It felt like a bomb had gone off in his head. Cold sweat clung to the surface of his skin.
Hobgoblins were a higher evolution of the goblin. They differed from the goblins not only in size but in strength too. Goblins ranged between Mid-Level E-Rank and Low-Level E-Rank.
Hobgoblins on the other hand were D-Rank monsters. They could rise as high as Mid-Level D-Rank. They represented a higher level of danger and the reason for that was…
The air around the hobgoblin suddenly scattered as though disturbed by an even higher force.
Aether.
The reason they represented a higher level of danger was because they could wield Aether somewhat externally just like all D-Rank monster and above did.
Apart from having the toad-like green skin, yellow slit eyes as well as a dirty waistcloth around its waist, that was where the similarities ended. The hobgoblin was tall standing over a meter and half tall. How something could go from barely being half a meter tall to half way towards two meters was a mystery but Liam suspected that it had something to do with the Aether.
Its body was round and thick, not with fat but with muscles. Its single hand wrapped around the polearm of a large double headed axe almost as large as its body. Its mouth and nose was round shaped almost like that of a pig.
It didn't make it any less intimidating though.
Liam couldn't move. Fear having frozen him like Medusa's gaze.
The hobgoblin's head tilted to the side as though something had caught its attention but it wasn't Liam.
A soft cough came from somewhere. The rabble moved, a piece of concrete moved to the side to reveal a small silhouette. Liam's eyes went wide.
It was a little girl. Her hair and face were covered in dirt, one of her arms moved awkwardly as though it was in pain and the little sunflower dress that had without a doubt looked completely adorable on her was tore and worn and covered in blood.
The little girl coughed frantically. She hadn't noticed the hobgoblin, not yet but the monster had certainly noticed her. In fact the hobgoblin took a step towards in her direction. Steps slow and steady. Why would it hurry when it was so sure the little girl couldn't manage to escape from it even if she noticed?
Liam watched. Every step the hobgoblin took seemed to drag his heart deeper and deeper into the depths of despair.
This was a chance. With the hobgoblin distracted by the little girl he could turn around now and escape…probably. This was the first time he had ever come in contact with a D-Rank entity before. He had never even met a D-Rank hunter or any hunter for that matter so he wasn't sure but it was a chance nonetheless.
'So what are you doing? Just turn around now and it will be over' Liam thought.
The little girl's cough reached his ears once more in fact it seemed to have amplified even. She still hadn't noticed the monster heading her way.
'You don't even know the little girl. It shouldn't matter to you anyway. Just run and you'll survive and then you can go home'
It was that simple and yet it wasn't that simple at all. His heart grew more and more agitated, the closer the hobgoblin made it to the little girl. At that moment the little girl screamed, it seemed she had noticed and Liam had already moved.
No matter how much he tried to think about it logically. How could he ever live with himself if he let the little girl die just so that he can survive
***
"FUCK!" Norse let out a heavy curse as the pain from his right foot seemed to spread throughout his entire body. His tried to pull his leg free from the weigh to of rocks that fell over it.
The last thing he had expected was for something to fall from above and destroy the building he had been walking past in order to make it to the little girl.
He also didn't expect his leg to be caught up in debris, he had no doubt in his mind that his right foot was without a doubt broken. As the dust cleared and he saw the level of destruction he had even begun to doubt if the little girl was even alive.
A lump had formed in his throat at the very thought but when he saw rabble move and heard the delicate cough he was delighted.
'Phew she's alright…'
Before the surprise to could even settle something large moved between the destruction. When he laid his eyes on it a feeling of inexplicable danger and despair took hold of his heart. There were subtle fluctuations in the air around the large beast.
Norse had never seen a hobgoblin before but even he could tell just how much danger that thing represented and that very danger…was walking towards the little girl.
Norse's eyes turned bloodshot as he pulled on his leg with even more vigor.
He couldn't bare to watch. He couldn't bear the thought of what would happen if that monster reached the little girl. He couldn't let that happen. Sharp pain rippled throughout his body, the sound of his bones being crushed beneath the weight resounded but Norse bit his lips.
He suppressed the scream that wanted to tear from his throat but that didn't stop the tears that fell down his face or even the ugly grimace painted on his face.
His felt his foot loosen. He was close.
'Just a little more and…'
A scream tore through the air. Norse's eyes shot forward his heart sinking into the pits of despair. He felt a piece of himself break when he saw the little girl scramble to get away. Her foot caught in a rock and she fell.
Another piece of him broke when he saw her struggle to stand due to her injured right arm. An arm that was only injured because of him in the first place.
'No…' he struggled harder to get his foot free. The monster was almost upon her now. '…please no…God please…'
The hobgoblin towered over the little girl. Its broad axe raised in preparation to swing. One swing, that was all it needed.
The axe fell and Norse's heart with it.