Chapter 108: The Lord Shows Off

  The interior of Troll Valley was uedly vast.

  In the ter of the valley flowed a geream.

  On both sides of the riverbanks grew lush green meadows, dotted with deches of reeds.

  Sparse groves and thickets occasionally dotted the ndscape, giving the area a peaceful, idyllic feel uhe bright sunlight.

  Field gazed at the valley with mixed emotions, envisioning a future where this ft nd had been cultivated and transformed into fields of wheat and rice.

  "A castle for the lord in the ter, surrounded by a dozen small vilges, with a stronghold at the valley’s entrance..."

  The old vilge chief’s dreams were grand, but thinking of the dangerous creatures they had entered along the way, he couldn’t help but frown.

  ch!

  A yellowed tusk bit deeply into a bone, sug out the marrow with a loud "slurping" sound.

  The thick smell of blood ignited a deep rage iroll’s heart, its bloodshot eyes filled with hatred as it let out a low growl.

  It warily watched the mountain ravine ahead, croug slightly as its legs tensed.

  Even though its wounds had healed, the troll could still feel a dull ache in its bohe terrifying memory of its leg being shattered by a brutal strike deeply etched in its mind.

  Grinding the boments between its teeth, the troll was about to enjoy the rest of its wild boar feast when a shadow suddenly fell across its face with a dull thud.

  At first, the troll paid it no mind, but intense pain soon radiated from its face. Instinctively, it reached out to grab at the twisted, slimy sensation, and an indescribable terror welled up i.

  A wave of agony swept over the troll, and faintly, it heard the sharp whistle of something cutting through the air.

  Squelch!

  The st sound the troll heard was the crack of its skull shattering.

  "Ding! You have killed a troll. You gain 50 experience points and 1 skill point."

  L his staff, Matthew ighe curious looks from the adventurers and said in a clear voice:

  "Move forward!"

  He wasn't here to capture trolls; that wasn’t necessary. Earning money was only a means to an end—pleting tasks and increasing his power were the real goals.

  Aliced at him reflexively, nodded as if it were the most natural thing, aured for the group to tinue moving forward.

  Up ahead, Beelzebub looked nervously at the fallen troll’s corpse.

  The remnants of the corrosive acid from Matthew’s acid arrow tio eat away at the troll’s skull, exposing the white bone underh.

  Though fident he could take down a troll quickly, Beelzebub had ainty he could withstand one of Matthew’s rapid magical attacks.

  Passing adventurers saw the troll’s gruesome fate, recalling the awe and mystery surrounding spellcasters.

  Additionally, they had learhat this mysterious spellcaster was the leader of the group and that they were required to follow his orders.

  Some felt regret, but no one dared to voice their thoughts aloud.

  After demonstrating his power, Matthew took a moment to observe the others in the group and found little pint—everyone dispyed a endable level of professionalism.

  Matthew had ihe adventurers along for this mission to evaluate their growth speed.

  If their progress wasn’t fast enough, he’d have to figure out a way to help them improve.

  Of course, Matthew wasn’t pnning to abandon them; he simply wao accelerate their development.

  It might e at a cost to them, but overall, it would be beneficial.

  Alice’s party of adventurers was already quite strong.

  Their average level had reached 5.

  There were eight mid-tier professionals in the group, and Alice herself was a Level 9 Ranger.

  Based on his data, Matthew knew she wasn’t far from stepping into the higher tiers.

  "Perhaps I find a way to recruit her..."

  As Matthew pondered, several sharp bird calls rang out from the distance.

  The group halted their advance, waiting for the scouts to report back.

  Alice quickly approached, not b to peer under Matthew’s hood, and quietly reported her findings:

  "We’ve spotted three ogres ahead; we’re nearing our destination."

  Rubbing his staff, Matthew g his remaining 230 mana points and issued a quiet and:

  "Surround them and prepare to elimihem."

  Aliced at Matthew in surprise but didn’t question him. However, she found it odd.

  Bay Vilge’s usual approach was cautious.

  When developing the Dark Forest, Bay Vilge had not rushed forward but instead only harvested some resources.

  In skirmishes, Old Vilge Chief Field led by example, avoiding direct frontations as much as possible, preferring safer methods like ratacks and traps.

  But everything seemed to ge when Bay Vilge’s spellcasters joihe fight.

  Many adventurers still found the rge-scale battle against the trolls hard to believe when they recalled it.

  And now, this mysterious spellcaster seemed to be no different!

  "Could it be that they’re especially fident in their bat abilities?"

  "Or do they already know everything about the enemy and have prepared termeasures?"

  These thoughts briefly fshed through Alice’s mind before she began direg the group’s formation.

  The scouts surrouhe battlefield as usual, preventing new enemies from sneaking in and causing unforeseen is.

  The rangers formed the sed yer of defense, ready to assist if the melee fighters struggled.

  In case of any ued intrusions, they would act as the primary dey force.

  The remaining 20 or so melee professionals closed in on the ogres.

  The battle-hardened adult ogres sensed something amiss a out angry roars, asserting their strength aory.

  Unfortunately, they had chosen the wrong oppos this time!

  Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

  More than a dozen crossbow bolts shot toward the ogres, who had no experience dealing with such attacks.

  One ogre was immediately stru the chest by three bolts, colpsing with a pained howl.

  As it fell, a glowing magic missile streaked through the air, striking it square in the head.

  Spt!

  The ogre’s head exploded in an instant!

  Blood and flesh spttered everywhere!

  The remaining two ogres screamed in agony.

  Despite their severe injuries, their battle-hardened spirits remained unbroken.

  Rather thahey charged toward the source of the crossbow fire.

  Matthew, who had just gained another wave of experience points, did not rush to attack.

  He sighe soldiers to cease their crossbow fire and instructed Beelzebub to lead the charge.

  Matthew wao gauge the ogres’ melee capabilities, gather detailed information, and develop better strategies for the uping fights.

  Beelzebub engaged one of the ogres, swinging his massive axe to meet the ogre’s thick wooden club head-on.

  Bang!

  Beelzebub was forced back two steps, his feet digging deep grooves into the ground, while the ogre stumbled and fell, its club chopped in half.

  Though they both possessed extraordinary strength, Beelzebub’s superior teique made him the strhter!

  FAL