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The ground rumbled beneath their feet as a thunderous roar echoed through the air. Standing taller than the brick walls and gates of the village, trolls—giant creatures towering over buildings at least twenty feet tall—ripped through the already crumbling stone. Their faces were rugged, with long noses and hulking bodies, and their strength seemed boundless as they tore through what remained of the walls.
"There are more of them this time," Lisa muttered, her voice tinged with disbelief. [They must appear often.] Yuna thought, eyes widening. "At least they aren't dragons," Lisa added, glancing at Rite. Both seemed oddly calm, as if giant monsters were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
The three of them watched through the orb as the trolls continued their assault, some trying to break through the gates while others fought their way into the already devastated hole in the village walls. There was no sign of leadership among the trolls, and they moved in disorganized clusters, though a few were clearly focused on the front gates, where arrows rained down upon them.
Yuna watched the scene unfold, thinking she'd be safe hidden away in the underground hideout. Still, her attention was drawn to Lisa, the elf sitting beside her. Yuna couldn't help but wonder about the stranger's abilities. She decided to use her Inspect skill to learn more.
[Inspect Skill Results]
Level: 48
Species: Green-Wood Elf
Health: 185/185
Mana: 380/380
Strength: 38
Agility: 68
Physical Resistance: 37
Elemental Resistance: 25
Magical Resistance: 30
Ability: ???
Yuna's eyes narrowed as she studied Lisa's stats. While Lisa's physical stats were lower than Rite's, her mana was astounding—almost 400. [I don't think I should mess with her.] Yuna hesitated, looking up at the elf.
Breaking the silence, Lisa turned to Rite. "Did you get the orb?" she asked, sounding almost impatient.
"Oh, yeah. That was the whole point of my trip," Rite said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a red orb. "Now I can finally finish my project." He seemed more focused on his task than the impending troll attack.
"Right, let's get back to our cute little dragon here," Lisa reminded him with a smirk.
"We need to figure out a way to return her to her parents," Lisa said after a moment of thought. "If we don't, this could turn into something much worse than trolls."
Rite sighed. "I'm not even sure if dragons are still around. The last sighting was over two hundred years ago. If she's one of the last eggs, we might be dealing with something no one can handle."
As they paced around the room, Yuna's gaze flickered between them, uncertainty written across her face. Could she understand them? Could she help?
Lisa turned to her with a more thoughtful expression. "Do you understand us?" she asked softly, her tone almost patronizing as if speaking to a child.
Yuna shook her head slowly, and Lisa's face softened. She walked over to Yuna and gently placed her hand on the dragon's head, offering comfort. It wasn't much, but Yuna appreciated the gesture.
Minutes passed before they came to a decision. Yuna would stay with them for now, hidden away until they could find a safer solution. The elf, Lisa, explained that if anyone from the Draconian faction found her, she'd likely become either a pet or dinner. Dragons were considered more myth than reality, and most of the world had forgotten they even existed.
As they watched the trolls outside, Yuna noticed the villagers fighting bravely, but the trolls, despite their size, were no match for the coordinated defense of the lizard people. Even so, it was clear that the battle was a losing one for the trolls.
Lisa explained further: "Trolls are known for their stupidity. They're considered a primitive species, even though they've built cities of their own in recent years. But right now, they're still outnumbered, and they've no real strategy."
Despite the chaos, Yuna's thoughts drifted to something Lisa had said earlier: [Race is important here.] She was learning that, in this world, race wasn't just a label—it could determine power, status, and survival.
Lisa's voice broke through her thoughts. "More than a hundred humanoid races exist, but only a handful have survived the Void's onslaught. The Void-born monsters are brutal, relentless... and corrupt. They wipe out civilizations like the one that existed here centuries ago, before most races were brought to near extinction."
The weight of Lisa's words hung in the air. Whatever had caused the Void's appearance, it was clear that the world was in turmoil, and things were only getting worse.
"Now," Lisa said, turning back to Rite, "let's figure out what we do with our little dragon friend."