During his pre-battle analysis, Fang Senyan had only factored in the Troll’s potential for critical hits, which is why he’d even bothered to use his axe for parrying. He hadn't anticipated that the sheer disparity in strength would result in a crushing effect! This intensely ferocious secondary attack was undeniably potent, and it appeared to proc with every strike, dealing terrifying damage that bypassed defense entirely during the extra determination! Had it not been for his Resilience talent holding firm, that single blow might well have been the death of him!

Furthermore, the primary reason Fang Senyan had managed to dodge the Troll’s frontal assaults almost every time wasn't due to agility, but rather his vastly superior perception playing a crucial role. The Troll’s attack speed wasn't slow once it swung its massive club, but being merely a novice-tier Legendary creature, its preparatory movements were noticeably sluggish: for instance, if the Troll struck every five seconds, it would take a full 4.5 seconds to wind up the club, with the actual downward swing taking only 0.5 seconds. This timing was the main reason Fang Senyan could evade its direct attacks most of the time.

Even as he was flung backward, Fang Senyan clearly witnessed the Troll stepping directly into the trap, but he cautiously confirmed the creature hadn't pressed the attack before fishing out the "Agnostic's Vodka" from his pouch and downing two large gulps. His health flickered back slightly, and he immediately followed up by applying the high-grade US military field bandage he had extorted from Banks Syndicate's Vant, which stopped the bleeding and regenerated 50 HP over 30 seconds. Finally pulling his health above 50%, he prepared to cautiously re-engage to survey the fight, confident that the Symbiote group wouldn't even notice his return at this point.

As he crept closer to the fray, Fang Senyan couldn't shake the lingering fear from the initial exchange: plans never keep pace with reality. He never expected to be blasted over twenty meters by a single club swing from the Troll, without even a chance to retaliate. If the Troll hadn't fallen into the trap after knocking him away, if it had continued the pursuit, if it had been unwilling to abandon the captured Feast Cage... then without a doubt, that group of lowlifes led by Crowbar would most likely have stood by and watched, leaving him in mortal danger.

However, Fang Senyan soon reconciled with the thought: because he himself hadn't exactly harbored good intentions from the start. In his carefully laid scheme, any mishap meant he would be the first to sell out the surrounding Symbiote ambushers... That’s right, he couldn't outrun the Troll, but as a certain dark strategist once declared: "In front of a starving bear, I only need to outrun you." Once the Troll had its meal, the chance for escape would naturally appear in abundance. Since you treat others as stepping stones, it's only fair that others treat you as a disposable pawn.

Fang Senyan didn't head directly toward the battle zone. Instead, he made a wide detour, finding a tall tree downwind and climbing into its upper branches. This way, even if the Troll won decisively, it wouldn't catch his scent for pursuit. The tree stood about thirty meters from the conflict; the flickering firelight from the battle cast dappled shadows up to him, and the Troll's furious roars, accompanied by a foul stench, drifted over on the wind.

At the very instant Fang Senyan was struck and sent flying, Crowbar and the others' hearts had plummeted.

Fang Senyan’s failure meant one thing: the risk of facing the Troll directly would now transfer to the Symbiote group. Having already witnessed the Troll's destructive power, none of them were eager to experience the swing of that giant club, even if it was currently wielded by a tree.

Who could have guessed the tables would turn so quickly? The behemoth, having exerted too much force, somehow lost its footing spectacularly and tumbled right into the pit trap! A feeling of wild ecstasy surged through them. However, since the Troll was a humanoid creature, as its leading foot landed in the trap, its massive body naturally pitched forward. Beyond continuous shrieks emanating from its throat, its hands thrashed wildly in the air, grasping for anything to hold onto.

It turned out that the Symbiote group, in all their meticulous planning for the trap, had overlooked one crucial detail: the massive log the Troll held in its hands. This weapon was itself the solid trunk of a tree, easily four to five meters long, and it lodged perfectly across the mouth of the pit! "The Troll was already nearly four meters tall, possessing monstrous strength. Its hands gripped the log fiercely, refusing to let go, while its thick legs kicked frantically, gouging clumps of earth and mud from the pit walls. If this continued, the trap would be destroyed in mere minutes!"

Seeing this, Crowbar—a man skilled in planning but lacking improvisational ability—panicked. He immediately viewed the log jammed across the pit opening as an intolerable menace. Leaping from his ambush position, he swiftly threw three grenades.

With three booming explosions, the smoke filled the air, mingled with the monster’s incomparably piercing shriek of pain. Crowbar’s three grenades were timed with calculated precision; they struck the pit wall supporting the jammed log, causing a section of it to collapse. Combined with the massive, dragging weight of the suspended Troll, the log was yanked down into the hole. Amidst rolling earth and stone, the Troll finally plunged completely into the trap, its enraged roars causing the surrounding leaves to tremble and fall.

"We did it!" Crowbar leaped into the air, raising his arm in triumph. "Everyone move in!"

The Symbiote group naturally didn't dare hesitate. Even faster, however, was Duss. No one knew where he had been hiding, but as the Troll fell into the trap, Duss had materialized from the darkness. His left hand clung to a thick branch of a tree twenty meters away, while his right hand held a rifle in a standard tactical stance as he squeezed the trigger, firing downward!

Crack-crack-crack. Three crisp rifle shots rang out. The muzzle flashes illuminated Duss's impassive face, and one could clearly see the faint, spiraling smoke trails clinging to the base of the three bullets he fired. They grazed past the Troll’s left ear tip and sank deeply into its left eye socket at an angle!

Although Fang Senyan couldn't see the exact damage dealt, looking at the Troll’s contorted and grotesquely twisted expression of agony, he knew the blow’s power must have been immense. Immediately following, grenades, throwing knives, and other deadly projectiles rained down from the Symbiote group's designated ranged attackers. Only Duss remained suspended motionlessly, firing shot after shot with a steady, monotonous rhythm at calculated intervals. Though the gunshots weren't overwhelmingly loud, they possessed a dull resonance that seemed to shake the listener’s lungs and viscera—the sound alone made one feel like coughing up blood, testifying to the terrifying power of his projectiles.

"This guy certainly has the foundation to back up his arrogance." As the saying goes, an expert reveals their skill with their first move. After Duss displayed his true prowess in marksmanship, not only did the expressions of the Symbiote members shift, but even Fang Senyan, observing secretly from afar, felt a surge of awe. Duss’s shooting posture and rhythm were as fluid and seamless as a master pianist performing a masterpiece, lending an almost artistic beauty to the brutality of slaughter.

In the prior confrontation with the Banks Syndicate, Duss had been sandwiched between two attackers, struggling and unable to unleash his true capabilities. Only now was he displaying his real strength. Crowbar's sense of alarm deepened considerably. Given Duss’s current performance, he suspected that even Vant, who boasted peak physical strength, might not be his match if Duss could maintain distance!

With this thought, Crowbar subtly signaled his subordinates to be wary. Although a temporary contract existed between them, there were countless loopholes. To trust blindly in a mere contract would surely lead to their doom! The Symbiote members exchanged glances and quietly edged closer to Duss's position. Their purpose was clearly to screen him, preemptively blocking him to prevent him from instantly grabbing any dropped key items once the Troll was slain.

Fang Senyan, watching from the distance, let out a cold sneer. These Symbiote people were truly blinded by greed. People talk about burning the bridge after crossing the river or hiding the bow once the birds are gone, but these fools were already scheming against their ally before the river was even crossed and the birds were even captured. Such behavior couldn't be described merely as foolishness.

Predictably, Duss, already positioned high above, had a clear view of all surrounding movements. He wasn't an idiot either. With a cold smile, he immediately leaped down from the tree he was perched on and melted back into the darkness with astonishing speed.

At this moment, Fang Senyan could discern that Duss was clearly an unconventional marksman, balancing both agility and strength. This type of shooter could deliver respectable mid-range attacks and was equally capable in close quarters, able to engage in bayonet fighting or butt-stock striking without disadvantage. Their weakness, however, was a lack of sustained power and perception, which largely prevented them from mastering high-rate-of-fire, high-tech ranged weapons. They were also disadvantaged against perceptive enemies who specialized in projectile attacks. Nevertheless, for an early-stage contractor focusing on ranged combat, this path offered a significantly increased survival rate while also balancing shooting damage. In any case, staying alive was the top priority.

Taking advantage of a brief lull in the suppressive fire, the Troll trapped below seized the opportunity. It let out a monstrous roar, reaching up and kicking powerfully with its feet to leap, actually managing to grab the edge of the pit wall! Its legs thrashed violently, its elongated, thick claws acting like spades, digging away the dirt and mud from the pit walls—it was clearly attempting to claw its way out of the trap by force.