While resting near the burning firewood I noticed the blue crystal on Julius left wrist, its size being relative to his huge forearm.
-So it's a universal phenomenon ...
Raising my attention to the rest of his body, the numerous injuries he received had almost healed.
In contrast, my two broken fingers showed no signs of recovery.
Considering the high possibility of having to face a boss-like opponent as we reached the deeper parts of the village, I considered the danger I would be without the use of my dominant hand.
I tried boosting my body's regenerative powers with my magi but soon realized that it would take more than a day to achieve full functionality.
And so I tried looking for a temporary solution, I circulated my energy to the muscles around the broken parts, reconnecting the severed muscle tissue and allowing me to move them.
Although it required a lot of focus to maintain and the amount of pain was excruciating, I firmly grasped the hilt of my sword and swung the heavy blade.
....
After Julius finished digesting all the meat he had eaten, which was probably enough to make six servings, we resumed the exploration of the village.
Upon reaching the goblins living quarters, which consisted of a wooden bed with a leather mattress on top of it, I noticed some empty wooden cages and a group of young goblins devouring a corpse.
I silently approached them and while examining the corpse they were biting chunks of meat from, I came to a bizarre realization.
-It's a human corpse ...
The body of a woman, probably in her thirties, was lying on the soil, her skin covered in slashes, her face being disformed to a degree where recognizing any special features was pointless.
-They tortured her and then beat her to death ...
Furious and unable to control my emotions, the red killing aura I had constantly suppressed was unleashed and surrounded the group of young goblins.
Their legs shaking and their entire body paralyzed from the enormous murderous intent directed at their direction made them easy prey for me.
I repeatedly slashed and stabbed their bodies long after their death, cutting their flesh to the point that only their muscles were visible.
"Enough ", Julius arm grabbed my shoulder and stopped me from continuing attacking the brutalized corpses.
After ending my rampage, I started vomiting, unable to process the horrific scene of the dead woman.
Although Julius didn't show any sign of discomfort, I could tell he was disgusted by the horrifying spectacle.
-She must have been another challenger from Earth
Having calmed down and regained my composure I nodded Julius and we started heading towards the huge tent located in the back of a large open area.
A 3-meter tall goblin emerged from the large tent wearing a crown made from skulls and red feathers, leading me to the conclusion that he was the chieftain of the goblin village.
Unlike the trained goblin squad we had previously encountered, the goblin chieftain's physique was a mixture of muscles and fat with a huge stomach and an overly obese neck.
Aiming for the weaker predator first, he raised his one-meter ax and started attacking me.
With my focused senses and due to the slow trajectory of the heavy weapon I avoided his strikes while slashing his legs each time.
While the monster was distracted and confused from its attacks not connecting, Julius charged in and pulverized it's left ribcage, causing it to flinch from the sudden strike and lower its posture.
I seized the opportunity in front of me and using its knee as support, launched myself at the goblin, thrusting my blade in his chest aiming for where his heart should be.
The goblin chieftain screamed violently, and despite his heart being been pierced didn't collapse and went on a rampage.
Tearing his arteries apart, he used all the remaining blood vessels in his body to throw an all-out punch at me.
Unable to find proper footing, being mid-air from my previous attack, I was left with no means to evade.
-Death ...
At that moment Julius appeared in front of me and blocked the attack with his gigantic arms.
I landed safely on the ground while both my savior and the near-death enemy stayed still.
When suddenly ... the monster collapsed.
Excited from the victory we had achieved I looked at Julius ...
Both his arms were severely broken, his shoulders dislocated and the majority of his ribs shattered from the excessive force.
He fell on his knees and started to cough blood.
"Oh shit, are you ... okay? "
-Well, of course, he is not okay, even he couldn't come unscathed from a strike of such magnitude
Grateful to him for saving me and blaming myself for expecting the boss to instantly die after having its heart pierced, I carefully assisted Julius to lie down in a nearby small tent.
"That was a magnificent opponent ...", he whispered to me as he tried to get up.
"Easy now big guy, get some rest", and as soon as I finished my sentence he lost consciousness ...
As I was pondering how my lack of information on this world's enemies was a fatal flaw I needed to fix, I noticed a young goblin approaching the dead chieftain's corpse.
-Oh ... there was a survivor it appears
Suddenly it took out a purple crystal from its tool belt and placed it above the chieftain's corpse, which was absorbed into the now bright crystal.
The goblin with a sinister smile gazed at my eyes and began to fuse with the strange mineral.
....