Defence and Offence

Gerard walked around the edge of the settlement. The miners were working hard at filling pre-dug holes with logs from the forest: a much sturdier wall than Gerard anticipated but a welcome one. With something like that, most intruders would be forced to give up.

"Did you hear?" A nearby villager spoke to the others working on the walls.

"What?" Another replied.

"Some monsters injured Fletch and the hunters that went out into the forest last night."

"Monsters? They're making their way this far south?"

"Must be."

*Monsters aren't a good sign of progress, and maybe I can get some juicy experience if I take care of the problem. I've got that new spell, so I should be able to burn anything to a crisp as a last resort.*

Beyond a gap in the wall, Gerard watched as an old farmer along the outskirts of the village pulled a shrivelled radish-looking vegetable from the ground and sighed. Similar pathetic-looking vegetables sprouted from the ground in lengthy rows.

"Hey, do you need some help with your field?"

"My crops are weak, but I don't know how to bring life back to them."

"I know a thing or two about horticulture. Have you tried using fertiliser?"

"Horticulture? Fertiliser?"

*Has the magic of this world stunted their knowledge?*

"How would you usually improve the quality of your plants?"

"Most farms have mages with the skills to fortify them."

"And you don't know any other way?"

"Without magic? Never heard of one."

"Well, horticulture involves growing plants for various uses. Fertiliser is a method of strengthening your plants without magic. You do this by mixing ingredients like cow feces, blood, etc., with the soil."

"Feces? Blood? Wouldn't those things harm the plants?"

"I don't completely understand it myself, but no, not in moderation. The plants use the extra nutrients to grow stronger. How about we try and make some?"

"Well, you are from the Institute, so I'm sure you know what you're doing. Let's talk to Lev; he's got cows and horses, and I'm sure Victor, the butcher, has some blood from the pigs and cows of our village."

"I thought the village was out of food?"

"Not exactly, but if we ate all of our livestock, we wouldn't be able to breed more. It would have been our last option had the hunters and yourself not returned with food, or at all. And with our last harvest, as poor as it was, we would have been able to eat for at least a month if the bandits didn't take it all."

"I see. Well, we can't use the blood as-is. We have to boil it down and dry it out. Maybe Trent can help?"

"I'll offer everyone some of my harvest if this works well. It's not like we use the blood or feces for anything else, anyway."

"Okay, tell Trent that he needs to boil most of the water from the blood until it's thick and gross, like sludge, then dry it on trays. Drying in the sun is okay, but using a kiln or something similar is more effective, even if it uses extra resources. Then you grind it up."

"I've got it. Boil it into sludge, dry it in the sun, a kiln, or oven, then grind it into powder."

Find me at the inn when you have everything you need and after Trent has finished with the blood.

"Is that where you're going?"

"No, while the villagers set up some security, I plan to have a look in the forest."

"The forest? Why?"

"Well, it seems the monsters are coming closer to the village. Between you and me, I'll take care of them."

"You're a saint, Gerard."

*Saint? If only you knew the evils I've committed.*

"Sure, Rod, call me whatever you want; I just want to help."

Roderick nodded and hurried over to the other small farm on the other side of the village.

Gerard left the miners to the defence preparations and walked through the village. He passed by Fletch before leaving the village.

"Hey, what monsters did you encounter in the forest?"

"You aren't-'"

"You should know me better than that already. I can take care of myself. What did you find?"

"Well, we came across a couple of hobgoblins, and after we managed to win by the skin of our teeth, a troll appeared. We didn't stand a chance. Some of my hunters are pretty badly hurt; could I ask for you to use healing magic on them before you leave?"

*Hobgoblins?*

[Evolved versions of goblins, larger and stronger. They have more intelligence and often command goblins to do their bidding.]

"Oh, Fletch. I'm sorry, but the healing spell I have can only be used on myself."

*In truth, it's not a spell, so I can't use it on others.*

"Truly? That's a shame. I'll pray that they make it through the night."

*Is there anything I can do, Sprite?*

[No.]

"Good luck."

"You too."

---

Gerard crept through the forest, watching every rustling leaf, each swaying branch, prepared for anything.

A spear flew in his direction.

*Too slow.*

Gerard caught the spear, watched for movement, and sent it flying back into the branches of a tree. A large green humanoid creature fell from the branches with a thud.

[You have gained 450 experience. 10,250 experience until you reach level 11.]

*Not great, but better than goblins.*

Gerard rushed forward, taking two large, crude daggers strapped to the hobgoblin's corpse. He quickly unsheathed his sword and held it up, blocking the swing of a crude axe. A hobgoblin covered in leaves and branches stood there, gawking at Gerard.

"You all stink of bodily waste. Sneaking up on me is impossible."

Gerard tossed one of the daggers into the hobgoblin's throat.

[You have gained 475 experience. 9,775 experience until you reach level 11.]

Three goblins jumped out from their bushes. Gerard got to his feet, gripped his sword, and easily swung through all the goblins, severing two heads and splitting one goblin in half.

[You have gained 152 experience. 9,623 experience until you reach level 11.]

*This sword really is something. I didn't notice so much when dealing with the archillian, but soft goblins are sliced through like butter.*

[You'll have to thank the blacksmith if you ever meet them.]

*Indeed.*

An arrow hit the ground beside him, and he tossed the other dagger. A dead goblin fell from the tree above him.

*Where's the challenge?*

As if to answer his call, Gerard heard large snapping sounds. Before he could respond, a tree trunk came flying toward him. He jumped out of the way, but the trunk still crushed his right side.

[You wanted a challenge.]

*I swear that god is out to get me.*

Gerard hid behind a large tree. An overwhelming scent approached, and Gerard gagged. Gerard tore the sleeve from his shirt and tied it around his face, blocking some of the smell.

The tree he hid behind groaned and rose from the ground.

A large bluish creature, covered in fur, held the tree like a club.

"I wouldn't suppose you would be that troll that Fletch was talking about?"

The troll roared, slamming the tree down and getting a direct hit on Gerard. The troll lifted the trunk.

"Not one for talking. Got it." Gerard coughed the words out.

*Sprite, can I use my mana to heal?*

[Yes, although it's not quite the same as using blood, and you may not be able to heal completely.]

*I can't move my body at all. If I don't, I die. I need to focus my remaining mana on healing myself, then. Hopefully, I don't suffer from mana depletion.*

Gerard grunted. Unlike when he drank blood to heal, directly using mana, the healing process caused excruciating pain.

*Nothing compared to Addis' experiments, though.*

He felt every fibre of his body forcibly repair itself. When it stopped, Gerard pushed his sword into the ground and propped himself up. The troll tilted its head. Surely, there aren't many creatures that can stand after being slapped with an entire tree.

"That's all I can heal? It feels like half of my bones are fractured."

[You've healed the necessary functions of your body. You should have a couple of minutes before you die.]

Without responding, Gerard took the knives from his belt. Two pierced the troll's eyes. The troll dropped the tree trunk, which almost squashed Gerard again, and clawed at its eyes.

Gerard sprinted forward. He felt the bones in his legs crack under the intense movement.

Gerard sliced into the troll's left ankle with one swing, forcing it to drop to the ground. It swung its giant fist, as thick as a tree trunk, towards Gerard. Gerard pointed his sword at the oncoming fist, embedding it deep in the troll's flesh. The blow knocked Gerard back, tumbling across the dirt.

The troll roared in pain. One of its fingers hung from a thread of skin and fur. Gerard stepped forward, and his right tibia shattered. He hobbled along, using his sword as a crutch. He watched as the troll's finger regenerated in front of his eyes. Its Achilles tendon repaired itself slowly.

"Seems we both have interesting abilities," Gerard said, standing beneath the kneeling troll's head.

The troll pulled the knives from its eyes, and the moment its eyes healed, Gerard thrust his sword with all of his might into the troll's chest. He felt the sword slide through fat, flesh, and graze bone.

*Please die.*

Gerard's other leg and both of his arms snapped under the pressure and fell to the ground. Gerard collapsed, and the troll fell forward, smothering him.