Jeff stared in horror at the sight—Fracta’s limbs were grotesquely splayed out, nailed to the structure of the building, just below the turret of the tower. Her head and abdomen hung limply, her pedipalps carrying the full weight of her body.

…Jeff…Run! Get out of there…Save yourself…

Fracta’s words whispered faintly in his head, their connection via the RemoteTalk bangle on his wrist flaring briefly. Simultaneously, he saw her head twitch slightly, confirming that she was still alive.

The wave of relief he felt on hearing her voice was immediately swamped by a rising tide of murderous rage, oscillating and building in intensity within his chest. Jeff finally felt something snap inside of him, the cheerful persona he had so carefully maintained throughout his ordeal crumbling, replaced by something darker, more primal.

Steeling himself for battle, Jeff forced himself to turn his back on Fracta, addressing Sharkey once more while remaining acutely aware of Hazinarr’s looming presence by his side.

“Release her immediately,” Jeff struggled to keep his voice steady.

“We don’t want any trouble. Let her go and we’ll head straight for the exit portal.”

Laughter erupted again from the soldiers around the terrace, and Sharkey launched into another fit of his weird bleat-like giggling. This time, the Ejdar joined in the communal merriment. Even the emissary from the Sempiternal Empire looked vaguely surprised, her shadowed eyes widening beneath her cowl.

“Ohhohohoo…you’ve got balls boy, I’ll give you that, but I think you need to be taken down a peg or two.”

Sharkey’s tone sharpened as he barked out a stentorian command to the massive troll.

“Teach him some respect for his betters, Scafulan warrior!”

“Gladly,” replied Hazinarr, the irritating grin still plastered across his face. Turning to the assembled soldiers he added sidelong, ‘Though he’s so puny I don’t know whether to fight him or [redacted]”

More gales of laughter erupted at the troll’s crude comment.

Jeff ignored the jibe and took a few paces back, allowing the simmering rage to rise to the surface, fueling his aggression.

Despite the red mist partially clouding his judgement, he still had the presence of mind to keep track of the Wolfen guard, Uiro-ku, holding his all-important Storage Ring. The hirsute soldier had joined his comrades loitering around the edge of the terrace, eager for the upcoming fight.

“You going to fight me man to man, or do you need that hammer?” Jeff asked evenly, maintaining unwavering eye contact with the troll.

The tactic worked. Hazinarr shrugged and stored the war-hammer away in his ring.

“I could turn you into Kitfo with my hands tied behind my back, earth-man…” sneered the troll, striding towards Jeff, his massive fists clenched, eyes glittering with malicious anticipation.

Misty chose that precise moment to pipe up.

Erm, Jeff, I don’t mean to alarm you, but your projected chances of surviving the next ten minutes are estimated at less than one percent…

Jeff took a deep breath, steadfastly ignoring the irritating AI.

He calmed his mind, coldly studying the onrushing troll. Hazinarr was undoubtedly endowed with massive Strength and Vitality, likely with high levels of Endurance and Offense as well…

The Skill he had displayed earlier during the brutal execution of the toad-man had temporarily increased his Strength even further. The only silver lining for Jeff was that the Skill seemed to take time to activate, providing Jeff with some advanced warning.

Whatever other Skills the troll possessed remained unclear.

Jeff reckoned his only chance of victory, his sole edge over the powerful foe bearing down on him, was his superior Speed. He decided to use it to the fullest and maintain a healthy distance, avoiding the troll’s clutches at all costs.

Ducking under Hazinarr’s outstretched arms, Jeff executed a spinning leg sweep, lashing out with his foot to strike the troll’s calf. The result was extremely disappointing. It felt as though he’d kicked an immovable bollard, the dense, layered muscle padding the troll’s massive leg absorbing the impact. A dull pain radiated through Jeff’s foot, despite the recent fortifications from the bone tempering bath.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Even so, Hazinarr’s charge was stalled. Grunting slightly in pain, he took a step back, his eyes narrowing as he reappraised Jeff.

You have struck your opponent a glancing blow, dealing 5 damage

“Not so puny…” the troll muttered under his breath, a grudging acknowledgement that Jeff’s kick had registered.

Jeff again went on the offensive, rushing forward and launching himself fully into the air. Airborne, he flew towards the surprised troll, striking out with a hand blade strike to the sergeant’s exposed neck as he passed. He concentrated on the concept of Sundering, channeling his Dao, and simultaneously activated [Cutting Edge] along the length of his arm.

Though the Skill-empowered blow lacked the potency to slice through the troll's thick, hide-like skin, it still inflicted serious damage, mashing the more delicate bones and cartilaginous tissue in his neck.

Hazinarr stumbled back, wheezing and clutching his throat in pain. Murmurs erupted from the assembled soldiers as they saw their sergeant being bested. A ripple of unease passed around the terrace.

You have struck your target with a piercing strike.

You have critically injured your opponent.

Your Offense Attribute has risen by 1

Hazinarr immediately activated a Skill, causing a dense cloud of energy to form and swirl in the air around him. With his [Mana Essence] Skill active, Jeff could clearly perceive the emergence of a powerful rune, manifesting in the air above the troll’s head. The fractal-like symbol shone like polished gold, resonating brilliantly with the essence of Health and well-being.

Streamers of raw mana surged from Hazinarr’s meridian points up into the rune, reinforcing the radiant symbol and solidifying it still further. Simultaneously, a soft golden glow emanated from the fractal Health rune, bathing Hazinarr in a rejuvenating spotlight. His health bar, which had been reduced by half by Jeff’s attack, rapidly began to climb back upwards.

Jeff reached a grim conclusion: Hazinarr was, in fact, some kind of Cultivator, gifted with advanced control over his Core Space and pathways, perhaps even at a comparable level to Jeff's. His hideous Strength and Vitality, combined with the rapid regenerative healing provided by his Cure Skill could pose significant problems.

The Scafulan warrior, straightened up, all his injuries thaumaturgically healed. The Health rune hanging in the air above him flickered and dissipated, its work complete.

Once again, that infuriating grin returned to his face.

“Is that all you’ve got, earth-man?” He sneered, advancing once again.

Jeff let rip with a brilliant blue bolt of energy, courtesy of [Mana Burst], striking the troll directly in the center of his armored chest. The results were disappointing. The blue fireball impacted against the ringed jerkin but failed to penetrate the high quality armor Sharkey’s second-in-command was outfitted with.

The troll kept advancing, the blue sparks of electricity still harmlessly dancing around his torso.

“I grow wearied with this spectacle, Hazinarr,” bleated Sharkey from his chaise longue, his tone dripping with disdain. “Subdue this fool and bring him to me for branding.”

“With pleasure, sir,” responded the troll, his grin widening. He rapidly crossed the space between them.

Jeff jumped vertically, throwing a jab aimed directly at the troll’s face, hoping to wipe away the annoying grin. Hazinarr moved his head to the side at the last moment, his movements deceptively fast. Jeff’s fist grazed the side of the troll’s boney skull, the impact largely dissipated.

A spearhead strike with pointed fingers, aimed once more at Hazinarr’s throat, was similarly deflected. The troll was now within grasping distance, his shovel-sized hands bearing down. Jeff narrowly managed to duck out of the way to avoid being grabbed.

In desperation, Jeff launched a rapid flurry of blows aimed at the troll’s midriff. Despite the intensity and speed of his attacks, they seemed to have little effect on the troll’s muscle-clad torso. Hazinarr merely grunted, absorbing each hit stoically, his infuriating grin unwavering.

Jeff continued to dodge and weave, hindering the troll’s attempts to pin him down, while at the same time attempting to land hits on his seemingly impenetrable target. He managed to land a couple of solid body blows, eliciting a wince from the troll, but his evasion tactics eventually failed—Hazinarr got within range, and Jeff was forced to grapple. In the end, Hazinarr encircled Jeff with his huge arms, gripping him tightly in a constrictive bear hug. Jeff struggled frantically but was unable to free himself from the troll’s powerful embrace.

Lifting him into the air, the troll held Jeff against his chest, squeezing with relentless force. Jeff felt his enhanced skeletal structure creak and groan under the pressure. Bracing himself, he attempted to endure the onslaught.

Jeff’s newly constructed skeleton proved to be a tougher nut to crack than Hazinarr had expected. Grunting in annoyance, the giant exerted even more pressure, his gigantic biceps swelling like huge fleshy balloons. Jeff felt his ribcage groan in protest and his vision began to darken around the edges, but his reinforced Iron Body continued to maintain its integrity under the crushing onslaught.

The troll, losing patience, triggered his Growth Skill, the strength and pressure exerted by his pumped-up arms increasing as the rune started to form above his head.

Seizing the opportunity, Jeff closed his eyes and reached out with [Mana Essence], targeting his opponent with the Skill. Visualizing the mana running down from the Growth rune above Hazinarr’s head and back through his body, he charted the surging currents, forming a heat map in his mind’s eye.

As more data flowed in, he assessed the movement of energy around Hazinarr’s body and through his Core Space, sensing the ebb and flow, the strengths and weaknesses.

With his MP at less than half capacity, Jeff had held off on deploying [Mana Burst] again, after the previous desultory result. This time, armed with fresh intel, he decided to make use of the Skill in a more focused way. He activated the Lightning Storm variant, sending a concentrated trickle of focused power gushing straight into the troll’s unprotected arms.

The effect was immediate. Hazinarr’s muscles spasmed uncontrollably as the lightning cascaded into him, the discharge infiltrating his body and subverting the flow of Growth mana streaming from the rune above his head. Jeff meticulously managed the flow, sending probing tendrils of damaging energy around the troll’s meridians, disrupting his pathways.

Hazinarr jerked as if stung, his vice-like grip weakening slightly, allowing Jeff’s lungs to gulp in a much-needed breath of air. Now confident that his tactic was effective, Jeff channeled more power into the Skill, amplifying the effect still further. As Hazinarr’s pathways became increasingly compromised, he groaned, freezing in place, his huge muscles spasming uncontrollably. The partially formed Growth rune above the troll’s head flickered and sputtered, the fractal pattern distorting and warping before winking out.

You have immobilized a Grade I Scafulan Troll with your [Mana Burst] Skill

Released from the troll’s bear-hug, Jeff dropped to the floor, but continued to maintain the steady flow of debilitating energy—approximately one MP per second—into the paralyzed troll before him.

Thinking swiftly, Jeff realized that killing his monstrous opponent in a fair fight was not feasible, especially without any physical weapons at hand. The best course of action was to remove him from the fray so he could focus on the remaining forces ranked against him.

Maintaining the flow of paralyzing energy, Jeff executed a heel-hook, bringing the troll to his knees, then, reaching down, he got a good grip on the massive warrior and hoisted him over his shoulder in a firefighter’s lift.

Staggering under the considerable weight, Jeff tottered towards the nearby battlements, keeping [Mana Burst] active, the trickle of Lightning Storm energy continuing to stream into the troll. With one final herculean effort, He lifted Hazinarr above his head before unceremoniously throwing him over the edge.

“Enjoy the view on the way down, asshole…” Jeff grunted.

Hazinarr’s still immobile form plummeted down the side of the Citadel, clattering noisily into the bailey below.