Before taking a step further, the group hesitated, their gaze sliding over the worn stone, taking in the subtle nuances of the entrance.

The dirt around showcased imprints of monstrous feet, the trolls that had wandered out into the night, with the most recent track seemingly hours old. The trio exchanged glances, a silent agreement passing between them.

With cautious steps, they began to circle around the perimeter, eyes peeled for potential threats lurking in the shadows.

The forest here was still, with a hushed tension hanging in the air, as if the trees themselves were holding their breath.

As they moved, they noticed more tracks, some fresher than the others.

They followed one such trail, leading them to another troll, slightly smaller but just as dangerous. Its eyes convulsed with malice as it noticed the approaching humans.

Without missing a beat, the group sprang into action. Zayzal darted forward, drawing its attention, while Sera and Anders flanked it from either side.

The troll roared and ran at Zayzal, attempting to bring down its meaty fist onto his head, only for him to leap back and thrust his spear, cutting its arm. However, it didn’t step back from the pain and continued to charge forward.

Zayzal kept his distance, always sidestepping and counter-attacking while looking for an opening.

Suddenly, the troll stepped on uneven ground and tumbled forward for a moment, causing his eyes to shine.

“Now!” He shouted before sweeping its knee with his spear. Blood spurted out of its leg as it fell to one knee.

The two others took this opportunity to attack. Anders jumped onto its back before jamming his spear into one of its lungs, missing its heart. While Sera raised her axe and crushed its skull, killing it.

The body fell to the ground with a thud, and Sera yanked out her axe with a smile.

“These things are a lot weaker than they look, huh.” She commented. “I think those wolves were stronger than these guys.”

“...” Zayzal and Anders weren’t sure what to say, as it wasn’t that the trolls were weak, she was just too strong!

Zayzal just chuckled and replied, “...Let’s see if there are any more lurking around.”

“...Understood,” Anders said, his eyes still wide with astonishment and slight fear.

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The trio continued to tread cautiously, moving deeper into the forest, using the tracks left behind by the trolls as their guide. Every so often, the sounds of nature would be punctuated by the distant growls or guttural calls of unseen creatures.

After another half hour of careful progress, they came upon a small clearing where the trees gave way to open space, revealing yet another pair of trolls.

These trolls, however, were engaged in what appeared to be a fierce territorial dispute, hurling rocks and tree branches at each other with reckless abandon.

The group took cover behind a nearby copse of trees, observing the confrontation from a safe distance. It was clear that these trolls were far more aggressive than the ones they'd encountered earlier, and the idea of taking on both at once seemed daunting, even for Sera.

"We should wait," Zayzal whispered, keeping his voice low. "Let them tire each other out. Then we can take advantage of their weakened state."

Sera smirked, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Or we can charge in now and catch them off guard."

Anders, slightly hesitant but not wanting to seem weak, added, "Or we could lure one away, deal with it first, and then the other."

The three exchanged glances, silently weighing their options. Eventually, Sera and Anders looked at Zayzal since he seemed to have the better head on his shoulders.

“We’ll wait. We can take this time to rest as well.” Zayzal announced, causing Sera to frown in dissatisfaction and Anders to heave a sigh of relief, but they both nodded.

It didn’t take long for the trolls to finish their dispute. A few minutes later, the one that had taken significantly more damage gave up and walked off, allowing the other to feast on a deer carcass.

Taking a deep breath, Anders picked up a large stone and, with a powerful throw, sent it hurtling towards the departing troll. The stone hit its mark, striking the troll on its shoulder and immediately drawing its attention. The creature roared in fury, its gaze zeroing in on the trio's location.

With a guttural growl, the troll charged towards them, its fellow momentarily forgotten. Sera and Zayzal moved into position, ready to intercept, while Anders prepared to back them up.

As the troll closed in, Zayzal used his spear's length to keep it at bay, expertly dodging its swings and thrusting when he saw an opening. Sera, meanwhile, circled around, looking for a weak spot to exploit with her axe.

In a well-coordinated move, Zayzal feinted a thrust to the troll's face, causing it to raise its arms in defense. Seizing the moment, Sera charged in, landing a powerful blow to its exposed side. The troll howled in pain and staggered back, but it wasn't down for the count.

Anders, seeing an opportunity, lunged forward with his spear, targeting its throat. The troll tried to deflect the attack, but the spear found its mark, causing a fountain of dark blood to spurt forth.

As the troll collapsed, the trio quickly regrouped, turning their attention to the second troll, which, having witnessed the demise of its fellow, roared in anger and charged at them.

The ensuing battle was fierce but brief. With their combined strength and tactics, the group made quick work of the second troll, leaving the clearing silent once more, save for the trio's heavy breathing.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Zayzal looked at his companions with a grin. "Not bad, guys."

Sera snorted, cleaning her axe on the troll's leathery skin. "Could've been faster."

Anders chuckled, shaking his head. "At this rate, we'll clear out the entire forest before we even get to the dungeon."

The group shared a brief laugh before pressing on.

After several hours, when the sun was at its highest point, the trio finally stopped hunting down trolls and made their way back to the dungeon, feeling more confident.