The battle had dragged on far longer than Severin had initially expected.
What had started as a simple hunt had turned into a fight for survival. The clearing was now littered with fallen goblins, their green blood staining the grass and soil. Broken wooden clubs and discarded spears lay scattered everywhere, serving as reminders of just how chaotic the battle had become.
Yet the fight was far from over.
The Goblin Commander stood in the middle of the clearing, its heavy weapon gripped tightly in both hands. Several wounds covered its body, but thanks to its powerful regeneration, most of them had already healed. Its blood-red eyes remained fixed on Severin, filled with an anger that seemed to grow with every passing moment.
Severin, meanwhile, was beginning to feel the strain.
His breathing was heavier than before, sweat ran down his forehead, and the injuries he had sustained throughout the battle were making themselves known. His arm ached from repeatedly blocking heavy attacks, while his side still hurt from the earlier blow.
Even so, he hadn’t lost his smile.
"Man, you really are a troublesome fellow."
Severin rolled his shoulder and adjusted his grip on his sword.
"Your little friends are all gone, yet you’re still standing here as if nothing happened. Tell me, do you get paid extra for being this annoying?"
The Goblin Commander responded with an angry roar.
"ROOOOAR!"
Severin clicked his tongue.
"Ah, there it is again. Your favorite trick."
The commander’s roar had been a serious problem from the beginning. Every time it bellowed, the surrounding goblins became more aggressive, attacking with greater confidence and showing little concern for their own safety.
But now, there were no goblins left to benefit from that ability.
The commander was alone.
And Severin intended to keep it that way.
The remaining goblins had finally fallen, but eliminating them hadn’t been easy.
Severin had deliberately avoided fighting all of them at once. Whenever they tried to surround him, he moved toward narrow spaces between the trees, forcing them to approach from fewer directions. He used their lack of discipline against them, making them interfere with one another whenever possible.
It wasn’t a perfect strategy.
Several times, he had been forced to abandon his position to avoid being surrounded. On other occasions, the commander had anticipated his movements and nearly caught him with a heavy swing.
But Severin had gradually learned to read the battlefield.
He began noticing the subtle movements that preceded an attack, the way a goblin shifted its weight before charging, and the brief hesitation that occurred whenever the commander prepared to issue an order.
Little by little, he had turned a chaotic battle into something he could understand.
And whenever he discovered a weakness, he exploited it.
One goblin fell after overcommitting to a thrust. Another was defeated when Severin redirected its attack and countered before it could recover. Two others tried to rush him together, only to find that he had already moved beyond their weapons’ reach.
The commander had attempted to stop him several times, but Severin never stayed in one place long enough for it to use its superior strength effectively.
Eventually, the last goblin fell.
Now, only the commander remained.
Severin glanced at the fallen creatures before returning his attention to the massive goblin.
"Well, look at that. Your entire squad is gone."
He tilted his head, pretending to examine the commander with exaggerated curiosity.
"Should I give you a moment to mourn them? Or are you going to call for another twenty?"
The commander’s face twisted with rage.
It raised its weapon and slammed it against the ground.
BOOM!
Dirt and small stones scattered through the clearing.
Severin stepped aside, narrowly avoiding the debris, and laughed.
"Easy there! If you keep throwing tantrums like that, you’ll hurt yourself."
Of course, he knew perfectly well that the monster couldn’t understand his words.
That didn’t make mocking it any less entertaining.
Besides, if the commander was angry enough to become careless, Severin would gladly take advantage of it.
Unfortunately, the creature wasn’t stupid enough to fall for such an obvious trick.
Instead of immediately charging, it lowered its body and watched him carefully.
The change made Severin’s smile fade slightly.
Oh? So you’ve finally decided to stop rushing in blindly.
The commander had learned from their exchanges, too.
That made the coming fight even more dangerous.
Severin took a deep breath and checked his remaining mana.
His expression became a little strange.
Well, that’s not good.
His mana reserves were almost completely depleted.
The repeated movements, defensive adjustments, and occasional use of mana throughout the battle had taken their toll. Even though he had been careful not to waste his energy, the fight had lasted too long.
He could still move his body, and his swordsmanship hadn’t suddenly disappeared, but his options were becoming limited.
The Golden Saint Sword Art required mana.
So did Quick Slash.
He couldn’t keep relying on techniques that consumed a resource he was nearly out of.
And the commander was still standing in front of him, as dangerous as ever.
Severin quietly calculated his options.
’If I keep dragging this out, I’ll eventually lose my advantage. My body is getting tired, and that monster can recover from small wounds almost instantly.’
He glanced at the commander’s body.
The wounds he had inflicted earlier were already difficult to see.
’I need to end this with one decisive attack.’
There was only one technique he trusted to deliver enough power.
Golden Saint Sword Art — First Form.
It was the strongest technique he could currently use, but activating it would consume almost all the mana he had left.
If it failed to finish the commander, he would be in serious trouble.
He couldn’t afford to use it carelessly.
First, he needed to create an opening.
A genuine opening, not one that would disappear the moment the commander changed its stance.
Severin tightened his fingers around the sword hilt.
All right. One last round.
He lifted his gaze.
The commander was watching him, its massive chest rising and falling with each breath.
Severin grinned.
"Hey, big guy."
The goblin’s eyes narrowed.
"How about we finish this?"
The commander moved first.
It charged with a roar, swinging its heavy weapon in a wide horizontal arc.
Severin ducked beneath the attack and immediately moved toward its unguarded side.
His sword flashed.
The blade struck the commander’s ribs, opening a fresh wound.
Green blood spilled onto the ground.
But the commander barely reacted.
It twisted its body and brought its weapon down toward Severin’s head.
Severin jumped backward.
The weapon struck the earth with a deafening crash, sending a shock through the ground beneath his feet.
He landed awkwardly, his legs protesting the strain.
Before he could fully regain his balance, the commander was already moving again.
This thing really doesn’t know when to stop!
Severin raised his sword to block the next attack.
Clang!
The impact drove him backward.
His arms trembled, and a sharp pain shot through his shoulder.
He gritted his teeth and redirected the weapon, but the commander followed with a powerful shoulder charge.