103. Plan Failed.
Five minutes.
This is the duration of the Cat's Eye Potion's effect. And this time cannot be extended by drinking more potion because the toxicity of the Cat's Eye Potion is very strong. It's several times stronger than Killer Whale.
During the Mountain Trial, Allen and Hughes drank many bottles of Killer Whale without feeling any unusual effects. But the Cat's Eye Potion is different. After the second bottle of Cat's Eye Potion went down his throat, Allen immediately felt his heart sink, and there was an occasional sharp pain as if it couldn't bear the burden.
At this moment, Allen knew that his limit was using two bottles of Cat's Eye in a row. Unfortunately, within the ten minutes the potion lasted, Allen didn't discover the other effect of the potion.
"It seems that verifying the critical strike rate still requires a monster."
He sighed, heading towards the Rock Trolls' lair with the daylight from the cave entrance.
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Because of the high altitude, the snow around the Rock Trolls' lair was very thick.
Two days had passed, and the snow here was directly above Allen's knees, making him move forward slowly, one step at a time.
"…Big Stone… Little Stone… Trolls smell strange odor… Trolls smell strange odor…"
Just after turning a corner, a familiar silly voice came over.
"It seems Big Stone is guarding the passage today," he thought.
Then he took six pieces of rotten meat from his inventory. Instantly, a unique rotten smell spread around. At the same time, Big Stone's small, beady eyes appeared at the corner ahead.
As soon as it saw Allen, it started shouting loudly.
"…Big Stone… Little Stone… Bad apprentice here again today… Bad apprentice here again today…"
Obviously, Big Stone didn't recognize Allen. The mountain wind hadn't blown the rotten meat's stench into the Rock Trolls' camp. But he could understand why it couldn't recognize him. If not for the significant height difference between Big Stone, Little Stone, and Small Stone. Allen also wouldn't be able to tell which was Big Stone, which was Little Stone, and which was Small Stone.
In his eyes, all Rock Trolls looked pretty much the same.
"Bang!"
The Rock Troll's dark, thick fist suddenly smashed onto Big Stone's small head. The huge sound made Allen's forehead hurt a bit.
"…Ow… Big Stone bad… Big Stone hit Big Stone again…"
Big Stone clutched its head in pain, its huge body swaying and rolling. But after glancing at Allen, it still stood firmly in place after swaying a couple of times.
"…Big Stone dumb… Good man witcher… Good man witcher… Big Stone deserves to be hit…"
Big Stone heavily knocked on Big Stone's small head again.
"Big Stone actually recognizes me!"
Allen was somewhat flattered.
"…Ow… Big Stone bad… Big Stone hit Big Stone again…"
The silly cry sounded again. But this time, Big Stone couldn't bear it anymore, howling and rolling around in the snow. At this time, Allen noticed.
Although the Rock Trolls' camp was also covered with snow, the ground was very flat and solid, as if it was often pressed by something heavy.
"Thud~ Thud~ Thud~"
Big Stone slowly walked over, and its tiny nostrils surprisingly twitched human-like a couple of times. Then its eyes instantly locked onto the few pieces of black rotten meat in Allen's hand.
"…Witcher good man… Friend gift…"
Although the Rock Troll could speak the common tongue, it was generally hard to discern its tone. But Allen could still tell from its actions that Big Stone was asking if these pieces of rotten meat were gifts for friends.
He nodded, handing the rotten meat to Big Stone's clumsy hands, saying: "This is a gift for friends!"
At some point, Big Stone had quietly rolled to a pile of stones in the corner of the camp and began rummaging. There were many piles of stones in the Rock Trolls' camp, but this pile was where Big Stone found that ruby last time. It might be a place for storing things they considered precious.
A "small stone pile" next to Big Stone trembled and stood up, also a Rock Troll. It might have been awakened by the commotion from Big Stone and Little Stone. Seeing Big Stone rummaging through the stone pile, Small Stone also squatted next to it to help.
"…Big Stone… Witcher friend… Return gift…"
After receiving the rotten meat, Big Stone immediately turned and shouted, seeing Big Stone already looking for something, it turned back to look at Allen. But after waiting for a long time, Big Stone was still rummaging through the pile of stones.
Big Stone grew impatient, turning and stomping the frozen ground hard.
"Bang!"
Another heavy blow hit Big Stone's head.
"…Dumb Big Stone… Witcher friend… Return gift… Witcher friend… Return gift…"
But this time, Big Stone didn't howl, instead, it sat on the ground in frustration.
"Bang!"
The ground shook slightly.
"…Good stone… No more…"
The unclear long sentence became a short sentence, and Big Stone seemed really frustrated.
"Bang!"
Big Stone kicked Big Stone aside, squatted down, and rummaged through the stone pile again. Seeing this, Small Stone shivered, not daring to move, but drooling when it saw the rotten meat nearby, reaching out for a piece.
"Slap!"
With a light sound, Big Stone punched Small Stone's reaching "little hand" down. The pain made Small Stone roll on the ground howling. Seeing the situation turning bad, the six pieces of rotten meat seemed to become the trigger for family conflict among the Rock Trolls… Allen was about to refuse the return gift.
He gave the rotten meat to improve the Rock Trolls' favorability, to make it easier to ask for their blood and complete the task. Not to get their treasures.
The ruby Big Stone gave earlier was still in his place. Allen had seen it. It was indeed a ruby. Unfortunately, although it looked dazzling, it was neither a magical gem nor very pure, not worth much.
"Big Stone, no need to look. This is just a gift between friends, no need for a return gift."
Big Stone heard this and paused, then picked up the six pieces of rotten meat and walked towards Allen.
"…Witcher… friend… no return gift… cannot accept…"
Big Stone handed the six pieces of rotten meat back to Allen, then turned around, looking at the rotten meat in his hand reluctantly. Allen held the pieces of rotten meat, stunned, not expecting to be unable to give a gift. Moreover, Big Stone the Rock Troll seemed a bit off.
Although Rock Trolls are intelligent, can understand human language, and speak the common tongue. But the social etiquette of gift-giving among humans was clearly not something Rock Trolls, as monsters, could know.
Big Stone even understood the essence of human friendship.
"Thud~ Thud~ Thud~"
Big Stone slowly walked towards the camp, with a rhythm of loss in its footsteps.
Allen's plan to improve favorability with the Rock Trolls using rotten meat was about to fail as soon as it started.
...….
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104. Are You a Transmigrator Too?
105. The Charity Job.
106. What Are You Talking About?
107. Shattered Dream.
108. Grass! Grass!