Fueled by anger, Damian pushed himself forward. He wouldn’t let these creatures escape—not after everything they’d done. The sirens blared louder in the distance, punctuated by bursts of gunfire. Maybe the police were finally here, but it didn’t matter to him. There wasn’t any time to waste.

The sword felt heavy in his hand, and his breaths came in ragged gasps. Yet, he pressed on, slashing and dodging with every ounce of strength he had left. He was new to using a sword, but his agility gave him an edge. The goblins’ attacks were sloppy, fueled by primal rage, and he used that to his advantage.

Fifteen grueling minutes passed, each second stretching into what felt like hours. Damian’s muscles burned, and the blood pounding in his ears drowned out the chaos around him. He was close to finishing off this wave of crude, snarling creatures when he spotted the next group.

A woman’s screams pierced the air.

His heart dropped as he turned to see the new group of goblins dragging her to the ground. She fought back, but it was no use. Damian surged forward, but he was too far. He watched, helpless, as they butchered her, their jagged weapons painting the street red.

His hands trembled. “No…”

Before he could act, a deep roar split the air. His instincts screamed, and he turned just in time to see a fireball roaring toward him, its blazing heat distorting the air around it.

“Move!”

He threw himself to the side, the fireball slamming into the ground where he’d just stood. The explosion sent a shockwave that nearly knocked him off his feet, and the intense heat made his skin prickle.

But there wasn’t time to recover. Another fireball followed, and then another.

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Damian sprinted toward the rows of abandoned cars, weaving between them as the fireballs rained down, each one detonating with deafening force. The ground was scorched, the cars melted into warped metal husks. His chest heaved as he ran, heart hammering in his chest.

“What the hell is this?!” he shouted, panic clawing at him. These goblins weren’t supposed to be capable of such tactics.

He ducked behind an overturned truck, the heat from a nearby fireball scorching the air above him. He couldn’t keep this up. His stamina was nearly gone, and he hadn’t been able to collect a single mana stone from the fallen goblins.

“Damn it!” he growled, slamming his fist against the truck.

Then his eyes caught movement. The group of goblins that had killed the woman was still nearby, clustering together as they searched for more prey. An idea struck him, wild and reckless.

With a grim smile, Damian bolted from his cover, heading straight for the group. The goblins turned, their cruel eyes narrowing as they readied their weapons. But before they could react, another fireball roared toward Damian.

“Perfect,” he muttered under his breath.

At the last moment, he veered to the side, leaving the goblins directly in the fireball’s path. Their screeches filled the air as the explosion engulfed them, their bodies disintegrating in the fiery blast.

Damian stumbled to a halt, panting heavily. But his momentary relief was short-lived. A deep growl echoed through the flames, and from the smoke emerged a larger, copper-skinned goblin. Its eyes glowed with a sinister light, and its clawed hands crackled with fire.

“So you’re the one,” Damian muttered, gripping his sword tightly.

The copper goblin grinned, its jagged teeth gleaming. It raised a hand, summoning another fireball that hovered ominously above its palm.

Damian steadied his breath, his body screaming for rest. The flames around him flickered and roared, the heat stifling, but he couldn’t afford to falter now.

“Come on, then,” he growled, raising his sword