Chapter 9 Part II

The goblin swiftly clutched its katana from its severed right arm. "You might as well surrender," I taunted.

The goblin was suddenly gone from where it had been, and then it reappeared directly in front of me. "That must have been a flashstep," I thought to myself. It ferociously waved its katana and unleashed a flurry of strikes in a rage. Screaming with each blow, it was obvious that its swordsmanship had been compromised due to its missing right arm, and its movements were sluggish.

The result of the flurry of strikes was a mess. The katana had sliced through the air, but it had failed to land any hits. The goblin launched attacks relying solely on strength, without any strategy or the same expertise skills he had used earlier. His attacks were still strong but I was now able to parry and dodge each one with finesse and precision. "Oh how the tides have changed!" I exclaimed..

It was no longer a one-sided battle; I was now able to use my strengths and strategies to match his. I was able to counter each of his attacks skillfully and precisely, showing the same level of expertise that he had shown me.

I blocked the goblin's attack with my weapon, pushing it away from me and giving myself an opportunity to attack. I clutched my axe tightly and swung it with all my might. The goblin screamed in pain as its left arm was sliced off from its shoulder. Blood began to pour from the wound and the goblin stumbled backwards, growling in pain. I stood there, breathing heavily, my axe dripping with the goblin's blood.

The goblin is completely useless without it's arm, rendering him powerless, unable to even grip its katana. As I walked to pick up goblin's kantana, my words were cold as I addressed the goblin, "You underestimated me and held back - and that was your first mistake". I threw the axe at the side and grasped the katana that had once been owned by the goblin. "Oh, and this is mine now," I added.

The dark, enigmatic shade of the katana was captivating and as I held it tightly in my hand, I felt a connection between myself and the sword. Its balance was perfect and its edge, though dull, could still be felt. I was mesmerized by its beauty and wondered what it could do if it were sharpened.

I had never held this blade before, but I felt as if I had been holding this one for a long time, as if it was an extension of my own body. I could sense a large amount of malevolent energy entering my body, this was no ordinary katana. Thanks to my Negation Skill, the evil power was quickly dissipated for the time being.

I ignored it and focused on the goblin.

"You possessed the strenght to end me since the battle began, and thus you alone are responsible for your imminent demise." I declared while glaring at the goblin.

The goblin's eyes widened in terror as I advanced towards it with its own katana in my grip. Its limbs quivered and it dropped to the ground, emitting low, fearful noises as it attempted to crawl away.

"Its futile. You're not going anywhere," I said before materializing two iron swords from my dimensional storage and hurled them towards the goblins' legs, making the goblin immobile.

I walked up to the goblin and gazed down at its shaking figure while its eyes widened in terror as if it had spotted a monster. I then lifted my katana and thrust it into the goblin's forehead, killing it instantly

[Leveled up! ×2]

(Fun Fact! Flashstep is the ability to cover large distances in a split second, faster than the eye can perceive, as if one has teleported. This technique, as well as Dimensional Storage, requires no mana to use, but is very difficult to obtain and master. It can range from I (Beginner Flashstep) to IV (Mastered Flashstep)

(Another Fun Fact! Flashstep was also displayed in earlier chapters by Aiden when he vanished and appeared in front of the hooded individual.)