Clang! Clang! Clang!... Boom!
The constant sounds of metal striking metal echoed across the plains on the outskirts of the Darknar Forest, punctuated by the occasional BOOM. Albert watched closely as Tyler and the Gray-War Troll, Kadiz, clashed. Most of the group around him seemed restless, and Liz grew increasingly uncomfortable the longer the fight dragged on. To be honest, Albert had underestimated the troll. He had been caught off guard when it suddenly went berserk, using an unfamiliar ability that granted it the power to cast spells and skills.
Trolls were similar to ogres in that they were typically unable to use spells, and most couldn't even use skills, relying instead on their inherent strength and racial regenerative abilities. That was why everyone had been shocked when this massive troll demonstrated the ability to do both. Azar, who had been saved by Tyler and no longer had a weapon, received a longsword from Albert as the group organized themselves to defend against the trolls that had surrounded them.
While Kadiz had promised that his men wouldn't interfere, the group wasn't naive enough to trust the word of a troll. Albert continued to watch the fight intently, finally realizing what Tyler's intentions were. Having been informed of Tyler's centuries-long hiatus from action, Albert figured Tyler was now trying to shake off the rust from such a prolonged break.
Although Albert hadn't witnessed Tyler's fight with the Tier 6 magic beasts back in town and had only heard the details from the guards, he could still speculate. However, hearing about it wasn't enough to give him a clear picture. He knew that Tyler wouldn't have had the mindset to learn during that battle, as so many lives had been at stake.
Albert thought Tyler might be trying to return to his peak, especially now that they were heading to the Demon King's castle with such a large group, which was likely to attract attention. Perhaps this was also a way to accelerate his plans. Traveling to the Demon King's castle was undeniably dangerous and could cause an uproar across the Demon Continent, putting them at the center of a dangerous storm.
For the residents of the settlement, however, this was their best option and a way to show gratitude to their saviors. They didn't have any better alternatives; traveling anywhere on the Demon Continent with such numbers and so little fighting force was practically a death sentence. This way, they had the protection of someone like Tyler and Liz.
For Albert, this was much more. He wasn't a vengeful person by nature, but he wouldn't miss an opportunity if it presented itself. Although he wouldn't act against his new master's wishes, he felt that being at the center of the major events unfolding on the Demon Continent would give him the best chance to avenge his family and everyone who had been under his care. Perhaps it might even lead to a solution for Erin's current predicament.
•••••••••••
|Smog of Darkness|
Another glyph on Kadiz's chest flashed red, and he activated a new spell. The black smoke-like aura exuding from his body erupted like an explosion, creating a thick smog that covered a radius of over 15 meters. The smog was a dense layer of smoke that seemed to absorb all light within it, plunging the area into complete darkness. It also interfered with all of Tyler's senses.
Albert's team retreated as the smog spread, feeling the immense danger emanating from it. Even the trolls surrounding them grew apprehensive and hesitant, with the less-equipped ones taking steps back, ignoring the group entirely.
Tyler instantly lost track of the Gray-War Troll, which had been right in front of him moments ago. He was now unable to determine where the cunning beast had gone. The smog drained his sense of awareness little by little, making it feel as though he were trapped in the vacuum of space. Tyler held his breath, his intuition warning him not to inhale the contaminated air, or he might be corrupted.
The smog felt somewhat similar to the aura he had exuded when using the spell Wave of Despair, though it contained far less negative energy. Tyler felt trapped within this empty void, slowly losing awareness of his senses and feeling isolated from the world outside the smog.
He also felt the smog attempting to invade his mind, but he resisted it. Unsure of what to do next, Tyler braced himself for an attack. He doubted this was all there was to such a powerful spell, and as if on cue, he barely sensed something rushing toward him. Tyler swung his weapon, and a loud clang rang out. He barely felt the troll's presence before it dispersed again, merging seamlessly into the smog.
Tyler had just stabilized himself when another attack struck him from behind. Well, it had aimed for his back but was quickly deflected by the cracked greatsword. Tyler was now sweating slightly, pushing his senses to their limit and only barely managing to detect such straightforward attacks. I really should've learned Magic Sense, he thought.
Magic Sense was a Tier 3 spell, so Tyler couldn't have learned it back then even if he had wanted to. Still, that didn't stop him from complaining. Even after quickly striking back at the space where the attack had originated, he felt no contact.
After finally adjusting a little, he could now sense everything within a 3-meter radius but was still unable to locate the troll. Several attacks aimed at Tyler's blindspots came from different directions, making it seem as though the Gray-War Troll was everywhere at once—or perhaps it had truly merged with the smog.
Given the current situation, Tyler thought he might actually lose if nothing changed. His battle instincts were lacking, and he was barely keeping up with the disappearing troll. He already knew his swordsmanship was subpar, but his movements now felt sluggish. He had been relying too much on his sight to fight, and now that he had to use all five senses just to keep up, he realized how truly weak he was.
Tyler felt like someone who was right-handed suddenly losing their dominant hand, and unfortunately, they weren't ambidextrous. Moreover, he wasn't used to wielding a greatsword, so his dexterity was already compromised. Tyler pushed aside the frustrating thoughts building within him as he struggled to block the troll's attacks. I might've been a little too cocky earlier, and now it's coming back to bite me in the ass, he lamented.
Although Tyler knew this wasn't his limit, he couldn't help but feel the pressure of his current predicament. Determined not to rely on his speed, he tried to make the best of the situation.
Another attack slammed into the greatsword, widening the crack in the blade. Tyler focused as much as he could, and the more attacks he deflected, the sharper his reactions became. He couldn't learn any advanced techniques overnight, so the best he could do was improve his battle instincts and senses. With the continuous stream of attacks from all directions, he could now cleanly dodge without further punishing the heavily damaged greatsword.
After another round of attacks, Tyler noticed the troll's energy was growing rapidly. The smog expanded, and the attacks became faster, stronger, and more erratic. The troll must have been growing frustrated as well. However, if this continued, it might involve the residents of the settlement and lead to devastating casualties caused by a desperate opponent. Fine, I guess it's time to end this, Tyler thought, feeling somewhat satisfied with what he'd learned. He no longer tried to cleanly dodge the incoming attacks.
With a slight twist of his body, he narrowly avoided the next strike. Letting his mana flow into the greatsword, Tyler used his second and most powerful skill as a swordsman: Burning Strike. The oversized blade moved swiftly, cutting through the dark smog with a fiery aura that rapidly expanded as it left the blade. The more Tyler's senses adapted to the smog, the easier it became to locate the troll.
Somehow, the troll was able to move through the smog almost instantly, appearing in different locations before attacking. Although Tyler knew he was fast enough to stop the troll, his main goal had been self-improvement, so he had taken the attacks. Now, however, he felt he had gained all he could from the fight, and it was time to end it.
A pained wail escaped the troll's mouth as a figure was sent flying out of the smog. Albert, who had been trying to peer through the dense fog while staying alert to the nervous trolls around them, felt relieved when he saw the figure emerge and the smog begin to disperse. Not knowing what had happened within the smog had made him doubt his master briefly, but he quickly shook the thought away.
When the smog finally dissipated, Tyler let out a loud breath. Holding his breath for so long had been harder than he had expected, but he was glad he no longer had to. The Gray-War Troll moaned in pain as it struggled to stand. There was a long burn mark on its chest, and one of its arms was missing.
The wound on its chest didn't seem to be healing, and the troll was finding it difficult to stand properly. Tyler tilted his head slightly, wondering why the troll's regeneration ability wasn't working. Is it vulnerable to fire? If that was the case, then this troll truly wouldn't be a threat to him if he used magic, as the only offensive spells he knew were Fireball and Magic Arrow.
The Gray-War Troll forced itself to stand, roaring loudly like a mad beast. It took a stance and swung its hamaxe by the chain. Is it planning to attack from there? Tyler felt the match was over. Even without using his speed, such a basic attack as throwing the hamaxe at him wouldn't land. He had been the lowest-ranked swordsman in the Adventurers' Guild on the Human Continent. If he hadn't perfected the art of dodging—and running away—he would have died long ago.
"Damn you! Don't you dare look down on me!" Kadiz bellowed, madness gleaming in his eyes.
Just as expected, the troll hurled its weapon at Tyler with all its might. Disappointed, Tyler moved out of the way, planning to finish off the troll with his next attack. However, Tyler's expression froze the moment he dodged the weapon's original trajectory. A sudden glow from the rune on the blade caused the hamaxe to turn at a right angle, correcting its path back toward him with a burst of speed.
"!"
Tyler hurriedly swung his greatsword to the side, aiming to knock away the hamaxe, which was almost upon him. However, he was a moment too late, and the hamaxe scraped his right shoulder, sending a shockwave through his body.
Although the attack hadn't hurt much and left no mark on his body aside from the torn shirt, Tyler felt like he had made a grave mistake, as if this were a first-person shooter game.
"Ghahahahahah! I did it! I hit you! I finally hit you! Hahahaha..."
Hearing the taunting, delusional laughter of the mad troll, Tyler felt a vein pop in his head.