Nova felt the three souls floating around his core, along with a small object he had never seen before. A small organic pouch filled with liquid, purple in color.

'The Venomous sac? So objects can be stored in my core, and there are things I can obtain from animals I kill? But what's the difference between this sac and one gained from the corpses?'

The surrounding had turned quiet after the lizards escaped. Nova sat still on top of the maned salamander below him, sword still in his hands.

"That was a nice shot!" Tuck said, stepping out of the shadows where Nova had come from. He brought the bow from where it had landed and handed it over to Nova with a smile. "I expected to see you use magic instead of weapons, but it seems you're a man of many talents."

"Thanks." Nova got up from the salamander's back, pulling the sword out and flicked the blood off it before putting it back in the sheath. Then he took the bow and put it around his shoulders. "Magic costs more essence than strengthening my muscles for the short amount of time it takes to pull a string. It's more efficient."

"That is true," Tuck replied, looking at the surroundings thoughtfully. "But by absorbing the souls you would get the essence back, right? At least most of it."

"I'm not going to absorb them. They have more value in other ways."

"... Saving children?"

"Exactly. I can't hand over any Soul Power if I've absorbed them." Nova walked over to the other two lizards he had killed, pulling the arrow out of the ground behind them. He only had fifteen, so retrieving them was necessary. "Hey, can I ask about the difference between the loot that comes with the system and the stuff I can physically carve from their bodies?"

"Ah, sure. The stuff you gain through the system still has essence, and is considered way more valuable for their properties and use in crafting. The stuff you carve will only be as strong as dead meat."

"Ah, so the system loot retains abilities that might be caused by essence and Soul Power? That's why there are tiers and rarity?"

"Basically. If these Maned Salamanders were stronger, you would see a higher tier. Typically, you see a tier change with every new number in their Soul Power."

"Huh… That's very interesting. So a poison sac could be used to infuse a weapon with poison, as an example?"

"With the right blacksmith, sure. The process isn't a simple one, and you will need a blacksmith with the right skills. And a weapon that can handle it."

"... I think I know just where to find one. Thanks for answering so many questions. But I assume they're not free?"

"You can pay me back easily. Just tell me the function of a few of your runes."

"Hah! I didn't realize they had such great value to you."

"Your questions were all common knowledge, so I think it's a case of both of us having plenty of something the other wants. I'll even add another piece of information I think you should know."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Outland Trolls can grow up to five meters tall. And their children are never far from their parents."

Nova stared at him for a second, and then he turned to the blue-skinned corpse the lizards had been feasting on. It was barely two meters in height. "So, you're saying I should escape?"

"Well, that, or prepare for a tough fight. I don't know how much you know of trolls, but…"

"They have high resistance to magic, regenerate almost any wound, are ridiculously strong for their weight, and eat rocks. I think."

"Quite accurate. Without poison, they are very hard to kill. Especially for anyone without terrifying strength. And honestly, they're rarely worth it. Even if they are hard to kill, it's all due to their naturally strong bodies. Even this one probably only had twenty Soul Power."

"... But how much Soul Power would you say it might have?"

"Mmh… Well, they often hunt animals for food, and they eat a lot. Their lifespan is also quite long… I guess, somewhere around a thousand Soul Power would be the lowest estimate. But I have to note, it could be tens of thousands as well. It all depends on the territorial fighting in this place."

Nova thought about it for a second, wondering if it was worth the risk. He could gain the required Soul Power in a single day, but he didn't have any weapons suitable for fighting trolls. Fire Magic could work, but the fragment was ill-suited for spellcasting.

'There is the sac I just got, though… If I can somehow use it to poison the troll, I can win. And I'm very confident in my speed, so getting hit shouldn't be a major risk.'

"You should decide now, Nova. And whatever you decide to do, you'll need your fragment."

"... Fine, I'll stay here. I think the risk is low enough to—"

A deafening roar of pain and rage interrupted his words, coming from somewhere above him. Nova looked up, seeing a massive blue body come falling through the air. The creature blocked out the sun, casting a shadow that made the ground grow dark.

'Fuck, I need to prepare!'

[Fragment of Nova Noctis equipped.]

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Nova's feet kicked up dust as he sprang sideways, falling back into the shadows and activating his skills.

'Let's hope I have enough Mental Control for this…'

[You have created the skill: Cloak of Nova (Grandmaster - 100%) {Grade 7}]

[Your awareness of your surroundings increases immensely, letting you feel all movement through the wind and disturbances in essence. The cloak also deflects incoming attacks, but only up to a certain level of force.]

[A newly created skill has no basis for mastery. You have been chosen as the baseline.]

Nova didn't have time to think about the messages before his attention was pulled back to the hill.

The troll hit the ground with thunderous force. The impact sent a tremor through the rocky soil, spraying dirt and pebbles in all directions. Despite its enormous size—at least seven meters tall—the creature moved with surprising grace. It ignored Nova at first, turning instead toward the smaller corpse on the ground.

Thick fingers reached out with unexpected gentleness to touch the dead troll's face. A low, rumbling sob shook the massive creature's frame. The sound vibrated through Nova's chest even at this distance. The moment of grief lasted only seconds before the troll's gaze fell on the blood-smeared maws of the dead salamanders.

The troll's muscles tensed. Its shoulders began to shake, not with sorrow but pure rage. Massive hands seized the salamander corpses by their tails. The air whistled as the troll swung the bodies like flails, smashing them against the ground again and again. Wet cracks filled the air. Soil ripped up in chunks until nothing remained of the salamanders but bloody stumps.

'... If you leave, I won't attack you. Go home, and grieve for your child.'

But the troll wasn't interested in peace. It turned to Nova in a fluid motion and threw the two tails after him with great force. They were both deflected by the cloak of wind surrounding him, but the troll wasn't far behind. It moved extremely quickly for such a massive creature.

'Not even my killing intent is doing anything to stop it. Fine, then. I'll put you out of your misery!'

Nova pulled the sword from his waist and held it like a dagger in one hand. Then he bent down low to the ground and closed his eyes.

[You have learned the skill: Searing Blade of Asmodeus (Expert - 80%) {Grade 7}]

[Your equipped bladed weapon is infused with the flames of Asmodeus, increasing durability and scorching anything it cuts.]

The wind told Nova when the troll came within range. He shot through the space between its feet, kicking up clouds of dirt. The blade carved deep into the flesh of the titan's left foot. A trail of red flame followed the cut, burning the wound shut instantly.

The troll roared in response, turning around with surprising dexterity and kicked off the ground again, following Nova in a mad dash. It didn't seem bothered at all by the deep gash on its inner shin.

Nova stood with his back turned, but he saw everything that happened with clarity. He wanted to wait for the final moment to dodge, leaving a bigger opening in the troll's defenses.

'It will never bleed to death, and I don't have the offensive power to inflict a mortal wound right now. Luckily it's not too fast, otherwise I would have been in trouble.'

A giant overhead fist came crashing down toward him, but Nova deftly dashed to the side at the last moment, toward the inside of the troll's arm. He couldn't attack the head without leaving himself open to attacks once he was in the air, but the stomach was now low enough to attack from the ground.

Another dash through its feet, and a long slash opened along its chest and stomach, again followed by a searing flame. The troll had nearly managed to hit him by closing its legs together during the dash, but Nova managed to jump over the heel just in time.

'Damn bastard is getting clever already! This won't be as easy as I had hoped, and my hopes weren't high. And my blade…'

Only the hilt remained of the trusty shortsword. The rest had melted into a sad puddle, some of which remained inside the ogre's stomach.

'That makes things interesting. If I jump, I need it to be a decisive attack. Or I could…'

Once again, the troll turned after him, leaping forward and going for a kick this time. The tree-like leg came swinging with incredible force, taking with it some of the dirt on the ground as it passed the area where Nova had stood.

But Nova had already launched himself upward, twisting his body as he flew toward the troll's head. He shot his hands forward into the troll's face, piercing its eyes with an arrow in each hand. That would prevent the troll from regenerating its eyes, keeping it blind as long as the arrow still remained.

Nova broke off the shafts so the troll would be unable to pull them out. A quick push off the giant's face sent him back to solid ground before two massive fists smashed into the spot he'd occupied.

Nova breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a risky maneuver, but it turned out well. 'Now I only need to get a final attack in. Which is much easier when I don't have to focus on dodging all the time.'

The troll roared in rage, scratching at its eyes and blindly kicking the ground around it. It had no way to find Nova as long as he remained silent, and with the Dampen skill he had used earlier, it was an easy task.

'... O' Gaia, thine earth of plenty and life. Grant me the strength to vanquish my foes through thy hand.'

A massive boulder rose from the ground in front of Nova, and as he focused, parts of it started falling off, making it into a sharp projectile.

'Give unto us the bright and the mighty metals, and fill—'

A deafening roar, unlike any so far, suddenly escaped the troll's throat, shaking the very ground around it. A mystical effect carried with it, causing Nova's spell to falter. The boulder he had prepared fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

'A disruptive ability? These guys really counter magic well. Fine, you want to do it the hard way? Let's go!'

[You have learned the skill: Mantis Windblades (Master - 20%) {Grade 7}]

[Your arms are covered in long blades of wind, capable of slicing flesh with ease.]

Nova dashed again, cutting long wounds into the toll's legs, but with no flame to stop the regeneration, it wouldn't take long for them to heal. However, Nova was far from done. He dashed again, leaving two more wounds along its left thigh. Then again, leaving more wounds on its ribcage.

Every dash caused massive amounts of dirt to fly up from the ground. Any normal person looking at the fight would only see a blur as the troll rapidly gained more and more wounds.

The troll tried to swing around to hit him, but it was too blind and too slow to have any chance at catching him. Blood flowed from every slice, making the troll more red than blue.

And Nova didn't slow down. Instead, he sped up, getting faster and faster with every dash, leaving deeper and deeper cuts.

'Damn, I've missed this! A single mistake could lead to death, and every movement has to be perfect! But what is Nova Noctis if not the pinnacle of physical perfection? My body listens to every command instantly, and only mental rust is keeping me from moving even faster!'

Twelve cuts across both legs, twenty on the stomach, fourteen on the back, eight on each arm, and six around the neck. Ligaments severed, arteries sliced open, throat cut into pieces. Every weak point that could be targeted had been, and now the troll could only sit on its knees, protecting its front by lying forward.

'I'm sorry, I usually wouldn't be this decisive. But your death will save thousands of children, so go in peace!'

[Venomous sac of Maned Salamander retrieved.]

Nova cut the troll four more times near the neck in quick succession, and then he poured the contents of the sac over the open wounds. The poison quickly spread through the blood, into the body, and down through the entire cardiovascular system.

The wounds that had been slowly closing up now started slowing down, and eventually, they stopped altogether. The blood stopped flowing, coagulating in the open lacerations.

And eventually, the beast breathed its last.

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