Chapter 42
"Lady Yulia, why is your face so red?"
Britney, who had been meditating quietly in the room, opened her eyes and noticed Yulia's hurried entrance. Without a word, Yulia grabbed two large glasses of water and gulped them down, her expression flustered.
Britney tilted her head in confusion.
"It's too hot outside," Yulia muttered, wiping her mouth and slapping her flushed cheeks in frustration. "And didn't I tell you to call me teacher?"
Britney shook her head stubbornly. "No. Master Rhodes is my teacher!"
Yulia's eye twitched with irritation. "What nonsense! All your magic knowledge came from me. What does this have to do with him?"
Her annoyance grew as she thought about it. Teaching Britney had been her responsibility, and now this girl dared to credit someone else as her master?
"But... you were captured by Master Rhodes," Britney whispered timidly, shrinking under Yulia's glare.
Yulia's face flushed deeper with embarrassment. "W-who taught you to speak like that?"
She wanted to argue, but there was no denying it—Rhodes had captured her, and, in doing so, had indirectly given Britney access to magic lessons.
She sighed, rubbing her temples. "How's your meditation going?"
Britney perked up, sensing the shift in conversation. "I-I can feel the fire element now!"
Yulia blinked in surprise. "Already?"
She was genuinely stunned. When she first felt the presence of the fire element, it had taken her more than half a month. Her mentor had even called her a prodigy.
This girl's talent is terrifying... No wonder people say she'll become the most powerful flame mage in the empire.
At this rate, Britney was destined to become at least a saint-level mage—a feat that very few could achieve.
"Well, if you've already sensed the fire element, that means you're ready to cast your first spell," Yulia said, her voice more composed. "Next, I'll teach you how to extract magic power. Once you do that, you'll officially be a mage."
---
While Yulia busied herself with Britney's training, Rhodes was occupied elsewhere—finishing a long-overdue exorcism ritual with Euphemia.
The baptism of holy water purified the viscous demonic energy lingering within her.
"It's a real pain to cleanse this stuff," Rhodes muttered, sighing. "No wonder everyone hates demons so much."
But someone had to bear the responsibility, and Rhodes, with his heavy sense of duty, was the perfect man for the job.
---
As he left the room, he ran into Frey, the emotionless girl with a cool demeanor.
For a moment, Frey's usually blank face flushed slightly. Though it had been her second personality, influenced by succubus magic, that had acted during their last encounter, she still retained all the memories—and feelings—of the experience.
It was no different from having done it herself.
Rhodes smirked. "You're too innocent... a little training wouldn't hurt."
Seeing her reddened ears, he decided that next time, he'd make sure to exorcise demons when her primary personality was in control. After all, what kind of professional exorcist would he be if his servant couldn't handle a proper ritual?
---
Stretching his arms, Rhodes glanced toward the castle's entrance. "Time to get down to business."
The exorcism was done, and the benefits were claimed. All that remained was to lift the curse on the beautiful princess.
One final piece was missing from the puzzle.
Which meant... the troll had to die.
---
Rhodes rode atop his treasure trove guardian, making his way toward the troll camp.
From a distance, he could see the strange, rough-hewn structures built from irregular stones.
Each stone house stood seven or eight meters tall, radiating an ancient, primitive charm. Though there weren't many of them, the camp's formidable presence was undeniable.
"Let's introduce ourselves properly," Rhodes muttered, raising his palm.
A brilliant orb of light began to condense in his hand.
"The Sun Without Mercy."
BOOM!
In the blink of an eye, violent flames erupted within the troll camp.
---
"ROOOOAR!"
A thunderous roar shook the sky, scattering the clouds above.
A massive troll emerged from the flames, its body covered in bulging muscles. It looked somewhat like a goblin but far more imposing, standing at nearly five meters tall. Its skin bore strange runes, and it wielded a massive, pitch-black spear.
"An ancient troll?" Rhodes raised an eyebrow.
Ordinary trolls rarely grew beyond two or three meters in height. Only ancient trolls reached such monstrous proportions.
These ancient creatures were notorious for their violent tempers and love of battle. Their incredible strength, coupled with their immense resistance to magic, made them nearly invincible.
No wonder it survived the Sun Fire...
More trolls emerged from the sea of flames, the largest among them towering at nearly ten meters.
"That must be the leader," Rhodes murmured.
He realized that the information provided by Count Francis had been wildly inaccurate. This group of trolls was far stronger than he'd anticipated—powerful enough to topple an entire kingdom.
The fact that the Francis Kingdom hadn't already fallen to these creatures could only be attributed to sheer luck.
---
With his hands in his pockets, Rhodes watched as the trolls lumbered toward him. The air around them crackled with tension.
Soon, a dozen ancient trolls surrounded him, their towering forms radiating oppressive power.
"I've heard ancient trolls are tough," Rhodes mused, a playful glint in his eye. "Let's see just how strong you are."
The troll leader snarled in contempt, its eyes burning with disdain.
Ancient trolls respected strength above all else. To them, only dragons, Behemoth royalty, and certain orc clans were worthy of respect. A mere human? Beneath their notice.
One of the smaller trolls stepped forward, swinging a massive stone club directly at Rhodes.
"So much for subtlety," Rhodes sighed, cracking his neck. "You're really underestimating me."
With a lazy motion, he raised the divine axe in his hand.
Critical Breakthrough!
BOOM!
With a casual swing, a devastating shockwave erupted from the axe, tearing through the air like a storm.
SPLAT!
The troll's body twisted grotesquely under the force, bursting into a cloud of blood mist. Flesh and bone rained down in a gruesome shower, leaving a clear path stretching thousands of meters ahead.
The sheer power of the strike left the remaining trolls momentarily stunned.
Then, the leader's eyes turned bloodshot, and with a deafening roar, the trolls flew into a berserk rage.
A dozen heavy stone clubs came crashing down all at once.
---
Rhodes raised his hand calmly.
Magic Power Snatch—Group Hunt!
A powerful aura spread out, instantly sapping the strength of every troll within range.
His body swelled to nearly five meters, his divine axe now looking like a mere toy in his hands.
SWOOSH!
He swung the axe again, and another ancient troll was obliterated in an instant, reduced to nothing but gore.
With each strike, the power granted by Combo Star multiplied exponentially.
In mere moments, only the troll leader remained.
Rhodes stood calmly, the faintest smirk playing on his lips.
"Is that all you've got?" he taunted, his voice dripping with arrogance.
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