The sun set, and the stars began to flicker gently in the sky as the moon illuminated the forest. Ryusei and Haku would shortly face the Troll.
Haku was ready—more so than Ryusei, who slithered in circles.
Think. What should I do? I know I'm strong, but can I really take on a High King-ranked troll?
A few moments earlier, Haku had told Ryusei all he knew about a troll.
A troll was an extremely powerful monster, but it lacked the brain to think, and because of that fact, it also had a shaman with it.
That would mean they first needed to take out the shaman, which brought up the question: "Who will keep the troll busy?"
The person best suited for the job was, of course, Haku, as he knew the monster's habits and skills... But... "What about the shaman?"
The answer was also Haku, due to his incredible speed and ability to fly. If Ryusei were to take on the shaman, it would take at least a couple of hours, as the shaman had three skills that would put him at a major advantage.
Stats Down: Lowers its target's overall stats by 5.
"Absolutely not!" Ryusei couldn't allow that. He relied heavily on his mana to activate his skills, and if that were to be lowered—
I'd definitely die!
Next was the skill that allowed it to become a shadow for about 1–5 seconds, negating any damage and taking on the properties of a shadow, meaning Ryusei's Sense Detail skill would be completely useless.
What the hell?! Was this thing designed just to counter me?
And lastly, the most dangerous skill:
Frozen Highland.
The skill that changed the terrain around the caster into an ice field and caused snow to fall from the dome of ice covering the field.
The one upside was that Ryusei would be much faster due to the reduced friction, but there was a HUGE!!! downside—him being a snake.
As he had learned in his previous life, snakes didn't handle cold temperatures well; it would slow down his bodily functions.
Which was why Ryusei had no choice but to keep the troll busy.
He thought about what he could do, and the one answer he arrived at was: Adaptation.
Although it would rely on luck and his understanding of the target's skills, it was his best bet.
Ryusei stopped his circling and slithered back to the edge.
He exhaled before narrowing his eyes.
"Haku, I'm ready."
Although his voice was slightly shaking, Haku could sense the snake's determination.
He gave a faint smile before sharpening his gaze."This will be a battle of wits. Don't give up no matter what."
The eagle warned him—this wasn't like the Rat King. It was much more dangerous. If even one part of their plan failed, it would mean death.
Ryusei immediately activated his skills.
Sense Detail, Thermal Vision.
Haku shared one more thought.
"Remember, focus only on the troll, I'll handle th shaman, let's move."
Haku took flight, carrying Ryusei in his talons.
***
Arriving at an open field full of grass, they saw the troll and a shaman with a couple of smaller ones standing around it.
Haku used his skill.
"Sonic Wave!"
He let out a high-pitched screech, its intensity visible to the naked eye as he aimed it down toward the troll.
The smaller trolls fell to the ground without a hint of struggle.
The troll and shaman looked up toward the eagle carrying a black snake as they slowly descended unaffected by the skill.
The troll opened its mouth, revealing a deep, burly voice.
"Hakuuuu!!"
Haku stopped inches away from the ground, dropping Ryusei below before taking to the sky again, his gaze solely focused on the shaman, ignoring the troll yelling his name.
Haku shot Ryusei a brief glance and a subtle nod—Phase One had begun.
Ryusei acknowledged his nod and began his part.
He looked the giant in its ugly face as it kept shouting Haku's name for whatever reason.
He didn't have the time to bother with it. He had only one thought: "Attack while it's focused on Haku."
In an instant, he used Black Hole beneath the monster's feet, ripping them clean off. That's what Ryusei thought would happen—but it effortlessly walked out of the skill's radius, its legs coated in an iron-like substance.
Damnit! Is that the skill Haku told me about? Iron Skin.
Ryusei frowned, frustrated. He couldn't believe the troll had taken no damage.
The troll shifted its focus to Ryusei.
It grumbled and growled, mumbling something under its breath before pointing its wooden staff at him.
Ryusei let out a chuckle.
This isn't how it's supposed to go. Doesn't a troll use its fists to fight. Why does this ugly bastard have a magic staff?!
A high-pitched sizzle cut through the air.
Fast Strike!
Boom.
As fast as lightning, Ryusei dodged the ray of light the troll had aimed at him.
He looked back to where the beam had landed—a crater, radiating heat, with glass forming around its edges.
What if that hit me?! He felt a cold chill run down his spine.
But he didn't have time to waste on unnecessary thoughts. Another beam was headed his way. He dodged using Fast Strike, while also activating Black Hole.
At least this time, it grazed the troll—yet there was no visible reaction on its face, showing that it hurt.
Although Ryusei wanted to use Adaptation to lessen the gap between them, he still needed to understand how its skills worked, and it didn't look like he would figure that out anytime soon.
There was also one thing he realized: The troll was extremely intelligent—or the shaman sending it orders. There was always intention behind every attack.
Ryusei focused on dodging with only one thought in mind:
Haku! What's taking you so long?! He gritted his fangs, narrowly dodging another blast.
Unbeknownst to him, Haku was fighting his own battle. Inside a dome of ice, the eagle hovered, his sharp eyes locked onto the shaman below.
The shaman stood with a hunched back, holding a wooden staff behind its back. As it parted its lips, a scratchy and low voice came out."Haku, you're playing with fire, boy."
Haku's eyes narrowed, his voice sharp.
"Don't you dare talk to me about fire!"
The shaman clenched his staff behind his back, the corners of his mouth lifting as he whispered the words:
"Flame Call, Firefall!"
Dozens of flames, the size of raindrops, dropped from the ice shards in the dome, locking onto Haku.
"Gale Wind."
A ball of rotating air formed around Haku's body, shielding him from the falling flames as they faded to nothing upon touching it.
As Haku waited for the shaman's magic to subside, the frown on his face remained unchanged, his eyes burning with rage.
This time, I'll definitely kill you, even if it's the last thing I do. Never again will you cause such destruction as that day.