I’m a Doorman at an Assassin’s Hotel

The morning sunlight pierced through the forest, casting dappled shadows on the ground, but it couldn't dispel the tension hanging in the air. Elaysa and I weaved through the woods, the roars of orcs and their heavy footsteps echoing behind us.

"They won't let us go easily," Elaysa said without looking back, her voice eerily calm.

"I've noticed!" I panted, struggling to keep up with her pace. "But we need a plan, right? Like, not getting caught?"

"The plan is to run," she replied coldly, then abruptly stopped and raised a hand, signaling me to halt.

"What…what?" I almost collided into her back and had to grab a tree to stop myself, my heart pounding wildly. "Why are we stopping?"

"Shh." She placed a finger to her lips, motioning for silence. Her gaze swept the surroundings warily, her ears subtly twitching as if trying to catch some faint sound.

Moments later, I heard it too—a faint sound of running water coming from a distance.

"Water?" I whispered.

She nodded. "A stream. Natural cover. It'll mask our footsteps. But we need to move quickly; the orcs won't give us much time."

Her words had barely fallen when a thunderous roar erupted from deeper in the woods. The sound was low and savage, far more menacing than the earlier orc noises.

"Uh, what's that?" I asked nervously, my voice rising involuntarily.

"A bigger problem," she replied, still calm but with a furrowed brow. "Move."

We raced toward the sound of the water, and soon, a clear stream came into view. The water sparkled under the morning light, momentarily offering a sense of tranquility.

"Jump across," Elaysa ordered in a low voice.

I glanced at the stream. Though not wide, it wasn't exactly a cakewalk for someone with mediocre balance like me. "Uh, could we—"

"No time for nonsense!" she snapped, suddenly turning to pull out a dagger, her gaze locked on the deeper part of the forest.

Before I could ask further, a hulking creature burst through the trees. It was larger than the average orc, with ashen gray skin and a massive warhammer in hand.

"Is that…a troll?" I gasped, the sight of the monstrous figure making my blood run cold.

The cave troll roared, the sound reverberating through the forest. Taking advantage of the moment it clutched its face in pain, I scrambled to my feet and grabbed Elaysa, pulling her back toward the stream.

"Let's go! We can't take this thing down!" My voice shook with panic as I tugged her along.

Elaysa shrugged off my hand forcefully, her icy gaze fixed on the enraged troll. "Do you know what it is?"

"Uh, roughly." I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes glued to the massive creature. "It's got terrifying strength, skin as tough as three layers of armor, and it throws not just rocks but boulders…"

The troll growled again, swinging its warhammer as it advanced. The ground shook with its every step, and my legs felt like jelly.

"So, do you know how to kill it?" Elaysa asked, drawing her dagger. Her voice was calm, but there was a faint edge of tension.

"Uh…the weak points are its neck and eyes!" I shouted back. "But the problem is, getting close to either of those spots is nearly impossible!"

The troll charged, swinging its warhammer down with immense force. The impact sent dirt and debris flying as Elaysa deftly dodged to the side. I, on the other hand, barely avoided it by tumbling away ungracefully.

"Think of something!" she barked, the blade in her hand glinting coldly.

"Think of something? Do I look like an encyclopedia?" I gasped, struggling to regain my footing.

Elaysa had already made her move. She climbed a tree with startling agility, aiming to strike from above. Meanwhile, the troll's attention was fully locked on me.

"Of course I'm the bait," I muttered to myself before waving frantically at the troll. "Hey! Over here, big guy!"

The monster roared, raising its hammer and charging toward me. I turned and ran, my body reacting faster than my brain. My foot caught on a root, and I nearly went sprawling.

"It's going to chase you to death!" Elaysa shouted from the tree.

"That's part of the plan!" I shouted back, though inside, I was cursing this so-called plan.

The troll barreled after me, smashing trees aside with its hammer as if they were twigs. My lungs burned, and my vision blurred from the exertion. Just as I felt I couldn't go on, a flash of cold steel streaked through the air—Elaysa leaped from the tree, her dagger plunging into the troll's neck.

"Nice shot!" I couldn't help but yell.

But it wasn't over. The troll howled in pain and swatted at her, flinging her into a tree. She hit it hard but rolled to her feet, steadying herself quickly.

"It's not dead yet!" I screamed as the troll steadied itself and roared again, angrier than ever.

"I know," Elaysa replied, pulling out a second dagger. "But it's slowing down."

It was only then I noticed the troll's sluggish movements. Blood, dark green and viscous, was oozing from the wound on its neck.

"Alright, let's finish it!" I shouted, raising my sword and charging forward—mostly for show.

Elaysa darted behind the troll with precision, plunging her dagger once more into its neck. At the same moment, I seized the opportunity and drove my sword into its eye.

The troll let out an ear-splitting wail, its massive body swaying before collapsing with a ground-shaking thud.

I collapsed onto the ground, panting, and looked over at Elaysa. "It's really done this time, right?"

She wiped her dagger clean and nodded. "Yes. It's done."

"I honestly thought we'd die here," I muttered, lying flat on the ground, my mind blank.

"Die? No." Her voice was cold, indifferent. "But if you keep running like that, I might leave you behind."

I stiffened and looked up at her icy gaze, immediately shutting my mouth.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating the cave troll. Mission reward: Swordsmanship Expertise." The mechanical voice echoed in my mind, and I froze. Before I could process it, a rush of foreign knowledge and techniques surged into my brain.

"Swordsmanship expertise?" I murmured to myself, lifting my still-trembling hand and looking down at the sword I held. Suddenly, its weight felt much more familiar. I swung it a few times; the movements were surprisingly fluid—a world apart from my earlier clumsy attempts that resembled wielding a frying pan.

"Don't daydream," Elaysa's voice came from beside me. She was adjusting her equipment, her tone as calm as ever, but I could detect a hint of fatigue.

"Uh, I... okay." I stood up and tested my footing, discovering that I could actually stand steadily and even felt lighter. "Those skills just now... where did I learn them?"

"What are you muttering about?" Elaysa glanced at me with a frown.

"Nothing!" I quickly waved my hand, though internally I was puzzled. It seemed this so-called system not only saved my life but also granted me last-minute skills. Even if it only provided help at the most critical moments, at least it was useful.

"So, what's next?" I asked tentatively, trying to change the subject.

Elaysa gave me a once-over, as if assessing my condition, then said coldly, "We move on. Don't slow us down again."

I swallowed hard, silently grumbling, "There it is again, that classic line." However, this time felt different. The sword in my hand seemed like an extension of my body, and I felt a slight surge of confidence.

"By the way, you're not familiar with this place at all, are you?" I tried to lighten the mood with some small talk.

"Why do you ask?" she replied without turning her head.

"Well... earlier, you didn't seem to know what a 'troll' was," I ventured.

She stopped and turned to look at me, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Then do you know where we are?"

I hesitated before replying, "Uh, probably... the world of 'The Lord of the Rings'?"

"'The Lord of the Rings'?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly unfamiliar with the name.

I sighed, thinking, "As expected, she knows nothing about this place. Looks like I have to rely on my half-baked movie knowledge."

"To put it simply, this is a magical world with a villain named Sauron who wants a ring to rule everything," I explained as simply as possible. "Right now, that ring is probably with some hobbits who are planning to destroy it."

After listening, Elaysa didn't seem particularly interested. She said coldly, "No matter what's happening here, our only goal is to find the Space Stone and seal it."

I walked behind her, continuing to explain in hopes of helping her understand this world better. "Sauron's ring is incredibly powerful and can control other rings. Now that our Space Stone has appeared here, it's likely to become his new target. If he gets it—"

"Loen," Elaysa interrupted, turning to look at me coldly, "are you giving me a history lesson? Or do you think I need your 'movie plots' to tell me how to complete the mission?"

I was momentarily speechless, scratching my head. "Uh... I just thought understanding the situation might help us."

She snorted softly and continued walking. "My intuition tells me that whether it's Sauron or any other 'villain,' we need to be cautious. Your background knowledge might actually hinder us."

I opened my mouth but couldn't find words to argue. Despite her unfriendly tone, I had to admit she had a point—this world might have already deviated from the movie's storyline, and my memories might not be useful.

"Let's return and inform King Théoden of this information," Elaysa said calmly and decisively, leaving no room for discussion.

"Ah, okay, sure." I nodded and followed her, but couldn't help thinking, "She seems so confident about everything, but isn't this plan a bit rushed?"

We made our way through the forest, avoiding the area where we had previously fought, and finally returned to Rohan's camp. As dusk settled, campfires were lit. The murmurs of soldiers mingled with the distant neighing of horses, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

King Théoden was still seated on his throne. When he saw us return, he raised an eyebrow, surprised by our early arrival.

"What are the results?" he asked softly, his gaze sweeping over Elaysa before settling on me.

Before I could speak, Elaysa stepped forward. "We discovered something unusual. The power of the Space Stone is attracting Sauron's attention; it might end up in his hands. This is a greater threat than we anticipated."

King Théoden's expression grew even more serious. After a moment of silence, he said slowly, "If Sauron truly acquires this power, all of Middle-earth will fall into darkness. I need to seek the counsel of the White Wizard first."

"The White Wizard?" I blurted out, a sense of unease welling up inside me. In the movies, the White Wizard—Saruman—is not exactly trustworthy.

King Théoden nodded solemnly. "Yes, Saruman is one of the wisest wizards in this land. His advice is crucial for us to counter Sauron's threat. I will dispatch messengers to Isengard immediately to seek his assistance."

I glanced at Elaysa and noticed her calm demeanor was tinged with a slight frown. Clearly, she wasn't thrilled with this idea either.

"Your Majesty," Elaysa said coolly, "can we trust Saruman's allegiance? We don't have time for potential delays or betrayals."

King Théoden's face darkened briefly, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself. "Saruman once stood alongside Gandalf against Sauron. His wisdom is unquestionable. I believe in his loyalty."

"Let's hope so," Elaysa replied softly, though her tone carried an unmistakable note of caution.

I scratched my head and mumbled under my breath, "The White Wizard doesn't sound too reliable..."

"In that case," King Théoden turned to his advisor, "dispatch messengers to Isengard immediately to convey our request. Prepare a contingent of guards to accompany them and ensure their safety."

"Your Majesty," I couldn't help but interject, "shouldn't we also hurry to Mount Doom? Sauron won't wait for us to finish our discussions before making his move."

King Théoden looked at me thoughtfully, weighing my words. After a brief silence, he nodded. "You make a valid point. We cannot place all our hopes on Saruman. You should proceed to Mount Doom immediately; I will send reinforcements as soon as possible."

"Alright." I took a deep breath and turned to Elaysa. "Looks like our mission just got a bit more complicated."

"Even if it's difficult, we must complete it," she said coldly, then addressed King Théoden. "Please provide us with maps and supplies. We'll depart as soon as possible."

King Théoden nodded. "Rohan will supply all you need. May the light be with you."