Leon, eyes still closed, could sense the movement. He sidestepped, feeling the wind from the goblin's swing brush past his ear.
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.
