Chapter Thirty-Four: The Fortress of the Giant Trolls

The ogre chieftain leaped high, soaring nearly ten meters into the air, and with a thunderous crash landed straight onto the summoned man-eating plant below. With his two massive arms, he lifted the entire plant, and with a roar, tore it apart. A torrent of green liquid sprayed out, and the female summoner let out a terrified scream. Indeed, the boss was not so easily dealt with; otherwise, he would not be worthy of the title. The ogre chieftain, descending from midair, shredded the plant in an instant and, in one swift move, appeared before the two female players. He swung his huge arm, roaring as he brought the spiked club down upon them. Taken off guard, all eight members paled—the man-eating plant had been their mightiest source of firepower, and its sudden destruction cut their confidence in half.

The female summoner shrieked in terror, stumbling backwards, causing the ogre chieftain’s club to miss. At that moment, the female archer shouted sharply, and a dazzling blue-white beam shot from her bow, exploding against the ogre chieftain’s chest. He howled, blood gushing from his chest as he collapsed to the ground—1720 damage flashed across the screen. Yet he was not about to surrender. With another roar, he smashed the club down viciously. The four warriors at the front hurried to dodge, but one failed and was struck on the head.

A damage number of 2341 flashed by, followed by a wretched scream—the warrior’s head burst like a smashed watermelon, life extinguished, his potions and equipment scattered across the ground as he was sent back to town.

Having slain a warrior in a single blow, the remaining three were panic-stricken. The female summoner, who had escaped, suddenly found the ogre chieftain looming before her. With a sinister grin, he brought the club down—2524 damage flashed by. The woman let out a dreadful scream, blood spraying as her body was turned to pulp.

Her summoned beast had been powerful, but her own reflexes and adaptability were lacking. After all, no summoner possessed the same defensive prowess as I did.

“Little sister!” the female archer shouted, turning back and firing another blue arrow. A brilliant bolt shot toward the ogre chieftain. Meanwhile, another female mage remained calm, chanting a spell. An ice spear materialized in midair and, with a hiss, shot toward the ogre chieftain.

Though composed, the mage was distracted by her incantation. The ogre chieftain, having endured the archer’s attack, slammed his club into the ground, unleashing a shockwave that struck the mage instantly.

Her magical attacks were devastating, but her agility was mediocre; she let out a muffled groan as she was thrown aside, saved only by her shield. As she struggled to rise, the ogre chieftain was already upon her, club raised high. “Ah—!” Her final scream echoed as she was sent back to town, her efforts ended.

Yet the female archer was formidable. After hitting the ogre chieftain, she released two more arrows in quick succession. The three remaining warriors charged in, bringing the ogre chieftain crashing to the ground. But he suddenly rose, sweeping his club sideways and knocking the three warriors down. He then smashed them repeatedly, leaving their bodies mangled as three white lights ascended.

At this point, only the female archer remained standing from the eight-member party; the others had all fallen.

I said, “Should we step in and lend a hand?”

Wind Moon replied, “No need. The boss is nearly finished, and so is that archer. Let’s wait a bit longer.” Yet as she finished speaking, we all received a system notification.

The female archer was now gasping for breath, her chest heaving. The ogre chieftain strode forward. As she raised her bow to attack, she suddenly collapsed to her knees—her stamina evidently depleted, barely able to move. The ogre chieftain, now displaying a disturbingly human grin, raised his club overhead, about to strike. At that moment, an arrow exploded against his battered chest armor, and a whirlwind swept him aside, flinging him to the ground. The Gale Wolf King leaped before him, sinking its fangs into his neck, sending blood spraying everywhere. The ogre chieftain wailed as the Angel Summoner descended from the sky, driving her sword into his neck, harvesting his last vestige of life.

We intervened at the last moment—not to steal the kill, but because we all received a message: “Slay the ogre chieftain to unlock Troll Fortress.”

“You—” With despair, resentment, and fury, the female archer collapsed, her stamina completely exhausted and powerless to resist, forced to watch us.

After slaying the ogre chieftain, we did not take the loot, for we had only delivered the final blow; most of the damage had been done by the archer, so we had no rights to the equipment or experience. However, the coins were ours to claim. Little Ai happily scooped up ten gleaming gold coins from the ground into her bag. Suddenly, a large door appeared on the ground, and an elderly man with white hair materialized before us. He was half-transparent, like a ghost, and he spoke, “Adventurers, thank you for saving me!”

I said, “Don’t thank me. Defeating the ogre chieftain was mostly that person’s doing; we had little to do with it.” I gestured toward the fallen female archer.

Little Ai asked, “Who are you? Were you the one who summoned us?”

“I was once a warrior of Troll Fortress. All of this is because of the wretched ogre warlord, the ‘Slaughterer’ Shadi. He sealed me within this door, preventing my soul from passing on.”

“Why did Shadi attack this place? Where is Shadi now?” I inquired.

“That was long, long ago. I was young then, spirited as you are, a powerful warrior. My companions and I sought to rid the world of the ogre warlord, but we failed. My companions all perished, and I fled alone back to Troll Fortress. The next day, Shadi led his army to attack the fortress. I rallied the soldiers to defend, but in the end, the fortress fell. Shadi imprisoned my soul, sealing it to the gate, tormenting me. He also confined the souls of many townsfolk to offer to a certain master,” the old man explained.

A chill ran through us. I asked, “Is this the entrance to Troll Fortress? Who is the master you mentioned?”

“I do not know. I remember Shadi built a magic array inside the fortress; you may find clues there. Shadi has also stolen treasures from nearby human cities and stored them inside. Brave young adventurers, you may seek them out. Thank you for freeing me, granting my soul release. Before I depart, I wish to acknowledge that adventurer’s effort. Now, I must go.”

“Ding~! Hidden quest: Troll Fortress. Do you accept?” Without hesitation, we pressed accept. The old man vanished in a beam of white light, and the female archer stood up once more, casting a fierce look at us. Gathering the equipment—both monster drops and her companions’ gear—she took them all, then turned with a cold voice, “Remember this.” With that, she left.

I realized she likely knew we acted because of the system prompt, just as she had received it as well. But with fewer allies and her stamina spent, she could not finish off the ogre chieftain before us. I had the feeling that my days ahead would not be peaceful.

Ye Shuang said, “Everyone, let’s go. Let’s clean out those monster treasures.”

We all nodded, but as we approached the door, a system message appeared: “Ding~! Minimum level 35 required to enter Troll Fortress.”

Seeing this, we were instantly frustrated. Exploration was impossible for now; we needed to level up to 35 first. So we changed locations to grind, and only logged off after night had fully fallen.

————

Meanwhile, deep within the Death Forest, in a clearing that was previously tranquil, a sound like shattering glass suddenly broke the silence. A fissure appeared in the sky, expanding until it formed an irregular polygonal gap. From within, a figure descended to the ground, and as the figure touched down, the opening in the sky sealed itself, as though nothing had happened.

The figure landed and spoke, “Honestly, why must I come this way?”

Another voice replied, “Enough chatter. Get to business, kid.”

“Understood!” With that, moonlight spilled down.

Bathed in the moonlight, the newcomer wore crimson armor, a broad blade strapped to his back, a drawn spear in his right hand—his posture exuded power and authority. After surveying his surroundings, he strode toward the edge of the forest.