Jareth watched as eight huge beasts that resembled furless gorillas with rock-brown skin dashed out of the cave. They looked around, snarling at the woods.
They periodically slammed the ground with their arms, quaking the ground like an announcement.
Suddenly, Jareth saw a green streak whiz out of the forest and hit one of them. A second green streak swiftly followed. The rock troll fell backward and hit the ground.
An arrow impaled its chest and another, its head.
Everything was quiet as the other rock trolls stared at their dead brethren for a moment, then they burst into maddened roars while scanning the forest with a ferocious gleam in their eyes.
They roared for a few minutes, but nothing happened. Just as they got distracted, two more green streaks shot out of the woods and killed another one.
Their dying roars sharpened into pure frenzy.
That was how Nathan continued picking them off after they got slightly distracted.
'I never knew I'd see an assassin in real life,' Jareth mused.
"Those are Rank 1 rock trolls," Liana whispered softly. "Just as we humans have a ranking system, they follow the same system. Although, we just list their rank to make it easier, or as my sister said, to differentiate between humans and beasts, and express our superiority. Awakened for Rank 1, Elite for Rank 2, Archon for Rank 3, Lord for Rank 4—"
A thunderous sound, deeper and louder than the Rank 1 rock trolls, tore through the air.
Five green streaks shot out in rapid succession and killed the remaining two rock trolls.
Chaotic quakes sounded. Roars echoed through the forest. A massive silhouette was rushing from the depth of the cave.
Jareth squinted his eyes at the silhouette that was splitting when he thought of something.
'Don't tell me…'
Two hulking rock trolls with deep, rock-brown skin, easily twice the size of the previous rock trolls, dashed out.
They both rushed towards the trees in their vicinity, smashing them and roaring. Both of them rampaged deeper into the woods, leaving fallen trees in their trail, when one slammed its arms on the ground.
Jareth merely heard a hum, and the trees around it creaked and bent. Branches snapped and flew.
Jareth's eyes widened.
One of the rock trolls roared, and the two quickly rushed back.
Liana touched her shock bracelet, and Nathan's voice sounded. "Alven and I will go right with one. You guys take the other. Anybody that finishes first should go help. Run now!"
Jareth snapped his head to her.
Alven's voice sounded. "Be careful. And run now!"
Jareth raised his head to see the rock trolls carrying boulders in each hand, with a posture like they're about to launch a baseball.
His pupils dilated.
'Really?!'
He was about to drop down when a powerful grip held him in place.
Lowering his head, he spotted Liana, without her sword, clamping on his shoulder, with her short, thick staff outstretched and narrowed grave eyes.
Raising his head, he just happened to see one rock troll launching a boulder at the running Alven.
The boulder shot with an unstoppable force as it pierced through the treetops, heading for Alven with an uncanny precision.
Alven raised his shield to block the boulder already in front.
A green streak slammed into his side at that moment, sending him out of the way as the boulder ripped through the trunk behind him.
Jareth turned to see Nathan dropping his hand, which held a bow, while running.
Alven quickly stood up and ran as the rock troll roared and chased.
Jareth turned to see Nadia escaping to the far left, when the second rock troll raised the boulder overhead and chased. It was incredibly fast.
The moment their distance shortened, it just slowed down and arched its back.
A long fire spear materialized in front of Liana, facing the gap between the rock troll and Nadia.
Just as it launched the boulder, the fire spear shot forward.
The fire spear collided with the boulder and ruptured with a loud explosion, tossing it aside.
The rock troll froze, before it turned in Jareth's direction, snarled, and dashed at them.
Liana pulled him down, almost crashing him into the floor.
"Run!" She pulled the unbalanced Jareth along while yelling.
Jareth felt his heart pounding as he wondered how they went from an organized hunt to a makeshift plan with a huge monstrosity hot on their heels.
But he buried the distracting thoughts and sprinted after Liana. Both of them ran side by side, darting through the trees and running farther. Jareth could hear the quaking from behind.
Jareth turned, to see the rock troll quickly close the gap with its bizarre sprint that resembled short leaping.
Liana explained quickly while running, "On my mark, we are going to go in opposite directions. The rock troll will chase after one person. The free person should instantly turn back to help. We'll then take turns in bombarding it in the middle. How deftly can you use your fire spear? Forget it! All you have to do is interrupt the beast from slamming its arm on the ground, or escaping anytime I'm preparing my spell. I'll take the major role. Understood?"
"Yes!"
She began the countdown instantly:
"Three…"
"Two…"
"One…"
"Now!"
Jareth swiveled and sprinted the other way.
A few seconds later, he heard quaking footsteps drawing closer. He snapped his head aside to spot the snarling monster dashing at him, gaining on him at an alarming rate that chilled his heart.
"Shit!" He couldn't hold his curse.
Jareth was about to turn to run when a loud explosion jolted him.
He turned again, and he saw the rock troll, roaring with its burly back facing him and its neck charred.
'Liana!'
Jareth quickly raised his palm at the sight of the rock troll raising its arm.
A long, well-sculpted, gleaming, blood-red fire spear shot forward from his palm, leaving a red streak in its trail. It stabbed the back of the rock troll just in time and exploded with a loud bang that sent the rock troll staggering.
The rock troll roared in pain as its body was set ablaze.
But another orange spear shot from ahead and accurately pierced it in the head while exploding in a flaring orange fire. The orange flame quickly disappeared like a sudden spark, with his red fire following suit.
The rock troll was now covered in charred flesh and a deep hole in its back.
But it still roared and was about to slam its hand when Jareth sent another fire spear. Liana followed suit from a distance.
'Mine isn't snuffing quickly? Wait! My mana level!'
Remembering this, Jareth swiftly changed to short and less compacted fire spears, and this one only burned about five seconds more than Liana's flame.
Both of them took turns in bombarding the rock troll in the center. But its tenacity shocked Jareth, as it had already turned to him, snarling and trying to close the distance.
It merely took a step before it was smashed back by fire spears.
Now that he was used to it, Jareth began aiming for the head. Suddenly, Liana's fire spear hit it from behind, but it was suddenly launched towards Jareth.
Jareth's pupils dilated, and his brain short-circuited. The flying monstrosity with spread arms to embrace him was upon him.
He twisted his body on instinct, but he couldn't dodge it.