Chương 24: You Cannot Plan for Everything

"Boss, should we leave soon? We don't have much time left." A tall, buff, red-haired man with a missing eye said, his voice edged with urgency.

"Yes, Brock. We only need five days to reach the Bastion of Hope, and I don't doubt that we can gain a few more levels in the remaining days before you two need to move on to the second plane. We might also gain quite a few skill stones by hunting participants around the last village in preparation for crossing the Wildlands," the white-haired man said calmly.

"I don't like it." A woman clothed as an assassin muttered, a dagger dancing playfully over her fingers.

"Why the fuck should I care, Amy? You made the deal. Nobody forced you." The boss snapped.

"Oh, save me from your outbursts. I don't care that you are the Guildmaster's cousin. I'm still stronger than you." Amy bit back without hesitation.

"Amy, calm down…" Andre stepped in, shadows squirming over his form like something alive.

"Whatever…" Amy waved it off dismissively and left the large cavern without another word.

"What happened?" The boss asked as he noticed Andre's unusually dark mood.

"That project of mine. Someone wiped it all out. Not a single one survived." He muttered, his tone low and tight.

"They had just arrived here, so that's not impossible," the white-haired boss said with a careless shrug.

"I think a big cat is behind it," Andre said coldly.

"Hahaha, a cat?" Brock burst into laughter, his voice echoing off the cavern walls.

"Yes, a big green cat. I left them to deal with it, and now they're all dead," Andre muttered grimly.

"Maybe, or maybe someone else," the boss shrugged, then asked, "What level did you hit?"

"I passed twenty. We should be ready now. I got the skill you asked for," Andre replied.

"Good, good. We leave tonight, then." He ordered.

Half a day later. Maximus and his group made their way through the steppe, which slowly transitioned into a woodland area, thick trees covering the horizon as far as the eye could see.

"This world is very strange. Nature shouldn't switch so abruptly like this," Maximus muttered as they walked.

"Well, this is a special place," Felix said with a frown, glancing around warily.

"Indeed, it is. The longer we are stuck here, the more amazed I get by all of this," Maximus nodded, his gaze scanning the shifting terrain.

"Oy, stop your blabbering," Oscar whispered from a bit further ahead.

"Check this out." He pointed toward a large settlement surrounded by a tall wall of wooden palisades.

"This is it, right?" Oscar whispered. Maximus nodded.

"That should indeed be the location of the goblins' camp. Though I hardly believe it was built by goblins," Maximus said.

"What do you mean?" Felix asked, narrowing his eyes at the structure.

"Goblins aren't usually known as builders. They live in caves and simple camps, never such large, well-built settlements," Maximus explained.

"How the hell would you know that? Bloody hell!" Oscar asked incredulously.

"I've read about it," Maximus replied simply. Felix shook his head and ignored them both.

"How do we attack?"

"First, we need to scout the inside, and I've got just the friend for that," Maximus smiled faintly.

"It's not the croc, is it?" Oscar gasped.

"How would Silex be a good scout?" Felix asked, amused, as he pointed at the white monstrosity lying lazily next to Maximus, who chuckled at Oscar's reaction.

"Sprout is our scout." He pointed at the spirit growing from his upper back. Sprout detached himself from Maximus's armor and rustled his leaves softly.

"Sprout, can you get up there and scout the inside? We need to know the numbers and the strength of the inhabitants," Maximus asked. Sprout nodded and jumped, opening a small portal and appearing almost instantly atop the walls. As he did, Maximus linked their vision and observed what stood beyond the tall palisades. Within the simple-looking settlement, a large number of goblins lived. From what Maximus could see, there were at least a hundred, and even worse was the number of taller, bulkier beings, hobgoblins.

There were at least twenty of them, and each seemed to hold a high position within the village's social structure, their homes being the biggest and sturdiest. Alright, Sprout, come back, Maximus ordered, and Sprout opened a portal back to him.

"Sooo?" Oscar asked impatiently, dragging out the word.

"We should leave. There are at least a hundred goblins and twenty hobgoblins. This place is beyond what we can handle," Maximus said gravely.

"Typical, innit? Story of my life. Why don't we just jump into a pit of snakes and be done with it?" Oscar muttered, kicking at the dirt in frustration.

"It cannot be helped. We will find something else to hunt. Let's go, before something bad happens," Felix said firmly.

"Indeed, we must move before anyone sees us. Let's keep heading toward the last village. Hopefully, we will pass at least level twenty by then," Maximus said, his voice carrying a faint tinge of hope.

"Silex, get up. We must move." Maximus turned to the croc, who kept ignoring him and continued lazily resting.

"Silex, you spoiled lizard, get up. I don't have time for your stubbornness right now." Maximus raised his voice just enough to show he was serious, but kept it low to remain mindful of their position.

"Oy, mate. He isn't getting up," Oscar chuckled under his breath. Maximus felt his blood pressure rise and sighed as he shapeshifted his head into that of a crocodile.

"Silex, you damn spoiled child, get up and follow me, or else!" he growled. Hearing Maximus growl at him, Silex opened his eyes and saw a head like his own staring back at him in fury. He immediately scrambled up and started swinging his tree-topping tail like an excited pup. Cursed lizard. If I have to shapeshift into this every time I need him to listen, I'll lose my damn mind, which is already stretched as it is. Maximus cursed inwardly while Oscar and Felix snickered beside him.

"What are you two chuckling about? Want me to bite your heads off?" Maximus snapped his jaws. Even my temper gets affected when I shift into this. The strangest of things, Maximus noted as they finally started moving, taking a wide arc around the settlement through the thick foliage. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Felix walked first, slashing through the branches and tall grass before them, while Silex and Maximus remained at the rear of the group, making sure nobody followed them from the goblins' side. Oscar, on the other hand, walked in the middle with his hands behind his head, enjoying the faint smell of roasted meat drifting through the air.

"Wait, why does it smell like roasted chicken in here?" Oscar paused, frowning.

"What kind of fool is cooking food in goblin territory?" Maximus cursed under his breath.

"Let's follow the smell and find out," Felix added as he changed course and started cutting a path toward the northeast. They moved for some time until they reached the location from which the smell originated. Before the mouth of a large cave, a massive five-meter-tall green humanoid figure sat before an equally massive bonfire. The creature's skin appeared scaly, its face wide and grotesque, adorned with a log-like nose beneath which a sharp set of teeth protruded outward like small white stakes.

Its clawed hands were currently ripping flesh from a humanoid roasted corpse, just one of many bodies skewered and stabbed into the dirt around the bonfire, slowly cooking. Seeing this, all three men paled, even Silex froze in place, staring at the monstrosity.

"Remember when I said we should've jumped into a snake pit instead? Proper regret not doing that now," Oscar muttered, his shirt clinging to him with sweat as bile rose in his throat.

"It's a troll, but a kind I've never heard of. They are usually gluttonous by nature," Maximus explained, his voice low.

"Oi, Max, I don't need a David Attenborough special on these man-eating bastards right now, alright?" Oscar muttered, wiping his brow.

"Are we sure those are humans?" Felix cut in, his eyes narrowing.

"Some are. Some, by the looks of it, are goblins, and there are even a few kobolds," Maximus said gravely.

"If only you were wrong sometimes," Felix cursed, tightening his grip on his weapon.

"Felix, do we know what the strongest monsters on the First Plane are?" Maximus asked.

"Maximum level is thirty, and those don't appear before the Wildlands, and even then, they're rare. If I had to guess, I'd say this one is around level twenty-five," Felix said.

"Oi, Max, you bloody bastard, I know that look in your eyes," Oscar muttered, already anticipating the worst.

"If we kill him, we should pass level twenty. With that, we will be close to finishing the first part of the trial," Maximus said eagerly.

"I do not doubt that the four of us, excuse me, five Sprout included, are more than capable of defeating this simple-minded monster," Maximus whispered.

"So, we're actually doing this, then? Proper lost our marbles, haven't we?" Oscar wiped more sweat off his shiny head before grinding his teeth with a heavy sigh.

"Right, stuff it. Nobody's ever going to say Oscar Riley was a wuss." He spat on the floor, gripped his spear, and steeled himself for the mess to come.

"Well, that didn't take long to convince you," Felix cracked a smile.

"Fine, let's do it. But we will count on you, Max."

"Don't worry, I've got a plan ready," Maximus said as he turned to Silex, his head morphing into that of a crocodile.

"Silex, attack with your ranged strike as soon as you see me strike. After that, we charge. The goal here is to deal as much damage as possible, fast, before its regeneration kicks in," Croc Maximus explained.

"Yes, your reptilian majesty," Oscar chuckled, easing the tension. Maximus shook his scaly head, deactivating the skill and preparing the Storm Javelin. He activated it and paused the launch as he aimed toward the troll's head, hoping that taking it off would let them finish this quickly. Just as the troll took a large bite out of his human-shaped skewer, Maximus released the skill.

Violent winds condensed into a thick grey javelin as lightning danced within its body, arcing outward; then, as if the lightning ignited it, the javelin exploded forward like god's fury. Boom! The javelin collided with the troll, raising a storm of shattered bones and burned flesh that flew in all directions as wind and lightning razed the monster's form. Seeing this, Silex snapped forward, sending an aquatic echo of his jaws that tore a massive chunk out of the troll's trunk.

Just as they were about to celebrate, the storm dissipated, revealing the troll, its right arm gone, roaring furiously.

"By the heavens, the bastard reacted in time, using his massive arm as a shield," Maximus cursed as he summoned two Spectral Wolves thanks to skills level up and drew his staff.

"Spectral Wolves, attack! Silex, come!" Maximus ordered as his legs shifted into lupine form, tearing his boots further. Oscar sighed, ignited his spear, and followed, while Felix lunged to the right, planting Ice Traps around the monster's flank. The Spectral Wolves and Silex lunged at the troll, biting into its legs as it rose in fury. Its body glowed thick green, and from the torn shoulder, a fresh arm erupted almost instantly.

"Holy shit!" Felix, the closest to the monster, gasped as the new arm formed before his eyes. Maximus had expected as much and cast Nature's Wrath: Emerald Laser. A condensed beam of emerald fire pierced through the troll's chest, straight through its heart, but it was futile as a surge of vitality sealed the deadly wound almost instantly. The troll roared and crushed one Spectral Wolf under a single stomp, then kicked Silex and the other wolf like a football back into the woods, shattering the latter.

Oscar shook his head and stabbed through fear, each thrust searing the wounds and slowing the regeneration around them.

"That's it, Oscar! Keep it up!" Maximus shouted as he cast again, lashing out with Static Vines, binding the troll's arms with two thick tendrils while currents scorched its insides, forcing it to kneel from the surging pain. Felix, on the other side, stabbed at its flank and released frost into its body, sharp blades of ice exploding outward from the wound. Oscar continued, unleashing a flurry of thrusts that burned deep, piercing searing holes into the troll's gut.

Sensing the danger, the troll roared, grabbed one of the tree-sized stakes nearby, and smashed it into Felix, sending him flying back with a sickening crunch. It then swept wildly, hitting both Oscar and Maximus, who couldn't dodge in time at once, and slamming them into the cavern's outer wall.

"Aaaaah!" Oscar cried out as his leg broke alongside several ribs. Maximus fared slightly better thanks to his armor and defenses, but his left arm hung lifelessly at his side. By the stars, what the hell is this troll? How is it so durable? Maximus cursed himself for being too confident that this creature would resemble those from Veridiyum. Seed, I'll need to stretch you a bit. Please don't implode. Maximus swallowed a Cinder Seed as the troll began walking toward them, the ground trembling with each step.

Just as it reached for the crying Oscar, Silex burst from the woods, bloody and enraged, its maw snapping violently. He bit into the troll's leg and pulled hard, tearing the ankle and foot clean off in a spray of blood. The troll screamed as it toppled into the bonfire, howling as flames scorched its regenerating flesh. Silex swallowed the foot with a loud crunch and slammed his heavy tail into the troll, launching it straight into the Ice Traps Felix had planted moments earlier.

The traps detonated in a burst of frost, encasing the troll's lower half and stalling its healing, while Silex prepared another Echo Crunch. In the meantime, Felix staggered out from the woods, his right leg battered, his right arm mangled, and his chestplate caved inward. He gulped down a potion and grasped his blade with his left hand.

"Maximus, do what you must. If it breaks free, we are done!" Felix roared before collapsing face-first into the dirt. Oscar lay on the ground, chugging potions desperately.

"Bloody fucking hell… Max, I'm out," he muttered through the pain. Maximus opened his pores and drew in all the spirit he could grasp in a hurry, his seed creaking under the sudden influx of energy, the strain tearing through his insides. Gusts of wind began to whirl around Maximus, arcs of lightning crackling off his form as the ground trembled from the wild gathering of natural energies. Maximus inhaled deeply, pushing away the burning pain that wanted to tear him apart, and forced everything into the seed.

Warning: Spirit energy has surpassed the limits of the body. It is recommended to expel the surplus of energy before organ failure occurs. That was the plan, you damn system, Maximus grumbled inwardly as he cast two Storm Javelins at the same time, one on each side, while Sprout, left behind in the woods, peeked out, watching anxiously. Two far larger than usual javelins formed above Maximus and exploded forward, fueled by the chaotic storm of spirit energy raging around and within him.

One javelin after another slammed into the troll's head and neck and detonated on impact. Razor winds and exploding lightning collided in a violent cascade, tearing into one another before obliterating the troll's head along with a large portion of the nearby cavern wall. Silex launched another Echo Crunch just to be certain, the phantom jaws snapping through what remained of the neck and the collarbone. Multiple Skills Leveled Up. Check Skills status. Skill Leveled Up: [Storm Javelin (C) Lv. 4] Class Trait Leveled Up: [Nature's Seed (E)] Level 10] Skill Leveled Up: [Nature's Wrath (E) Level 10] … You have defeated: [Emerald Troll (Mutated) Lv. 26] Alert: You have defeated a monster much stronger than you are. Extra experience awarded. Tamed beast Silex Leveled Up. Level 24 reached. Class Leveled Up: [Druid Lv. 18 > Lv. 21] Talent Points gained: +6 Battle Tokens earned: 2500 Alert: You have reached Level 20. New skills may now be selected from your Class Tree. ‎