🙟 ------------------------------- 🙝

Grendel recovered his senses after his HP regenerated and looked around. He tried to move but he could only move his head and make minute movements as if an unseen force was binding him.

"Rise and shine, aberration. Here we are on the stage of your fall. We don't want the main star to miss the show, do we?" Mocked Gilgamesh.

He did not give in and remained silent. Around him, he could see Shraaizar bound by some glowing chains and his human friends kneeling in a row, gagged, blindfolded, and bound by ropes. The children and most of the civilian adults were nowhere to be seen. The scent of blood and entrails and burnt death willow sap permeated the night air. A fine haze clouded all but the most bright stars and rising from where the meadow was a dark column of smoke was being blown north-west by the night wind.

"Look at these facial expressions! Too unnerving, this thing looks almost human. Stop playing around and finish him, Gil." Complained Enkidu.

At the side, the three women of the adventurer party were resting on one of the benches he crafted. He tried to move and jerk his body but he felt something binding him. He was bound by the same chains as his Naga companion. His status was normal. None of his skills were in cooldown, and his HP and MP pools were full. He had to do something, but his mind was blank with fear. Every single scenario he thought of ended in disaster.

He could use shadow clones to attack the adventurers but these clones would be too weak to hold the line until he rescued everyone. Telekinesis was too slow. He could combine it with detachable limbs to make some sort of phantom claw, but even so, he didn't have spare limbs. He would need his hands. His spear was nowhere to be seen. Looking around he found the weapon. It was lying against a rock, along with the Shining Blade.

"No, no, no. That one does not belong to you anymore. That is our rightful loot. I am sure 'Spearlord' Cedric will pay a good sum of gold for that monster spear. They are very hard to come by, you know? And to think that Hrothgar will have to shell even more gold to get his national treasure back! Sweet, sweet victory." Gilgamesh crouched next to the bound Grendel. "What is the matter, monster? Want to have a bite of me? Try all you want, you are surely strong but you would need over a thousand Prowess to break these chains."

"Just kill me but let them go. What do you want?" Grendel broke his silence. His voice was breaking from the swelling emotions. Sadness, fear, hate. He was strong but these guys were even stronger. With the passive bonus from Emperor's Might, his prowess was 528 for strength. But his enemy just gave him a very juicy piece of information. "Over a thousand? I can get ten thousand if I wish." He thought. He would just need to trigger the active Emperor's Might to get double the skill level as a multiplier to his Prowess.

A viable plan brewed inside Grendel's mind. He could break free, but then he would have to face both men while taking the spells from the mages and blocking the heartseeker. He understood why Gilgamesh had pinned his weapon. 'Heartseeker blade' was too flourishy and easy to parry, but once it was launched it was like a viper's bite, too fast to dodge. And he could swear he saw the blade bend and follow in the direction of his chest as he moved. He had to split them somehow to avoid fighting the five at once. He was sure he couldn't win one on one against Gilgamesh. Taking them five would be suicide. And Enkidu's gaze kept putting pressure on him. The beastmaster understood the savage heart better than any other person. Grendel had not submitted yet.

"Kill you? All in due time, my horny friend. I was expecting to slay a mighty beast worthy of a challenge, not some puny talking troll. You are the strongest troll I've ever met, but that is it. The gold Hrothgar paid us is not enough. I am going to have some fun with your snake lady over there. She means a lot to you, doesn't she? Cry and beg for her life and I might release her after we are done here."

"You want me to cry, I'll cry. You want me to beg? I have no pride that is worth a life. Please spare them. Where are the children? Kill me and let everyone go, please Gilgamesh. I beseech you, spare the children, they are innocent. Spare these people, they are good hearted and decent folk. Release Shraaizar into the wilderness and she will vow to never get less than fifty miles of any human settlement."

"Shraaizar, eh? Did you hear that, Gilgamesh? The troll named his pet snake! But about the children, unfortunately, they all died choking with the poison fumes of the death willows. Most of the adults died also. Spared me a few swings of my ax." The bulky beastmaster answered him.

Grendel could not tell between him and these adventurers who was human and who was a monster. Maybe the only humans here were these five kneeling on the stone. He struggled but the summoned chains did not yield. All he earned was a raptor-like glare from Enkidu. The ax-wielder tensed his muscles, ready to pounce on the troll should he break free. Grendel was able to resist the beastmaster's fear skills so far. But they were encroaching on his mind.

"That is not crying. You are playing me. Your eyes have not given up fighting. I want to see you broken. As broken as the corpses you left in Mirfield. You went into our land and killed our people. It is natural we do the same. And monsters have no right to live. Die and become Exp." Sentenced Gilgamesh.

He drew his greatsword and readied it in front of Shraaizar. Tensing his muscles, he was getting ready to strike.

"Stop, don't do that! Damn you, stop that! I beg you, don't hurt her. Nooooo!" Grendel begged and cried.

"Don't make that face. You are going to witness a legendary skill that slew countless dragons in a single blow. Here it goes. 'Core Breaker!'" Gilgamesh released his signature skill. It was similar to his twin sister's 'Heartseeker Blade' but instead of going for the heart of the creature, it only worked on monsters and it went for their core.

It was like slow motion for Grendel. He remembered how he met the naga when he was lying at the creek margin after breaking his own horn to craft his spear. Shraaizar at first wanted to kill him but their friendship flourished soon enough once both realized they wanted someone intelligent to talk to. She was hurt for losing her naga sisters to another human adventurer party. Her support in fighting Greymantle, the former leader of the devil monkeys. She was like a sister to him. But the sword inched forward. She flinched and moved but the blade followed her motions perfectly.

It was to no avail. Grendel tried to scream but his voice failed him. He felt like invisible hands were choking him, a huge knot blocking his throat. He pulled and yanked at the magic bindings but nothing happened. Mercy, Alvus and Cloude were averting their faces. Rowdy's head was hung low, he kept his eyes on them to the last moment. But the sound of his teeth grinding betrayed his emotions.

"Now that is more like it. It is really amazing. A monster with emotions. Enkidu, by the authority of Baron Mirfield, these traitors are to be executed. Make it quick."

Enkidu moved behind the prisoners but didn't stop staring at Grendel. He was wary the troll could try something and kept ready to pounce at any moment.

"Stop, bastard! You fucking murderer, spare the humans!"

"No can do, Grendel the troll," Gilgamesh rested his blade and wiggled his finger. "There is a bounty on the head of these people. And we want to have good relations with the Baron. It was even an official guild request, thanks to my guild master sister over there. I want to get points for the SS rank, you know?" He was joking. There was no SS rank in the guild.

"Just finish this theater. Hurry up, I want to sleep on a warm bed. Honestly, next time I am charging extra for nighttime." Complained Shamhat.

"Enkidu, do it quick and painless." Gilgamesh and the women took their distance. They knew how messy these things were.

Grendel struggled and bolted, the chains did not yield once again. He was about to pop his cooldowns and go full nuke on Enkidu, but Gilgamesh poked his sword's tip on the troll's shoulders. Shamhat initiated a chant and he could feel the heat building up behind him. 'Move and you're toast' was their veiled threat.

"Yes, boss." Enkidu readied his massive ax and swung only once. In a broad motion, he fulfilled all the Baron's requests.

Grendel bit his tongue and cried at his own haughtiness and former pride. His mistake was to not clean up his mess properly. He let King Hrothgar escape. He let the Baron's family live. He did not mind security, thinking just being far away would be enough. He did not know the ways of this world. Those in a position of authority always fear those with power. Hrothgar feared Gilgamesh, but he could be bought and his reasons were aligned with the guild and the kingdom's goals. But a monster with power? One that could get in and out of towns at its own leisure? Ten thousand gold coins was a cheap price to pay to eradicate something that could bring about the end of humanity.

"Rejoice, monster. I'll now put you out of your misery. Tell your demon masters in hell they won't be allowed to set an advanced post in the dragon valley."

"I have no demon masters. You got the wrong troll."

"Whatever. I'll deal with them when they come. Core Breaker."

Enkidu shoved his sword down the base of Grendel's neck. Trolls' cores usually rested in that region. The sword dug deep and scraped against Grendel's spine from the inside. He pulled it out and Grendel's body fell limp on the stone ground.

"Finally it is over. Let's go home," Urged the pyromaniac witch.

"I want to take a look around. I don't believe they don't have any loot! What kind of monster doesn't accumulate treasure, tell me? There should be a law against it!" Complained Enkidu.

"There is none. He didn't loot the town, he just stole the guild crystal. But we didn't find it. We should search once again. The grandmaster wants us to find out why he wanted the crystal," Kareena reminded them of another of their tasks.

"Look, Nanna! Snowflakes!" Shamhat called her coworker's attention to some snowflakes that appeared a bit away from the place.

"Snowflakes behind us? Why is it snowing? So pretty!" Innana that remained silent until now loved snow. She and Shamhat went to collect the falling snowflakes. "They are not melting!"

"Stop horsing around. Let's leave this place." Asked Kareena. She was reluctant to come, but she was unable to say no to her twin brother.

Gilgamesh rested his sword against a rock and kneeled next to the inert Grendel. He grabbed a bunch of his coarse hair and lifted the troll's head, staring at his face really close. "Look at how ugly this thing is. I can't believe it shed genuine tears for the lives of people. It is unbelievable that..."

CHOMP!

Gilgamesh would never finish that sentence. Ever. His sure-kill technique failed but he didn't notice it. Monsters need cores made of condensed magic energy because they don't have MP to fuel their skills and spells. The moment Grendel acquired a job and unlocked an MP pool, his core dissolved. He could circulate magic energy as MP in his body just as any other non-monstrous soul could. Without anything to break, the champion's skill was just a critical sword blow.

Grendel was surprised when he retained his senses even though the blow dug deep in his chest cavity and severed his airways. Using all of his willpower, he just played dead with his stealth skill and remained motionless. His internal wounds quickly regenerated and he kept still drawing shallow, slow breaths, tracking their targets' locations by scent and hearing. He needed an opening, an opportunity to strike.

He triggered Assassinate, Dirty Tricks, Stealth, Emperor's Might (feats of strength), Eat Anything. His SS skill, the highest rank available to mortals granted him the strength of a thousand common men. He broke the magic chains created by Innana's spell and {47+20+20+10} bit off Gilgamesh's neck. His fangs scraped the spine at the back of the neck but all the flesh between head and shoulders was swallowed in one single move.

You consumed the flesh of a human.95,324 core points added. {77 +2} - You learned the Superhuman Stats (SS) Skill. ( x5% to all stats).

Title S-Slayer awarded.

Those that kill an S-rank enemy with a single blow. Grants a 5% damage bonus for every rank the enemy is above H.

And as the Sistem recognized, Gilgamesh was as dead as his defenseless victims. Kareena screamed and fell on her knees from the shock of seeing his brother's head dangle back held only by the spine bones and tendons and the spellcasters were too busy collecting snowflakes.

Grendel seized the surprise and ran to Enkidu, kicking {53+20 vs 67} the barbarian away. He was flung up and away like a missed penalty kick in the world cup finals.

"Shadow Clones!"

Grendel's copies jumped out from a puff of smoke and leaped to assault the two spellcasters. Two on each one of them. Innana's {12+20 & 31+20 vs 83} always vigilant stance allowed her to evade the claws of the troll clones by jumping forward but the aloof and easily distracted Shamhat {56+20 & 76+20 vs 34} was nearly torn in two by the monster clones.

The troll went for his weapon. As he grabbed the spear in a hurry his fingers grasped the Shining Blade's hilt and the sword released a flash of light.

🙣 ------------------------------- 🙡

Grendel found himself floating in an all-white space. In front of him the Shining Blade and in his hand the Horn Spear.

"Finally you contacted me, warrior."

"I don't have time. I have to kill those bastards."

"Fret not, worthy one. This conversation will take but a fraction of time in the real world. We are in a mindscape now. Use this opportunity to calm your heart and steel your will."

"Who are you?"

"I am called the Shining Blade in your era. I am but a sword. I remained dormant and starved for too long and forgot my previous name."

"What do you want from me?"

"What does a sword want if not to be wielded in combat?"

"Why me?"

"You are an otherworlder. I was forged to serve the otherworlders. I allow those with the ability to channel magic through me to feed me while using me, but my purpose is not that. I remain"

"Why didn't you talk to me before?"

"Twice I nudged my bearer to bring me to you. Twice you pushed me away. I am but a sword. I can't talk to you if you don't wield me."

"I am no hero. And I will do bad things."

"Good and Evil are concepts above me. I am merely a tool for combat. Use me as you see fit."

"I can't use a sword."

"Reforge me, discard me. I care not. If you desire, my power is yours though."

"Fine then. Lord's Weaponsmithing."

As he activated his skill, the knowledge to make what he desired flooded Grendel. In this mindscape, will was enough. He wished to fuse both weapons. The Shining Blade became liquid metal and flowed into the horn spear entering the tight veins of the steelwood shaft and climbing inside the wood up to the spiral troll horn at the tip. Crawling up through the horn's grooves, the metal fused with the horn enamel.

"The mindscape is ending. Steel yourself and use me as you see fit."

🙣 ------------------------------- 🙡

Grendel was still crouching to pick up his spear, but the weapon was already in his hands, glowing. Of the Shining Blade, only a scabbard was left. He turned to attack but Innana was already shooting magic at him. The two clones he sent after her were already gone. The light beam {84 vs 77} singed Grendel and pierced a hole in his left shoulder. The troll wasn't ready to use his spell parry skill. The white-veiled mage was already chanting another sunburst when Grendel jumped forward and {80+10 vs 87} stabbed Innana, disrupting her spell.

"Magic Conductivity: Firebolt!"

Grendel's magic was channeled through the Shining Spear and blew inside the light mage. She gasped and lost her footing, stunned by the shock and pain. The troll stepped forward, putting Shamhat in range of his spear and used his technique.

"Circle Slash!"

He {50+10 vs 36 & 64} struck the stunned woman and both of his shadow clones, but Shamhat was able to dodge. He could feel the pressure of both women's Melee Dampening skill repelling his spear like magnets of the same pole, but he already expected they would have the Wizard job.

He used his spear to {42 vs 62} parry a lightning bolt that Innana threw at him but it left him exposed to {92 vs 33} take a nova blast from Shamhat. That single shaved sixty percent of his HP.

It was time for a little stratagem. Using his shadow clones, five trolls exited the puff of smoke. Two of them attacked Innana, two jumped at Shamhat and one ran away downhill. all of them had the same wounds and the same equipment. Grendel tuned down his reactions, missing on purpose.

"Flamethrower!" Shamhat used a close-range fire spell to burn the clones attacking her and both disappeared in puffs of smoke.

"You won't escape, troll!" Dodging the clumsy attacks of the trolls aiming at her, Innana concentrated and shot her signature spell, Sunburst at the fleeing troll. It hit and Grendel disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Next thing she knew there was a spear coming out of her flat chest. And a set of jagged troll teeth biting her head.

You consumed the flesh of a human. 34,753 core points added. {43+2} Nothing happened.

"This isn't happening, this isn't happening!" Kareena shook her head in denial, hugging the corpse of her brother.

"You and me, monster! Let's dance!" Shamhat tossed fire spell after fire spell and Grendel did his best to parry all of them. He knew she was buying time for Enkidu to return, and by the shouting that came from the still burning willow meadow, he was arriving soon.

Grendel duplicated his Shining Spear. The copy was an ordinary spear made of troll horn, steelwood and metal covered in death willow amber, but it was enough. Wielding the copy in his left hand, he threw it at Shamhat.

"Power Javelin."

It wasn't a proper javelin but the spear could fly. It {37+20} hit Shamhat but was only a graze. The copy flew past the witch, but Grendel was not trying to end this with just a thrown spear. He had detached his own hand and it flew with the spear. The huge hand jumped at the witch and grabbed her neck, squeezing hard.

She dropped her staff and grabbed the hand to pull and free her airways. Grendel seized the opportunity and stabbed the woman's belly with quick spear jabs. As she stumbled away from him he pierced her hard through an arm and chest, lifting the witch and retrieving his own hand with telekinesis. He grabbed her arm and bit her hand off.

You consumed the flesh of a human. 41,654 core points added. {48 +2} Nothing happened.

Before he could throw the dead witch body away Enkidu was jumping over him, swinging his greataxe with foam coming out of his mouth. The beastmaster had completely surrendered to his berserker nature.

Grendel and Enkidu began to fight against one another furiously exchanging blows. Enkidu's berserker rage gave him enough strength to match Grendel's own, but the loss of agility meant the troll could defend enough to maintain the stalemate. Both were taking wounds, but the troll regenerated way faster. Oblivious to the two titans colliding on the hilltop, the guild master remained in shock.

The pace of the combat was entirely on Grendel's hand. The raging barbarian could only attack and attack and attack. Grendel would switch to a more defensive stance once he needed to regenerate and recover HP, but this time the troll was the one buying time. He had already decided how to finish the beastmaster. If there was a disadvantage, it was that Grendel's stamina was lesser than Enkidu's. He was burning less of it than the madman, but he would still collapse of tiredness before the other guy.

But it was not a matter of Enkidu HP being shaved off before Grendel's ST ran out. It was a matter of stalling the fight long enough for the cooldown on Emperor's Might to end. Once he felt the skill was available again, Grendel tossed his Shining Spear at the still sitting Kareena's back, instantly slaying the defenseless woman.

Enkidu slashed once again, {70 vs 78} but Grendel clinched and held the greataxe by the shaft above the head. He could feel his arms getting numb from absorbing the shock, but he wouldn't mind it now. The raging beastmaster bit Grendel's hand and Grendel bit Enkidu's ax. Grendel lost a finger but the ax lost a huge portion of its head, courtesy of the 'Eat Anything' skill. The man kicked the troll and the troll kept using his bigger physique to bite the ax. Soon the weapon was useless, and Enkidu leaped to grapple Grendel.

"Just as planned!" The troll shouted one of his bucket list phrases. And he used another one, "You are already dead!"

Grappling Enkidu, Grendel attempted to get him on a hold and once he achieved that he triggered his chantless fire spell and his ultimate skill.

"Immolation Aura! Emperor's Might (feat of strength)!"

Enkidu had no chance to escape a grapple from a creature with ten thousand points of prowess, the equivalent to over six hundred grown men. And he instinctively held his breath, because any oxygen in the air around them was consumed by the flames before he could breathe. Both creatures burned and struggled, rolling down the hill and leaving a fiery trail behind them. Both had resistance to fire, but troll flesh was still flammable. He would not regenerate fire damage as fast as other types of damage. It was now a race to see whose HP pool would end first and Enkidu kept hitting and biting and clawing Grendel. But the troll was not yet done. Four minutes into the flaming struggle, he triggered his other major cooldown.

"Vitality Booster"

This would multiply his regeneration by a factor of seven and this extra recovery could heal fire damage. It was the same move that allowed him to endure the fight against Helmholtz' party.

They struggled for another two minutes and Enkidu lost consciousness. The Beastmaster was still human, and it was a herculean task to hold consciousness for six minutes. He fainted and his body breathed, sucking in the flames and the superheated air. Grendel ripped off Enkidu's head to make sure he was truly dead and then bit off a chunk of his arm.

You consumed the flesh of a human. 63,247 core points added. {48 +2} Nothing happened.

You consumed the flesh of a human. 19,832 core points added. {24 +2} Nothing happened.

Grendel has gained 7 +24 +39 levels ([3]Racial 53 > 60 ☆ , [4] Magic Swordsman46 > 70 ☆ , [1] Villager 1 > 40 ☆ ). +302 SP

Congratulations. You reached the racial level cap. Evolution Available. You have reached your job's level cap. You have reached your job's level cap.

Grendel just shoved the System windows aside. He looked at the scene around him. The dark smoke cloud swallowed the stars and the moon but the stench of blood was everywhere. He kneeled next to Shraaizar's body and hug the inert naga. She was cold as always, but it was a different kind of cold.

And there he wept.

There he buried his friends.

There he ate his enemies.

There he swore vengeance.

There he left what passed for home behind.

🙟 ------------------------------- 🙝

Skill Growth:

Skill Assassinate level 6.

Skill Combat Awareness level 8.

Skill Spear Mastery level 7.

Skill Presence Detection level 6.

Skill Dirty Tricks level 5.

Skill Spell Parry level 7.

Skill Evasion level 9.

Skill Confusion Resistance level 4.

Skill ST Restoration level 3.

Skill Create Snowflake level 3.

Skill Complaining level 5.

Skill Fire Magic level 5. {Warming} learned.

Skill Max HP Increase level 7.

Skill Telekinesis level 6.

Skill Detachable Limbs level 5.

Skill Eat Anything level 6.

Skill Ultra Acute Smell level 6.

Skill Lord's Weaponsmithing level 4.

Job Unlocks:

[2] Apprentice Magician [2] Apprentice Scout [2] Apprentice Warrior [2] Apprentice Merchant [3] Super Villager