章 77: Chapter 61: Above the Clouds! Troll’s Castle!!
"What a giant vine!"
"I've never seen a vine this massive in my entire life!"
A group of villagers gathered below the roots, staring up in shock as the colossal vine stretched into the sky.
For them, with their limited knowledge, it was almost impossible to imagine that such a thing could exist.
"Do you think… if you climbed all the way up, you'd meet the gods?"
One villager murmured, eyes wide.
"Well, if it goes high enough, why not?" another replied. "Might even be treasure up there!"
The mere mention of "treasure" made the eyes of a few men in the crowd light up.
"If there's treasure, we can find out by climbing up and taking a look."
Two burly men stripped down, preparing to climb as if they were born to it, gripping the thick branches and leaves as they made their ascent.
"Hold it right there!" A thin, scrappy-looking young man in tattered clothes jumped in front of them. "This vine's mine! I grew it myself, traded a cow for the seeds!"
He gave a greedy grin. "Anyone who wants to climb has to pay me a silver coin."
"Pfft, you're delusional!" one of the men scoffed. "Your family's dirt poor, Jack! Since when did you own a cow?"
The crowd burst into laughter, jeering at Jack, who had a rat-like face twisted in a greedy grin.
"What can you expect from the son of a pickpocket?" someone chimed in. "Kid's always running his mouth about getting rich, but whenever he gets a few coins, he gambles it all away! Just like his good-for-nothing father."
"Hey, Jack!" a neighbor called out, almost whispering. "Your mother's on her deathbed. Maybe you should go see her."
Jack's face twisted with disdain. "That useless old hag can die for all I care."
He tightened his belt and snarled, "If you don't pay up, I'll chop down this vine and watch you all fall!"
The two climbers exchanged glances. One shook his head. "Better not mess with him; he's the sneaky sort who'll break into your house in the middle of the night."
They grudgingly tossed him two silver coins, and Jack grinned, pocketing them. His eyes darted to the vine, wondering if he should climb it himself.
"Is there really treasure up there?" someone whispered.
In the crowd, a young woman in a red cloak named Anne looked at the vine, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"If there is, we'll know soon enough." Rhode, a noble-looking man, stepped forward. "Wait here. I'll check it out."
But before he could approach, Jack blocked his way, hand outstretched. "Pay up, first!"
Seeing Rhode's fine clothes, Jack hesitated for a split second, but his greed quickly won out. After all, the worst that could happen was a punch to the face.
"Jack, is it?" Rhode eyed him, amused. He recognized the type immediately. Jack was just like the one in the old tales—a troublemaker with a knack for getting his hands on things that weren't his.
In the story, Jack had traded a cow for a magic bean that grew into a sky-high vine, leading him to a world of giants. Up there, he repeatedly stole from a giant, even after being warmly welcomed by the lady of the castle. In the end, he killed the giant and lived happily ever after. But to Rhode, the story wasn't one of adventure—it was about a bandit who took from others just because he could.
"Tell you what," Rhode said, pulling out a gleaming gold coin. "This can be yours if you do one thing for me."
Jack's eyes sparkled. A whole gold coin was more than he could dream of. "You name it, and it's done."
Rhode tossed the coin, watching it spin before landing in Jack's eager hand. "Go home. See your mother."
Jack gave him a strange look. This was too easy! Was this guy actually a fool?
"It's that simple," Rhode confirmed with a nod.
"Fine by me!" Jack, clutching the coin as though it would vanish, ran off.
"Simple, huh?" Rhode watched him go, shaking his head. Sometimes, the simplest tasks are the hardest.
Jack disappeared into an alley, glancing back just to make sure Rhode wasn't following. Then, he slowly opened his palm, the golden coin glinting in the sun.
A wide grin spread across his face. "Should I hit the alley for some fun, or gamble it? If I get lucky, this coin might turn into two!"
But before he could even make up his mind, something strange happened. His legs grew heavy, as if shackled in iron.
"What the…?" He looked down, alarmed, as his feet turned gray, and then, like spreading stone, his entire body petrified. Jack had become a statue, still clutching his precious gold coin.
...
"So, how do you plan on climbing that?" Yulia asked, looking up at the vine that stretched endlessly into the clouds.
"Need me to cast a Featherlight spell?"
"Magic's too slow." Rhode shook his head. He planted his foot firmly, and the ground beneath him rumbled. A massive mound rose up, growing higher and higher until it towered like a mountain.
Yulia's eyes went wide. "Since when could a fire mage do that? Isn't he supposed to specialize in flames?" This kind of earth manipulation was on par with legendary earth mages.
Wind whipped against Rhode's face as the ground surged, bringing him close to the clouds. Soon, he was level with the vine, and with a final push, he breached a barrier and entered a world where the air was thick and gravity pulled harder.
In the distance stood a massive castle floating above the clouds. From the ground, Rhode had looked like a speck; now, even the castle doors were so massive they seemed like mountains, with walls hundreds of meters high. Guards stood by the entrance—huge trolls with leathery wings and pale skin, similar to ordinary trolls but much larger.
"Sky Trolls…" Rhode muttered, frowning. A whole city of trolls?
"Human!"
One of the trolls guarding the gate noticed him, its massive eyes blinking in surprise.
"How'd a human escape here?" It spat, annoyed. "Get back in your cage!"
Rhode raised an eyebrow. Did they just say "cage"? Were there other humans here?
"Did you not hear me, you lowly slave?" the troll sneered, looking down at Rhode with contempt. "If it weren't for the king's orders, I'd eat you on the spot."
These trolls seemed oddly restrained. Though angry, they made no move to attack. Rhode was intrigued. What kind of power could hold back a sky troll?
"Could you answer one question?" Rhode asked, his curiosity piqued.
The trolls glared, their patience wearing thin. "You? Ask a question?" The troll grinned maliciously. "Give me an arm as a snack, and maybe I'll think about it."
"An arm, huh?" Rhode smirked, then suddenly leapt into the air, landing on the troll's nose. He pressed a hand to the creature's forehead, his cold gaze boring down.
"Answer my question… or die."
The troll hesitated, fury mixed with a glint of fear. "How dare you strike a troll? I should just crush you right now! The king wouldn't even care!"
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