As a small token of gratitude, I'm sharing this chapter with everyone. Merry Christmas, and happy reading! š
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The smallest of the three trolls was the only one still standing.
They had ruled this forest as apex predators for years. Now, in the span of minutes, two of them were down. One was already dead.
The creature howled in panic and fury, then broke into a charge.
Jimmy moved to pursue it, but something caught his eye.
The first troll he had knocked down was stirring again.
Jimmy reacted before his thoughts caught up. One clean swing, The blade took the troll's head clean off.
Only then did Jimmy notice the difference.
The troll that was truly dead had already begun to harden, its flesh turning to stone. The ones that could still regenerate did not.
Strictly speaking, trolls had no vital organs. There was no heart to pierce, no single wound that guaranteed death. You either took their head or kept them down until sunrise, when daylight would finish the job for you.
Any so-called "fatal wound" only meant they stayed down a little longer under moonlight.
---
"Troll!"
"Protect the horses!"
"Don't let it reach the camp!"
"Surround it!"
The dwarves clashed with the charging troll just as Jimmy sprinted back into the clearing. From a distance, he saw KĆli nearly get sent flying by a single swing of the massive club.
"Jimmy, where did that troll come from?"
"I caught them stealing the horses, killed two. This one ran. Fall back, I'll handle it."
As he ran, the troll raised its club again. Jimmy didn't slow down. He hurled his heavy blade like a spear.
Thunk.
The weapon buried itself deep in the troll's shoulder, stopping the swing mid-arc.
Jimmy drew his shorter blade and charged in, momentum carrying him forward.
One powerful slash took both legs out from under the creature.
The troll screamed, smashing its club into the ground in blind rage and fear.
The dwarves swallowed in unison.
Jimmy sidestepped another wild swing, then cut upward. The arm holding the weapon hit the ground with a wet thud.
The troll reached for him.
Jimmy ducked easily and severed the other arm as well.
He flashed past its back, yanked his heavy blade free, and brought it down in a decisive arc.
The body collapsed.
With a final kick, the remains shattered into rubble as the first rays of dawn crept over the trees.
---
"You're back, Gandalf?"
Jimmy wiped his blade clean and sheathed it.
"Trolls, why are there trolls this close to the road?" Gandalf asked sharply. "Is anyone hurt?"
"No," one of the dwarves replied. "Jimmy killed it."
"Were there others?" Gandalf pressed. "Trolls rarely travel alone."
"Two more," Jimmy said. "Already dealt with."
They returned to the cave nearby.
Two stone trolls stood frozen there, locked in the poses they'd died in, as if time itself had stopped.
Bifur was poking at a bubbling pot with a stick, eyes full of curiosity.
Jimmy frowned. "Bifur, if you don't stop, you're banned from coming within five meters of me."
Bifur sighed and withdrew the stick. "I was just curious what trolls eat compared to us."
"You already have your answer," said Bilbo Baggins, gesturing around the cave. "Sheep bones. Human bones. Animal bones. Everything."
That ended the discussion.
The forest slowly settled back into silence~
"Maybe we can find something useful in their cave," Balin said, picking up a gold coin from the ground. "Trolls never eat everything of value."
"Well then, what are we waiting for?"
Led by Gandalf, the dwarves hurried toward the cave.
Jimmy had no intention of joining them.
He was already making an effort not to breathe, and even that barely helped. The stench rolling out of the cave was unbearable.
"Caves and I don't get along," Jimmy said flatly. "I'll keep watch near the camp."
He turned and walked back.
By the time the dwarves returned, Jimmy was calmly eating bread by the fire.
"Hey, Jimmy. This is your share."
Balin tossed over a heavy coin pouch.
Jimmy caught it and weighed it in his hand. "Looks like you did well."
"Of course," Balin said proudly. "I told you trolls don't destroy everything. There's a whole chest of gold artifacts inside, plus a large pile of silver. We buried the rest for later."
He looked almost nostalgic. As the group's quartermaster, Balin knew better than anyone how valuable reserves were when supplies ran thin.
The only regret was the lack of a nearby town. Otherwise, this would have been the perfect excuse to spend the night drunk in a tavern.
---
With the three trolls dealt with, the night became quiet again.
Too quiet.
The dwarves, still riding the adrenaline high, barely slept at all. Their chatter continued until dawn.
Jimmy, on the other hand, knew exactly what was coming.
He chose a good spot, lay down, and fell into a deep, comfortable sleep.
---
"Alert! Something's coming."
Jimmy rolled onto his feet and stretched lazily.
No problem, if things followed the story, this should be Radagast.
Then the howling began.
"Howl."
"What the hell?"
"Run, Wargs and Orcs."
"Radagast?"
From the treeline, dozens of Wargs burst forward, Orc riders clinging to their backs, iron armor clanking as they charged.
"Run, Darkness is spreading, The forest is sick, The Orcs are slaughtering everything in their path."
Jimmy frowned.
Why were they arriving together?
This was not how it was supposed to go.
Radagast should have arrived first. He should have warned them. The Gundabad Wargs were supposed to show up later, not at the same time.
This was completely off script.
Whatever, there was no time to think.
At this point, it was simple.
Either they died, or the enemy did.
An arrow flew.
Jimmy moved at the same instant.
Steel flashed.
One charging Orc and its mount were cut cleanly apart, bodies separating mid-stride.
Then the slaughter began.
The blade moved in arcs of cold light.
Brutal.
Precise.
Jimmy's combat style was born for battlefields. Close-quarters strikes. Overwhelming force. Relentless forward pressure.
Combined with Stark-forged steel, his enhanced strength, and his inhuman agility, it was pure devastation.
One charge was enough to drive the advancing Orcs back down the dry riverbed they had been using as cover.
The dwarves stared in stunned silence as Jimmy pushed forward alone.
"Watch the rear, More coming."
Several Wargs broke off and lunged toward the horses.
---
When Jimmy returned, blood dripping from his blade, every dwarf wore a grim expression.
"What are you all standing around for?" Jimmy said. "Move, now, Orc encirclement is coming."
He pointed toward the hills ahead.
"They're trying to herd us into open terrain so they can use their mounted advantage. It won't matter. You move first. I'll cover the retreat. Wargs can sprint, but they can't sustain long chases. If we lighten the load and rely on the horses' endurance, we can break contact."
He turned to head back toward the horses.
"You don't need to," Thorin said heavily.
"The two Wargs that got into the herd killed some of the horses. The rest panicked and fled."
The words settled like a hammer blow.
The escape plan was gone.
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