Crimson Overlord-Chapter 306: Troll’s Village

The final floor of the ruin wasn’t a floor at all, but a breathtaking anomaly. It opened up into a vast, sun-dappled expanse - an aerial forest clinging precariously to the crumbling stone walls. Sunlight filtered through a canopy formed by colossal trees, their roots snaking down the ruined walls like ancient serpents, anchoring them to the structure.

These weren’t ordinary trees. They were giants, their trunks thicker than any building Orpheus had ever seen. Their branches reached outwards, twisting and coiling, forming a network of tangled walkways that stretched as far as the eye could see. Lush green leaves, vibrant and alive, rustled softly in a gentle breeze that carried the sweet scent of sap and earth.

Sunlight, filtered through the dense canopy, painted the air with a dappled mosaic of light and shadow. The air hummed with the sounds of life – the chirping of unseen birds, the buzzing of insects, the rustle of leaves in the wind. It was a stark contrast to the cold, dungeon-like environment they had traversed, a vibrant oasis clinging to the remnants of a forgotten world. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Here, the air felt thick with an ancient energy, a potent mix of life and decay. Moss carpeted the walkways formed by the colossal branches, and bioluminescent fungi glowed faintly in the dappled light, creating an ethereal aura.

The final floor continued to surprise them. Their cautious journey through the aerial forest led them to a mountain range unlike any they’d seen before. These weren’t colossal, snow-capped peaks, but rather jagged humps formed by the gnarled roots of the giant trees. The roots, thicker than houses at their base, twisted and intertwined, creating a natural staircase that snaked upwards towards a single, towering branch.

The climb was arduous. The roots were slick with moss, and the dizzying height tested their nerves. But finally, they reached the top, gasping for breath and rewarded with a truly unbelievable sight.

Below them, nestled amongst the colossal roots and bathed in the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy, lay a village. Not a human one, by any means. This was a monstrous settlement, a crude patchwork of roughly twenty wooden houses built in a style both haphazard and surprisingly sturdy. The houses, clearly built by large, non-human hands, were fashioned from enormous branches and logs, held together with thick vines and what appeared to be hardened monster snot.

A crude wooden fence, fortified with sharpened spikes, surrounded the village. Two rickety watchtowers, manned by hulking, vaguely humanoid figures, stood at either corner. The figures, clad in tattered hide and wielding what looked like massive clubs, seemed to be on constant alert, their beady eyes scanning the forest for any sign of danger.

A wave of nervous excitement washed over the group. They had stumbled upon something unexpected, a hidden society living in defiance of the ruin’s desolation.

Was this a haven for monsters, or something more sinister? The silence of the village was deafening, broken only by the occasional guttural snarl that echoed faintly from within.

"Well," Lily said, her voice barely a whisper,

"This changes things, doesn’t it?"

’’I bet it’s the final boss location.’’ She added but nobody denied this claim.

Orpheus’ announcement hung heavy in the air, a catalyst for a surge of tension amongst his companions. Lily and the others whirled around, their gazes following his crimson eyes that gleamed with a spark of... amusement?

"Trolls," he confirmed, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Twenty of them, along with their chieftain."

As they strained their eyes towards the village nestled below, the figures Orpheus mentioned began to materialize.

Emerging from the crude wooden houses were hulking creatures, easily twice the height of a man. Their thick, green skin, mottled with shades of brown and grey, seemed perpetually damp, glistening with a sheen of sweat or swamp water.

Their long, knobby arms ended in massive hands that could crush a man’s skull with a single squeeze. Each hand sported three clawed fingers, tipped with black, wickedly sharp talons that glinted ominously in the dappled sunlight.

Their legs, bowed and powerful, were thick with muscle and ended in large, flat feet perfect for traversing the uneven terrain of the giant trees.

But the most striking features were their faces. Broad and long, they were dominated by enormous, hooked noses that jutted out like misshapen beaks. Their mouths were wide and slack, revealing rows of jagged, broken teeth that looked more than capable of tearing flesh from bone.

These trolls, unlike the lumbering, dim-witted creatures of fairytales, seemed to possess a grudging intelligence. Their small, beady eyes, glinting with suspicion and aggression, darted nervously towards the source of the sound – Orpheus and his companions standing precariously on the makeshift mountain of roots.

Clad in mismatched scraps of leather and crudely stitched furs, they looked like a motley crew, more scavengers than warriors. However, the massive clubs they hefted over their shoulders, studded with jagged stones and sharpened bones, spoke of a life of violence and survival in this unforgiving environment.

A particularly large troll, easily a head taller than his brethren, emerged from the largest hut in the center of the village. He was likely the chieftain, Orpheus had mentioned. Around his thick neck hung a collection of crude bone necklaces, trophies perhaps, or grisly reminders of past victories. He bellowed a challenge in a guttural tongue that vibrated through the air, the sound raw and primal.

’’!!!!"

The troll village erupted in chaos. Women and children, their faces mirroring the males’ but etched with a deeper fear, vanished into the crude huts. Troll warriors, their guttural roars echoing like thunderclaps, stomped their feet in a primal war dance, slamming their massive clubs against the wooden fence. The tremors shook the makeshift mountain of roots beneath the companions’ feet.

Orpheus, however, remained unfazed. His crimson gaze swept over the scene, a flicker of amusement dancing in its depths.

"Leave it to me," he announced, his voice calm and collected.

"I’ll handle the chieftain. The rest... well, consider it target practice."

Before they could react, Orpheus vanished. One blink, and he was gone, a wisp of crimson smoke dissolving into the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy. Lily, left with the responsibility of a questionable plan, let out a frustrated click of her tongue.

"Tch!" she muttered, annoyed at being swept up in Orpheus’s cryptic games. But arguing now would be a waste of precious time. Turning to Ilya and Hellion, she issued a series of sharp commands, her voice laced with a steely resolve.

Ilya, her brow furrowed in concern, nodded curtly. Her nimble fingers danced across the strings of her lute, a low, haunting melody weaving its way through the air. The melody wasn’t a war cry, but a dirge, a mournful song that spoke of hardship and resilience. It was a gamble, an attempt to bridge the divide between their two species, to find a sliver of common ground amidst the rising tide of hostility.

Hellion didn’t waste time on musical pleas. His hand tightened around the hilt of his massive broadsword, impatience simmering in his amber eyes. He cast a worried glance towards the spot where Orpheus had disappeared, then back at Lily. A silent question hung in the air – were they truly trusting Orpheus to handle the chieftain alone?

Lily met his gaze, her expression grim. There was no turning back now. With a deep breath, she raised her arms, origin started gathering around her core.

They were outnumbered, outmatched on sheer brute strength, but they had each other, their skills, and a sliver of hope for a peaceful resolution.

As the guttural roars of the trolls intensified, Lily spread her arms, the blue light erupting outwards, forming a shimmering barrier around the makeshift mountain of roots.

The first wave of trolls, their clubs raised high, slammed into the barrier, the impact sending tremors through their precarious perch.

The battle for the forgotten village, nestled amongst the ruins of a forgotten city, had begun.