Chapter 11 : A Battle With A Troll

Noctis easily cleared nine floors without much difficulty.

He noticed a few different Game Guardians at the opening of every stage.

He dared not do anything foolish in front of them, knowing full well that they can permanently eliminate a player from the game, or else tamper with the floors and make it harder for the players they disliked to clear stages.

He’s now on the 10^th floor of the Novice Stage and currently fighting with the mini-boss of the 10^th stage, a human-sized troll wearing prehistoric clothes, and carrying a spiked mace.

He scanned the surroundings.

He’s in a forest, with tall trees around him.  

“Dragon Dance 14^th Form”

He chanted, as he nimbly avoided yet another tree that the troll uprooted through magic, and sent flying like a spear towards his direction.

Tsk, this won’t do. This troll isn’t the dumb type that he always encountered while playing RPGs. So, this is the smart troll his brother and father discussed.

Noctis thought as he avoided a huge rock that came flying through the air and nearly hit him in the back.

This troll has to have some sort of weakness, he thought as he wracked his brain on what he remembered about Norse myths.

Then he remembered that he has in his weapons collection a pair of daggers with the symbol of a crucifix emblazoned on the handle, and enchanted with dragon-thunder.

Trolls are said to be angry with anything that is connected with Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church.

They are also said to be deeply fearful of the thunder element, as Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, hunted trolls whenever he saw or come across them, and smite them with his hammer Mjolnir, with thunder crackling in the sky.

He did a quick read on what’s written in the system.

“Hybrid Forest Troll Variant

It is a shapeshifter and much smarter than the ordinary forest troll, and more dangerous.

It has the ability to channel powers from nature and understands human speech.

Its true form is only revealed when pushed to its limits.

It’s weak to thunder, and items with the mark of Christianity in them.”

Noctis avoided a falling log that nearly fell on his head.

“Is that all you got, human? What a boring opponent. “

The troll taunted him, then sent a swarm of angry hornets with their stingers at the ready, flying straight at Noctis.

However, Noctis came to the battle prepared.

He chanted a dragon fire spell.

“Oh Orochi, the Dragon god, enchant this fire to burn the hornet swarm.”

Black flame materialized in Noctis’ right hand.

He flung the fire into the advancing hornets, burning them to a crisp.

A buzzing sound could be heard as the hornets flew frantically in the air before they dropped dead to the ground.

It left the troll shocked.

“What the fuck? How did you do it, you puny human?”

The troll asked, obviously shocked.

“You sure are a dangerous troll, more dangerous than your dumb cousin, Mr. Troll. It’s a pity that in the end, you are just an NPC about to be defeated by a puny human.”

Noctis smiled a cold and dangerous smile.

“Enough with playing around. Let’s end this fight and get serious, Mr. Troll.”

Noctis added while still smiling, his eyebrows raised.

“Oh Orochi, the dragon god, grant me the power to burn down the entire forest.”

After Noctis finished chanting, the entire forest started being engulfed in black flames.

The troll tried to drench the black flames with water that magically appeared out of nowhere, to no avail.

“This is not ordinary flame but enchanted dragon fire, much stronger than ordinary red fire. Your ordinary water has no effect on it unless it’s blessed by the gods. I hope you enjoy the sight of your burning forest.”

Noctis gloated at the sight of the troll getting angry.

After the entire forest is burned down, leaving only a few smoking trunks and stumps, with the smell of smoke covering the whole area, the troll lost all reason, went berserk with blood red-eyes, and revealed its true form.

The troll grew bigger until it became an ugly, lumbering giant carrying a spiked mace.

It started swinging the spiked mace it carried on the ground in an attempt to squish Noctis to death.

‘Dragon Dance 20^th Form”

Noctis became faster and faster, turning into a speeding blur so he can avoid getting hit by the giant troll’s deadly spiked mace.

So, this is the troll variant’s true form. Without access to the powers of nature, this troll is no different from its cousin and more dangerous. This troll variant is also weaker in its true form, as it got a reduced ability to think, and is somewhat dumb. Noctis thought.

A pair of daggers with the symbol of a crucifix and enchanted with dragon-thunder materialized in both of Noctis’ hands while he’s running around.

“Dragon Flight First Skill”

He found himself gliding in the air with ease while dodging the troll’s spiked mace.

“Dragon Dance 30^th Form”

Noctis’ speed quickly increased, and he closed the distance between him, and the giant troll.

“Dragon Slash 15^th Form”

Noctis got close enough to the troll’s body to inflict double damage on the troll.

The troll grunted in pain and got paralysis as a side effect from the thunder enhancement on the dagger.

The mark of the crucifix made caused the troll’s entire body to emit smoke.

The dragon-thunder enhancement slowed the troll down to a great extent and paralyzed the troll.

Noctis can see the troll rapidly being drained of HP in the system.

The troll disengaged from the fight and started to run to a neighboring forest.

“Are you thinking of retreating to regain your energy, eh, Mr. Dumb Troll? No, you don’t.”

“Special Holy Skill Activate: Holy Rain”

The skies darkened, and it began to rain hard.

Magic runes with the cross in the center of the runes appeared in the sky, immobilizing the troll with celestial magic.

When the downpour came into contact with the troll’s skin, the troll screamed in pain.

He then went on to deliver a killing blow to the troll.

While the troll is transfixed in place, unable to move because of the effects of triple damage, Noctis began to chant.

“Oh Orochi the dragon god, grant me the power to smite the troll with thunder.”

The sky darkened, and the rumbling of strong, crackling thunder could be heard.

The thunder struck the troll hard with such a force it closely resembled Thor smiting the giants with his hammer Mjolnir.

The troll vanished and gradually faded from existence, leaving behind a spiked gold mace good for offense, a full set of armor that greatly boosts defense, and a pendant that greatly boosts nature-based spells.

He put the three items on his inventory.

He found no use for them, as the spiked gold mace with a long handle is better suited to berserker-type warriors, the full set of armor for tanks, and he might as well give the pendant to Takara, as she’s a battle mage.

“Hey, Takara, let’s meet at the Auction House beside the Blacksmith on the 10^th floor of the Novice Stage after you’re finished doing what you’re doing. I got some unused stuff I need to sell, and I also got something for you.”

He hit send.

He then looked at the Notifications on the system.

“You leveled up – Level 10

You leveled up – Level 11

You leveled up – Level 12

You leveled up – Level 13

You leveled up – Level 14

You leveled up – Level 15”

“Your mastery of the active system skill Special Holy Rain reached 15 percent.

Your mastery of the passive system skill Celestial Rune Magic reached 15 percent.”

“Your superior performance has landed you in the top 1 rank in the top 15 ranking for Novices.”

Noctis exited the system notifications and proceeded to the next stage.