The beast sniffed the air, its hollow eyes scanning the brush. Hjalmar waited, heart hammering. Just as the Troll turned away, a spark caught Hjalmar’s eye in the distance—the faint, flickering glow of a campfire. Other Vikings.

He took a risk, sprinting toward the light. The Troll roared, a sound that tore through the canopy, and gave chase. Hjalmar leaped over fallen logs and dodged jagged copper veins, his stamina bar draining into the flashing red.

Suddenly, the music shifted. The ambient forest sounds died, replaced by a low, rhythmic thumping that vibrated in his headset. Thump. Thump. Thump.

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