A fantastical journey across the heavens, beginning with the Witcher.

Li De dismounted and gently patted Coal Ball's neck.

The intelligent black horse wasn't afraid at all. It trotted up to the troll with light steps, raised its big head, and affectionately nuzzled the troll's rough face, looking exceptionally docile.

Lump carefully stretched out its large, clumsy hand and gently wrapped it around Coal Ball's neck, afraid of hurting the horse with too much force, and kept grinning foolishly.

Olivia's expression was incredibly complex. She looked at the grinning troll, then at the affectionately-looking Coalball, and couldn't help but ask, "Um... is this your friend, or Coalball's friend?"

"Yes, but the lump prefers to stick to the coal a little more."

Why?

Olivia looked on with curiosity.

"I taught them math last time, and Coal Ball learned much faster than Lump. He thought Coal Ball was smart. In addition, Coal Ball knew a kind of herb that could relieve indigestion, and he often took him to find it and eat it. Over time, he came to regard Coal Ball as his best friend."

"I see……"

Olivia nodded knowingly, but then suddenly snapped out of her daze, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, you said 'them'? There's more than just this one troll?"

"That's right, this is a very rare troll family."

"The chieftain is a shrewd and wise female troll. She is very old and has given birth to many offspring. She also loves liveliness and will not drive away the cubs even when they grow up. Over time, they have gathered into a large family."

"When I left here last time, there were eleven trolls in total. Now, almost two years later, there are probably more."

At this moment, Geda was still holding the coal ball and muttering to himself, repeating over and over again, "Grandma punished me, the bridge is hard to build, the mushroom soup is delicious, please have some," and he was reluctant to move.

Li De reluctantly interrupted its rambling, "Geda, take us to see your great-grandmother. I need to talk to her about something."

"Great-grandmother..."

Upon hearing the mention of the clan chief, Geda's previously joyful expression instantly fell. His ugly-cute face was filled with grievance, and he drooped his head, looking exceptionally sad.

Li De's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "What happened to your great-grandmother? What's wrong?"

"Great-grandmother... I'm hungry... Punishing the lump, Witcher... Good person, save me."

Geda stammered as she spoke, her voice trembling with tears, looking utterly pitiful.

Li De breathed a sigh of relief, covered his head, and shook his head helplessly.

He understood the meaning of "Geda": if the bridge wasn't built well, the troll chieftain would punish him by making him go hungry, and he asked the witcher to intercede for him.

"You scared me! I thought something terrible had happened."

"Alright, alright, I'll plead for you. You take us to see her first." Li De reluctantly agreed.

"A good man! The Witcher is a good man!"

Geda's sorrow instantly turned to joy, and he began to chuckle foolishly again. He skillfully pulled on Coal Ball's reins, carefully protecting the horse, and with heavy steps, walked towards the depths of the forest.

Olivia clung tightly to Li De's side, her expression tense, watching her surroundings warily.

The destructive power of a dozen or so trolls is in no way inferior to that of an elite army.

If these demons were to turn on her, Li De could remain unharmed with his abilities, but she couldn't! Spells require time to prepare, and she dared not use her fragile little body to take a troll's punch!

The guy leading the way leaned close to Coal Ball's ear and whispered secrets only he knew, sometimes chuckling and sometimes pouting, looking particularly amusing.

Ciri, who was still grieving her grandmother's passing, was now drawn to the big, goofy creature. Her pale face gradually regained its color and became rosy.

After walking through the forest for about half an hour, a deep cave hidden among the roots of giant trees suddenly appeared before their eyes.

At the cave entrance, several young trolls were swinging their fists and smashing rocks with all their might, without any tools!

An elderly troll sat nearby, carefully polishing the rough stone with a whetstone. Several smooth square stones were neatly stacked beside him, clearly materials for construction and repair.

When the trolls saw Geda return with outsiders, they immediately stopped what they were doing and looked at the group warily.

After seeing Li De's appearance clearly, their wariness turned into joy.

Several young trolls who were smashing rocks stomped their feet with joy and shouted in gruff voices, "Li De! Good friend! Delicious food!"

Olivia stopped abruptly, her grip on her staff tightening instinctively. She whispered, "They want to eat you?"

"No, they just want the food I cook."

Li De chuckled helplessly, explained softly, and then stepped forward, calling out their names familiarly, "Dundun, Dahan, Hulu."

Upon hearing this, the three young trolls obediently scratched their heads and grinned foolishly, lowering their heads to let Li De gently tap their heads.

After exchanging greetings, Li De turned to the composed old troll beside him and nodded slightly, saying, "Londo, it's been a long time."

The old troll, sitting cross-legged on the ground, had a gentle smile on his lips.

"Long time no see, Li De."

"To make a long story short, we're being hunted by the Nilfgaardians, and their pursuers might reach this area. I need to see Ymir."

Li De got straight to the point, explaining his purpose.

Longde remained calm and spoke softly, "Mother is tending to the herbs deep inside the cave. Let Dundun take you there. Don't worry, no one can harm our friends here."

"Thank you. I came in a hurry this time and didn't bring anything nice. Next time I visit, I'll bring you some spices."

Li De nodded in thanks.

"Go."

Lund smiled and waved, and Dundun immediately skipped ahead to lead the way.

Olivia stood frozen in place, staring blankly at the old troll Londo, her lips moving repeatedly, her face filled with disbelief.

It wasn't until Li De urged her that she snapped out of her daze, quickly catching up while letting out a soft gasp of surprise.

"He... he can actually speak fluently like a human! He even knows how to address his mother with honorifics. By Meritelli's grace, I must have been traveling all night and was dizzy, to actually see a refined and gentle demeanor on the face of a troll."

"Hmm, you have a very clear mind. Even among humans, Lund can be called a wise man. In addition to teaching younger generations construction skills, you are also obsessed with the art of sculpture."

Li De gestured with his chin toward a corner of the cave, "Look, those stone carvings over there are all his work."

Olivia turned her head and saw that the fire pits burning on both sides of the cave were casting a warm light that illuminated the area.

On the ground were stone sculptures of all sizes: trolls wielding giant clubs, humans holding scrolls, ferocious demons baring their fangs and claws, wild wolves howling to the sky, and even a sculpture resembling a church.

Although some parts were a bit rough, she was certain that it was due to a lack of tools, not a problem with her carving skills.

Overall, it can be described as lifelike and ingenious.

"Heh... I might be hallucinating..."