As the valley's stone gate opens, Shakus clearly feels something called tension spreading through the crowd.
This nervous energy isn't coming from Shakus—it's coming from the entire troll hunting party getting ready to head out.
Mixed in with that tension is some obvious wariness too.
"Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!"
The Great Elder standing up front raises his spiked mace—a nasty, jagged thing that could scare someone to death—and starts shouting with excitement and passion.
"Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!"
"Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!"
"..."
At the same time, all the trolls, including Shakus, raise their weapons and join in shouting along with the Great Elder.
The whole hunting party's emotions and momentum hit their peak with these waves of "Hurrah!"
Only after this does Great Elder Stehlkai step forward and lead the troll hunting party out of the valley.
Shakus grips his spear tighter, steps out, and follows the team.
Once you're in the forest, the most reliable companion you've got is the spear in your hands.
Shakus feels something amazing happening—his heart is beating faster than usual, and his whole body stays pumped up.
The tiny bit of fear that crept into his heart last night magically disappeared after shouting along with the Great Elder.
The forest ahead is called the Darklands Forest, because sunlight only appears for three natural months each year—the rest of the time it's pitch black.
And even during those sunny months, there's only daylight for about a quarter of each day.
So this is barren land, which is why it's called the Darklands Forest.
The dark, damp environment naturally breeds lots of dark creatures and all kinds of magical beasts.
Right now, Shakus and his companions are sneaking through this dimly lit forest.
Even though trolls are generally big and tall, they move through the forest without making a sound—even the biggest guy, the Great Elder, is no exception.
Also, in the forest, even strong trolls never make any noise when hunting. Everything's done through hand signals and following orders.
Shakus and his companions stop moving forward because everyone sees the Great Elder's hand signal up ahead.
The Great Elder raises his right hand and extends one index finger, pointing it diagonally toward the front.
The Great Elder's meaning is crystal clear—he's spotted prey in that diagonal direction ahead.
The next moment, the Great Elder's hand signal changes. His index finger switches to his pinky, the pinky bends once, then goes back to the index finger pointing toward where the prey is.
Shakus knows exactly what this gesture means—it's telling the first newbie to move forward and hunt.
So all the trolls glance sideways at Lander with his battle axe, including Shakus.
Shakus is standing near Lander and can faintly hear Lander's heartbeat—the rhythm keeps getting faster.
Shakus extends his left hand, makes a fist and bends his elbow, then flexes inward once. This means he's cheering Lander on.
Lander glances at Shakus, then his seven-foot frame melts into the trees, creeping toward where the prey is located.
Meanwhile, the other troll companions silently surround that area to prevent the prey from escaping.
BANG!
In the time it takes Shakus to adjust his breathing and blink, a loud crash echoes from the pitch-black thicket ahead.
War cries and roars suddenly ring out together, the sound of swinging battle axes goes on and on, and the whooshing of some massive thing stirring up the air echoes all around.
Shakus knows that his tribesman Lander has engaged the prey.
So Shakus and the other companions stop sneaking around, grab their weapons, and converge on where the battle's happening.
When Shakus jumps up onto a huge rock, he sees Lander locked in a life-or-death struggle with a Ground Fire Lizard.
This Ground Fire Lizard is pretty massive—nearly thirteen feet long, taller than seven-foot Lander. Its scales gleam with red light. This is an adult Ground Fire Lizard with fire elemental affinity.
Based on Shakus's understanding, the Ground Fire Lizard in front of him is a magical beast with an elite template.
CLANG!
The battle axe chops into the Ground Fire Lizard's back, sending up a shower of sparks. Lander, fighting up close, isn't getting the upper hand—instead, he's putting himself in danger.
The Ground Fire Lizard's tail and massive jaws keep barely missing Lander.
"Do you know where the Ground Fire Lizard's weak spots are?"
Hearing this, Shakus turns his head to look at Great Elder Stehlkai, who somehow appeared beside him. His pupils contract slightly.
Shakus nods slightly to show respect for Great Elder Stehlkai, then says quietly.
"The base of the tail, and under the limbs."
"Ground Fire Lizards have a disjointed bone at the base of their tails. Hit it and you can make the lizard drop its tail, taking away its tail-strike ability."
"If you hit under the limbs, the Ground Fire Lizard might get its legs broken."
After saying this, Shakus thinks for a moment and adds.
"For some advanced hunters, the Ground Fire Lizard's eyes might be an even better weak spot to attack."
After hearing Shakus's answer, Great Elder Stehlkai can't help but nod. He doesn't praise him, but doesn't offer any corrections either.
"So what do you think of Lander?"
Shakus doesn't answer this question right away. Instead, he turns to watch Lander fighting the Ground Fire Lizard.
After observing for about a quarter hour, Shakus finally turns back to Great Elder Stehlkai and says.
"Lander got in close because he probably wanted to attack the Ground Fire Lizard's underarms—trying to break its legs."
"It's just that Lander lacks experience. He didn't attack the right spot in time and pulled himself into the Ground Fire Lizard's attack range, getting stuck in a stamina-draining endurance battle."
This time, Great Elder Stehlkai nods, really agreeing with what Shakus said.
"If it were you, how would you support Lander right now?"
Shakus is stunned. After a long pause, he opens his mouth to say something, but Great Elder Stehlkai stops him.
"Don't tell me with your mouth!"
"Go! Use your hands to prove to me that what you're saying is the right answer!"
Shakus's pupils contract slightly again, but quickly return to normal.
Shakus nods and shifts his gaze to the struggling Lander and Ground Fire Lizard, but doesn't move for a long time.
"What's wrong?"
"Are you hesitating? Or are you afraid?"
Great Elder Stehlkai's low voice carries a hint of anger now.
Great Elder Stehlkai is a troll who despises cowards and those who fear battle. In his eyes, backing down and being timid means a troll has a despicable soul.
Shakus doesn't offer any explanation. Instead, right as Great Elder Stehlkai is about to say his next sentence, Shakus reaches back and pulls out a throwing spear.
Whoosh!
The sound of the spear tearing through the air rings in all the trolls' ears, and the battle between Lander and the Ground Fire Lizard comes to an abrupt halt.