Two days of travelling, still there is no sign of life.

Everywhere seems to be the same.

Not a sign of life was ever seen.

Suya’s food supply is running low. It seems impossible to resupply.

‘I might not survive.’

‘Just when I thought that this is my chance to live the life I always wanted. ’

‘Dying without even experiencing a moment of your dream really leaves a bad taste to my mouth.’

‘Damn Mar’guth he said that if I head south I should be able to find a town.’

Yes, a town. It’s not that desolate as it is. According to Mar’guth far from the desolate lands of the west there exist towns and cities that are under the rule of those three major powers (rulers of Ablyss).

Some who didn’t want to be tied down under their rule decided to scatter across the land.

Suya shortened his resting time to cover much land as much as he can. Another two days came to pass, he is impatient and his supply ran out. Even a drop of water cannot be seen from his bottle.

His lips cracked, eyes were dried up from the lack of water in his body. He was now waiting for his doom to come.

Hopelessness.

Desperation.

Disappointment.

Suya decided to lie to the ground beneath his feet, closed his eyes for a moment.

Fwhiiip!

Splitting the air, a large great axe swung down towards Suya’s neck.

Out of instinct he opened his eyes, without a second thought he rolled down to his left side before rolling again in front to gain a momentum to stand up immediately drawing his beloved Betty from his waist. Not even a wasted movement was seen, a truly masterful movement. Even in his weakened state he still managed to dodge an attack that would have killed him without him knowing what had happened.

He hated those kinds of attacks.

His despairing heart was now brimming with excitement and anger due to that sneak attack.

Now in fighting pose he observed what kind of bastard would do him harm.

There stood a two meter creature with deep green skin, like a rock covered with moss for a long time. Long slim muscular arms and, wielding a giant axe now preparing for its next attack. Messy dark brown hair styled like a mohawk haircut, long pointy nose and sharp teeths and a humanoid face.

A troll, not just an ordinary troll, chances are this troll might have gained a Racial Evolution. Just these speculations made Suya feel the impending danger that this creature brings forth.

But there’s no escape, its die fighting or die as a nothing.

This was his first encounter, his first experience in this brand-new world, his chance to re-live his boring life. How could he think such trivial things?

“Ha.”

“Ha... Ha...”

“Ha... Ha... Ha...”

He inhaled lots of air until he cannot fill his lungs anymore.

The smell of battle and blood permeated the air.

After he exhaled, he gave out a perverted smile making the creature to feel agitated.

Raising Betty at the level of his chest, his left hand was in a ready position to defend anytime.

“Human... meat... soft... delicious!”

The troll spoke in a different tongue but Suya who gained the Linguist ability understood what it meant.

“Come! Give me everything you have!”

The two ran towards each other, the troll swung its great axe with such force aiming at Suya’s body.

Shattering the ground where it had strike, missing its intended target. Suya nimbly dodged the wide swing of the troll, stepping beside the troll then...

Stab!

The troll was stabbed at its left side of stomach, making it to grumble for a moment.

It immediately swings its left arm where Suya was located. Suya raised his ready to defend left arm to block the incoming attack but...

Slam!

Suya flew out a few meters leaving his blade embedded at the troll.

Immediately he recovered his posture, it was very dangerous to leave yourself open for an attack.

“Such strong attack! This is truly another world. Probably the strongest attack I ever received in my whole life.”

He coughed out some blood before wiping it with his arms.

Luckily he was still wearing his Battle Suit from the last mission; it lessened the impact from the trolls attack impeccably.

“I need to recover my Betty.”

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The stabbed troll drew out the blade in its body. It threw the blade down the ground making Suya to sigh in relief; he thought that it would throw the blade far from them.

Then a strange change occurred, the stabbed portion was emitting a light smoke, the wound seems to be closing making Suya to become more worried about the situation.

‘The creature is bad enough, but regeneration? Shit! This is the worst situation to happen.’

‘My body is in a weakening state. If I drag it longer I will definitely end up as its happy meal.’

Suya decided to rush towards the troll again; the glaring troll was upset at his unexpected attack.

‘It really wanted to kill me.’

The troll swung its great axe once again, Suya ducked at the same time rolling where his beloved Betty was lying, waiting for Suya to pick it up.

“Welcome back Betty.”

The troll followed up its previous attack with a kick at Suya’s location but Suya once again dodged it with a simple slide to his side before initiating a foot sweep making the troll to stumble down.

Suya immediately rushed down to stab the troll at its heart but was blocked by the troll’s arms.

A quick succession of chopping motion followed the failed attack of Suya, making the trolls arms covered with deep wounds. Pieces of meat splattered around Suya, but the troll didn’t even paid attention to it. The moment Suya raised his blade above his head the troll swung his great axe while lying in the ground making Suya to fall back.

The troll gained a moment and stood up, the wounds are already healing.

This endless vitality of trolls was the most feared factor in the battlefield making them almost impossible to kill.

It started to whisper some words, making Suya feel uncomfortable. His senses screamed that something big is coming.

A glowing aura started to emanate at the trolls feet, before it started to run towards Suya.

He then positioned himself to defend, but the troll almost vanished within his field of sight.

 Fwhiiip!

The air was cut leaving an eerie sound; the troll swung its massive weapon at Suya with great speed.  To his surprise he held his blade horizontally with both of his hands.

Clang!

He managed to block the weapon but numbed his hands due to great force it received, sending him back a few meters. Thanks to his great reflexes he wasn’t knocked down as his feet was moving along the force it received, stepping back as he was pushed.

It didn’t end its attack from there; it once again dashed towards Suya’s location.

His left was shaking, and it will definitely not defend him from the next attack of the troll. His right hand is in a mess.

“It’s getting hard to move it. I don’t have much energy left. This might be it.”

Suya was breathing heavily.

Just before it reached Suya, the troll jumped into the air, lifting its great axe above its head.

Fwhiiiip!

Another quick attack!

 ‘I can’t move.’

The troll came crashing down towards Suya.

“Damn!”

“Move!!!!”

He raised his left hand to catch the incoming attack to lessen its impact to his body.

The arm was split in half, making Suya to bend a little. It almost reached his body, only stopping at his shoulder. Thanks to his sturdy battle suit it didn’t reach a fatal point in his body.

“Ughhhh!”

At his last ounce of strength he raised his blade, drew it a little backward to gain some momentum.

The troll realized what Suya’s intentions were, pulling its great axe once more.

The shoulder that covered the troll’s heart was wide open due to it trying to swing its axe.

Suya was positioned perfectly to stab its heart.

As the swing was now coming for Suya’s neck, he shouted.

“Agggggghhh!!!!!”

Stab!

Piercing the skin of the troll across its bony ribs, it stabbed the heart, making the troll to gasp for air.

Huup

Immediately, it lost its strength to swing its attack, collapsing to the ground while having seizure for a moment before it died completely.

Even a powerful creature with regeneration would die if their heart was destroyed.

For some stroke of luck Suya survived his first encounter.

He fell down in sitting position.

“I didn’t expect to survive this ordeal.”

“Shit. It hurts like hell.”

But for Suya the most painful part is him losing his left arm.

Now his battle capability was drastically reduced.

Light covered up the troll’s corpse, it then gradually faded away leaving a floating orb of blue flame along with two crystals with a strange symbol inside it.

“Those crystals might be the troll’s skills, and this orb of flame might be its life essence.”

“If I remember correctly life essence is the primary food source in this place. I should try to absorb it and see what happens.”

Suya stood up; his legs were a bit wobbly due to the fatigue while his left arm was dangling around lifelessly.

He then grabbed the life essence, absorbed it without a hint of hesitation.

“What? Is that it? I don’t feel any change.”

He then grabbed a crystal; the crystal glowed with a green light surrounding it.

“So this is the troll’s regeneration skill.”

As soon as he finished up absorbing the regeneration skill crystal, an immense pain shoots up from his body.

His chest felt tight.

“Kuhhh!!”

“Aghhh!”

He screamed so much that his voice started to fade.

His mind went blank as his body shook from the pain it received. Suya felt his consciousness fade away.

The moment he woke up he scanned his surroundings for threats.

The troll’s body is still here, even the remaining skill crystal.

“I hope the blood is not yet too dried up.”

Drinking blood is one of the best ways to survive if water is not available. Call it disgusting and inhumane but it is the only option to survive the situation. This kind of survival methods were taught to the special forces of the military.

‘Seems like there’s nothing to worry about for now.’

It was a little dark, the red sun wasn’t setting down like the sun on Earth but it fades its light sometimes.

‘Betty is here, very good.’

‘There’s no pain in my body and I feel I’m still alive.’

“Wait... Pain? I was just experiencing pain moments ago!”

Suya scratched his chin.

‘Hmmm... What could have happened? I just absorbed the life essence and regeneration crystal before i passed out.’

‘Hmmmm... What am I doing?’

“Wait.. What the hell?! I’m scratching my chin with my left hands! It’s supposed to be destroyed! But what the hell is this?!”

‘Is it the life essence? Or is it the regeneration skill that caused this?’

Suya was pondering for what could have happened that his whole left arm was back into shape.

He doubted the regeneration because it might only regenerate wounds but not a completely destroyed arm.

“That’s right I should check that absorbed skill.”

Suya touched the ground with his palm.

“Show Skills Absorbed.”

The ground where Suya touched shined for a moment. After it faded the ground was filled with symbols.

This is the method to check the absorbed skills according to Mar’guth. You can also use it on a paper, wood and others as long as you touch it, it will show you your absorbed skills. But only the owner will understand what was written on it as long as it doesn’t permit anyone to read it. It will automatically disappear at the command of the owner.

-Linguist

-Regeneration

“Show regeneration effects.”

-Regeneration

                -Able to regenerate wounds as long as you are alive. Resists poison by small amount.

“Hide Skills Absorbed.”

The ground shone for a moment then it disappeared along the symbols written within it.

Suya then absorbed the second skill crystal that is emmiting a faint white light.

You have absorbed the skill Burst of Speed.

  -A skill that will allow you to move at great speed for a moment.

‘What could have happened to me while I was unconscious?’

‘I don’t feel hungry anymore and it seems my body was hydrated and my body feels a lot more comfortable from before.’

‘It seems that this is the effect of life essence.’

What Suya didn’t know is that he experienced a Racial Evolution.

Suya decided to dismantle the troll’s corpse, taking out important parts of it especially the meatiest part.

The blood has been dried off, so he couldn’t gather it anymore. Its meat also stinks a little due to blood remained in it.

Suya wasn’t even disgusted at the idea of eating the troll’s meat.

Actually we are all just a piece of meat if you looked at it in a different viewpoint.

“I hope it’s not poisonous.”

He also gathered the troll’s pants as it could be used for sustaining fire. He left the axe as he couldn’t even use it because of its massive size and weight.

Suya decided to move leaving his first battlefield behind.