Without allowing myself to show the slightest hint of fear, I methodically blocked its ferocious charges. With courage born of absolute desperation, I launched my own attacks, meticulously seeking vulnerable points in its seemingly impenetrable defense.
It's just bigger! Look at it closely, don't close your eyes! I repeated to myself like a mantra.
The goblin's monstrous strength, amplified by the stellar energy enveloping it, posed an undeniable mortal threat.
A single direct hit would be irremediably fatal, and even the slightest graze left me partially paralyzed. Its destructive power was such that it only needed to land one attack to finish me off for good.
Yet, I clung to a fundamental, unshakable truth: an attack, no matter how lethal, can only kill if it hits its target. The axe, with all its devastating might, was nothing more than a useless ornament if it couldn't reach me. My vision had gained unprecedented clarity.
My red eyes pierced beyond the armed goblin's ferocious expression. Every subtle muscle contraction, every minimal movement beneath its black armor, was vital information my brain processed instantly. Its imposing body, though intimidating, had become an open book to my extraordinarily sharpened senses.
Its movements, though powerful, were predictable. Each abrupt twist of its frame, each tension of its muscles beneath the dark armor, revealed critical information about the rhythm and direction of its attacks. Its actions were clumsy and transparent, allowing me to anticipate every move with superhuman precision.
Facing the approaching axe swing, I angled my spear to deflect it. My maneuver altered the trajectory of the attack that had nearly cornered me, allowing my body to slip through the tightest spaces.
I could hear the goblin's labored breathing, visibly frustrated by my ability to slip through its lethal grasp. I fell briefly to the ground and executed a perfect roll to evade the next swing of its axe.
As expected from a creature of its level, the hobgoblin followed me immediately, preparing to crush me without hesitation. I used my natural speed to escape by a hair's breadth while attempting to pierce its body with the tip of my bone spear.
A metallic clang rang out as my attack was blocked again by its colossal axe. I couldn't help the anxiety that crept onto my face: this enemy possessed extraordinary defensive skill.
The evidence was undeniable: its nearly two-meter-tall body was covered in scars and spear cuts, but none constituted a truly serious wound.
I found myself trapped once more in a purely defensive battle as the menacing goblin charged at me with renewed vigor.
The harsh reality of my situation was clear and frustrating: no matter how much I fought, if I couldn't land a truly effective blow, I would never achieve victory. Even when I aimed directly at its chest seeking a lethal strike, the thick armor protecting it blocked all my attempts.
The goblin's deafening roar echoed through the air as it concentrated all its colossal strength into a fierce downward swing of its axe. The earth itself split in two as I managed to dodge the deadly slash by mere millimeters, and I felt my face harden involuntarily at such a display of absolute power.
The brutal force of the attack was so overwhelming that it created a small crater at my feet. I was forced to shield my face with the right hand firmly gripping the spear as the shockwave sent me flying through the air like a dry leaf in a hurricane.
I floated in the air for a brief moment before crashing heavily to the ground. We locked eyes, monster and human, separated by about five meters of distance.
Our breathing hung suspended as the surrounding air seemed to tense to its physical limits.
The monstrous boss let out a particularly ferocious roar that made every hair on my body stand on end. Its massive feet sank deep into the ground with a deafening crash before propelling itself upward, spinning the gigantic axe in what was clearly preparing to execute a devastating attack that would leave no room for survival.
Forgetting my own safety entirely, I gathered every last particle of energy available in my legs and launched myself forward like a projectile from an invisible catapult. My instinct screamed desperately that I had to interrupt its attack before it could complete it.
I held my spear close to my right shoulder as my left leg struggled to lift off the dusty ground. Every fiber of my being felt the immense pressure of acceleration as I rose like a shot from a siege cannon.
The bone spear in my right hand began to glow faintly with a bluish hue, while the goblin's axe, having just reached the zenith of its trajectory, blazed with an intense crimson that seemed to absorb the surrounding light.
With a motion of my right hand, the sharp tip of my spear traced a long silver arc and cleanly pierced the unprotected left side of its waist.
The agonized roar that followed was immediate and harrowing. I watched as the goblin's bulky body tilted violently to one side before collapsing to the ground with a thud that shook the chamber. Its attack was interrupted before it could even begin.
— Gurrr!!! —The boss roared in fury, trying to rise, but its limbs trembled visibly, refusing to obey.
I made a forced landing and faced the dying monster's sharp fangs directly. The distance between us shrank to mere centimeters in a blink, and I could clearly see its imposing figure growing larger before my reddened eyes. I raised my spear above my right shoulder at the exact moment its axe swung dangerously toward my unprotected shoulder.
Our attacks were nearly simultaneous: its descending with blind fury, mine rising with lethal precision. In a fraction of a second, the decisive blow landed. The heavy iron helmet was sent flying after the precise impact of my spear, and I watched as the goblin staggered like a drunk before collapsing heavily onto the bloodied ground, with more than half its skull completely pulverized.
After a fleeting moment of sepulchral silence, my body finally succumbed to exhaustion, and I fell backward onto the dusty ground. The deep gash in my right shoulder painfully reminded me that, against all odds, I was still alive.
It's over… right?
I slowly closed my eyes, finally allowing the accumulated pain and fatigue to flood my consciousness freely. The Tower's system voices echoed distorted and distant in my ears, as if coming from another dimension:
Congratulations! You have cleared the first floor of the Paradise Tower.
[You have received an 'innate ability.']
[You have received '10 Soul Fragments.']
[Innate ability unlocked]
[Innate ability: 'Eyes of the Successor' has been imprinted on the user]
[Conditions met.]
[The first seal is broken.]
[Innate ability activated: Eyes of the Successor (EX).]
As darkness enveloped me, a strange sensation of power began to course through my veins. Something had fundamentally changed within me. The Eyes of the Successor… a name that resonated in my being as if I had always been destined to possess them.