The goblin had swung its axe towards Kai, who stood like a rock in its way—unable to move due to his exhausted body.
Its eyes sparkled with a unique ember, slowly flaring its sparks as it strengthened its presence—almost like a cat who had finally cornered the rat.
In the reflection of his eyes, the axe slowly grew in size as it came closer and closer. Yet, even in the face of death, he didn't flinch.
Although his eyes had long since widened, it wasn't because of fear but rather, a completely different emotion—excitement.
Looking at the goblin's—what seemed like—the last futile attempt, his heart raced with sheer excitement.
It wasn't the first time that it had happened, but the first time he had noticed.
Every battle. Every monster. All of it had become nothing more than a source of exhilaration to him.
Each time he'd cut through the skins of the monsters, his heart beat faster than before as a sense of familiarity blinked into his mind.
It was a distant feeling that made him feel at peace. The more blood he shed, the more calm his mind became—almost as if he had spent countless lives battling with his life on the line.
And right now, he could experience the same. Influenced by his instincts, the corner of his lips stretched—letting a smile slowly crawl onto his face.
The axe was merely inches away from his face now.
Noticing the bloodlust that the goblin's eyes carried, he forced his body and turned right—eventually escaping from its attack.
However close the Goblin was to actually hit him, it was a fact that Kai's agility was the strongest in his physical stats.
At first, even the goblin hadn't realized that its target had dodged. And when it did, it had already been too late.
Predetermined by the laws of motion, the goblin flew a little, creating an arch before finally descending to the ground. Its axe though, flew into the ground, smashing into the same cracked spot and pierced through the crust of the earth.
The goblin was stunned as it felt the sudden shock travel through his bones, realizing that the human had dodged its attack.
"Human! Die!" It shrieked while glaring at Kai who stood merely steps away from the goblin.
It tried to pick its axe so that it could smash the fuck out of the weak but agile human who killed his kin brothers.
Its eyes were full of nothing but hatred towards Kai. Constant growls escaped his throat while his eyes were dead set on Kai.
However, as the goblin tried to pull its weapon out of the ground, it furrowed its brows and quickly turned its head.
Its expression worsened as it realized that no matter how much strength he utilized, the axe wasn't coming out.
With all its might, the goblin tried to pull it out—its muscles bulged and stretched, but the axe didn't budge at all.
Just as the goblin was trying its best, it froze as a weird sound entered its ears. A weird sound... No, it was a giggle.
A small, heartfelt giggle that slowly strengthened itself, getting louder and bolder with each sound.
Confused and nervous, the goblin slowly turned its head around, trying to look for the source of such an ominous sound.
As it turned around, its grip on the weapon loosened while one of his feet slowly retreated.
Why?
Because it saw the shadow of a 'Monster' lingering onto his image as though they were one to begin with.
Calm dark eyes that seemed to carry the experience of countless wars and battles, a proud smile that refused to let go even at the times when his life was at risk.
'Eyes! Smile! Monster!' the goblin mumbled in a voice barely above that of a whisper, as it could foresee a shadow of something sinister lying in that weak human.
Kai slowly stepped forward, his body flinched with every step he took while the goblin remained frozen with fear.
Soon, he stood right in front of the goblin, glaring at it.
"Goblins sure are tough to fight... But without their weapons... They are no different in strength like a 5-year-old." Kai muttered under his breath as his giggles subsided.
With a smooth, fluent movement of his hands, he forced the goblin's head and smashed it into the ground.
Cracks spiderwebbed across its head while green blood began to pool beneath its head.
However, the goblin wasn't the only one bleeding.
Kai too, had started to bleed from his nose, mouth, and eyes. Crimson blood traced his skin before finally sliding down to the chin and falling to the ground.
But he was enduring it all, because he knew that this was nothing but the final moments of the last struggle.
He pushed his body a little further and raised his right foot, aiming it toward the goblin's head.
"I.. don't... Die..." The goblin muttered as one of its eyes peaked through the corner.
Kai heard it loud and clear but didn't yield.
The goblin kept repeating the phrase over and over again, asking for mercy while what seemed like tears... Begun to flow out of it's eyes.
"I... Don't...d—"
*Squelch!*
Before it could speak any further, a strange, ominous sound echoed in the walls of the giant Colosseum.