The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 32

The Archduke’s Trash is a Genius – Episode 32 (32/200)

Chapter 5: Achievement: The Promoted Trash

The advantages of a Troll are clear.

The strength from its ogre-sized body can easily destroy most terrains.

The wind pressure from each swing of its club is enough to make the weakest monsters wet themselves.

And that’s not all.

Trolls possess insane regenerative abilities.

In fact, this is what makes Trolls famous among humans.

Even if a Troll’s body part is severed during battle, it can usually regenerate everything unless its head is cut off.

What’s truly terrifying is that even if an arm or leg is completely severed, superior Trolls can quickly recover.

So much for the advantages.

However, as clear as its advantages are, the Troll’s disadvantages are equally clear.

Trolls are stupid and slow.

They lack the intelligence to fatally ensnare an enemy with cunning, so their attacks are always linear and simple.

Of course, with that massive size, even simple attacks are very threatening.

Therefore, when facing a Troll, it’s important to avoid a direct confrontation and instead set traps or use speed to avoid taking direct hits.

“Kuaaaargh!!!”

But the current situation is a bit difficult.

I’ve fallen into the Troll’s territory because of someone’s prank.

And surviving here for 30 minutes is the condition to obtain the first Golden Branch.

This would have been an easy quest for the original Henon.

The strategy already comes to mind.

First, I would agilely evade the Troll’s slow attacks and use the Cheonma Sword [Heavenly Demon Sword, a powerful magical sword] to attack its blind spots.

If that happens, the enraged Troll would blindly charge at me to kill me.

I could then use Wood Control to bind the Troll and, taking advantage of its momentary pause, cut off its head to clear the quest.

‘The problem is that I’m not in Henon’s body, but in this little kid’s body.’

The Troll’s club was coming straight down at me.

My body felt heavier and slower than I thought.

Besides, I wasn’t scared at all, but the young body I possessed instinctively stiffened, making it difficult to move as I intended.

First, I cleared my mind of all distractions and rolled across the ground to avoid the Troll’s first strike.

Kwaaaang!!

The thick paulownia club struck the spot where I had been.

It was such a powerful blow that it cracked the ground; if I had been hit, I wouldn’t have been able to recover my bones.

Its raw strength is truly ridiculously strong.

“Kuaaargh!!”

The survival mission had now begun.

The Troll, as if it hadn’t expected its attack to miss, glared at me with bloodshot eyes.

Each time its foot hit the ground, the earth shook with a thumping sound, and a nearby sparrow flew into the sky.

Whoong! Whoong! Whoong!

The club continued to swing. Fortunately, the Troll’s attacks were slow even from the perspective of a child, and I remained focused and calmly evaded them.

Ten minutes quickly passed.

And I realized.

There was no hope with this method.

“Hah! Hah! Hah!”

The child’s weak stamina was holding me back. My sweat-soaked face and pounding heart constantly warned me that my body was at its limit.

On the other hand, the Troll was still going strong.

In fact, it seemed to regard this process of catching the young elf as a hunt and a game. The occasional glimpse of its yellow teeth confirmed my guess that it was mocking me.

If this goes on, it will go all out after a little more time. In my current condition, I’ll become prey if I simply run away.

This won’t do. I need to come up with a solution. And I remembered that this moment was a test.

‘Don’t just think of it as a crisis. This is a test. And it’s to prove my qualifications as a Druid. Is simply running away from a monster the right answer in such a test?’

쿵! 쿵! 쿵!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The Troll runs towards me.

Reflexively, I cast a Druid skill.

[You cast the skill Wood Control.]

[You bind the target.]

As expected!

My body may be weak, but my Druid skills are cast at a similar level to when I was Henon.

Tree trunks rose from the ground and tightly bound the Troll up to its knees.

“Kuaaaaagh!!”

The Troll, countered for the first time since hunting me, roared ferociously and tore apart the bound tree trunks with its strength.

The brief moment created by the binding was so sweet. I used this gap to put some distance between myself and it.

The Troll chased after me, and I bound it with Wood Control and ran away. The Troll chased again, and I repeated the binding and escape. I was able to buy another 10 minutes like this.

It was around this point that I was finally able to grasp the essence of the test. Normally, Henon would devote himself to swordsmanship and become one with the sword. But this time was different. I had to face that Troll with only my Druid abilities.

‘Can I do it?’

Now is the time to act rather than doubt. I emptied my mind and repeatedly cast bindings.

After having its movements restricted several times, the Troll seemed to have learned from the repeated pattern and easily broke free from the tree trunks and charged at me.

It seemed disadvantageous to be stepping on the same ground. I decided to actively use the surrounding environment and looked around.

I spotted a thick zelkova tree that seemed to be at least thousands of years old. Its trunk was so thick that even that monster wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

Feeling that this was it, I touched the tree and cast Wood Control. I didn’t need much. Just enough steps to climb up.

This was the forest, the Druid’s domain, and the tree seemed to guess my thoughts and extended its branches. Before the Troll could come, I quickly used them as footholds and climbed to the top of the zelkova tree.

“Kuaaaaaaa!!!”

The enraged Troll began to vent its anger by senselessly swinging its club at the zelkova tree. Despite being an incredibly thick tree, the Troll’s full-force attacks caused it to shake and slowly tilt.

I checked the remaining time.

I still had to endure for another 10 minutes.

Could I hold out on the tree?

The answer was no.

The tree would fall first. Next, there was a high probability that I would be pulverized by the Troll’s club, which would be thoroughly enraged. Besides, my stamina was already at its limit. Once the tree fell, I wouldn’t even have the strength to run away.

In the end, I came to a conclusion. I had to somehow defend the zelkova tree from the Troll’s attacks from above. Looking at the situation now, the zelkova tree was a fortress, and I was the lord who had to defend the castle from the attacking Troll.

So, what should I do?

My only weapon was my Druid abilities. And even that was only enough to bind the opponent for a short time. But if that was all, I couldn’t solve this situation.

‘I have to use some other method.’

Until now, my Druid abilities had been a binding skill to restrain opponents.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Because my main weapon was swordsmanship, I implicitly thought that Druid power was enough to support it.

But this test was asking me.

If I truly intended to become a Druid.

It was asking if I intended to communicate with nature as a Druid, rather than simply using it as a crowd control skill to hinder enemies.

‘Okay. Let’s approach it differently.’

Nature is not only made up of trees. Various components harmoniously blend together to create perfect balance and symmetry. The entity that can be called one and many is nature.

The blue sky.

The warm sunlight.

The flowing water.

The gentle breeze.

The solid stone.

For a long time, I had only used the limited element of trees. Now that I think about it, even the only active skill I had was Wood Control.

I realized it was time to use other components as well. Among them, which element was I most familiar with and easiest to access?

That was stone.

Even in the urgent situation where the Troll was hitting the tree and trying to kill me, I concentrated. With the thought that if not now, it would never happen.

I drew a picture in my mind. Imagining a sharp, drill-shaped awl popping out and stabbing the Troll.

Then, a suddenly unfolded water surface. It was the same mental world as when I obtained Wood Control. However, the ice film covering the water surface was thinner than before, and the depth was not very deep.

With this, I realized. The experience I had gained from suffering in the northern mountains was more than enough to use Stone Control.

It was just a situation where I needed a suitable moment and realization to take a step forward. And the right moment was now.

콰지직!!

Kwajik!!

As I broke through the ice film and soared, I felt as if the pores all over my body were opening. The solid stone element that supports the earth permeated me. At the same time, the system window reacted.

——————–

[You awaken the element ‘Stone.’]

[Active Skill List]

1. Wood Control

2. Stone Control

3. Locked

4. Locked

5. Locked

——————–

I acquired Stone Control.

I paused my joy for a moment and quickly escaped from the mental world.

When I came to my senses, I was back in the test, and the Troll was almost about to knock down the zelkova tree.

“Kuaaargh!!”

I coldly stared at the Troll, roaring with the thought that it could punish the intruder who had invaded its home and make it its prey if it did just a little more.

I formed a light hand seal and activated my connection.

First, binding.

[Activating Wood Control.]

[Binding the target.]

Tree trunks popped out of the ground and bound the Troll. As if familiar with this attack now, the Troll tried to break the tree trunks using its strength.

The attack was not over yet.

I immediately used the newly acquired skill.

[Activating Stone Control.]

[Attacking the target.]

A stone that popped out of the ground was fired towards the Troll’s abdomen. The shape of the stone was pointed at the end. It was like a thorn, and it resembled a long spear, a lance, that knights held and charged with.

The Troll, already bound by the tree trunks, did not react at all to the sudden variable, and the pointed stone pierced through its soft skin.

“Kuaaaaagh!!!!”

The Troll, feeling pain, screamed and went berserk. From the moment I seized the victory, my attacks poured in relentlessly. I cast Stone Control to the point of mental confusion.

Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk!

The stone spear, the Stone Lance, steadily destroyed the Troll’s vital organs.

No matter how great the Troll’s regeneration was, it couldn’t withstand the continuous damage. Moreover, the severed tree trunks continued to regenerate and bind it.

Repeated use of Druid power made my head spin and caused a nosebleed that stained my lips red, but I didn’t care and repeatedly used Wood Bind and Stone Lance in tandem.

As a result.

Kooong!!

The moment the inflicted damage far surpassed the Troll’s regeneration, the large and powerful monster fell, unable to do anything against a small half-elf child. At the same time, the promised 30 minutes had just passed.

“There! He’s over there! Merlin fell over there!”

“What should we do? We were playing together, and then…”

“The Troll was huge!”

Along with the voices, elf children and a group of warriors with bows appeared on the hill.

Soon, they witnessed the scene.

They were dumbfounded to see the Troll, riddled with holes all over its body, lying dead, and me standing indifferently on top of it.

“N-No way! Did Merlin take down the Troll all by himself?”

“How? How did he do it?”

“He must have been lucky.”

“Was a Troll a monster that could be taken down with luck? By such a young child?”

“Think about it. That guy is a mixed-blood. He might have harbored some curse in the process of being crossbred with a human. He must have used that power to eliminate the Troll.”

Adults and children were the same. No one worried about my safety. Only gazes full of fear, disgust, and contempt were directed at me.

At the same time, my vision spun. The beautiful deciduous forest gradually crumbled from the outside, and soon everything was dyed in darkness. Then, letters appeared before my eyes.

[You have cleared the first test – Druid’s Memory I.]

[You acquire the Golden Branch.]

[Promotion complete!]

[You have been promoted to Beginner Druid.]

Spaaaaark!!!

A warm light burst out and soaked my body. A sense of elation soared to the top of my head. Confidence overflowed, making me feel like I could do anything.

——————–

[You awaken the element ‘Wind.’]

[Active Skill List]

1. Wood Control

2. Stone Control

3. Wind Control

4. Locked

5. Locked

——————–

[You acquire a new skill.]

[Existing skills are enhanced.]

[Active skills are subdivided.]

——————–

1. Wood Control

-Bind (★★)

-Wood Golem (★)

2. Stone Control

-Stone Lance (★)

-Stone Shield (★)

3. Wind Control

-Instant Step (★)

——————–

The rewards for obtaining the Golden Branch and being promoted were truly enormous. The biggest change was awakening the new element of wind, following wood and stone.

In fact, I had never used wind during the test, so I was initially puzzled as to why it was unlocked, but after looking at the related skills, I immediately understood.

Instant Step, a movement skill that kicks off in the air with the power of wind, was a skill I had been steadily practicing since learning it from Commander Karina.

It seemed that the potential and experience I had accumulated had burst out as I was promoted to Beginner Druid. Anyway, since I had unlocked the third element, I could now use even more diverse skills.

Also, by awakening the element of stone, I gained an attack skill for the first time as a Druid, and through Stone Shield, I could summon a flat stone, which could be used not only for defense but also in various ways.

There was also a big change in the wood element.

The existing binding skill, Bind, which was 1 star, was upgraded to 2 stars, and a new skill called Golem Summon was created. I decided to check the effects of the upgraded Bind and the performance of the Wood Golem separately later.

And now…

-Human, have you returned?

I need to talk to the dragon, Kyle, who watched my test from the side.

-Your aura has changed. Although you look the same on the outside, the mysterious feeling has become stronger. The Golden Branch has raised the level of your soul.

The World Tree branch, which had been floating above the altar, scattering golden light, had disappeared. It seemed that it had been automatically absorbed into my body the moment I passed the test.

The scene of the Druid’s promotion was a rare sight that even a dragon who had lived for thousands of years was seeing for the first time, and his eyes were full of admiration and curiosity.

-Could you tell me what happened inside?

It wasn’t a difficult request, so I calmly told the story. After hearing everything, the dragon scratched his cheek and shared his speculation.

-Merlin… I think I’ve heard news of such a Druid before. If it reached my ears, and I only stay in the lair, he must have been very famous among humans.

“Is that so?”

-The Golden Branch is likely to be a fragment of Merlin’s soul, that is, an incarnation. That’s why the test was to create a scene similar to the memory of the soul.

As expected of a dragon with vast knowledge. Surprisingly, Kyle was able to deduce the approximate background of the Golden Branch with just a few clues I gave him, and that assumption completely matched my reasoning.

“So, the events I experienced in the test were actually experienced by a Druid named Merlin.”

-Probably so.

To be ostracized not only by children but also by adults just because their parents are of different races. I didn’t know that the elven race’s obsession with pure blood was this extreme.

I can’t even imagine how he must have felt, having faced a life-threatening crisis at a young age.

The sight of being despised and scorned by everyone felt similar to Henon’s past. Are half-elves born with this fate? Or is it just a coincidence?

Complex problems aside.

I found the Golden Branch and got promoted, so it’s time to return to Black Castle. Above all, I reported Victor’s identity through Sion, so the castle must be in chaos now.

On top of that, I had to add the shocking news that the Apostle of Jealousy, one of the Seven Twilight Executives, was nearby.

“Great being, although it was short, it was an honor to meet you. I will be on my way now.”

I bowed politely and tried to step back. As I turned around and left the ruins, I heard the dragon’s voice from behind.

-Stop for a moment.

I have to stop when he tells me to stop.

The dragon said to me, who was standing still.

-I have a favor to ask of you.