Chapter 10: Troll Slayer
The tense atmosphere was like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Silas inhaled deeply, mentally preparing himself for the imminent fight. He had never faced such an adversary before, but fear was a luxury he couldn't afford. "Melissa," Silas called out, not taking his eyes off the trolls. "If I get hurt, I need you to heal me as fast as possible." His voice was firm, filled with resolution. He took out his handmade wooden spear, the only weapon he had, and held it in a fighting stance.
Without wasting another second, Silas charged towards the trolls. His heart pounded in his chest, his breaths short and sharp. As he neared them, a system notification popped up, "Defeat the enemies to gain an instant level up and a new title!" New title? Silas wondered, but he quickly shoved the thought aside. Now was not the time for contemplation. With an agile leap, Silas launched himself into the air, throwing his spear at the closest troll.
To his surprise, the spear pierced through the troll's chest. The creature howled in pain as it tried to yank the weapon out. But that was Silas's only weapon. Landing gracefully, he continued his sprint towards the enemy. He sent a roundhouse kick at the first troll's face, stunning it for a brief moment. However, the second troll came at him with a sword, but Silas skillfully ducked under the swing, Silas was far from giving up. Taking advantage of his successful dodge, he launched an uppercut at the troll's chin, only to realize it had no effect.
This revelation caused him to stagger back slightly, his punch not strong enough to cause any real damage. Silas's breath came in labored gasps, sweat trickling down his face as he battled the fatigue settling in. He watched as the troll yanked out the spear lodged in its chest, the wound healing almost instantly. Silas couldn't help but feel a tinge of despair. He was running out of ideas on how to defeat these beasts. Just when all seemed lost, Melissa stepped forward, casting a healing spell on him. The effect was immediate.
Silas's fatigue vanished, replaced with newfound energy. His stamina was back to full, his body refreshed and ready for another round. "I must win," Silas declared, determination resounding in his voice. He squared his shoulders, staring down the trolls with a fierce glint in his eyes. He was not going to lose, not when there was so much at stake. Just as Silas was preparing for his next move, Melissa, her long red hair swaying behind her, walked past him.
"Don't go, it's too dangerous!" Silas cautioned, but Melissa seemed different. There was an air of confidence exuding from her that Silas hadn't seen before. Then, to his astonishment, she darted towards the trolls with incredible speed, surpassing anything Silas could muster. Before he could comprehend what was happening, Melissa launched a punch into the face of one of the trolls, sending it hurtling backwards. Silas's eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the sight.
Her strength was astounding, far beyond what he would've expected. This left him puzzled – if she was this strong, why had she suggested they run earlier? His thoughts were interrupted by Melissa's shout, "Are you just going to sit there and watch, or are you going to help?" Snapped out of his stupor, Silas sprinted toward the remaining troll, seeing an opportunity as it was distracted by Melissa's show of power. He was determined to put everything he had into his next attack, fully aware that it could potentially fracture the bones in his hand.
Pushing his speed to its maximum, the surrounding forest turned into a blurry whirl of green as he charged forward. With all his might, he punched, his arm plunging straight through the troll's skull. The creature fell dead instantly. Simultaneously, Melissa finished off her opponent. They had won the fight. Then, a system message appeared. "Congratulations, you've defeated your foes. Instant level up granted, you are now Level 3. Five attribute points have been awarded.
New title granted: 'Troll Slayer'. While fighting trolls, you receive a 25% boost to attack strength and a 25% increase in movement speed on top of your current attribute level. Kill 2 out of 25 trolls to level up title." Silas was taken aback. That was a significant boost, although it was unfortunate that it only applied when fighting trolls. But the prospect of leveling up the title by continuing to slay them was intriguing. However, there was no time to dwell on these new abilities.
"Good work out there, Silas," Melissa complimented him, a genuine smile gracing her face. "You were great out there too," Silas responded, lightly punching her shoulder. Despite the danger they had just faced, he couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. They had succeeded, and he was becoming stronger. Silas and Melissa, sensing that their victory might attract more danger, decided it was best to leave the area. The pair quickly disappeared into the dense forest, leaving behind the slain bodies of the trolls.
Not long after they had left, a group of trolls arrived on the scene. The sight of their fallen comrades ignited a fiery anger within them.
One troll stood out amongst the rest, almost double the size of the others and with a unique, reddish skin, different from the common green skin of his counterparts. This troll exuded an intimidating aura that suggested he was the alpha of their tribe. The alpha troll gestured for a specific troll to approach.
On the ground was a piece of clothing that had been left behind in the struggle. The smaller troll picked it up and began to sniff it, attempting to capture any scent that would lead them to the culprits. His eyes lit up as he caught a whiff of the lingering scent, and without a word, he started walking in the same direction Silas and Melissa had disappeared into. The hunt for revenge had begun. The forest, which had momentarily returned to its tranquil state after the earlier conflict, was now alive with a dangerous energy. And at the heart of this was Silas, who had unknowingly sparked the wrath of the trolls.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone