Survival Queen of the Frozen Wastes novel Chapter 42

Chapter 42 Troll Slain

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Riley moved like she was performing in some kind of wild stunt show. While weaving between the troll’s crushing blows, she kept snatching cakes out of the air and shoving them into her mouth.

For a moment, the whole scene felt absurd–but also strangely epic.

On one side, a ten–foot–tall nightmare of a troll roared and smashed everything in its path. On the other, Riley swung her twin axes like a maniac, all while casually snacking on cake.

“BAM!”

With her strength boosted, Riley didn’t give an inch this time.

She caught the troll’s club with one axe and, with the other, drove a deep, brutal cut into the monster’s exposed gut.

“THUD!”

Blood sprayed through the cold air.

The wound was severe. The troll howled in agony and staggered back.

“Got you now,” Riley muttered, a cold focus sharpening her gaze.

With the cake dispenser backing her up, the fight had finally tipped in her favor.

She pressed forward, each swing heavier and more relentless than the last.

“CRASH-”

With one final, guttural groan, the snow troll’s massive body collapsed like a falling meat truck. It hit the frozen ground hard, kicking up a cloud of dusty snow.

Riley dropped to one knee, breathing hard.

The Dual Axes in her hands still dripped dark troll blood. Her work clothes were stained with dirt and gore, but her eyes were clear and alert.

“Done…”

“Snow Troll (Elite) defeated. +50 XP

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14:00 Tue, May 5

Chapter 42 Troll Slain

“Current Level: Lv.4 (75/100)

“Reward received: Silver Chest x1”

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+20 Free Coins

Looking at the silvery chest hovering just above the troll’s corpse, Riley felt every second of the fight had been worth it.

A silver chest–a whole tier above the ordinary bronze ones.

Once she caught her breath, she walked over and yanked the two steel spears still buried in the troll’s flesh.

One was hers. The other had belonged to that guy–whoever he was.

Riley wasn’t sure if he’d bought the spear from her or not. There were plenty of ways to get the same design out here.

“Um… thank you. For saving me.”

A shaky voice came from behind.

Riley turned.

The ponytailed girl stood timidly in the corner, still clutching that silly–looking frying pan. Her face was streaked with tears from the scare, and the way she looked at Riley was a mix of awe and leftover fear.

Riley glanced at the girl’s beat–up gear, then down at the blood–tipped spear in her own hand.

After a moment’s thought, she turned one of the spears around and held it out.

“Here. For protection,” Riley said, her tone matter–of–fact. “Beats that frying pan.”

The girl’s eyes widened. She took the spear as if it were some kind of honor. The solid weight in her hands seemed to steady her almost immediately.

“Thank you–really, thank you so much!” She bobbed her head again and again.

Riley just waved a hand and turned back toward the silver chest.

“Let’s see what we got.”

She took a quiet breath and muttered her usual little charm: “No bad luck now.”

“CLICK.”

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14:00 Tue, May 5

Chapter 42 Troll Slain

The lid swung open.

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+20 Free Coins

Right after it did, Riley remembered something.

“Shoot. Forgot to switch off the title. Well… probably fine.”

Luckily, this time, the chest didn’t disappoint. A soft silver–white glow lit up the interior, revealing a few items resting inside.

“Received: Guardian Heart Necklace Blueprint (Elite/Blue)

“Received: Weapon Upgrade Card ×2

“Received: One–Time Blueprint–Arcane Oven

“Received: Pure Energy Crystal ×5”

Riley’s eyes went sharp.

An elite blueprint. Blue tier.

“Guardian Heart Necklace Blueprint

“Quality: Uncommon (Blue)

“Stats: Constitution +2, Spirit +3

“Effect: Steady Mind–greatly reduces effects of illusion–based mental traps”

This could be a game–changer.

And those two Weapon Upgrade Cards meant she could enhance her Storm Splitter Dual Axes again–maybe even push them to elite quality.

The haul was solid. Seriously solid.

Holding back a flicker of excitement, Riley turned toward the girl.

“Your name was…”

“TartKing! I’m TartKing!” The girl shot her hand up like she was in class, worried Riley might lose patience if she answered too slow.

Riley’s lips twitched.

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14:01 Tue, May 5

Chapter 42 Troll Slain

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+20 Free Coins

Okay, that’s… a name. SpicyBurger and TartKing. Add a Cola and some Fries and you’ve got a whole fast- food combo going.

She didn’t offer her own gamer tag. No need to share everything–staying a little unknown never hurt out here.

Riley gestured toward the chest. “I took the thing down, but you helped. Those cakes made the difference. Want anything from the drop?”

Tart King peeked at the shiny contents. A glint of want flashed in her eyes, but she shook her head fast.

“No, it’s alright!” She waved her hands. “If you hadn’t shown up, that thing would’ve flattened me into a pancake. You saved my hide. I’m not gonna take your loot.”

She might have looked nervous, but she wasn’t greedy. In this world, making it out alive was reward enough.

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