The axe descended relentlessly as my spear rose and spun through the air. The clash was inevitable and violent.
A metallic clang echoed throughout the chamber, vibrating every corner of the walls that confined us. My spear had stopped the axe, but not without consequences. Something had changed since our last encounter.
Kiik, Kiiiik...!
Sparks flew like shooting stars as the blade of its axe and the bone handle of my spear collided, releasing a fleeting glow that briefly illuminated the beastly face of my opponent. A struggle of strength ensued, where, inevitably, I came out worse against that colossus.
The immense power of the goblin, amplified by its fall from above, began to dissipate quickly. My energy, however, flowed steadily like an inexhaustible spring, partially compensating for my physical inferiority.
I finally pushed the axe back with superhuman effort and perceived the opening that formed before me, a truth I knew well: when a great attack fails to connect, the resulting vulnerability is equally great.
The goblin lost its balance and fell heavily from the air. With a fluid motion, I aimed the tip of my spear at one of its unprotected eyes. Or at least, I tried to.
At that precise moment, the hobgoblin's body began to radiate a strange crimson glow that froze my blood. My eyes trembled as I realized: it was strengthening its body with stellar energy.
I sensed something approaching, and from below, the goblin's fist—enveloped in that blood-red glow—traced a perfect arc until it struck my abdomen.
The sonic boom that followed distorted my vision. The air left my lungs in a rush, and before I could process what had happened, my body was hurled backward as if fired from an invisible cannon.
I managed to leap back at the last second, halving the devastating force that had hit me. It would have been impossible to fully neutralize such an impact. Had I not reacted in time, that punch would likely have torn through my stomach.
The pain was indescribable. Tears threatened to spill as my back slammed into the room's wall, partially destroying it. I was buried up to half my torso, groaning under a pain that seemed to consume me from within. Stone fragments rained down on me as part of the wall gave way, falling like a solid deluge over my battered body.
My consciousness flickered in my head like a flame on the verge of extinguishing. My limbs twitched without coordination, disobeying the desperate commands of my brain. I clenched my eyes shut and let out a choked groan as the pain coursed through every fiber of my being.
Fortunately, the effect of the trait *The Man Who Overcame Adversity* began to manifest, gradually healing the internal damage to my vital organs. The upper part of my body, barely covered by a tight, tattered shirt, trembled as I tried to urge my shaking legs to stand.
My teeth chattered uncontrollably. The goblin, now glowing like a living ember, stared at me fixedly and roared skyward with a primal ferocity that shook the place's foundations.
My body refused to obey me. My throat burned, begging for oxygen that didn't arrive fast enough. Unable to move as I wished, I barely managed to contain my fear, forcing it to retreat within me.
In the face of the beastly roar of that monster, I could only behold the despair enveloping me like an invisible shroud. I was completely paralyzed.
I raised my gaze with difficulty. The monstrous boss, with strands of viscous saliva dripping between its fangs, entered my field of vision. As if to boast of its power, it held its giant axe—now wrapped in that crimson glow—far ahead of its body.
The creature let out another roar from deep within its chest. Its body seemed clad in heavy natural armor bathed in that reddish hue. I couldn't discern any significant wounds on its anatomy.
The scars I had inflicted were merely superficial. Faced with this harsh reality, where even my special ability had no effect, impotence slowly took hold of every cell in my being.
I can't win.
That phrase reverberated in my mind like a funereal mantra. My knees, which had miraculously managed to lift me, threatened to give way at any moment.
The beast's piercing gaze from the edge of my vision abruptly tightened the muscles of my neck. My teeth trembled uncontrollably again, my eyes blinked nervously as they gradually moistened.
I felt fear. No… I was in absolute terror. It was painful, unbearable, as if every nerve in my body screamed in agony.
But above all, I was terrified. So much so that my legs refused to hold me.
I could clearly hear its footsteps approaching. The hair on my body stood on end as the goblin advanced with a terrifying calm.
Madness threatened to devour my sanity. I felt I was on the verge of collapsing entirely. Perhaps giving up would be easier, I thought for a moment.
In that critical moment, teetering on the edge of the abyss of nothingness, I understood with absolute clarity that death was stalking me.
I fought desperately against the fog invading my mind, slowing my thoughts and extinguishing any emotion beyond the primal terror consuming me.
Despite my broken body and paralyzed mind, a stubborn part of my being adamantly refused to surrender. I wasn't ready to die. Not without exhausting every last drop of my will to survive.
But… how to survive? From any perspective, the situation seemed hopelessly lost.
Suddenly, my heartbeat quickened. The colors in my field of vision gained renewed intensity. Warm tones burned with a life of their own.
If I don't stand up here...
If I don't overcome myself at this very moment…
When will I?