Chapter 116: An Epic Battle

She didn't even have time to raise her weapon.

The slap hit her head-on.

A blinding wave of pain tore through her body. The air was violently ripped from her lungs, and she was hurled across the chamber like a rag doll. The wall brought her flight to an abrupt end in an explosion of shattered stone. Her head slammed into the rock, a flash of white exploded across her vision, and the blue crystals overhead seemed to spin wildly above her.

She crashed heavily onto the floor.

For several seconds, she couldn't move.

Her ears rang.

Her vision blurred.

Every breath drew a grimace of pain from her lips.

Something warm trickled down her temple.

Then a roar echoed through the cavern.

Phoenix.

Move.

Heavy footsteps thundered across the stone.

The Goblin Chief was coming.

And the timer kept counting down.

Blanche clenched her teeth.

Despite her fear, she whispered,

"Fear."

Instantly, the monster's gaze went blank.

Its body froze completely.

Without wasting a second, she cast Rest.

A wave of cool relief swept through her body. The pain didn't disappear entirely, but enough strength returned to her muscles to let her stand.

Phoenix immediately leaped in front of her.

I can't attack him. They won't let me.

She had already figured that out.

As soon as the spell wore off, the Chief shook his head and instantly regained his senses.

Blanche took a deep breath.

She wasn't going to win this by fighting him head-on.

She would have to outsmart him.

Derek had drilled it into her countless times: when facing an opponent larger, heavier, and stronger than you, stop fighting by his rules.

She activated Invisibility.

Her silhouette vanished instantly.

The goblin froze.

Its single eye swept across the chamber, unable to understand where its prey had gone.

Taking advantage of its hesitation, Blanche slipped low across the ground, weaving silently through the shimmering reflections of the crystals despite the protests of her battered muscles.

Then she struck.

Her axe carved a wide arc.

The blade bit deep into the monster's leg.

Flesh split.

Bone followed.

The Chief stood frozen for a fraction of a second before an earth-shaking roar reverberated through the cavern.

Its nearly severed leg could no longer support its weight.

It staggered violently, spraying blood across the stone floor.

Blanche didn't linger.

She immediately activated Flight.

Her body lifted off the ground the exact moment the goblin's enormous hand closed around empty air.

Missed.

With a howl of rage, the creature ripped the axe embedded in its own leg free and hurled it with all its strength.

The weapon whistled across the chamber, sending vibrations through the crystal formations before smashing into the opposite wall.

Nothing.

No body.

The Chief instantly realized it had thrown at empty space.

Perfect.

An enraged enemy thought far less clearly.

Blanche reappeared behind him.

The moment he sensed her presence, he spun around.

Without hesitation, she drew one of her daggers.

The throw was flawless.

The blade spun through the air before burying itself directly in his eye.

The eyeball burst.

The scream that followed echoed throughout the dungeon.

This wasn't merely anger anymore.

It was agony.

Instinctively, the Chief clutched his face with both hands as blood gushed between his thick fingers.

Crippled.

Half-blind.

Still alive.

"We're not laughing anymore, are we?" Blanche muttered.

But taunting him came at a price.

The monster pivoted with absurd speed for something so massive.

For the briefest instant, Blanche met its remaining eye.

She saw something new inside it.

Hatred.

So absolute that it had stopped thinking entirely.

It wanted only one thing.

To crush her.

Instinct took over.

Time.

The world froze.

The goblin's roar died into an impossible silence.

Drops of blood hung motionless in midair.

Dust stopped falling.

Even the reflections inside the crystals seemed frozen.

Blanche remained still for several seconds, fascinated despite herself.

Every time she used this ability, it felt more terrifying.

No one was supposed to be able to stop time.

Then her eyes fell upon her axe.

Only a few feet away.

It should have been embedded in the wall.

Instead, it rested almost at her feet.

Blanche turned her head.

Phoenix was frozen as well.

Unable to intervene.

Yet somehow...

the axe had miraculously moved closer to her.

By chance.

Of course.

A smile escaped her.

Even when he couldn't help directly, her familiar always found a way.

"Thank you."

She picked up her axe.

The haft settled naturally into her grip.

Then she approached the Chief.

With time suspended, it felt as though she were walking through a painting.

She slowly circled the enormous figure.

Searching for a weakness.

At last, her gaze settled on his throat.

She raised her axe.

Gathered every ounce of strength she had left.

And struck.

The blade buried itself deep.

Blood erupted.

But the resistance was unbelievable.

The goblin's neck was too thick.

Its muscles enormous.

The axe stopped halfway through.

"No..."

She pulled.

Once.

Twice.

It wouldn't budge.

Already, she felt the spell beginning to unravel.

Time suddenly resumed.

The Chief instantly felt the blade buried in his throat.

His roar shook the crystal formations.

Blood splattered across Blanche.

One hand flew to his neck while the other instinctively reached for her.

Still alive.

Still standing.

Through a level of stubbornness that felt personally insulting.

The goblin roared and completed his swing.

His enormous fist slammed directly into Blanche's head.

The impact hurled her to the ground.

Before she could recover, he grabbed her brutally by the hair and lifted her into the air.

Dangling helplessly, she spotted the handle of her axe still lodged in his neck.

A crazy idea flashed through her mind.

She reached out.

Grabbed the handle.

And pulled.

Nothing.

The Chief drew back his free arm, preparing to hurl her against the wall.

Blanche activated Carnage.

Power instantly flooded every muscle in her body.

She gritted her teeth.

The goblin pulled one way.

She pulled the other.

Then something gave.

The axe tore free in a spray of blood.

The Chief staggered.

His fingers loosened.

Blanche crashed heavily onto the ground and immediately rolled aside just as the monster's massive fist pulverized the stone where she had been a heartbeat earlier.

She struggled to her feet, panting, her face covered in blood.

Across from her, the Chief swayed unsteadily.

Still alive.

But for the first time since the battle had begun...

he was afraid.

And Blanche realized that all it would take now...

was one final blow.