After Han Shuo had moved behind the Fatty, he discovered that of the ten or so mercenaries defending the Fatty, the strongest of them were two mid-level warriors, followed by six novice warriors and a few other warrior apprentices.
All of them were covered in wounds, and the two strongest mid-level warriors were the most severely injured, to the point where they had almost lost the ability to fight.
"Master Fabian, we're the ones who are supposed to protect you!" The mid-level warrior, blood still gushing from a bloody hole in his chest, became agitated as he saw Han Shuo quickly approaching.
"The situation now is quite obvious that you have lost the ability to fight and cannot provide me with effective protection. I paid half of the gold to your mercenary band earlier, but since you were unable to escort me back to the empire, I will not pay the second half." Fabian said with a face full of resignation and then put a warm, slight smile on his face. He bowed slightly and said to Han Shuo, "Mighty Warrior, please take me away from here and I will pay you two hundred gold."
"Alright, give me one hundred gold first and I'll start right away!" Han Shuo was at ease and also replied with a slight smile.
At that moment, when the forest troll leader saw that Han Shuo did not seem to be leaving, he finally shouted in fury, "Deceitful and evil humans, kill them all!"
As the leader's words rang out, the troll warriors, hunters, and priests who had been standing motionless in their places shouted in the strange language of the forest trolls and rushed over in great strides.
"Alright, this is a hundred gold pieces. If you get me out of here safely, I'll give you the other hundred gold. Damn, they're coming for us, make a move!" Fabian hastily took out a money bag and poured out one hundred gold coins for Han Shuo when he saw the forest trolls rushing over with ugly expressions and brandishing weapons.
After receiving the hundred gold coins, Han Shuo suddenly smiled at Fabian. Before Fabian had a chance to react, Han Shuo had swung Fabian onto his back and pulled some tattered pieces of gauze out of an open pocket. He quickly tied Fabian to his back.
"Let's go, I'll get you out of here safely. You have to hold on tight, if you fall halfway you only have yourself to blame!" Han Shuo hurriedly instructed as he threw down the battleaxe in his hand, grabbed a new long spear from beside him, and abruptly dashed towards the perimeter.
Seven troll warriors had long since blocked the way, with a few more hunters and priests behind them. They had already thrown out their long spears and javelins with a whooshing sound when they saw Han Shuo charging towards them.
Even with a fat man on his back, Han Shuo navigated the rough and windy paths with ease. He quickly changed direction and easily dodged several long spears and javelins.
As Han Shuo rushed to the side of the seven troll warriors, the long awaited troll warriors rushed towards him with their battleaxes. He clenched the long spear in his hand as Han Shuo quickly closed the distance and stabbed the spear into the chest of the first troll.
A blood-red flower suddenly bloomed on its chest, and the troll warrior fell backwards with a shudder. At that moment, the troll priest behind him began to chant Healing and Fire of the Soul. A few rays of green light fell on the troll warriors.
The troll warrior who had fallen trembled to his feet. When the other troll warriors were enveloped by the magic of Soulfire, it was as if a layer of metallic skin had been applied to their already tough green skin. Their skin glowed with a metallic sheen, followed by a simultaneous increase in speed and strength. They lunged at the two, screaming loudly.
"Hurry! Hurry and get me out of here!" Scared out of his wits, Fabian began to scream in panic on Han Shuo's back.
His expression unchanged, Han Shuo ignored Fabian's cries and screams. Suddenly, he threw out the spear in his hand and speared the troll warrior through the neck as he struggled to his feet, nailing him to the ground. He then pulled out the spears and javelins that were still on the ground and threw them one by one at the priests who were hiding behind the back.
One of the priests didn't dodge in time and was instantly pierced to death. Two other troll hunters also died from being speared from the front. At that moment, Han Shuo randomly pulled out a long spear and began to directly confront the troll warrior in front of him.
After the Soul Fire had been cast upon it, all of the troll warrior's bodily functions had increased significantly. However, Han Shuo's current state had seen some small successes in the practice of magic, and the toughness and flexibility of his body still far surpassed them. He manoeuvred the long spear and flicked out the battleaxes one by one.
As the battleaxes flew from the hands of the troll warriors, they would simultaneously pull out a spear or javelin from the ground, thoroughly blocking the path and entangling Han Shuo. He was facing six with a fat man on his back. Even though he dodged at high speed, he still couldn't completely avoid all the injuries.
Whenever danger approached, Han Shuo would maliciously use Fabian on his back as a shield, using Fabian's fat, stocky body to reduce the damage to his own body.
"Damn it, you can't do that, otherwise don't even expect to get the hundred gold coins afterwards." Fabian's buttocks had been pierced by a long spear and his back had been bloodied by a couple of spears. He moaned incessantly on Han Shuo's back.
Unfortunately, Han Shuo completely ignored all of Fabian's complaints. He conveniently pulled out a long spear embedded in the troll warrior's chest and the resulting spray of flesh blood splattered all over Han Shuo. Han Shuo's expression had been cold and vicious to begin with, and he looked even more like the reincarnation of a bloodthirsty god with all the blood all over him. This shocked Fabian for a moment and he didn't dare speak any more nonsense, just whimpering and crying on Han Shuo's back.
"Kill him, kill him, finish him off!" The forest troll leader suddenly burst into an angry roar when he saw that Han Shuo had killed quite a few forest trolls. He even pulled out a battleaxe from behind him and rushed over.
Even though Han Shuo wasn't breaking out in a sweat against five trolls at the moment, it was still extremely difficult for him to break through. As the troll leader finished speaking, more forest troll warriors rushed over. Han Shuo dodged a crushing blow from a battleaxe and took a few steps back.
"Souls of the fallen soldiers, heed the call of the dark herald and reveal your existence!" Han Shou spread his hands and suddenly chanted the spell used for a necromancer's summons.
"Oh my god! You're a mage too!" Fabian had sobbed in a low voice when he was momentarily shocked by Han Shuo starting a spell. He looked at Han Shuo blankly with a strange expression on his face and called out strangely.
The forest troll leader in the distance was startled and then increased his speed, shouting loudly, "Kill him, hurry up and kill him.
A small skeleton wielding a bone dagger suddenly materialised in front of Han Shuo. Its small, thin body stood there in loneliness as its empty eye sockets patrolled the area a little at a loss.
"Oh come on, just a little skeleton, and such a thin little one at that. What use is it?" Fabian began to whine in surprise when he saw that Han Shuo had summoned only one skeleton.
"Wahahaha, so it was only one skeleton. That scared me... kill them all!" After seeing that it was only a single skeleton, the forest troll leader immediately roared loudly and ordered the troll warriors to quickly approach.
Both of Han Shuo's eyes were cold as a trace of a mocking smile appeared on his lips. Once the forest troll leader had spoken, he immediately gave the order for the small skeleton to attack.
As the little skeleton received the command to attack, its small leg bones bent down and then stretched out, suddenly flying out like a sharp sword. The bone dagger in its hand drew a line of black light through the empty air as it flew out first. The first Troll warrior to rush towards it was sliced right through its forehead like a piece of paper, and it fell straight backwards.
The little bone dagger didn't stop after it passed through the first troll warrior's head. It whistled through the air as the small skeleton moved, like a ghost out for blood. Deafening whistles accompanied mysterious and unpredictable curves as it passed through two more troll warriors with another stroke. As the little skeleton approached the troll warriors, the dagger automatically returned to the little skeleton's hands.
The mere loosening of the bone dagger had instantly taken the lives of three troll warriors. The disappointed Fabian and the jeering troll leader were both stunned by the skeleton's single strike. They stared at the little skeleton in disbelief. It was like a tiger that had entered a flock of sheep. The small bone dagger, held tightly in its hand, began to swiftly take the lives of the troll warriors.
"Oh my goodness! Am I seeing things? Is that really just one skeleton warrior?" Fabian had finally come to his senses and began to shout excitedly. If it hadn't been for the gauze that had completely wrapped around him, he might even have fallen off in his excitement and landed on the ground.
"Don't go near him, everyone stay away from the skeleton and use long spears, javelins and battleaxes to kill this skeleton". Once the troll leader had recovered from his shock, he gave loud commands with a look of fear on his face. His originally advancing body stopped in its tracks as he began to retreat in cowardice.
The troll warriors who had been near the small skeleton had all retreated. As they left, long spears, javelins, and even the battleaxes of the troll warriors filled the air and descended upon the small skeleton.
Han Shuo was startled. As strong as the small skeleton was, it would most likely be hit by such a powerful barrage of attacks. But even if he started the incantation now, he wouldn't be able to call it up in time. Han Shuo grew anxious and began to really worry about the little skeleton.
Except that the little skeleton's subsequent fantastical, unbelievable performance completely turned Han Shuo's understanding and knowledge on its head.