Just like always, the slightly intelligent Boss Troll grinned. No matter how many times it was injured, it could easily heal all of its damage using its skill [Regenerative Hide].
Or so it thought; however, at this moment its eyes opened wide in surprise and confusion. No matter how long it waited, its wounds showed no signs of healing, and the pain caused it to go insane.
Kevin, still under that trance, slashed a few more times. His sword drawing beautiful crimson arcs in the air.
At the same time, multiple more wounds appeared on the body of the troll, breaking through its regeneration. Finally, with an overhead crescent swing, it was bisected into two, dead on the spot.
The Boss Troll was defeated, and the way it was defeated baffled everyone observing. That said, the one who was the most baffled by the incident was Kevin himself. His eyes stared at the sword as if he couldn’t understand what just happened.
"Kevin... Kevin!!" The voice of his friends reached his ears, breaking him out of the trance.
"What was that?" Gwen questioned.
"What was what?"
"That, the thing that you just did. How did you do it? Was it a skill?" Kevin remained silent, unable to reply. Even he himself did not know what he just did back there. Be that may, one thing was clear to him though, he did not use any skill.
Back then and even now, he remained unable to use any skill.
"Leave it at that, a person’s skills are their most guarded secret, it’s not good to pry into it." Rolan, being the sensible one here, helped ease the situation.
Vangeance looked at the three squires conversing from a little distance and nodded his head in approval. Gradually, he began to see the former glory of the Temple of Light, prior to the Black Tide event, reemerging.
They were all good seeds worth nurturing.
Not far away from Vangeance and his group, Grey the Holy knight observed every battle that was going on inside the jungle, from the top of a small hill.
Just like the previous group, the other groups were also doing fine. There were a few recruits and squires like Kevin who struggled a little. However, in the end, they all broke past their limit and gained experience from this mission.
"As expected of Commander, he set the perfect battlefield to train these young sprouts," Grey muttered to himself before placing his attention on the cave in front of him.
Boss Troll and Cobra Cardinal, two powerful monsters, apex predators in their own food chain. Yet instead of clashing with each other, they were instead working together. This just proved that there was a leader among them, a monster powerful enough to subdue B rank monsters like them.
"Guess I should make my move too. It’s time I finish up this mission."
The reason why he came to this mountain top and the outbreak behind the monsters inside the jungle lay right before him. More specifically, inside that cave.
And so, while stretching his body, the Holy Knight strolled inside the cave. His attitude carefree and laidback.
-----
Somewhere in the tainted land. The place was a dark ruin filled with withered stones and pillars. On top of a shattered altar, sat a single being. It had an oval head, hollow eyes, and six horns protruding out of its head.
Its body was extremely human like and it was wearing clothes made by humans. If not for the fact that its face was extremely ominous, nobody would be able to differentiate it from a human.
At this moment, this figure suddenly raised its head up and looked in the far north, sensing something.
"What was that feeling? This ominous sensation. Although extremely minute, it cannot escape the senses of I, Malcroth, the Eleventh Heavenly King."
The figure that introduced itself as the Eleventh Heavenly King, Malcroth, looked on with confusion.
BOOM... at this moment, there was booming noise from a race exclusive movement skill being utilised, followed by the appearance of a demon appearing and kneeling in front of Malcroth.
"What’s wrong, master? Is there any order you have for us? Your loyal servant here will follow any of your commands," The demon spoke.
"Malganor is dead," Malcroth slowly spoke.
"What?" The demon was shocked. Malganor was a powerful Demon General and one of the right hand men of the Eleventh Heavenly King. For such a powerful demon to die...
"Was it one of the humans they call the knight commanders?"
"Most probably. However, I never ordered Malganor to invade the human kingdoms. That must mean the other party came into the Tainted Lands and he was killed during the confrontation," Malcroth surmised.
"Interesting, the humans have been getting more and more bolder with time. Just because our forces are going easy on them for a while, they think that they can do anything now?"
"Master, if it’s your order, I shall immediately prepare the Eleventh Army".
Eleventh Army, just the name alone was enough to strike fear into the human kingdoms.
"No need, we cannot carelessly move our forces at this moment. Let the human kingdom enjoy its short period of peace for a little longer."
Malcroth rejected the idea and then went back to sleep again. Just before he closed his hollow eyes, he asked a peculiar question
"Has Twelfth sent any message yet?"
"No Master".
"I see, wait for his message. Once his plan is complete, it will shake the human kingdom forever".
"Yes".
----
The knight returned to the village, bringing back the carcasses of deviant monsters as proof and also to use as special materials for crafting.
Karl and the villagers came out of their houses, marvelling at the scary and powerful looking carcasses of monsters that the knights were carrying.
"My goodness, that is Boss Troll, and this one is a Cobra Cardinal; all of them are B rank or above." The ones most informed out of them, the village chief’s wife, Delicia, a former knight gasped in surprise.