Assassination Through the Netherworld - Chapter 82

After four days of relentless training, Vera managed to restrain her roots, difficult it had been but in the end, the training paid off, a cluster of mental instructions that made her know her body from scratch, she doesn’t know where those roots even come from, it’s as if they’re created inside her body with some kind of energy or whatever and then protrude, the same way a tree sprouts from a seed.

She’s the seed.

“You’re doing better, at least like this we can take a worry out of our shoulders.” Valentine sighed and hugged his girl, truthfully, he had been frightened when he saw those roots, everything in this netherworld is a treacherous endeavour, the fact that the mahogany tree was tricking them never left his mind even once.

Fayette too sighed in relief and embraced Vera, still, she couldn’t help but think of the use cases that this ability has.

“We should train it, Vera… to see what its limitation is.” Valentine followed on with Fayette’s initial thoughts, they’re about to enter a world of continuous slaughter in which having such an ability could give them the edge to overtake their rivals, rivals that aren’t human at all.

This might have been truly a fruitful encounter for Vera, yet they still need to discover what the backlash is, there must be something that’s not right in this deal.

“Your natural weakness should be fire and dry places, does that mean we need to carry water with us at all times?”

“Yes, I was thinking the same thing, for now, I know that if my roots are squashed or bent… or destroyed, I experience immense pain, it felt as if you had broken my marrow back then.” She pouted slightly, scavenging for excuses to get another kiss.

She received it from both of them who apologised, indeed, it’s no one’s fault truly, but they still hurt Vera.

“I have been feeling thirstier than before indeed, and… I no longer piss, it’s as if my body is processing those fluids, it just so happened that they exploded that night and I lost control of it.” Vera summarized her feelings, this special capability might bring about several upcoming worries, but she’s willing to take them on as long as they can research this ability further.

“Then we must make a mechanism to have water in the house at all times… should we make a pool?” Fayette smiled and suggested, having several ideas in her head already considering the fact that the lake is not that far away.

*RUSTLE!!*

!!!

The three of them grew alert and regarded the base of the tree from above, there, Miki and Teddi lifted up and started to growl towards a particular direction.

*GROWWLLLLL!!!*

“Miki, wait!”

“Teddi, don’t do anything yet.”

They stopped the bears from charging straight away, Valentine jumped from the tree together with Fayette while Vera remained above, watching, as long as she doesn’t control this power, she’s a variable factor that’s rather not involved, who knows what consequences this ability might bring in the middle of a life and death combat.

In the distance, they caught a silhouette, and she recognised it straight away, it’s the troll!

“Wait, don’t attack it, it’s the troll from before, just remain on guard!”

The troll approached slowly, carrying something.

It looked around as if contemplating whether this is a trap or not.

Afterwards, seeing that those humans are just looking and not doing anything, it recognised the bears, left whatever it was carrying and ran off.

“…”

They didn’t understand what was happening, why is this troll acting so oddly?

“Miki, bring that thing over,” Valentine ordered with furrowed brows, that bear had left something before departing, some package of some sort.

Miki moved cautiously and took the thing, it’s an animal… a dead animal, the contusions indicate that the troll had blasted the head of this ‘boar’ with the club and brought it over.

“…”

“What is this supposed to mean? it killed a boar and brought it here, let alone… it knows where we live.” Fayette uttered in disbelief while Vera also jumped from the tree, landing rather heavily as Valentine held her.

“Fool, don’t jump like that…”

“S-Sorry, I think it’s some kind of offering? perhaps because I allowed it to live.”

It doesn’t make sense, this is hell and that’s a troll that is way bigger than them physically, perhaps it’s scared of Miki and Teddi?

“Don’t you think it might be poisonous?” There is also the likelihood of that happening, they just couldn’t comprehend, could it be that this creature is THAT intelligent?

Clever enough to know to not enrage its neighbours…?

“Let’s discover it… we’re going to the river canal, perhaps it is settled in there.” Valentine didn’t want to let go of this little detail, it’s something paramount and his current first priority, not only does a troll know where they live, but it is also leaving corpses around.

Was this the earth he’d believe someone is either playing a prank or trying some African magic against them… as ridiculous as it sounds, he has seen this several times in Nigeria and Kenya back in his sploits in the Earth, even South America, could those heretic acts have any effect here?

That would thread his mind at another time, right now, there is something else.

This is the netherworld and that troll could be seeking an… alliance.

He pulled them on top of Miki.

“Teddi, stay here and guard okay?”

*GROOAAWWL!!*

The lazy bear accepted gleefully, totally unlike her troublesome magma companion, if this bear can sleep… she will sleep.

**

**

They journeyed for half a day through the canal, encountering many monsters, Valentine had an idea, they slaughtered one of the puma-porcupine types he witnessed before and took it on top of Miki.

“Shh… I hear something.” They stopped as Valentine lifted his fist, a signal to stop.

Smoke was coming from somewhere at his six o’clock.

“Thread carefully…” He said and they approached slowly, through the tall trees and the fog, a structure went visible.

It’s a house!

He marvelled together with the girls, there are… traps around, they’re a little obvious, but those are spikes for sure.

They encircled it and ignored the obvious traps that were designed for bigger beasts, however, even Miki knew how to evade those traps.

As they approached, the sight of a sitting troll became visible, and beside him was another troll!

!!!

When the troll caught a glimpse of them, it immediately stood up with a headstart and growled.

Fayette took out her knife, but Valentine once again lifted up his fist with a gaze filled with contemplation.

“Don’t do anything rash… Miki, release the puma.” He ordered Miki, not even raising his voice too much.

*GROWL…*

Miki did as ordered, and the puma fell down, both trolls marvelled, and he could notice that through the rags they wore, one is a male and the other, a female…

“This is a family…” Fayette gaped and lowered her knife, they have a house and they’re a couple… and they’re cooking.

“Incredible… t-they actually organise themselves in families.” Vera also sighed in amazement, once again, she did a good find, now she’s relieved, feeling like trash had she killed the male troll of this family.

Gazes locked for a few moments with the big troll slowly approaching them, he calmed down the moment Miki released the puma.

Valentine, Fayette and Vera saw down together with Miki who just lay on her belly, waiting…

The troll took the puma, and started to prepare it!

His way of cooking was rather… unorthodox, crushing the entire body of the beast until he made sure that bones were no longer working properly inside… peeling the skin and taking the needles one by one… the smoothness used to perform this is insane and displayed experience, these trolls aren’t just trolls.

They’re smart, know how to hunt, know how to hunt, organise themselves… what exactly is their precedence and are there more? they perhaps haven’t touched upon less than ten per cent of this forest, perhaps even ten per cent is an exaggeration

“…”

It took away the needles and stored them, obviously having his own usage for them, no words were exchanged with the female troll regarding them at all times as they just sat there.

He used some of the needles to put the flesh on fire, and they waited for the flesh to cook, no communication whatsoever towards the humans which they already knew is futile.

*GROAAAWLL!*

*GROAAAWWLL!!*

They started to talk between themselves in the form of growls and it triggered them slightly, in this situation, any unexpected movement is a gamble, they’re just… gambling on a better result that’s better than just slaughtering them.

“They’re talking…”

At that moment, one of the doors opened, and yet another troll came out of there!

A little kid troll, the trolls were so big, that the child troll was equivalent to them in size…

“Oh my god…. they have a kid.” Fayette and Vera marvelled, now the latter is more than happy that