The [Guild Master] of Colchester stopped her swing with an inclined torso, legs firmly planted on the ground and an overextended arm as if she was posing for a portrait. That one swing could not tire a novice much less an expert combatant with a tier 5 job but nonetheless, the woman was panting and sweating profusely. She assessed her body and found her hands shaking, the fingers clenched around the sword as if the fate of the world depended on it. Maybe it did. She moved her eyes down without moving the head and the headless body of the self-proclaimed hero came into her field of sight. A few feet away, the head, eyes still open and gazing intently on her. She could swear there was life in that head still, but it was not blinking or moving neither eyes or mouth. And there she stood, that few moments stretching for what felt like a century as her mind raced.

She heard a female voice gasp but paid no mind to it. She barely noticed it and in all her confusion her brain decided it was not important. It was a residential street and it would not be absurd to think there was someone hidden in the buildings watching the fight. Few people would be stupid enough to reveal themselves to whoever was fighting in case the winner decided to wipe out evidence and witnesses.

'I did it, Brother! I fulfilled my mission and eliminated this threat to humanity and the Guild,' she thought. Bright spots flashed in her field of view and she was winded and giddy. There were no other combatants in the field. All the soldiers were considered her allies because of their allegiance.

'Maybe my [Guildmaster Authority] skill worked and I did not receive the feedback because of his [Appraisal Resistance]. There is no Exp notification but a [Villager] would not give even a 1% Exp at my level and tier.' It was all her rational mind could do on what she was perceiving of the situation. Maybe if she was able to keep her cool, she would notice something amiss about the beheaded body.

Like the fact it was not bleeding profusely as beheaded bodies usually do. Or that the head blinked.

* * *

"I can't believe it. Kareena, maybe in her most brave or most coward moment, managed to cut off my head striking me from behind."

And hell broke loose.

Your HP has reached zero. Auto triggering {Vitality Booster}. Your HP has reached zero. [Willpower] failed. Triggering [Berserk Rage]. Activating [Berserk Rage] automatically cancels [Humanization]. [Humanization {Resist Instincts} ] unable to fully resist. Retaining partial consciousness. Berserk Rage (innate) level 6.

"The System window just told me to fuck off and watch the show. Awesome. My cover is blown. I can feel the pent up rage welling up inside me. For months I kept the beast in check. But being backstabbed and almost killed really digs under the skin of a troll."

A sharp squirting and squishing noise was suddenly replaced by the grinding sound of bones snapping. Large pointed horns grew on the disembodied head, making it roll and face upwards while growing and becoming leathery and huge, the size of a hay bale. The body also grew and the fancy clothes snapped entirely, the legs crushing the fence on the other side of the street and digging large grooves on the lawn. With a jerking motion, the hands propped the torso up and one leg moved forward, placing the body in an awkward kneeling position. With a free hand, the monster tapped around until it found the head. In a hurry, it grabbed it by the horn and squished the neck together, backwards. After letting out a roar of pain, it turned the head around, severing some tendons and blood vessels that insisted in reattaching on the wrong side and putting the head right. The spine bones snapped together and the regeneration exponentially raised by the {Vitality Booster} quickly reinstated the connections.

A few moments later, the beast stood up, towering over the two-stories tall houses of the fancy merchant neighborhood and stomped the paralysed soldiers.

"Mr. Jekyll or Dr. Banner certainly felt like I do right now. I am me, but I am a slave of my base instincts. My body started moving on its own. Really creepy seeing a headless body creeping up some street trying to find something while at the same time growing to be several times its size, swatting an immobile soldier just because it was on the way. It couldn't even reattach the head in the right place."

The beast grinned looking at the immobile soldiers. It made a shooing motion as if it was scaring away vermin. It rapidly grew bored and started to kick and stomp the soldiers, eliminating them in a matter of a couple minutes.

"The guards were denied even the right to be afraid. I don't know if a paralysed creature can still think normally, but they had no reaction. My feet just stomp and crush them one by one. Hilde's front lawn is ruined. Blood splatters showered the walls and just dripped down back to the ground. The door became a bloody mess."

It coughed and spat a ball of clotted blood, adding to the gore on the ground. With its airways finally cleared, it bellowed a mighty roar.

- Very good to be able to breathe again. But I agree with angry me. Time to kick ass. So long you don't go for that house. Go wild, big guy.

Ferocious Shout level 8.

The monster heard a splashing sound, sniffed and turned around to find the source of its current plight standing there and staring at its enormous disrobed prowess. All its rage condensed and focused on the shaking, immobile woman.

- And Kareena was so scared when her little backstabbing - or neckstabbing - stunt only made things worse that she can't even run away. There is an angry, snarling thirty feet monster with deadly weapons on every appendage and all you can do is gawk, tremble and leak. As if a whole night of stabbing my chest and making me bleed more blood than a bronze armor saint wasn't enough to understand that. Won't you move? Please move. At least try to run. Stop clattering your teeth. Run away or you will die! Why there is no INT stat in this world!

It spread out its fingers and activated [Dragon Claws]. With a few mighty swings, the woman as reduced to ribbons. She didn't react or even tried to defend or flee.

- There is no amount of HP that can resist a deadly blow without some kind of active defense or a very superior resistance. Try to dodge, parry or block at least. If you just take it head-on, that is what happens. Damn, Kareena. You had potential. But you let your envy at your own brother and your own self-loathing for learning an 'useless' technique stunt your growth. You were the flea in the circus. Doomed to never know you could jump higher.

"The guild. It is all the guild's fault." The monster spoke. It stood straight, looking around and forcing itself to remember the layout of the town. Soon enough it squinted and focused its sight on the familiar buildings of the guild complex.

- That much is true. We were probably spotted while strutting in town dressed up and they reported us to the guild. Damn.

It took a step and looked at a ceiling. On it a fainted beastkin of the squirrel tribe dressed in the guild receptionist uniform. The monster clenched one fist and was about to strike but took a step back, returning its gaze on the guild complex.

- Fuck, Soren is also frozen with fear from the shout. Don't kill her, don't kill her, don't kill her. Friend. Friend. Good monster, me. Go away. Go break the guild for all I care. But don't kill the only decent guild employee I've ever met.

The colossus troll arched its back and huge scaled wings sprouted from it, the shadows covering almost an entire house. It jumped and took to the air, making a beeline and making full use of its [Terrifying Aura] on the townspeople.

As it reached the building, the assembled adventurers that were able to resist the aura striked at the flying monster. Arrows, fireballs, javelins of lightning. Burned and singed, the troll landed on the very courtyard where it once dueled for a whole night, its wounds closing rapidly as its supercharged regeneration mended even the burnt flesh.

The melee fighters rushed in. Their charge was met with an [Acid Breath], the few that evaded or resisted the attack delivered steel onto the monster's legs.

"What are these blockheads thinking? A troll is a B-rank threat. There are less than a handful of B-rank adventurers in Colchester even with the idiots that came for the dungeon. Why are they even trying to fight?

"[Dragon Lightning Claws]" Flashes of azure light burned as the supercharged claws of the colossus tore through the ranks of melee warriors.

"Even if they think they can make a dent, it should be obvious after the first exchange that there is no chance of winning. Just run and live!"

"Nova Blast!"

Some adventurers in robes with fancy wooden staves blasted the troll's arms and belly. It took a couple steps backward, arms raised to defend against the magical assault. Nevertheless there was a grin behind those arms. [Instant Movement] behind them and a sweeping kick sent the line of magicians and wizards flying to their doom.

Fire resistance level 8. Vitality Booster finished. HP recovery blocked for 10 minutes.

Feeling exposed now that its legendary recovery was no longer allowing it to tank almost any kind of damage and with several burn marks scattered in its body, some bones even exposed, the troll stopped playing and went into a rampage, crushing and smashing the buildings.

"Break buildings. Kill weak humans. Receptionists. That was the last time you mocked Grendel," its shout met the ears of the few survivors among the rubble, some still clinging to their weapons as a last stand of defiance.

"I think deep inside I did hold a grudge. It was not fun being mocked. But these girls were doing their best. It is not their fault they have been fed lies throughout their entire careers... And there goes the main building itself."

Spreading [Acid Breath] and smashing the stubborn walls that refused to collapse, the monster crushed the guild crystal and crashed into the underground vault, breaking almost everything inside.

Acid Breath level 7. Siege Monster level 7

The sound of hooves clopping on the cobblestone streets drew its attention. The cavalry was charging and behind the horsemen a few hundred spearmen and archers were marching forward.

"Intimidating Shout!" It roared as the lances were lowered for the final spur of the charge. The horses bucked and panicked. Grendel thought they were smarter than the humans. Most of the riders fell on the ground. With a jump, Grendel landed on some of them and slashed left and right with the dragon claws. Nicks and bruises opened small wounds on its flesh as some knights and the spearmen joined the brawl. The fight went on for a few minutes before the numeric advantage of the humans proved unable to stop the siege monster.

"Retreat! Fall back and avoid the beast! [Taunt]!" The commander of the troops raised its shield and turned to face the monster. With its attention all to himself, he bought time enough for his troops to disengage.

Sparks erupted as the charged dragon claws of the colossus met the enchanted shield. The armored [Commander] walked backwards, using his motion to cushion the blows, feinting to keep the beast wary of himself and focused on his defensive stance.

Dragon Claws level 6. (Wind Claws) learned. Shoots claw-shaped shockwaves from the hands that can travel a short range.

Looking around the commander saw none of his troops around himself. One last slash from the lightning claws and his shield was ruined along with the arm behind it. He discarded the lump of metal on the ground. With nimble footwork, he circled around the leg of the towering monster.

"[Hamstring Slash]! [Tactical Retreat]! Archers, loose!" It shouted as his skills curtailed the monster's mobility and allowed him to put a healthy distance between himself and his enemy. Without its regeneration, the cut along its calf

A hail of flaming arrows came. The troll looked at the bright orange dots and for a moment fear stamped its face.

"You better dodge. Vitality Booster just ended, and we are stuck with a ten minutes cooldown without HP recover. What is left of my fifteen thousand HP won't hold at this rate."

"[Fulll Defense]!" It limped forward, moving past and around the falling arrows with unnatural grace even with a hurt foot. Reaching the soldiers, it resumed its slaughter shooting blades of wind toward them.

"Stop burning our procs dumb troll! You don't know what else is coming at us!"

The morale of the town's garrison broke, and most of the soldiers scattered in all directions away from the towering monster. Grendel ignored them.

"Soldiers of the realm, Grendel will show you fight. Destroy the lord's estate!" And it ran along the main street in the direction of the Count's mansion.

"There is a marker getting close in the tactical minimap. It is Petal. What is she doing? It is dangerous to come near me! Go away!"