The Last Incubus with The Vice and Valor System

Leon, eyes still closed, could sense the movement. He sidestepped, feeling the wind from the goblin's swing brush past his ear.
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He could feel the mana flowing more freely now, easing the pain and refreshing his muscles. With each breath, he felt his strength returning, the pain fading, his senses sharpening. He opened his eyes, meeting the goblin's furious gaze.

He smirked at the goblin and quickly closed his eyes again. He found his control and concentration in the mana circulation fading when he opened his eyes. Closing his eyes in this dangerous situation was the only way to stay calm and fight. There was no telling what would happen to him if he lost focus and that mind-numbing pain returned.

The goblin commander, seeing Leon's smirk and mistaking it for arrogance, became infuriated. While it had been aiming to kill Leon before, it was also enjoying the fight, not bothering to end things quickly even when it had the chance multiple times.

Leon's pain handicap made the goblin feel like it could finish him anytime. But now, it was truly enraged; the mocking smirk on Leon's face made its green blood boil with rage.

Its face twisted with an angry expression, it let out a guttural shriek and lunged at him, its short sword aiming for his heart.

Leon parried the attack, feeling the impact reverberate through his katana. But this time, with the mana circulating through him, the pain was manageable.

Even as the goblin attacked harder, he was able to handle it. With eyes closed and the [Goblin Intuition] skill at full power, he sensed the goblin's position and then countered with a quick slash, forcing the goblin to retreat a step.

Leon pressed his advantage, attacking with renewed vigor. His movements were fluid, his strikes precise. He could feel the mana enhancing his strength, his speed, his agility. Each swing of his katana was met with a clash of metal, the goblin barely able to keep up.

The goblin commander roared in frustration, its attacks becoming more erratic. It found it hard to believe that Leon was fighting it evenly with his eyes closed. The goblin's wild swings were met with graceful, almost effortless dodges from Leon. Every time the goblin thought it had an opening, Leon was already moving, anticipating its next move.

The goblin's short sword came down in a powerful overhead strike. Leon sidestepped, feeling the air part as the blade whooshed past him.

He spun around, his katana slashing at the goblin's exposed side. The goblin barely managed to block the attack, its short sword vibrating from the force of Leon's strike.

Leon could feel the rhythm of the fight. He wasn't just reacting; he was predicting, using his enhanced senses to stay one step ahead of his opponent.

The goblin lunged at him with a series of rapid thrusts. Leon parried each one, his katana a blur of motion. He stepped in close, delivering a sharp elbow to the goblin's jaw, followed by a swift kick to its midsection, sending it staggering back.

The goblin snarled, its rage blinding it to the strategic advantage Leon had gained. It charged again, swinging wildly.

Leon ducked under a high slash, pivoting on his heel to bring his katana around in a sweeping arc. The blade cut deep into the goblin's thigh, drawing a howl of pain.

Leon didn't let up. He moved with a dancer's grace, his attacks a seamless blend of offense and defense. He could feel the mana coursing through him, amplifying his every movement. The goblin was struggling now, its earlier confidence replaced with desperation.

In a last-ditch effort, the goblin commander raised its short sword high, aiming to cleave Leon in two. Leon's senses the attack and stepped forward, bringing his katana up to meet the descending blade.

The two weapons clashed, sparks flying as steel met steel a clangorous sound reverberating in the place. Leon pushed back with all his might, his muscles straining.

Leon dodged a wild swing from the goblin, feeling the blade pass harmlessly by. He knew that the goblin followed the weapon's movement. With the [Goblin Intuition] skill, Leon easily detected the goblin's position. He retaliated with a powerful strike, his katana slicing through the goblin's arm. Dark blood sprayed from the wound, and the goblin howled in pain.

Leon didn't let up. He pressed forward, his katana a blur of motion. The goblin tried to defend itself, but Leon's attacks were relentless. He struck again and again, each blow weakening his opponent further.

The goblin stumbled back, its movements sluggish. Leon stood silent, waiting for the goblin to make its move. He had no idea that the goblin was right behind him because his eyes were closed; he had lost the feeling of the goblin's position, unless the goblin moves first he won't be able to make his move since he doesn't know the Goblin's position.

The goblin, seeing that Leon's back was facing it, fell silent. It was severely injured, and right now, it wanted nothing more than to take Leon down with it.

Seizing its opportunity, the goblin gripped its short sword tighter and silently attacked. It jumped into the air, lunging at Leon with the short sword raised above its head, aiming to pierce the back of Leon's neck.

But the move was foolish, extremely foolish. In the end, mutant or not, the goblin was just a goblin; when compared to the ferals and wild goblins it's intelligence was high, but still, its intelligence was still low.

Even though the goblin tried to be as silent as possible, Leon's intuition tinged, and his ears picked up the minuscule movements of the goblin.

He was at high alert, ready for any move the goblin could make. He picked up the sound easily.

Quickly turning around, Leon lunged his katana into the air.

The goblin's eyes widened as it realized its mistake. But now that it was in the air, it couldn't dodge. It tried to use the short sword to block, but it was too late. From the lunge, it landed heart-first onto the katana blade, Leon's katana piercing the goblin's chest easily.

Blood sprayed on Leon's face as the creature let out a final, gurgling roar and died. Leon drew out his katana from the goblin's chest, causing more blood to spray further.

[Valor Points +10]

Leon stood there, panting heavily, feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He wiped the blood from his face, his heart still pounding from the intensity of the battle.

"Is it over?" he muttered to himself. The silence of the dungeon answered him, and he sheathed his katana, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.

The fight had been brutal, but it had also taught him valuable lessons. He needed to be more aware of his surroundings, to trust his instincts and intuition more. The [Goblin Intuition] skill had saved him more than once in this fight, and he was grateful for it.

Leon took a deep breath, feeling the mana still circulating within him.

Leon stood over the fallen goblin, breathing heavily. The pain in his body was still there, but Leon was intoxicated with a feeling of exhilaration to care. He had done it. He had learned to circulate the mana within him, and it had turned the tide of the battle.

Taking a deep breath, Leon felt the adrenaline slowly ebbing away. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his body aching from the effort. He had survived, but he knew he couldn't let his guard down. There might still be more dangers ahead.

He wiped blood off the katana's blade and stored it in his spatial ring, his mind already focused on the next challenge. The dungeon was far from over, and there might still dangers ahead.

But now, he felt more confident than ever. He had faced the goblin commander and emerged victorious. He now knew the true benefits of the [Goblin Intuition] skill. It had enhanced his intuition so much that, without it, he would have died. It was hard to believe that a skill he had underestimated so much would save his life.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings. The forest was quiet again, goblin corpses littering the ground, green goblin blood pooling around them. Leon stood as the sole survivor in the area.

He was yet to enter the goblin village, but there were things he needed to take care of first.

He opened his eyes, feeling the pain assaulting him rise once more as his control in the circulation of mana faded.

He brought out a healing pill from his spatial ring and swallowed it. He had few of these, and using one now hurt him, but his life and health were his priorities.

He swallowed the pill and felt it melt inside him. It felt warm, and the warmth spread through his entire body.

He cried out in extreme pain; the warmth was revitalizing, but the healing process sent waves of agony coursing through him.