Mark Liscar POV
The orders were given by our captain. Sofia and I were chosen to be the first to guard the bridge. I held my iron spear in my left hand, my grip tight, refusing to loosen it even for a moment. The captain said he would send a message to the higher-ups for help. That thought kept circling in my mind, over and over again. The second thought that refused to leave was even worse—what if the Naxana Empire was truly responsible for what happened to the bridge?
I gazed across Kinuki Bridge. It stretched forward, disappearing into the distance, its far end swallowed by thick fog. The mist hid the other half completely, denying me any clear view of Kragmor's land. The wind blew across the bridge, tugging at my uniform. It brushed against my hand, making me tighten my grip around the spear's shaft. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, touching my skin only to melt within seconds.
I glanced at Sofia. She sat casually on the bridge's stone parapet, her posture relaxed, almost careless. She didn't look anxious at all. If anything, she seemed as if she hadn't even heard what the captain had said earlier.
What a soldier, I thought.
She stared out across the fog-covered bridge, her gaze calm and steady. Then she noticed me watching her and turned her head slightly.
"What is it?" she asked.
"You're not worried about all of this?" I replied, walking closer to her.
"Why would I be?" she said calmly, her eyes shifting toward the sea beneath the bridge. "John and the others are here. If something goes wrong, they'll help us."
"But you heard what the captain said," I insisted. "If Naxana really did this… we're in serious danger."
"I know," she answered immediately.
Her response was too quick, too firm.
"I'm ready for it," she continued. "As a soldier, I expected situations like this. I passed the training to become an essencer, and then to become a soldier. They talked about these kinds of situations, Mark. You should know that too."
Her words struck me harder than I expected.
Fragments of my own training flashed through my mind—the exhaustion, the failures, my lack of strength, my poor mana control. The voice of the drill instructor echoed clearly in my head, sharp and commanding.
"Be ready for everything at any time, soldiers! At such times may Akira be with you!"
Those days… those trainings… they were brutal.
I stared at Sofia as she looked back at me. For a moment, neither of us spoke. She made me realize something I hadn't wanted to admit.
How afraid I really was.
"Death?" she continued. "So what? If it comes, it comes. If it doesn't, it doesn't. It's that simple. I don't mind dying in a place like this. As a soldier, I was trained to face it—not to be scared of it."
Her words lingered as she stepped past me. A gust of wind followed her movement, brushing against my body, and strangely enough… it made me feel a little less afraid.
I slowly loosened my grip on the spear's shaft until my fingers barely clung to it. Then I stepped further onto the bridge, my eyes scanning the stone beneath my feet. Scars from countless past battles covered it—cracks, marks, remnants of destruction.
It survived a lot… I thought.
I walked even farther until I noticed a large blood stain on the right side of the bridge. I stopped and stared at it for a few seconds. The longer I looked, the more Sofia's words echoed in my mind.
Death… if it comes, it comes if doesn't it doesn't.
"It seems you didn't have any luck," I whispered quietly, staring at the blood stain beneath me.
I turned back and walked toward Sofia. She stood near the bridge's entrance, watching me approach.
"Anything suspicious over there?" she asked.
"Nothing unusual," I replied. "Everything looks normal. There was just a large stain—nothing else."
Still, I couldn't help but wonder what John and the others were doing inside the tent.
John POV
I gave orders to my squad. Responsibility weighed heavily on me as it always did, but this time it felt different. These soldiers were under my command. They listened to my words, trusted my decisions. I couldn't afford to make mistakes—especially not now.
Sofia and Mark went to guard the bridge. Nicolas sat still on a chair made of earth that I had created earlier, his eyes closed, fully focused. A small vein bulged on the left side of his forehead. Maintaining one barrier wasn't a problem for him—but two at the same time? Maybe I was asking too much. After all, they are not the same rank as me.
I kept my mana circulating carefully through my mana channels, making sure none of it leaked out. Controlling it at this level required constant concentration. It was exhausting— since my mana channels cannot endure that much mana flowing—but I had no choice.
I walked over to the earth desk and began writing the message for the higher-ups. Pencil, ink, paper—simple tools for a complicated situation. I requested immediate assistance, keeping the message short and precise. While writing, I felt a hand rest on my right shoulder.
I turned my head and saw Kohoi standing beside me. He took the paper from my hand and began reading it silently.
"Shall we do it?" I asked as I slowly stood up from the chair.
He nodded.
I pulled a scroll from my backpack and unrolled it on the ground. The paper had a faint yellow tint, humming softly with mana and energy. I placed the written message on top of it and began inserting mana into the scroll.
As the mana flowed in, black symbols slowly appeared across the surface. I continued, pouring more mana into it, until the symbols began spreading outward. The scroll reacted—but it wasn't enough.
"It needs energy too," I muttered.
For nearly ten minutes, I kept feeding it mana. My mana channels burned, wanting to rest, but i kept inserting mana into the scroll.
"This takes a lot of mana and energy," I said, forcing more into it.
Kohoi watched closely. Then he pointed at himself, then at the scroll several times.
"Yeah… some help would be appreciated," I admitted.
"I think that's enough mana. Now we need energy. Show me what you've got, Kohoi."
He dropped to his knees and placed both hands on the scroll. The moment he began channeling energy into it, the symbols darkened, turning fully black. The paper started to glow faintly.
"Are you okay?" I asked. "Can you keep going? Want a break?"
Kohoi glanced at me briefly, then shook his head and continued. The glow intensified as more energy poured in.
"Just a little more," I said quietly.
Watching him struggle made my jaw tighten. I couldn't use energy like he could. A blue-ranked soldier with such a weakness—it was humiliating. How was I supposed to reach red rank like this? Nothing had changed. I still relied on others.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the tent.
I turned sharply to see Nicolas standing up from his chair, his eyes wide.
"They're coming!" he shouted.
Kohoi and I both looked at him.
"How many?" I asked immediately.
"Many!" Nicolas replied, breathing heavily. "A whole horde—seven or eight, maybe even ten! Their presence just keeps increasing!"
Ten trolls…
I'd never heard of so many appearing at once.
"Good work, Nicolas," I said firmly. "Thank you."
Before I could say more, a voice rang out from outside the tent.
"THEY ARE HERE! I REPEAT—THEY ARE HERE!"
Nicolas rushed out immediately. Kohoi and I stayed behind for a split second longer. I grabbed my metal axe, tightening my grip.
"Kohoi, there's no time. We have to move," I said.
He gestured urgently toward the scroll.
"There's no time for coordinates," I shouted back. "I'll change the transmission—anyone within the radius will receive it. I'll handle it. Go help them!"
Kohoi didn't hesitate. He burst through the tent flap and sprinted toward the bridge.
I rushed back to the scroll and slammed my hand onto it, pouring the last of my mana into it. The scroll began to shake violently, shrinking and expanding at the same time. Then it stopped—returning to its normal size.
"Shit… Shit!" I shouted. "Not now!"
I tried again. Nothing.
"NOO! Come on!" I tried again, every second is important now.
"Akira, help me!" I shouted, as i added the last bit of mana it needed.
A soft light leaked from the scroll. It grew brighter and brighter, tearing through the tent as it rose into the air. I watched as it ascended above me, then shot toward the sky.
Once it reached a certain height, it exploded outward in a massive ring of light, racing across the air in every direction.
"This is it," I said quietly. "Now we wait—and hope someone come here.."
With that said, I ran toward the tent flap, I opened it and went straight toward the bridge.
Mark Liscar POV
I glanced at our green tent standing next to the bridge. A bright pillar of light descended from the sky, stretching all the way down into the tent. I stared at it for a few seconds before looking at Sofia—just as her voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"What's that light?" she asked, slowly walking toward me.
We both stood there, watching it. My fingers tightened around the shaft of my spear, and Sofia instinctively did the same with her sword. A low sound came from that direction, like a distant vibration. It echoed through the forest, and shockwaves rippled through the air, brushing against our uniforms.
The air rushed toward us, striking our faces directly. It was cold enough to make me squint.
I turned my gaze back toward the fog-covered bridge.
"I don't know," I said. "But no one's raising the alarm. If it was dangerous, someone would've reacted by now. I think we can ignore it."
Sofia stopped beside me, and we both faced the bridge.
Minutes passed.
We stood there in silence, watching. The wind blew against our backs. The light didn't fade—it only grew brighter, still pouring into the tent.
Then suddenly… everything went quiet.
No wind. No vibration. No sound at all.
The silence reminded me of the nightmare I'd had this morning.
A sharp pain throbbed inside my head, and my right hand—still holding the spear—began to tremble. I raised my left hand to my head and started breathing heavily through my mouth, forcing myself to inhale as much air as possible.
Cold air filled my lungs again and again.
Nothing helped.
I kept breathing until Sofia grabbed my arm.
"Are you okay, Mark?" she asked, worry clear in her voice. "You don't look good at all. You're pale—almost like the snow under our feet. Why don't you switch shifts with someone?"
The pain in my head lingered for a few seconds… then faded.
"I'm fine," I said, shaking my head. "I just didn't get enough sleep. That's all."
"Don't push yourself," she said softly, holding my hand. "If you need rest, ask someone from the tent to replace you."
"I really don't need it," I replied quickly. "I can handle this, I swear."
I looked at her.
Suddenly, she let go of my hand.
Her eyes snapped back toward the bridge.
Her expression hardened.
She drew her sword and tightened her grip.
I followed her gaze.
From deep within the fog, I heard something.
A sound— pitch low and distorted. It was like a mix between a wild boar and a bear. It roared… but at the same time, it almost sounded like laughter. The closer it got, the more footsteps joined it. Many footsteps. Along with that pitchy voice, unsettling voice—and others like it.
"This has to be trolls," Sofia said. "Be ready."
The noises grew louder.
Then, through the fog, a leg stepped onto the bridge.
Thick coarse brown fur covered it.
Another step followed.
Then an arm appeared—also wrapped in coarse brown fur, barely hiding the blue skin beneath.
Their limbs were massive. The fur clung tightly to their bodies, rough and uneven. Their mouths hung open, each one showing two tusks protruding from their lower lips.
That's when it became clear.
Yes.
Trolls.
One after another, they emerged from the fog. Huge bodies filled the bridge—some towering over two meters tall, others smaller. Among them was a much smaller one, barely reaching ninety centimeters. He was the source of that sharp pitchy voice, clutching a dagger in his left hand.
They continued roaring until their eyes locked onto me and Sofia.
"They're here!" I shouted. "THEY'RE HERE! I REPEAT THEY ARE HERE!"
Almost instantly, Nicolas burst out through the tent flap, sprinting toward us. He positioned himself between Sofia and me, pulled a dagger from his pocket, and raised his left hand.
A black barrier began forming across the bridge in front of us. A barrier Sofia and me were able to see.
At first glance, it looked small—just enough to cover the width of the bridge.
One of the trolls tried to pass through it. Only to get knocked on his back
The other trolls reacted instantly once they realized they cant pass the barrier.
They began punching, kicking, stabbing—throwing their full strength against the barrier, trying to pass through by force. Every strike sent ripples across the barrier, circular waves spreading outward with each impact.
The force of their blows pushed air toward us, crashing against our bodies.
Nicolas was struggling.
"Let's do this," he said through clenched teeth. "Be ready."
"What's that light coming from the tent?" Sofia asked.
"It's a message for the higher ranks," Nicolas replied quickly. "Don't worry about it. Focus on what's in front of us."
I tightened my grip on my spear shaft and glanced back at the tent.
The light was still there.
Not long after Nicolas, Kohoi burst out of the tent and ran toward us.
"Alright," Nicolas shouted. "We can work with this—BE READY!"
One the bridge one of the trolls swung its fist toward the barrier.
Nicolas opened it for a split second.
The troll fell forward onto the bridge.
The barrier closed instantly behind it. Keeping other trolls behind the barrier
Kohoi rushed in first.
I followed right after him.
Kohoi was already moving.
Flames burst from his palm as he rushed toward the fallen troll, fire spreading across its face. The creature barely reacted to the fire. It swung its arm wildly, only for Kohoi to dodge it and cut his thick leg with his sword.
I closed the distance and thrust my spear toward its shoulder.
The impact sent a shock through my arms.
Its body was unbelievably tough—striking it felt like hitting solid stone. The wound barely stayed before closing again. It's tusks screeched as he clenched his jaw, It screamed towards me, The pressure of the sound alone was unbelievable, a chill ran down my spine.
Kohoi attacked again, fire surging across the troll's back.
The creature turned sharply, exposing its side. Kohoi dodged at the last moment, slipped behind it, and drove his sword deep. I followed as well, I swung my spear at it's back, It's skin was tough, yet my spear managed to pierce it.
The troll got on his legs, it roared and thrashed violently, throwing us aside, i tried to resist the force but i couldn't do it. I holded it in one place as much as i could while Kohoi pulled his sword from its flesh tearing trolls left side of back open.
Despite being cut multiple times, and blood bursting out of it's left side, it still had strenght to fight us. Not pulling back at all.
His twisting overwhlemed me, my grip slowly loosened and i got thrown away.
My back slammed into the bridge stone parapet.
I forced myself to look up.
The troll stood still. A fatal wound that Kohoi made began to heal his skin parts began reattaching and healing. The damage we had done was already fading, its body restoring itself as if nothing had happened.
He didn't look bothered for a single second, he just kept moving while healing, it was truly frightening. Without hesitation, it ripped my spear from It's flesh and throw it at me.
I rolled aside just in time to dodge it.
The spear struck the stone bridge.
Pain surged through my left arm.
I bringed my look down only to see a deep wound on my arm. My blood bursted from it. I put my right arm on the wound trying to stop the blood bursting from it.
"Mark! Come here!" Sofia shouted, rushing toward me.
She placed both hands over my left arm, activating Revia. A soft white glow spread from her palms as the pain faded and my wound slowly began to heal
Kohoi was still fighting. He hold It's own against troll.
Watching him struggle alone ignited something deep inside me, it was frustrating.
I clenched my jaw.
I was slowing everyone down. The anger just keep kept coming in, I am so useless, I already got wounded fataly. If it wasn't for Sofia to be here now i would bleed out to death. I will never become a green color badge like Nicolas and Kohoi.
I glanced toward Nicolas. He struggled, trolls didn't stop attacking the barrier this whole time. sweat ran down his face as he breathed heavely, a white mist pour from his mouth as he struggled to keep the barrier. He keeps 8 of them out there while i can't kill a single one to help him.
I hate this feeling, a feeling of being useless.
He was burning through his mana to protect us. This must be harder for him then us.
As Sofia healed my arm, i wanted to help Kohoi as much as i can. I used my mana and created water, then i started compressing the water until an arrow formed. I carefully watched Kohoi's and trolls movement looking for a right momenet to strike.
I waited.
Kohoi focused on dodging—never blocking, never clashing directly a smart choice. He mostly used his energy to boost his body to constantly dodge and counter attacks trolls attacks. Since energy regenerate way faster then mana he could do this as much as he needed.
But the problem is time, we can't do that forever, there are still 8 more trolls to come and Nicolas use mana for his abilites, and from the looks it doesn't look Nicolas is good with the mana. We have time limit to kill as many as we could before Nicolas ran out of mana.
As the Kohoi dodged trolls attacks, troll went for another attack, Kohoi narrowly avoided the first strike—but a second followed immediately. He raised his arms, preparing to defend.
Before the troll managed to hit Kohoi, i shoot my arrow, it pierced through trolls flesh, stopping his attack. Kohoi let his guard down, he swung his sword toward his shoulder, his sword glowed yellow as he pierced through trolls tough skin until it got stuck.
Kohoi moved instantly.
He let go of his sword, he pulled my spear from the bridge parapet, and swung into the same place where his sword got stuck. reinforcing the attack with water element to increase the damage, and eventually trolls left arm fell on ground.
By that time, my arm was fully healed and i was ready to step into the action again.
"Thanks, Sofia," I said, already moving forward.
I ran towards the troll, troll kept atacking Kohoi, his left arm already began to heal. Such fatal wound began to heal, in the area where his shoulder should be a blue bubbles appeared, and from them a new arm began to arise, very slowly.
It seems regenerating a new limb ins't as fast as regenerating a wound on limb. Kohoi noticed the bubbles and immediately used his fire powers to stop It's regeneration, he punched troll multiple times with his fire powers, knocking him on the ground.
He took my spear from trolls arm and threw it back to me.
I caught it and charged immediately, aiming at its neck for a decisive strike. I was mid swing when a sudden blast occured behind us, it sounded like a thunder strike.
I turned around only to see a wide ring of light spread through the air in all directions.
From the tent, Captain John launched forward using his earth power. He landed near us and swung his axe straight without hesitation, aiming for trolls neck. I moved aside from his way,
The troll tried to resist, he put his right fist trying to block it.
It didn't matter.
Captains axe went straight his hand chopping his head off. The blow ended the fight instantly, cracking the stone beneath the sheer force.
I stood frozen.
One strike.
That was all it took, One single strike...
"Sorry that im late, gentlemen," John said, pulling his axe free from the stone, blood dripped off from his axe as he said that. "Delivering the message took longer than expected."
"N-no problem, sir," I said.
Just seeing him there changed everything.
"Let's move!" he shouted. "Mark! Kohoi!"
"Yes, sir!" i said, while Kohoi shook his head
"Nicolas!" John called. "You holding up?"
"I can keep the barrier for about thirteen more minutes before i ran out off mana," Nicolas replied, breathing heavily.
"Then bring them to us."
The barrier opened again.
Another troll stepped through.
Right away, John swung his axe it deep inside trolls stomach.
„Come on guys, dont just watch!" John shout pulling his axe from It's flesh.
The troll roared and swung its left fist toward Captain John. I stepped forward without thinking, raising my spear just in time. The impact crashed against the shaft, and an overwhelming force surged through my arms. I clenched my teeth and tightened my grip with everything I had, but the force didn't lessen in the slightest. It felt as if a massive boulder had been hurled straight at me. In that moment, I understood why we were trained to dodge these creatures attacks instead of blocking them—no human could overpower a troll through raw strength alone.
I was thrown backward again. Pressure caught me from behind as Sofia used her water technique to stabilize my fall, slowing my momentum before I hit the ground too hard. The troll followed up immediately, swinging its right arm for another strike. Its injuries were already fading, restoring themselves as it moved.
John narrowly avoided the blow. Kohoi responded instantly, flames bursting from his hands and washing over the troll's upper body burning his wounded stomach. From within the fire, a massive fist shot toward Kohoi. An earth wall erupted in front of him, but the troll shattered it with brute force, the attack still carrying through. Kohoi raised his guard just in time, yet he was blasted away hitting stone parapet.
I forced myself forward again. John shifted his stance, drawing his left arm in close. His shoulder flashed in light blue as he charged forward, slamming into the troll forcing it to step back. He pulled his axe from stomach, his organs fell out, blood drifting everywhere. he raised his axe and swung his axe again. It glowed slighly blue as it hit the same place where he stroke earlier tearing him into two pieces.
As it fell, the creature lashed out one last time, its grip snapping shut around John's ankle. Before it could do anything more, earth spikes erupted from the bridge, piercing through trolls torso killing him.
Two down. Seven to go.
"Yeah baby! That's two!" John laughed, lifting his axe.
I let out a strained breath. "Sir… I don't think this is the right moment for celebrating."
"When will it b—"
John stopped talking, watching the barrier.
A thunderous roar rolled in from the other side of the barrier. The remaining trolls suddenly stopped attacking the barrier and pulled back, parting as if making room for something else. Heavy footsteps echoed through the fog, each one heavier than the last.
A massive tree burst out of the mist and slammed into the barrier, crashing to the ground. We all moved instinctively, the barrier trembled violently for a moment, rippling under the impact, before stabilizing again.
I turned and saw Nicolas down on his knees, completely exhausted, breathing heavily vapor spilling from his mouth with every strained breath. His hair caught my eye—brown strands turning pale. Sofia was already at his side, supporting him.
"What the hell was that?" I muttered, staring at the barrier.
From within the fog, a massive leg stepped forward—covered in coarse brown fur.
Another troll had arrived.