Chapter 12: One Step Ahead

Chapter 12: One Step Ahead

Dont they say that third time's a charm?

With a renewed spirit, Damian charged at the Goblins as his eyes shone with self-confidence!

[ You have defeated a Goblin. FP +1 ]

With one Aura slice, Damians first victim fell to the ground according to schedule. He also picked up its poisoned knife from the ground.

This time, however, he stored it in his Inventory. Instead, he used the residual shock as an opening to stab his bloody knife into the second Goblins neck, twist it, and then pull it out.

Gra G-

This still left the little monster struggling on the floor all the same as Damian picked up its shortsword.

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Damian had only wasted the valuable Status Ailment weapon in the last run because he was trying to be thorough. Yet, in reality, leaving the knife in the Goblins neck just to paralyze it to death was counterintuitive.

Taking it out so that blood loss would end them quickly was more efficient. Sadly, this was something that Damian only realized after quickly revising his battle.

His first attempts at battle were just too miserable. The required fast pace forced Damian to act out on the first thought that came to his mind, logical or not. His repeated death by the same method just made his mind convinced by it.

However, now that he was fully aware of how easily a Goblin could be neutralized, he could save more resources for the final battle!

Moreover, this wasnt the only change of plans that Damian had in store.

Greeeen!

Rather than confronting the three Goblins in front of him, Damian chose to run in the opposite direction!

Greee?

At first, the Goblins thought that the strange invader ultimately decided to escape out of fear. To their surprise, however, he just had a different target in mind.

Sorry, someone already spoiled your role.

Looking down on the Goblin that was sneakily hiding behind one of the rocks, Damian stomped down on its neck before giving it the same treatment as its brother. Thrust, twist, and pull.

In all honesty, Damian didnt know why this Goblin was hiding there from the very start. However, he learned its location from a very trustworthy source, and that was enough for him.

Thanks, Iris.

Once again, Damian only picked up the weapon without bothering to finish off the Goblin. By making use of the confusion that he created by eliminating half of the group, he wanted to finish off the other half.

There was no time to waste on two corpses that were already at deaths door!

As someone who had already gone through the script twice, Damian earned the privilege of doing a sequence of actions that made him seem like someone with instant reactions.

On the other hand, the Goblins had to react to everything for the very first time, making them seem extra slow in Damians eyes.

No time to wait for the next charge.

Raising the shortsword in his hand, Damian slashed at the neck of the Goblin at the utmost left. Naturally, only a very small part was cut off, but this wasnt the end.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Circling around the Goblins, he kept slashing its neck over and over. By the time the other two turned around to help their friend

Gree-

[ You have defeated a Goblin. FP +1 ]

Its neck was barely hanging to its head, but its eyes had already turned white.

Of course, Damian would have preferred more stab-and-pull action. Unfortunately, reality didnt work like games where he could choose the type of attack he wanted.

Since the Goblins caught up a bit during the seconds he spent running back, they were already on the defensive.

Now to mention three stabs, if he tried to get close enough for one, at least two knives were guaranteed to sink into his body. Attacking with some distance kept was the best option!

That is if I want to be fully lucid for the ugly skull crusher.

[ You have defeated ]

Damians eyes shone as he saw the monster struggling, using an Aura Slash wasnt a waste!

Grrrrr

The Hobgoblins eyes turned bloodshot as it charged at Damian, this was something that it had never done before.

Was it too much?

That being said, Damian still tried his best to keep calm. As long as he controlled the distance between them, victory was his for the taking!

Grah!

Grah!

Grah!

In order to deal with its wrists shortcoming, the Hobgoblin used his other hand simultaneously, wielding it like a two-handed weapon as it raised left and right in a frenzy.

Unfortunately, all that did was botch the accuracy even more.

You are doing great.

Damian couldnt ask for more from the Hobgoblin which was depleting its stamina all by itself. He didnt repeatedly provoke it for no reason.

Come on, you can do better!

Damians stamina was gradually decreasing as he went back and forth. However, he was betting that the Hobgoblin had it worse. Just to be sure, he gave its injured wrist another slice.

Swish!

No Aura was added this time, but the bat completely slid out of the Hobgoblins right arm. Unlike its firm muscles, its unprotected tendons were an easy target.

Graaaaaaaah!

Although the Hobgoblin still held to its precious bat using its left arm, it was now far too clumsy with it. In just a few more seconds, it was starting to slow down.

Thats my cue.

Waiting for the Hobgoblin to unleash one more empty strike into the air, Damian took out his broken longsword, loaded it with Aura, and went for a horizontal slash on its neck!

Gah-

The Hobgoblins neck muscles tried to resist like they did before. However, Damian only used the very tip of the blade to slash open an entry point. With most of the sword out of the necks reach, it was futile resistance.

The persistent monster still tried to raise its bat, but even its left hand shook in protest. The effect already started to paralyze everything.

Put that away.

Thud!

Just in case, Damian kicked the Hobgoblins left arm, resulting in the Goblin Bats fall. Now that this weapon of mass destruction was out of the way

Take this one instead.

Holding the shortsword in both hands, he thrust them into the neck opening that he created.

Taking it out was a chore the first time, but it was a breeze after that.

Even the neck muscles had already started to completely relax, allowing Damian to add a twist after every stab.

You are just as tough, I will give you that.

The Hobgoblins neck was gushing with green blood.

Despite receiving a half dozen blows to its neck, the Hobgoblin remained standing thus far. Its neck was gushing with green blood, yet all that did was make it go silent.

At this point, Damian was also just as spent, but he wasnt going to stop now no matter what. He still had to receive confirmation that all his effort wasnt in vain

Come on

[ You have defeated a HobGoblin. FP +2 ]

Fortunately, the Hobgoblins persistence was merely false bravado.