Chapter 28: Yaya's Power
"Hide well, and don't make a sound. If anyone disrupts the plan, they'll face military discipline!"
Old John played the role of the strict enforcer, quietly scolding some distracted soldiers to break their pre-battle tension.
Beside him, Leon licked his lips, recalling his previous encounters with trolls, all of which were painful memories.
These trolls, standing over 2.5 meters tall, muscular, and hideous, with their brute strength and terrifying regenerative abilities, had always been the nightmare of Bay Village.
In recent years, the number of trolls in the Dark Forest had increased, from one or two at first to groups of three to five.
What was once a treasure trove for gathering herbs and magical materials had turned into a dangerous forbidden zone.
Now, with the arrival of the new lord, would this change for the better, or would history repeat itself?
"Roar...!"
A beastly roar echoed from the distant forest.
Matthew felt a faint sense of threat approaching closer.
Yaya lowered her head, shifting from her previous adorable appearance, cautiously peering through the gaps in the bushes and staring intently at the distant area.
Field sidestepped to avoid a thrown rock, quickly ducking behind a tree trunk before swiftly half-turning to shoot an arrow.
The sharp metal arrowhead pierced the troll's chest, causing it to roar in fury and charge harder at the old hunter.
Having successfully drawn the troll's aggro, Field panted heavily as he sprinted, glancing at the trolls closing in from both sides.
If it were his younger days, Field, once an avid hunter, could have kept running for half a day. Now, though, his stamina was waning, and his speed was slowing.
The pursuing trolls noticed his faltering pace and became even more excited, shouting in guttural troll-speak.
Field gritted his teeth and pressed on. He took it upon himself to act as bait, so that the young men of the village, who had not experienced real danger, could survive.
Crash!
The enormous figure of the troll burst from the bushes, swinging a wooden club stained with dark blood, sending a foul wind toward him.
Field leaped forward, rolling on the ground to dodge potential follow-up attacks before diving into the bushes ahead.
Ignoring the thorns tearing at his skin, he narrowly evaded the troll's club and sprinted over a wide patch of dry leaves.
As he passed a marked spot, Field stumbled dramatically to the ground, causing the trolls to grow more excited as they charged.
The two fastest trolls took great strides toward Field, but before they could attack, the ground beneath them suddenly gave way, and they plummeted down.
Frantically flailing their arms, they grasped at nothing and fell into the deep pit prepared for them.
Thud!
Sharp spikes pierced their feet, causing them to cry out in agony.
After painfully pulling out the barbed iron spikes, the trolls looked up to see that the pit was 6 meters deep, far too high for them to climb out.
Seeing their comrades fall, the faces of the other two trolls changed, just as a bright silver flash streaked from above.
Moving at lightning speed, Yaya pounced, instinctively opening her mouth.
"Banishment Breath!"
Matthew watched as the troll, just raising its hand, was struck by the invisible breath, its massive body suddenly becoming ethereal before vanishing in a flash of light.
The troll had been banished!
It would reappear in a month or when Yaya dispelled the spell.
In the blink of an eye, the fearsome four trolls were reduced to just one!
Yaya landed gracefully, dodging the swing of the troll's club, leaping up, and slashing its chest with her claws.
The troll howled in pain, bending low to sweep with its club, but Yaya lightly jumped, easily avoiding the blow, then headbutted its jaw.
Boom!
Blood splattered everywhere!
The troll staggered back two steps, but its rapid regeneration had already healed its chest, and it angrily swung its club again.
Observing from the sidelines, Matthew marveled at Yaya's agility and compact strength, reflecting on how important innate talent was in this world.
Even though Yaya hadn't inherited the bloodline knowledge that other true dragons did from birth, her ability to learn was still impressive.
"It must be because my intelligence is so high!" Matthew thought shamelessly.
Initially, he had been a bit nervous, but now he was ready to sit back and enjoy the show, curious about what surprises his adorable little creature might bring him.
At first, Yaya preferred to use her nimble limbs, sharp claws, and ferocious headbutts to attack.
But as she grew rapidly, realizing the troll posed no real threat, she became bolder, using her wings to increase her mobility, attacking from different angles.
Interestingly, once Yaya noticed the troll's troublesome regeneration, she began targeting its weak points, attacking its head, throat, and heart.
Before long, the troll was covered in blood.
While the wounds healed, the lost blood wasn't replenished, and the pain made the troll more fearful, its attacks growing slower as Yaya became more reckless.
To others, it might have seemed like Yaya was learning and growing, but in their eyes...
Yaya's terrifying killing ability made them gulp instinctively.
Fear began to consume the troll's mind, as it seemed to recall a past terror. It dropped its weapon and fled.
Yaya, puzzled, stopped her pursuit, tilting her head cutely in confusion.
Matthew, unable to help but laugh, sensed Yaya's emotions and waved to the dazed soldiers:
"Surround him and capture him!"
The soldiers finally snapped to attention, with Old John leading the charge, guiding the shieldmen and spearmen forward:
"Shieldmen in front, spearmen behind, attack his legs first!"
Seeing the troll beaten up by Yaya, the soldiers were emboldened, charging forward with loud battle cries.
The panicked troll had no will to fight, and once surrounded, it only flailed its fists, slamming into the shields.
But it was just a "small" troll!
Its strength was great, but not enough to break through the shields or knock down the professional soldiers.
The soldiers had initially been afraid of the powerful troll, but after enduring several rounds of wild punches, they realized it wasn't as dangerous as they thought.
It was just bigger and stronger, but not capable of dealing a fatal blow.
Growing more confident, the soldiers pressed harder, while the troll grew increasingly desperate, bleeding profusely as the soldiers overwhelmed it with shields and spears.
Angela and Old John couldn't help but smile, quickly yelling orders for the soldiers to maintain their formation and coordination.
Such a good training opportunity had to be fully utilized!
Seeing her punching bag taken away, Yaya blinked in surprise.
Then she remembered—she still had another troll!
Dispelling the spell, the other dazed troll reappeared, and before it could react, Yaya pounced again.