Waving his arms, David unleashed the golden sacred fire, igniting a massive bonfire that illuminated the dark depths of the forest like daylight.

The power of the sacred fire exceeded David’s expectations, dazzling with its radiant sound and light effects.

With a single gesture, the colossal monster crashed to the ground, its strange scarlet glow dissipating under the intense heat of the sacred fire.

After waiting cautiously for a moment to confirm the monster was truly dead, David extinguished the fire wrapped around his hand. He turned to Laura, who stood speechless. “Amazing, isn’t it?”

“Fantastic.” Laura nodded, still taken aback by the power of David’s spell. It was impressive that he could eliminate a creature capable of withstanding several shotgun blasts with just one move.

“Let’s leave before we attract more monsters!” David glanced at the extinguished flames and the two charred monsters sprawled on the ground. He wondered if this mine served as a breeding ground for giant monsters, considering how often they encountered threats here.

“You're right; it’s too dangerous to linger.” Laura echoed his concerns as they quickly made their way south through the forest.

Any questions could wait until they returned to Cold Winter Village.

This time, the journey was uneventful, and they emerged from the forest, arriving safely in Winter Village.

Seeing Mark and Fording chatting at the long table, David and Laura exhaled in relief.

Noticing their demeanor, the seasoned Fording quickly guessed their trip had been fraught with challenges. After observing them closely, he confirmed they were unharmed by their expressions and body language. Knowing they had made it back safely, he felt a sense of relief.

“Sit down and rest for a while. I’ll heat up your dinner while we talk,” he offered.

“Thanks for your help, Tirion.” David and Laura set down their gear and took a seat at the wooden table, eager for their meal.

Mark poured two glasses of water, curiosity evident on his face. “So, is it good news or bad news?”

“Both.” David gulped down his water, reflecting on their exploration. “The good news is we don’t have to worry about the wolves anymore.”

“Oh?” Mark raised an eyebrow. While he didn’t venture far from the village, there was always a risk of wild animal attacks, so it was indeed good to hear the wolves were no longer a threat.

However, David had mentioned both good and bad news. Based on the expressions of the two, Mark suspected things were more complicated than they seemed.

“The bad news will come when Fording returns,” David said, setting the stage for their conversation.

“Then you two rest. I’ll help Tirion,” Mark replied, getting up to assist Fording.

With Mark and Laura's return to Winter Village, the supply situation had improved significantly. However, they opted for a simple dinner of stew and barbecue rather than anything overly complicated or extravagant.

Soon, a steaming pot of potato stew was served. With the French ammunition supplied by Laura and some bagged food from Mark, a simple yet hearty meal was spread out on the table.

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As they ate, David recounted in detail the events of the day to Fording and Mark, who listened intently from across the table.

“Troll?” Fording mused, recalling a creature from the world of Azeroth. “Sounds like a snow monster.”

Hearing that David had dispatched the creature easily with holy fire reassured him. The threat didn’t seem too formidable, at least not for himself.

“Can’t communicate?” Mark's perspective differed from Fording’s. He wondered if the creatures were intelligent and might be willing to talk. But based on David and Laura’s descriptions, it seemed the giant monster had attacked on sight, showing no interest in communication.

“Maybe…” David said, dipping his bread into the broth. “But right now, it seems the other side isn’t interested in talking.”

In his heart, David leaned more toward the idea of destroying the giant monsters. After all, their village was dangerously close to Winter Village, and they were the ones initiating conflict.

Chewing the gravy-soaked bread, David dismissed his earlier doubts about being too cruel. The troll had attacked them without provocation, and from that moment on, it had earned a place on his list of hostiles.

“In short, we now have a group of vicious neighbors—much more dangerous than the wolves,” David summarized. “If we want to build a life here, it’s going to be more complicated than we expected.”

“If you really want to develop Cold Winter Village, these are challenges you’ll need to face,” Fording said, looking at David with newfound curiosity. He wondered how far this young man could go.

Initially, Fording sought only a quiet place to live in seclusion. Finding himself inexplicably in another world, he had settled here because the situation met his needs. Moreover, David’s remarkable talent for harnessing the Holy Light intrigued him. He felt it would be beneficial to spread the teachings of the Holy Light in this new world, sharing his knowledge with David in the process.

Even though David had expressed his desire to develop Cold Winter Village, he didn’t take it too seriously. He simply listened to David’s ambitions and understood that transforming the village wouldn’t be easy.

In Fording’s view, David might rely on the support of people from various worlds to establish Cold Winter Village and gain official recognition from the Kingdom of Tilan. He could even become the village head. However, going beyond that seemed daunting, if not impossible.

The challenges weren’t just from the hostile environment but also stemmed from David himself. To Fording, David appeared to be just a young hunter with an ordinary background. He didn’t believe David had the capability to develop a small village into a thriving town. In Fording’s eyes, running a small village well would already be an impressive feat.

Yet, after witnessing David's decisiveness in confronting the giant monsters, Fording began to reconsider. Not everyone could decisively eliminate “hostile forces” in such dire situations, especially a young man with no managerial experience. Many seasoned lords would hesitate in similar circumstances.

“Maybe this young man can really develop this village,” Fording mused.

Unbeknownst to David, Fording was pondering these thoughts while he prepared to ask for Fording’s help. Before he could speak, Fording preempted him.

“I live comfortably in Cold Winter Village, but I don’t want to be disturbed by a pack of giant monsters. I’ll head into the forest tomorrow to deal with them.”

Fording declared that he would take on the troll problem alone.

David wasn’t keen on letting Fording go solo. As the village head, how could he ignore such a substantial threat? Laura and Mark were not suitable for this type of work; one was an adventurer, and the other was simply a botanist.

Both Laura and Mark understood that Fording and David weren’t telling them to protect them but rather because of their own roles in this situation. They chose not to press the matter.

“Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the forest together,” Fording said, putting an end to the discussion about the trolls. The only outcome for them would be elimination at Tirion Fording’s hands.

The next day, David and Fording arrived at the crude village of the giant monsters. To their dismay, the creatures showed no inclination to communicate. The moment they approached, the monsters charged. Fording demonstrated incredible combat prowess.

Throughout the battle, Fording relied solely on the two-handed sword Laura had gifted him, never using the Holy Light. David, positioned nearby, couldn’t help but admire Fording’s valiant display, gaining invaluable experience observing the combat. He found himself cheering, “666!” at Fording’s skill.

Even when the last giant monster—a larger version of the others, radiating a fierce red light—roared, it was no match for Fording. In no time, it lay defeated on the ground.

The entire skirmish lasted only a brief period. To an onlooker unfamiliar with the situation, one might have prayed, “Come on, giant with white hair all over its body, fight!”

Once the battle concluded, Fording stood beside David before a stone tablet, frowning at the ominous light emanating from it.

“This altar doesn’t seem to be a good thing,” he remarked.