Sanctuary: Safe Haven

When the warrior troll was in range, it roared and swung his club. Canna nimbly dodged the blow and countered with a swift slash to the troll's side.

The troll howled in pain, but it only seemed to fuel his rage. He charged at Canna with renewed ferocity.

Meanwhile, the mage troll began muttering incantations, and tendrils of magic snaked toward Canna. With quick reflexes, Canna summoned a water shield to block the spell fired at him.

The shield absorbed the impact, but Canna knew he couldn't hold off both trolls for long. He sent the water arrows hastily, firing at the troll mage's head with great accuracy. If he wanted to win, he must take out the mage first.

Summoning all the water arrows he could conjure, Canna devised a plan. He feigned a stumble, making the warrior troll believe he had the upper hand. As the troll lunged, Canna rolled to the side, causing the warrior to crash into the mage. The mage's concentration broke, and his spell backfired, causing an explosion on both of them.

Canna wasn't idle; while the trolls were tied up, he fired all the water arrows on their vital parts, neck, head, and knees, trying to hinder them while he could.

The trolls were dazed after the numerous water arrows fired at their heads; Canna sprang to his feet and delivered a series of precise strikes to the warrior troll, weakening him further. The mage shrieked in frustration. Canna knew he had to act quickly to defeat them both, or their regeneration would kick in, and all of his efforts would be for naught.

Drawing upon Mortem's teachings, Canna channeled all his remaining energy into a final, powerful strike. He plunged his dagger into the ground, sending a mana shockwave through the earth. The force of the blow gravely injured the incapacitated trolls.

The warrior troll, now severely wounded, tried to rise but collapsed under his own weight. The mage, weakened and disoriented, attempted to conjure another spell, but Canna was faster. With a swift, decisive move, he thrusts his left dagger to the troll mage's head and one dagger to its forehead.

The warrior troll, defeated and powerless, lay on the ground groaning in pain. Canna slowly walks over to him, about to deliver the final strike, chest heaving with exertion. He planned carefully to ensure he wouldn't waste energy on any unnecessary movement or spell; he slowly felt relieved that the battle was almost over.

A mistake he would have to pay for dearly.

The troll lay in his stomach, the back of his head completely exposed. Canna prepared himself for the final strike when, without any warning, the troll mage's body suddenly moved. In a second, it crashed into him. His body flew straight into the wall violently.

The sound of bones breaking was heard. His eyes were blurry, and blood came out of every orifice in his body. He could slightly see the troll warrior using the mage's body as a weapon.

The troll's footsteps felt like earthquakes; he was starting to blackout; in that whole fight, every part of his body was boosted with mana. Still, it didn't lessen the damage from a higher-ranking troll with three digits in its strength.

The troll outstretched his arm, getting to strike and snuff the life out of the child who inflicted him pain.

It swung its arm with all its force, only to be met by a black shield. The troll looked at its left side; his eyes were assaulted with fear.

The troll roared as loud as he could, only to see a bone Spear beelining to his face. The troll fell with a thud, and Canna felt being lifted up and moved.

"You did very well, master; rest" was the last words he heard before completely blacking out.

________

Canna slept entirely for two days. The troll fight took a lot from him, physically and mentally, and he thought that would be his end.

Right when he opened his eyes, he saw Mordem standing beside him.

"Master, you fought a splendid battle, almost killing two beings of a higher rank and level; that's something to be proud of already." Mordem could feel through their connection that Canna felt terrible that he couldn't finish the task.

Canna stands up and chants the spells to summon a water mirror so he can take a look at himself. He remembers before passing out the taste of his blood and a couple of his bones breaking. He didn't know if it was a good or bad thing, but he doesn't remember what bones were explicitly broken.

He looks back at his reflection: Straight, white, medium-length hair just skimming the shoulders, blue eyes staring back at him. Right now, he was only wearing a simple cloth shirt that commoners of this world would wear.

The fight had affected him a lot. Feeling that the fight was over, he unconsciously let his guard down. If there were a word to describe it, it would be arrogance. He should have secured the kill first on both the trolls; that way, he wouldn't fly like a cannonball after being struck by a creature fifty times his size.

After assessing his body for injuries, he turned back to Mortem. He knew he was still alive today because of him, and he ensured Mortem knew his importance to him.

Mortem bowed and only stated. "It is only expected of me to serve my master."

When Canna was done thanking Mortem, he slowly approached the dragon staring at him. Canna couldn't read the dragon's mood at all; he couldn't tell if Tonitrum was mad or disappointed at him for being unable to complete the task.

When Canna was near, the same black portal suddenly manifested above Tonitrum's head.

A thunderous roar echoed from the portal as a gigantic wolf emerged, standing an impressive twelve feet tall. Reacting swiftly, Canna infused himself with mana and summoned his dagger just in time to parry a fierce blow aimed at his head. The creature moved with incredible speed, prompting Canna to quickly assess its stats.

[Name: ???]

Level: 40

Race: Two-Headed Wolf

Rank: Medium Rating

Class: Wolf Vanguard

HP: 80/80

MP: 175/175

Strength: 50

Speed: 150

Defense: 30

Intelligence: 80

Agility: 140

Stamina: 60

Vitality: 60

"Time for round two," Tonitrum sneered, observing Canna deflecting the wolf's relentless onslaught.