

 

"Haha, we’ve caught six trolls this morning! That’s 300 gold coins in the bag!"

 

"I wonder how those fools who split off are doing... I bet their haul isn’t as good."

 

"Who knows what they were thinking? We’re doing just fine, making good money and staying safe."

 

"We’re lucky to have Captain Alice. We might not have even found this troll den without her."

 

"Yeah, with Captain Alice around, there’s no need to go off and take unnecessary risks."

 

"I heard some people headed toward the valley. Wonder how that’s going for them..."

 

"Let them scout ahead. Once they’ve got information, we’ll head over."

 

"Exactly..."

 

"..."

 

The success of Alice’s team was a microcosm of what other adventurer squads were experiencing.

 

Thanks to Old Village Chief Field, the maps of Bay Village, and the provision of tools and methods.

 

The experienced adventurers were efficiently sweeping through the outer edges of the Dark Forest near Bay Village.

 

Even without delving deep into the forest, the scattered trolls provided ample rewards.

 

In fact, Bay Village expanded the lumberyard into a large outpost to accommodate the adventurers' needs.

 

As long as the adventurers brought captured trolls to the lumberyard outpost, they could claim their bounties, rest, and spend their earnings.

 

To everyone’s surprise.

 

Not only could they purchase standard weapons and equipment here, but they also found a “special offer.”

 

“Blood-Replenishing Potion, slightly better than a basic healing potion, priced at 40 silver coins. Proof of troll capture required. Limited to one per person per day!”

 

Alice marveled at the blood-replenishing potion in her hand.

 

She had heard of its fame and had seen the soldiers use it with great effect.

 

Compared to basic healing potions, which were hard to find and cost over 50 silver coins, blood-replenishing potions offered adventurers much greater safety, and could even boost their earnings.

 

Many savvy adventurers, thinking ahead, dug into their pockets and bought the blood-replenishing potion.

 

After all, spending a few dozen silver coins to ensure their lives was a small price to pay when they stood to earn much more.

 

Besides the blood-replenishing potion, something else caught the adventurers' interest.

 

“Custom Magic Equipment!”

 

“Adventurers with 50 contribution points can pay 100 gold coins to commission a piece of standard-grade magic equipment, either with their own materials or purchased at cost!”

 

A standard-grade magic item was worth at least 300 gold coins, not including materials!

 

Most importantly, most magic equipment was impossible to buy. Even with money, adventurers often lacked the materials and the means to acquire it.

 

This was especially true for adventurers without powerful connections!

 

This obvious benefit further stoked the adventurers' excitement!

 

It drove them to the brink of madness!

 

Take Alice's team, for example—they immediately canceled their afternoon rest.

 

They headed eastward to the outskirts of the Dark Forest, hunting for more troll camps.

 

After all, the existing troll camps had either been cleared or were in the process of being cleared by other adventurers.

 

Some of the stronger adventurer teams even ventured deeper into the Dark Forest.

 

There, the trolls were more numerous and more densely packed.

 

The adventurers' restlessness brought many changes.

 

They earned more, but they also spent more, happily rewarding themselves for their efforts.

 

As a result, Bay Village saw a spike in sales of all types of weapons and goods to adventurers.

 

The pricier items included weapons, alchemical potions, tools, and trap materials.

 

The cheaper goods ranged from clothing, tents, food, and drink to various other supplies.

 

Gradually, everyone began to realize that the factories set up along the riverbank could produce nearly all the daily necessities they needed.

 

No one understood this better than the merchant Adamsmith.

 

He had recruited the talent for these productions, and it was his money that bought the machinery and tools.

 

But he never imagined the lord's ambitions would be so grand.

 

“Twenty to thirty factories, five to six hundred workers, with wages alone totaling hundreds of gold coins each month.”

 

“While these everyday goods are relatively cheap to produce and of decent quality, they don’t have much competitive edge…”

 

“Could it be the lord has another plan?”

 

Though smart, Adamsmith couldn’t comprehend everything, as he hadn’t reached the heights required to fully grasp the lord’s intentions.