The Hunter's Odyssey-Chapter 70: The Troll King Falls.

The silence broke.

It shattered instantly as the Troll King’s roar tore through the storm. The sound was different this time. It was not the furious challenge it had hurled at the sky earlier in the battle, nor the triumphant bellow of a monster confident in its power. This cry was deeper, rawer, dragged from somewhere deep within its wounded body. Pain bled through every vibration of the sound as it rolled across Orchard Road like thunder grinding through stone.

The monster had seen.

Its massive remaining arm, a pillar of muscle and claw, slammed into the earth as it dragged itself further free from the ruins. The shattered structure of Paragon Mall groaned and shifted beneath its weight as debris cascaded down its enormous back. Broken marble slabs tumbled from the collapsed facade while twisted metal beams scraped against its skin, throwing sparks as buried electrical conduits snapped beneath the pressure. The creature’s once terrifying crown of bone spikes had been reduced to jagged remnants. What remained jutted outward in crooked fragments, shattered during Shin Lu’s earlier strike and further broken by the force of its own catastrophic landing.

And its yellow eyes moved.

Slowly.

Searching.

Across the battlefield, rain continued to fall in relentless sheets. It washed over ruined storefronts, crushed vehicles, and fractured pavement slick with monster blood. Hunters stood scattered across the shattered street, breathing hard, bodies trembling from exhaustion and adrenaline. They felt the weight of that searching gaze sweep across them, a predator still hunting even in its dying moments.

Shin Lu walked forward.

Another spear materialized in his hands, condensing from faint motes of light that gathered along his palms before solidifying into a perfectly balanced weapon. The shaft gleamed in the dim reflections of distant fires, while rain slid along its polished surface. He stopped beside Reika without haste, his posture steady despite the chaos around them.

Reika rolled her shoulder slowly as she pulled her greatsword from the cracked asphalt with one fluid motion. The blade came free with a low grinding scrape, sending sparks skittering across the rain-slick street.

"It’s still alive," she said.

Her voice was calm, almost conversational, as if she were discussing a stubborn animal refusing to lie down.

"Barely," Shin Lu replied.

The Troll King clutched at its side. The massive wound carved into its ribcage by Reika’s earlier strike still poured black blood, thick streams running down its torso before splattering against the broken street. Each ragged breath forced fresh gouts from the wound, and steam rose faintly whenever rain struck the exposed flesh.

"A wounded beast is still a beast," Reika said with a grim smile.

She turned and slapped Shin Lu lightly on the shoulder as if congratulating a friend after a good match.

"Finish it off, Shin Lu."

His eyes narrowed slightly at the casual touch.

"When will you respect your elders?" he asked.

"When you’re stronger than me," she replied without missing a beat.

He exhaled softly.

His gaze returned to the Troll King.

Everyone was now watching.

Bastion hunters stood in loose, battered formations across the ruined street. Bloodclaws lingered among them, their weapons still drawn but no longer aimed at their temporary allies. Some hunters leaned against rubble and broken vehicles, breathing hard after the brutal fight, while others knelt beside the wounded. Yet every pair of eyes drifted back toward the same sight.

The battlefield had fallen into a strange, tense equilibrium.

The Troll King pushed itself onto its knees. Its enormous body trembled under its own weight as the creature groaned deeply, the sound rumbling through its chest like shifting stone. Its remaining arm strained to support its bulk while its head lowered slowly toward its chest. Its eyes flickered, dimming slightly as if the life within it was beginning to fade.

A murmur rippled across the battlefield.

"Is it... giving up?" someone whispered.

"I think it’s dying," another voice said.

Relief spread across the hunters like a slow wave. Shoulders sagged as tension drained from their bodies. Weapons lowered. A few Bastion hunters began moving toward their wounded comrades while several Bloodclaws gathered together, speaking quietly among themselves. The fight was finally over.

Shin Lu stepped forward.

His body lowered slightly into a balanced half squat as his knees bent and his center of gravity settled. The spear in his hands rotated once as he adjusted his grip, rain sliding down the shaft and dripping from the red tassel tied beneath the blade. He inhaled slowly and exhaled deliberately, with calm.

Mana began gathering around him.

At first, it appeared as faint currents drifting through the rain, invisible streams of energy being drawn inward from the battlefield. Then the air itself seemed to respond, thickening as the energy condensed along the length of his spear. Blue light formed around the weapon, growing brighter with each passing second as more power poured into the strike.

The rain striking the spear hissed softly.

The air around Shin Lu vibrated faintly beneath the weight of the condensed mana. Cracks spread across the asphalt beneath his boots as the ground struggled to contain the pressure.

He was preparing to finish it.

Reika watched him with her arms crossed over her chest, a small smile playing across her lips. She enjoyed this moment, the final act of a long and brutal play.

Hunters from both sides relaxed further. Some even lowered their weapons completely. Bastion fighters began tending to their wounded comrades while a few Bloodclaws leaned against nearby walls, exhaustion finally catching up with them.

Jagger watched everything from behind the burned-out van.

He remained still in the rain, almost invisible among the wreckage. While relief spread across the battlefield, his mind moved in the opposite direction. He saw the hunters lowering their guard. He saw the moment their vigilance faded.

His heart pounded.

Four.

He had killed four people.

Four living human beings.

Four lives taken by his hands.

’No... I have to do this... If I don’t, more will die,’ Jagger thought.

He crawled over to Hikaru’s corpse and gently closed the boy’s eyes. Rainwater washed across the young hunter’s pale face, carrying away the last traces of blood.

For a brief moment, Jagger lingered there.

Then he forced himself to move.

Hikaru’s sword dissolved into faint particles of light and slipped into Jagger’s inventory. He pulled the dagger from the boy’s throat, wiping the blade clean against the rain-slick pavement before gripping it tightly.

He needed both weapons.

He had to survive.

He could not afford to let his guard down.

His eyes moved across the battlefield again, searching through the scattered hunters. Chaos had left several fighters disoriented and isolated across the street.

Then he found one.

A Bloodclaw hunter leaned against a shattered wall several meters away, clutching a wound in his side. The man’s breathing was ragged, his armor soaked in rain and blood. He was alone.

Vulnerable.

Jagger limped toward him slowly, keeping the dagger hidden behind his wrist.

He was about to strike when another hunter approached.

A Bastion fighter stepped toward the injured Bloodclaw and extended a hand. The Bloodclaw hesitated for a moment before gripping it. The Bastion pulled him to his feet without a word.

Jagger stopped.

His heart sank.

The alliance was holding.

Hunters from both factions were working together now, helping one another survive the aftermath of the battle.

And he was the only one still breaking the rules.

Ahead of him, Shin Lu took another step forward. The spear in his hands now blazed with blinding blue light as lightning-like arcs of energy crawled along the shaft and gathered around the spearhead. The ground beneath his feet cracked further under the immense pressure of the condensed mana.

"Any last words, big guy?" Reika muttered, a smirk tugging at her lips.

The Troll King growled.

Its yellow eyes burned with pure hatred as it locked onto Shin Lu.

Then it roared.

Shin Lu moved.

His spear shot forward in a devastating thrust.

"Meteor Stab!"

The weapon launched through the rain like a streak of lightning. A violent shockwave erupted outward as the spear struck the Troll King directly in the heart.

The monster’s body convulsed violently.

Its massive frame shuddered once.

Then again.

Its yellow eyes widened briefly in shock before the light within it began to fade. Slowly, the glow dimmed until the eyes turned dull and lifeless.

The Troll King slumped forward.

Its enormous body collapsed onto the rubble with a deafening crash that shook the ruined street and sent clouds of dust rising into the rain.

Silence returned.

-

[Herald of Chaos Quest: Kill the Troll King.]

[Theat Level: Elite Threat]

[Quest has been completed]

-

The towering pillar of light above the Troll King collapsed downward and engulfed Shin Lu. He closed his eyes as the radiant energy poured over him, flooding his body with power he had not felt in a very long time.

Strength surged through his muscles.

His senses sharpened.

His body felt stronger, faster, and more powerful than ever before.

-

[You have leveled up to Level 36 ↑]

[You have leveled up to Level 37 ↑]

[You have leveled up to Level 38 ↑]

[1x Elite Rank gift box has been added to your inventory]

[Title Acquired: Giant Slayer]