Mistakes

"Is the gap between us this vast?" Eric muttered as he stared in amazement at Alex's feats. Having escaped the restraints of the hobgoblin's presence, Alex had even managed to land two strikes on his opponent, shocking Eric greatly.

The mere presence of the hobgoblin prevented humans from moving, and even those who possessed mana couldn't help but feel severe discomfort.

Eric turned to look at Eugene and Sarah, who still seemed petrified by the hobgoblin's presence. Pitying them, he nudged Maxwell before whispering in his ear, "Should we enter the battle, too?"

Maxwell, although fearful of the consequences, agreed to assist Alex. He directed a slight nod towards Eric as he unsheathed the crimson blade that the amethyst-eyed boy had lent him. "Let's go,"

Eric revealed a toothy smile that did not seem to match his fatigued face before heading towards the direction the hobgoblin stood in.

*

Alex slid under the enormous body of the hobgoblin as the latter landed a punch on the soil nearby The former quickly swung Durendal in the direction of his foe's ankle, but the hobgoblin lifted it up just before the sword came into contact.

Alex leapt upwards to try to land a hit but was only met with a shockwave as the hobgoblin smashed its foot into the ground beneath. It then let out a roar of hatred, its eyes bloodshot due to pure malice.

Alex grit his teeth as he resisted the force of the shockwaves, managing to land only a few meters away. He wiped the crimson, viscous liquid off of his lips before narrowing his eyes.

"Alex!" An unknown voice entered his ears as Alex turned, only to see the distant figures of the approaching Maxwell and Eric. They seemed concerned as they sprinted towards the hobgoblin, weapons in tow.

"Don't!" Alex shouted as the hobgoblin raised its palm to swat away the ants that approached him. The hobgoblin already had a single pest to deal with and did not wish to suffer by letting a couple more humans get under him.

The hobgoblin's palm landed on the soil beside Maxwell and Eric, sending shockwaves powerful enough to blow them away several hundreds of meters. As the two let out screams of fear, Alex shook his head in disappointment.

"This is why I told them to be on standby," he massaged his temples before leaping towards the hobgoblin's groin area. His plan was to slice its crotch so that excruciating pain would assault its body, either rendering him unconscious or blinding him with rage.

As Durendal neared the area that radiated a squalid scent, the hobgoblin let out a shrill screech to prevent the human from reaching there. It raised its club as it prepared to smack its own crotch along with the human.

"Fuck, can he do that?" Alex wondered out loud as he prepared to slice the hobgoblin's crotch. "Are hobgoblins that logical?"

In order to prevent its crotch from being sliced, the hobgoblin was smacking it using its club. The latter would obviously be better, but it would be by its own hands, which would typically be impossible for one who hadn't yet felt such pain.

Alex, at the last moment, decided against slicing the hobgoblin's crotch as he cautiously viewed the approaching club. He escaped the area, plugging his nose tightly as the scent assaulted his insides.

Simultaneously, the hobgoblin noticed the human's retreat and sighed in relief. It then prevented its club from coming into contact with its crotch before swinging it towards Alex.

It was as if time itself stopped as Alex's eyes widened. The club approached him at terrifying speeds, threatening to crush him if he didn't act in time. Alex grit his teeth as he racked his brain. The club was enormous, and he was still suspended in the air, unable to utilize the ground to escape.

Immediately, he utilized [Fleeting Steps] as he lowered his body weight, resting it atop Durendal before borrowing the momentum to escape. However, he couldn't escape without a penalty in the form of a crushed limb.

A blood-curdling scream escaped Alex's body as his left leg was crushed under the weight of the wooden club. His body slammed onto the soil beneath as blood poured from his wound. The hobgoblin prepared to attack once again, raising its club while carrying a deranged expression on his face.

It glanced at Alex's condition, loathing vivid in his eyes. The human who denied its rule would perish by its hands, unable to move. He would become the god of the humans, ruling them for eternity alongside the other goblins in his tribe.

The hobgoblin swung its club at breakneck speeds as it tore through the concept of aerodynamics, approaching Alex with enormous strength in tow. Alex struggled to mobilize himself as pain assaulted his body, rendering him useless.

It was as if he were a beginner again, making mistakes left and right, hoping to survive through his master's grace. How could he have possibly made such a mistake? Was the opponent too powerful? Was that the reason he had lost? No, it was just that he was too weak. Focusing on others instead of himself, trying to find subordinates but deciding not to trust them, and simply… being too weak.

If he managed to survive this, Alex vowed to focus on himself, try to find ways to trust his subordinates and become more powerful, just like in his past life. No, not like like his past life. He wanted to surpass his limits and become more powerful than his previous self since his present self had greater ambitions.

His previous life centered around surviving, while his new life would revolve around his newfound ambitions.

Boom!

An explosion occurred before the club could reach Alex's body. It was as if it were a clash between two masters.

A crimson blade deflected the club which seemed too powerful to block. The hobgoblin struggled to maintain its balance as it stared dumbfoundedly at the crimson blade and its wielder.

No, the crimson blade, its wielder, and the person beside him. Those were his foes, not the boy who almost managed to slice its crotch.

Those were its real opponents, and the ones who threatened his reign.

"Stay back, Alex."