Chapter 103: Trolls

Arriving at the 16th floor of the labyrinth, we decided to spend the night there. Today, Sara and the others are going to face tough opponents, so I need to stay focused too. After having breakfast, we packed up our base and prepared to move.

“Alright, today let’s focus on defeating the monsters on this floor while surveying our surroundings instead of heading straight for the staircase. The new ones we’ll encounter are Treants and Trolls. Be cautious of Treants’ camouflage. Uri is particularly skilled at distinguishing them. As for Trolls, remember what I told you yesterday – you can’t take them down with a single blow, so act calmly. Keep these points in mind and do your best.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Understood.”

“We’ll do our best.”

“Good. And Bell and the others, I’m counting on you to protect Sara and the group. Normally, just observe, but when Sara and the others are engaged in battle, make sure no other monsters approach them. Can you handle that?”

“Yes, sir!” “Kyukyukyuu.” “Yes, sir!” “Ku?”

I thought they had forgotten, but it seems they remembered. Maybe it felt like a mission, so it came back to them? Bell noticed Tamamo’s puzzled expression and explained what was going on. Tamamo wasn’t there at that time.

“Kukukuu.”

Tamamo responded, wagging her tail as if to say, “I’ve got it now.” Bell nodded with her arms crossed.

Fukuchan and the others seem to be showing an interesting level of curiosity. Well, I’d like to think it’s just my imagination… Silphy, please don’t look at me like that. It was just a momentary lapse in enthusiasm, that’s all.

“Alright, everyone, take care.”

“Yes, sir!” “Kyukyukyuu.” “Yes, sir!” “Kukukuu.”

This phrase seems to spread as it’s remembered, no matter who remembers it first. I find it hard to tell the cheerful Bell and the others not to use it anymore. It’s a bit sad, but I’ll endure it.

“Alright, let’s depart.”

We had no trouble dealing with the monsters we had encountered before. The trees obstructed our view, so we had to engage in close combat compared to the open grasslands, but thanks to Fukuchan and Mamechan’s reconnaissance, we were able to launch almost preemptive strikes and take them down.

Uri skillfully detected the Treants even when they were camouflaged, and they fell silent as soon as they were attacked. It’s like having a cheat ability if you can communicate properly even with floating spirits. We’ve gained enough experience on this floor, so it’s time to head towards defeating the Trolls.

“Sara, Marco, Kikka, let’s go defeat the Trolls soon. Fukuchan and Mamechan, go on a scouting mission and find the Trolls.”

“Yes, Fukuchan, please find the Trolls. I’m counting on you.”

“Mamechan, please.”

Sara is fine, but I wonder if Mamechan understands Kikka’s way of speaking. She seemed confident and flew off, so I guess it’s okay. I assume she’s actively listening to the conversations around her and understanding the situation.

“Alright, before Sara and the others find the Trolls, let’s go over the plan again and make sure we’re clear. We don’t know what to expect, so let’s not rush.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Understood. Sara, Marco, let’s confirm the timing once again.”

“Okay.”

While observing Sara and the others having a strategy meeting, Bell fluttered over.

“Shall Bell search too?”

It seems like she’s getting bored with just being a guard and wants to do something. Once Sara and the others get a little more accustomed, I could ask Bell and the others to collect mushrooms. They seem to find gathering interesting, like a treasure hunt.

“For now, we’re focusing on Sara and the others’ training, so please wait a little. It’s important for them to learn to find monsters on their own. Bell, make sure to protect Sara and the others well. We’ll go mushroom hunting after they’re done.”

“Roger.”

Bell happily flew around, and Rain and the others approached. When Bell reported, “Bell will go mushroom hunting!” they started rejoicing, so I hurriedly told them to wait until after the guard duty. They seemed ready to rush off immediately.

I could ask Silphy to let Bell and the others go mushroom hunting right away, but it would also be good training for them. Let’s encourage them to do their best.

While Sara and the others were discussing their strategy, let me refresh my memory about the Trolls. Um, Trolls are despised by adventurers… For a moment, I felt like I could relate. Ahaha, I might even shed a tear.

…Um, they have a strong physique and great strength. They have self-healing abilities, and their wounds heal rapidly even from light damage.

Magic or poison is commonly used to defeat them, but there are few magicians, and poisons that work on Trolls are expensive and difficult to handle. Moreover, even if you manage to defeat them with difficulty, the loot is minimal. Their skin can be used for armor, but other than that, only magic stones provide income.

Fortunately, on the 16th to 19th floors, Trolls are relatively scarce, and adventurers tend to avoid them. Their rank is also B, which stands out on this floor, so adventurers who earn their living here always run away. I would ignore them too if it weren’t for Sara and the others’ training.

Oh, Mamechan has returned. I guess she found the Troll. Sara summoned Fukuchan, and guided by Mamechan, they proceeded toward the Troll.

After a while, we could hear the slow footsteps. It seemed that the Troll was on the move.

“Master, we’re starting.”

“Okay, do your best.”

I nodded and Sara and the others cautiously moved towards the sound of the footsteps. With a bit of worry, I followed at a slight distance, and then I saw the Troll.

As usual, it’s massive. That Troll looks about three meters tall. Its body resembles that of a sumo wrestler, with thick neck, arms, and legs like tree trunks. It’s holding a thick club in its hand.

But I wonder where the weapons the dungeon monsters have come from. They don’t seem to be making them themselves… It’s mysterious.

It’s not the time to be thinking about things I don’t understand. I need to watch over Sara and the others carefully. If it really becomes dangerous, Silphy will act, but that doesn’t mean I can let my guard down.

Following Sara’s instructions, Fukuchan and the others take their positions. I heard the details of the plan, but seeing their appearance, there might be a possibility of failure. The key is how much damage Fukuchan’s attacks can penetrate through their sturdy bodies.

I nervously watch over the plan… Uri is on the left. Fukuchan is behind. Mame-chan is on the right. The plan is to synchronize their timing and strike the neck from three directions at once. It’s a simple plan, so I think the success rate is high, but I wonder what will happen?

When Sara swings her hand down to avoid being noticed by the troll, magic is unleashed from three directions… or so I thought. If I’m not mistaken, Uri’s spear of earth stopped midway. Did the wind blades also scatter midway, and although blood spewed out, it doesn’t seem to be a fatal blow.

Despite being a neck, that sturdiness is impressive. Even though it’s a goblin’s neck, which can easily be severed by a floating spirit, they can only inflict that much damage? It’s surprising.

Startled by the sudden attack, the troll starts swinging its club and rampaging. The spear of earth stuck in its neck also shatters as it hits its hand.

Blood was spurting out from the spot where the spear of earth was stuck, but it stops in an instant. The blood from the part that was slashed by the wind blades has also already stopped. It’s quite a cheat to have such resilience and self-healing ability. Now, what will Sara and the others do in this situation?

As planned, when Fukuchan and the others fail to finish it off, they launch additional attacks, but the troll is thrashing around, making it impossible to hit the same spot and deliver a fatal blow.

Swinging its club, it mows down the surrounding trees. With that power, Fukuchan’s wind barrier won’t be able to fully defend against it. Ah, it started running. And it’s coming towards us.

Marco summons Uri to prepare for the troll. Fukuchan and Mame-chan continue their attacks as well.

“Silphy, are they okay?”

Its durability is beyond my expectations, so I’m starting to worry.

“I don’t know if they can win, but with Bell and the others, the troll will be fine, so their safety is assured.”

That’s right, with Bell and the others, everything will be fine. It’s my duty as a mentor to believe and watch over them. However, it feels strange to see Fukuchan and the others fighting against a troll. It’s like a mismatched battle of small animals versus a troll.

Oh, Uri has turned the area in front of the troll into a muddy swamp and made it fall, following Marco’s instructions. It feels like a wrong answer in a multiple-choice quiz. While the troll struggles to get up, Fukuchan and the others rush in and unleash consecutive magic attacks on its vital points. Hindered by the attacks and the mud, the troll can’t get up, and finally, its strength gives out.

“Great job, everyone. It was indeed a tough battle against a sturdy opponent like a troll. You found several points to reflect on, and you’ll improve as much as you can to easily defeat trolls.”

“…However, Master, even when Fukuchan and the others’ magic hit perfectly, it didn’t inflict fatal wounds.”

That’s because the issue lies with the power of the magic. It would be difficult to suddenly increase the power of the magic, so we need to come up with a different approach.

“Well, that might be true. Targeting its eyes or mouth, for example. This time you attacked from three directions with a surprise attack, but next time you can try focusing your attack on one point from the beginning. You should try various approaches.”

“Targeting its eyes or mouth, huh? Wind wouldn’t reach deep enough, but we could try piercing its eyes with a spear of earth or filling its mouth with mud to stop it from breathing…”

Perhaps my words served as a hint, as Sara came up with a rather frightening idea. She may seem like a ladylike person, but she can be unexpectedly extreme.

“Well, let’s take some time to discuss it thoroughly and find a way to implement it in our next encounter. Bell and the others will gather medicinal herbs and mushrooms, right?”

Sara and the others dive into their reflection session, while Bell and the others eagerly rush off to collect the herbs.

“Hey, Silphy. Floating spirits can quickly evolve into lower-level spirits, right? How about Fukuchan and the others?”

“Even if they are more likely to evolve, it hasn’t been even thirty days yet, so it’s impossible. However, as floating spirits, they have plenty of combat experience, and Sara and the others are also growing, so I think it won’t take more than a year.”

A year, huh… When I think about their growth, it’s not that long, but it seems difficult to gain strength immediately. For now, the best strategy seems to be to brainstorm and do our best.

Sara and the others are getting quite used to it, and if it becomes tough with just the three of them, maybe it’s time to consider increasing our numbers. With more people, the number of attacks will increase, and it will undoubtedly be easier to defeat formidable opponents.

If only I could conveniently meet a beautiful woman aspiring to become a spirit mage… It’s impossible. Even if there was someone, given my current reputation, it would be challenging to convince them to join us.