"Run! Run!"
Rove's voice exploded in the cramped space.
Hermione Granger was huddled under the sinks in the corner, her face pale as death. She stared at the behemoth squeezing through the door, her throat so tight she couldn't even scream.
It was a true monster.
It stood twelve feet tall, its skin as gray and rough as granite. It had to stoop to fit into the girls' bathroom, its massive bulk instantly filling all the available space.
But in Rove's eyes, this wasn't just a Troll.
> [Encounter Elite BOSS: Cave Troll of Moria]
> [Level: Lv.25 (Skull Class)]
> [Weapon: Orc Siege Hammer (Attack: ???)]
> [Armor: Heavy Plate Armor (System Identification: Skin)]
> [Status: Berserk / Starving]
The Troll's tiny eyes, like tennis balls, fixed on Hermione in the corner. It let out a low growl and raised the tree-trunk-sized club in its hand.
"Hey! Big guy!"
Rove slammed his frying pan with his wand.
CLANG!
The metallic ring echoed through the bathroom.
The Troll paused. It turned its small, clumsy head to look at the tiny creature who seemingly had a death wish.
"Your opponent is me!" Rove held up his frying pan (round shield) and gripped his Blackthorn wand (shortsword) in his right hand, assuming a standard defensive stance. "If you want to hurt the Elven Princess, you'll have to step over my dead body!"
The Troll was enraged.
Roaring, it redirected the club originally aimed at Hermione. With a whistling sound of displaced air, it swept horizontally toward Rove.
This wasn't a normal swing. This was a siege hammer strike capable of shattering city gates.
ROLL!
Rove's body moved as if fitted with springs, throwing himself sideways instantly and rolling across the floor.
BOOM!
The club smashed into the row of sinks.
The sound of shattering porcelain was deafening. Pipes burst, and white jets of water shot toward the ceiling like fountains, instantly soaking the entire room.
Rubble and porcelain shards flew everywhere.
"Damn it! This strength is way higher than an Orc Captain!"
Rove leaped up from the floor. Water dripped from his hair, but he didn't feel the cold; he only felt his hot blood boiling.
> [Passive Skill Triggered: Hobbit Racial Trait]
> [Effect: Evasion Rate +50% when facing Large Creatures]
Having missed its strike, the Troll grew even angrier. It turned clumsily, lifting a foot the size of a millstone, trying to stomp this jumping flea into paste.
Rove didn't retreat.
Using his small stature to his advantage, he charged directly under the Troll.
"Pedicure Tactics!"
The Blackthorn wand in his hand, like a sharp dagger, stabbed viciously at the Troll's ankle.
DING! A crisp sound rang out.
Rove felt like he had stabbed an iron plate. The shock numbed the web of his hand.
> [Attack Ineffective! Armor Not Penetrated!]
"This skin is too thick!" Rove cursed internally. "Is it wearing Mithril chainmail?"
Although it caused no substantial damage, the prick stung the Troll. It roared in pain and stomped frantically.
Rove was like an agile monkey, dodging left and right between the Troll's legs.
Water splashed, and rubble tumbled.
Hermione was still huddled in the corner, eyes wide as she watched the scene. Her mind was blank. All her book knowledge, all her spells, seemed so pale and useless in this moment.
All she saw was the Hufflepuff boy, usually so eccentric, dancing beneath the feet of a monster capable of crushing them, armed only with a frying pan and a wand.
"Hermione! Move!" Rove roared while dodging the Troll's stomps. "Run for the door! I can't hold it for long!"
Hermione finally snapped out of it. She stood up trembling, trying to sneak along the wall.
But the Troll wasn't completely brainless.
It noticed Hermione's movement. It swung its long arm violently, reaching for her like it was grabbing a chicken.
"Don't even think about it!"
Rove gritted his teeth and made a crazy decision.
Instead of dodging, he leaped high into the air, using all his strength to slam his frying pan into the Troll's extended arm.
CLANG!
Another loud bang.
This time, the frying pan hit the Troll's wrist solidly.
Although for the Troll it might have been just a mosquito bite, the sudden pain knocked its aim off. Its palm grazed the top of Hermione's head and slammed into the wall.
But the price was heavy.
Because Rove had jumped into the air, he had no leverage. The Troll swung backhand, and the massive wooden club slammed into him like a wall.
Rove only had time to bring the frying pan up to his chest.
BANG!
A massive force hit him.
Rove felt like he had been hit by a runaway bus. He flew backward, slammed heavily into the opposite wall, and slid down.
> [WARNING: Shield Damaged!]
> [Frying Pan Durability: 75% -> 40%]
> [Status: Internal Concussion / Hand Trauma]
> [HP: 80%]
"Cough, cough..."
Rove spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. His left hand was trembling violently, barely able to grip the pan.
The once smooth frying pan now had a deep dent in the center, bearing the massive imprint of the club.
"Damn..." Rove struggled to stand up, leaning against the wall. "I'm not Aragorn, and I don't have Narsil!"
The Troll turned around, advancing step by step.
It seemed to realize that this little thing was the biggest threat. It raised the club, preparing for the final blow.
The massive shadow engulfed Rove.
"Is this the end?"
Rove looked up at the descending "Siege Hammer." There was no fear in his eyes, only the resolve of a Ring-Bearer's guardian.
"If this is my end..."
He took a deep breath and raised the deformed frying pan once more.
"For the Shire!"
Just in the nick of time—
BANG!
The bathroom door was smashed open again.
Two breathless figures rushed in.
"Get away from him, you ugly brute!"
Harry and Ron had arrived on the battlefield!