“The current location of the field boss…what is it?”
“According to the latest report, it’s still to the north.”
“Keep sending in reports right up until we move out. No one else will be able to handle that thing.”
Indeed, the Twin-Headed Troll was powerful enough to overpower even Hertex, who had just stepped into level 6.
If that monster ran wild somewhere the Hertex Adventurer Party wasn’t present, their formation would collapse in an instant.
Having received the final report, Hertex looked over the people who had gathered under his name.
Though he lived by the motto of keeping a low profile and surviving long, he still had the passionate heart of an adventurer.
“Let’s survive this and return to our normal lives!”
“Yaaaaaaaah!!”
A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd at Hertex’s brief speech, and the battle soon began.
Meanwhile, the White Whale Mercenary Corps decided to operate separately from the Hertex Adventurer Party.
Specifically, from the rear of the battlefield.
Since Jun possessed long-range attack capabilities, it was much more efficient for him to stay in the back, observe the overall flow of the battle, and provide support rather than fighting on the front lines.
“I’m glad it’s safe back here… but it kind of feels like I’m slacking off while everyone else is fighting.”
“……?”
At that moment, Maya tilted her head in confusion at Aiden’s comment.
Had he been hanging around that accident-prone mage for too long? It almost sounded like he wanted to suffer needlessly.
More importantly, while Aiden and Maya had some breathing room, Jun and Eleanor definitely did not.
“Treat the critically injured first! Minor injuries, use healing potions and hold on!”
“Damn it, Priest! Over here!”
“This side’s more urgent! His guts are spilling out!”
“You stupid bastards. If you’re not about to die, get back! You’re in the way of treatment!”
The battle raged on in every direction.
Battles against large-type monsters were especially unforgiving. One small mistake could render someone completely out of action.
Because of that, a high-level priestess Eleanor was running all over the field, helping with healing.
“Messenger! Where’s the messenger?!”
“Hah… hah…! Here! I’m here!”
“Multiple Giant War Boars appearing at the 5 o’clock position from this spot! Send in the shield warriors!”
“Y-Yes, understood!”
[Iron Rampart]
“Messenger!”
“Y-Yes!”
“Multiple Giant War Wolves at 9 o’clock! Send fast movers and hunters to deal with them!”
“But those units headed toward 11 o’clock earlier!”
“The Hertex Adventurer Party has mostly cleared that area! Get them back here now!”
“Mage! The shield warriors are delayed in entering the 5 o’clock sector!”
“Hold on!”
[Scan]
[Grease]
“I’ve stalled the boars’ charge for a moment. Tell them to move fast. I bought them some time!”
Using the “Keen Eyesight” skill along with Scan, Jun swept the entire battlefield, exchanging rapid updates with messengers from the Hertex Adventurer Party to maintain battlefield control.
Thanks to this coordination, the strike forces of the Hertex Adventurer Party were able to focus on their missions even in the fog-filled environment.
“Why are there so many monsters?!”
“Damn it, Turn! Why the hell did you move up so far?!”
“Fall back!”
“Don’t just sit there trembling, you idiot. Tighten your core and charge forward!”
“Uaaaaaaaah!!!”
It was utter chaos.
And yet, the monster wave was being held off steadily.
Meanwhile, the Hertex Adventurer Party’s battle against the Twin-Headed Troll was raging fiercely.
“Damn it, its attack range is too wide!”
“Try to draw its attention with ranged attacks! Shield warriors, fall back!”
“Don’t move recklessly! The White Whale Mercenary Corps is backing us up from behind!”
“Hey rookie! I told you not to get greedy!”
“We’ve slashed its left ankle! Focus your attacks on the left side!”
“We’re out of arrows!”
“Buy some time. Get a resupply from the rear immediately!”
The Twin-Headed Troll, despite its towering height of nearly seven meters, moved with surprising speed.
Ordinary arrows couldn’t even pierce its hide, simply falling to the ground uselessly. Only those enhanced with magic or enchantments were effective. But even then, if you so much as looked away for a moment, the troll would already be healed and moving as if nothing had happened.
Close-range fighters had their own difficulties.
Coordinating attacks without getting in the way of ranged allies was tough, and the immense magic cost of cutting through its thick hide made melee combat an exhausting task.
“Don’t act out of desperation! If you’re exhausted, fall back and recover!”
“Move quickly!”
Amid the chaos, Muldrow played a crucial role.
When the troll made a wide motion to shake off nearby warriors, Muldrow used “Dig” to destabilize its footing.
In that instant, just as the troll began to lose its balance—
Kuaaaaaaaaaaah!!!
A massive Fear aura burst forth, shaking the surrounding mana violently.
“Guh…!”
Muldrow who had been casting a spell suddenly coughed roughly as his magic was disrupted.
The aura had canceled his spell and caused his mana to surge out of control.
But he was no novice. He was a fourth-circle mage.
Quickly regaining control, he summoned a spear of steel and launched it at the troll’s now-grounded right leg.
“Now! Distract it. Everyone, attack at once!”
Hertex gave the order in sync, and the entire force unleashed a coordinated strike to support Muldrow’s spell.
Having mainly targeted vital spots like its head, heart, and neck, the troll was unprepared and unable to block the incoming blow.
“The strategy’s working!”
“It’s falling to the right!”
“Go for the head!”
“Don’t all focus on one spot! That’ll make it easier for it to defend!”
In previous encounters, the adventurers had underestimated both the strength of the irregular troll and the relentless pressure from surrounding monsters.
But this time, the well-prepared Hertex Adventurer Party was anything but weak.
Their arrows and blades were coated with incurable poisons, forcing the troll to use more of its mana for regeneration.
To keep Muldrow in check, the troll repeatedly unleashed fear aura.
Gradually, it was being worn down—
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaurgh!!
Kwoooooooooooooogh!!
With a thunderous roar, the troll suddenly leapt from the ground and snatched up a nearby Giant War Boar before devouring it on the spot.
The sight of the nearly four-meter beast being torn apart and eaten alive by the grotesque troll was horrifying.
“H-He’s healing!”
“Unbelievable regeneration speed!”
“What are you all doing?! Stop it now!!”
A unique pattern not found in ordinary trolls.
Shocked by the troll’s extraordinary regeneration ability, the Hertex Adventurer Party charged in once more.
But the creature widened the distance again, devouring nearby monsters and even restoring its shredded arm.
At this rate, in a battle of attrition, we’re at an overwhelming disadvantage!
Had they known the troll had such a pattern, they would’ve tried to stall for time and clear out the surrounding monsters first!
Hertex gritted his teeth.
“Damn it! This isn’t working. Surround it slowly!”
“Yes!”
It was a late decision, but they had to keep the troll from going on another rampage, even now.
As the Hertex Adventurer Party reorganized their formation, the fully recovered troll began to lash out wildly once more.
In the meantime, strange changes were starting to occur within the creature.
“Captain!”
“What is it?!”
“There’s an unusual aura coming from its body!”
“What?”
The party’s mage Muldrow was the first to calmly assess the situation.
Despite showing no serious injuries, the troll hadn’t stopped consuming other monsters.
Muldrow quickly sensed the bizarre energy flowing around the creature and was just about to warn the others…
“Watch out—”
Kuwarugaaaaaaaaaah―――!!!
As the troll let out a roar, a crimson wave of energy erupted outward, freezing the adventurers in place.
In that fleeting moment, the creature suddenly felt overwhelmingly massive beyond description.
Overwhelming pressure.
Like witnessing a tsunami crash toward them, several adventurers with weaker mental strength felt their knees buckle, and those fighting nearby collapsed to the ground altogether.
“Wh-What…?!”
Staggered by this completely unexpected kind of fear aura, Hertex stood with his mouth agape.
He instinctively realized this wasn’t just some irregular behavior from an irregular creature.
“Everyone, snap ou――”
He tried to quickly restore the shaken spirits of his team, but the troll moved faster.
The creature slammed the nearest party members with its massive club, charging in ferociously.
Just as their precious fighting force was being wiped out in a single moment—
[Light of Life]
A sacred light of life, powerful enough to drive out evil, rose above them like a sun.
And at the same time—
[Flare]
Jun, having read the shift in battle long before, arrived and cast his spell.
A ray of intense sunlight energy shot forward, striking the troll squarely in the abdomen.
Thunk…!!
The troll which had nearly seized the chance to turn the tide paid dearly for its carelessness.
The immense heat began to spread outward from the pierced wound in its abdomen.
Unlike previous uses of [Flare], this flame had been imbued with the attribute of blooming fire. So long as Jun’s mana held out, it would not be extinguished.
Kyaaaaaaaaah――!!!
Letting out a piercing, agonized scream, the troll writhed in pain as its organs began to melt.
Hertex snapped back to his senses and shouted,
“What are you all doing?! Keep it from moving!”
“Th-The left! It’s going left!”
“That crazy monster! It’s trying to run in that condition?!”
“Less awe, more action! Stop it!”
Even as its whole body burned in unbearable pain, the troll began consuming nearby monsters to heal itself.
An intense clash between inextinguishable flames and inexhaustible regeneration.
But in the end, anyone could see that Jun was the clear victor.
Some nearby adventurers watching the scene couldn’t help but let out gasps of admiration.
“A-As expected…”
“The rumors weren’t wrong.”
“He brought down the monster that even the Hertex Adventurer Party struggled with….in a single strike…”
However, Jun’s expression remained grim.
A Twin-Headed Troll shouldn’t have powers like that.
Jun was just as unsettled as Hertex.
He’d fought Twin-Headed Trolls several times in the game. But had never seen anything like that before.
This is bad.
He racked his memory. He had never seen this exact phenomenon in the game, but…
Something similar did appear several times in the mid-game.
Content where new patterns were added to enemies that originally didn’t have them.
Players used to mock the developers, calling it lazy re-skinning. But Jun had never found it funny.
These changes didn’t just boost stats; they added entirely new patterns that pushed parties to total annihilation.
Don’t tell me… that bastard has already started moving?
Bad predictions always seem to be right.
Jun began chanting another spell.
If his guess was correct, that troll needed to be reduced to ash, leaving not even a corpse behind.
Just as he began casting a spell he’d never used before—
– Oh dear. So it’s you? The variable I hadn’t accounted for. This is… quite troubling. You’re ruining my experiment…
A voice rang out inside his head.
A drunken, incoherent tone, muddled and twisted. Jun’s eyes flew wide open.
And at that moment, the troll’s heart and both of its heads exploded like fireworks, and the creature collapsed to the ground.
For a brief moment, stunned by the creature’s pitifully anticlimactic death, silence fell over the battlefield.
“Everyone fall back!!”
Jun’s voice infused with mana rang out. And with it, another anomaly began.
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