Goblins are an interesting creature. Mostly in the fact that they are intelligent, almost akin to people, the other part being that they are sadistic monsters. Every single Goblin, regardless of how they are raised and what they are taught, gains an insatiable thirst for violence and the pain of non-Goblin species. Studies show that these traits become prevalent after they first inflict some form of pain upon another living being, but the cause of this change is unknown to all, nothing available to the people of this land have been able to find what causes this drastic shift in behavior, and the Gods certainly won’t entertain such a question either.

I take a deep breath and review my plan now that I am close to the camp. It was easy enough to close the distance, especially when it seems that the Goblins must have captured several animals and are actively torturing them. It also helps that their noses are overspecialized in smelling blood compared to everything else.

Where was I? Ah, yes, plan. Wide area fire spell as an opener should finish off the Goblins, anything in those tents might survive, but I can just use a more powerful single target spell as needed. Best check to see what my patron has decided to let me use for the upcoming slaughter.

I reach deep inside of myself and come out with 15 sparks. A dire warning indeed. Something in that camp is excessively strong, enough so that my patron has afforded me more sparks at once than ever before.

I grin wide, this is great… for me that is, not for them, they are going to die a death that is significantly less painful than it should be. I spare no sympathy for their species nor their circumstances.

I start with 5 sparks, externalize them, and then weave them into a single spell. Wide area fire attack. Boundaries and limitations set up so that the attack will only spread to 10 feet away from the edges of the camp, the fire generated from the spell linked so that all fire can be extinguished at the same time, intensity increased so that the Goblins will die faster and potentially damage whatever is hiding in those tents.

I release the spell and watch as the entire camp bursts into flames. I hear shrieks of pain from the Goblins before they quiet down seconds later. Part one done, now let me see what's next.

“MOTHERFUCKER!”

Oh? So there actually was a demon here. Even better! I had hoped that there was one!

I find myself being slammed against a tree with a sickening crack and horrific pain, only in the upper body though. I feel nothing from my legs, eh, not a problem. I use up 3 sparks, externalize, then weave a healing spell into existence. My bones mend and I have feeling in my legs again. The pain still lingers but that matters not. I have a strong opponent.

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This demon horrifically injured me with an omnidirectional airblast. Something that they should be easily able to repeat based upon the casual usage of the attack, and if an attack is omnidirectional then I can’t dodge it and will have to use even more of my Vitality! I might be forced to make some barriers or shields, but that still burns more Vitality.

I force myself up and close the distance, stopping at the edge of the now larger clearing. The demon stands where one of the tents used to be, and appears to be a hybrid of some kind due to its more humanistic features such as a human face, two human-like arms, and two human-like legs. I could analyze the demon more but that matters little compared to the fact that I have an opportunity before me.

I take a deep breath, fake a loud cough, and start sprinting at the demon.

“You! You are the one who did this! DIE!”

A swipe of its arm generates another wide blast of air, something that I don’t attempt to block at all, my patron on the other hand does. I become a flesh puppet once again as a single spark is externalized against my will and woven into a defensive barrier centered upon myself, cutting through the attack with ease. My charge continued uninterrupted.

Annoying, but manageable. I need to provoke the demon more, get them attacking me more often. A single spark externalizes by my own will and I weave it into a fast moving force projectile. I aim it at a limb, but just as I release it I find my aim forcefully readjusted. The projectile lands directly in the center of its gut, wounding it much more seriously than I originally planned.

My irritation rises, but I am still expending my Vitality. I purposefully slow down my charge and that gives the demon just enough time to regather themself and launch a salvo of much more concentrated airblasts at me. Enough that I am forced to spend another spark of Vitality reinforcing my barrier instead of taking the blows head on.

The distance is closed and I grasp at my Vitality trying to grab everything that I can and find that I come out with 2 extra sparks bringing my available total to 6. I externalize and weave the 6 sparks together into a single spell. Virtually no range and control in exchange for power beyond what it should have for the cost I pay. I lock it in place relative to the knuckles of my right hand. If I get lucky I might even lose my arm and that will certainly cost a pretty penny in terms of Vitality.

I fake a strike with my staff before striking with my right arm. My blow is blocked all of the same, this worn out body of mine isn’t very fast, but my spell triggers all of the same. I grin at the pain, as the feeling of losing my dominant hand and half of my right forearm. I spellcast primarily with my right, so my patron is going to have to let me heal it.

I grab for some more Vitality and manage to grab a whole 4 sparks and quickly externalize and weave them into a limb regeneration spell. I grit my teeth for a second as new flesh and bone burst out from the stump. With that taken care of, I observe the crater where my foe once stood.

Nothing there at all. Just an empty crater, but then again, I wasn’t exactly expecting anything else. Few things survive something like that, not without being much stronger or possessing some strong magical items. The demon has neither as it was effectively nude.

I let out a sigh. I could use a proper rest at this point, but if I continue pushing myself than I might get the chance to burn even more Vitality. So instead of resting like a sane person, I turn around and start making my way back to the village. Might as well inform them that the Goblin problem is solved and that a Demon was both there and killed.

If those kids are there then I can make sure that the knowledge of the demon is sent over to the Guild. I have no want or need to be interrogated by the Truthtellers that would undoubtedly be present. Meticulous bastard, so prim and proper, them and their stacks of paperwork. I agreed to an interrogation once and I was stuck doing paperwork for 2 whole weeks. Those kids deserve to be buried under the paper. The country is a monarchy! Why is there even that much paperwork in the first place?