Part- 384:
The Foolish Hobgoblin’s howls reverberated through the dungeon as it swung its club wildly, its hollow eyes now pletely blind, filing in disoriented rage. James watched its desperate swings with a steady calm, his breathing trolled as he moved back, giving himself space to assess. He felt a rare surge of exhiration. This wasn’t just anht—it was a test of every skill he’d honed, every risk he’d taken, all accumuting into this climactient.
The hobgoblin was now a stumbling shadow, powerful but crippled, its primal strength no match for a calcuted mind. As he observed its erratients, he calcuted his final move. This was his ce t the creature down decisively, with every ounce of power he’d accumuted, but he knew he couldn’t be reckless. He’d e too far to make a mistake now.
The creature roared again, swinging its club in a wild, looping arc, striking walls and sending echoes through the hollow space. James sidestepped effortlessly, his instincts sharpeo a razor’s edge. For a brief sed, he hesitated, w at the strah that had brought him here. How many levels were there in this dungeon? How many more monstrous foes awaited him deeper in the Lamp of Time? He knew, without a doubt, that this was only the beginning.
“Alright,” he muttered under his breath, tightening his grip on his wooden sword. “Let’s finish this.”
Fog, he activated Fht. His mind slowed, the hobgoblin’s moves fshing before him, eae a step closer to the creature’s defeat. He could see the path to victory as if it were id out in front of him, clear as day. He dodged another wild swing, cirg to the hobgoblin’s blind side, and took a deep breath as he prepared for the final strike.
With a fierce shout, he unched himself at the creature, aiming for its other eye, the one faint spot of vulnerability in its massive, armored frame. His wooden sword struck true, and the hobgobli out a bellow of agony, stumbling back as darkness swallowed its vision pletely. Blind, it staggered, swinging its club with a new desperation. James felt a rush of satisfa, his fidence s. The monster was now at his mercy, its remaining strength ebbing away with each clumsy, blind swing.
He circled it again, staying out of its reach, and observed its struggles. The dungeon’s dim light flickered against its heaving chest, the hobgoblin’s fury almost pitiable. James tightened his jaw, steeling himself for the final move.
“All that strength,” he murmured, more to himself than to the beast, “but no trol.”
With a calm, practiced motion, he raised his sword above his head, summoning every ounce of energy he had left. His muscles tensed, ready to execute Earth Divider, a skill he’d only retly mastered but ohat had proven its devastating power. He could feel the weight of his strength pooling in his arms, his foarrowing to the single point of impact.
