The clash of steel against steel echoed through the chamber, each strike louder and more deliberate than the last. But after what felt like an eternity, they both retreated.
'That was fun but I feel like it's not enough.' Max's grip on his sword tightened as he looked at the goblin swordmaster and taunted. "You weak little piece of shit, have you not eaten anything or what? Your moves are so weak and dull than even a five year old little kid could handle them."
"GRRR!"
The goblin growled loudly as if it understood Max's words and lunged with unbridled fury, its blade slicing through the air with lethal intent.
Max didn't know if his taunting worked or not but he accomplished what he intended to do.
Focusing on the raging goblin, he sidestepped, the goblin's blade missing him by a hair's breadth, and countered with a precise upward slash. Sparks flew as their swords collided, illuminating their faces in fleeting bursts of light.
Max's pink eyes burned with focus, and the faintest smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
The goblin seemed to feel the smile on Max's lips and it became more enraged.
"GRRRR!"
It roared loudly and sent a flurry of sword strikes hurtling in Max's directions like shadows of swords. There were a total of more than ten sword strikes mixed on just one attack.
Max's eyes widened. 'Damn... this attack!' The sword shadows blurred into a deadly storm, their sharp edges glinting like shards of glass caught in a tempest. He knew in an instant that a single misstep would mean certain death.
"Three Dimensional Body!" he shouted, activating his most trusted skill. The world around him sharpened, in that moment, every movement of the goblin's sword slowing just enough for him to perceive the intricacies of its attack.
What had seemed like chaotic shadows became clear: thirty distinct sword strikes, each imbued with lethal intent.
'If I can see this, then I can block it.' Max tightened his grip on his blade. His breathing steadied as he synchronized his movements with the goblin's assault.
Clang!
The first strike collided with his sword, the impact sending vibrations up his arms.
Clang! Clang!
He blocked two more, his footwork keeping him just out of reach of the others.
Just like that he began to block the sword shadows coming at him. When a strike came too fast to counter, Max's feet moved in a series of sharp, precise steps. His body twisted and turned at odd angles, narrowly avoiding the goblin's sword shadows.
The goblin growled, its frustration evident as its strikes became wilder, more forceful. But Max was no longer just reacting—he was adapting. Each parry came smoother than the last, each dodge more intuitive. His sword seemed to move of its own accord, anticipating the goblin's next move.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With every exchange, Max's strikes grew more refined. His footwork became a graceful dance, each step perfectly calculated to exploit an opening or evade an attack.
The rhythm of their duel resonated deep within him, a symphony of chaos that he could feel inside him. He didn't know what it was but he could feel something bubbling up inside of him.
After some moments, he became so proficient in blocking the flurry of attacks goblin used that with a single downward slash, he destroyed the entire attack in one go.
The goblin snarled, its emerald eyes glowing with primal rage. It swung its blade in a wide arc, aiming to overwhelm Max with sheer power.
Max met the attack head-on, the force of their collision sending a shockwave through the chamber.
Bang!
Max slid back a few feet, his shoes scraping against the stone floor.
He exhaled sharply, but his grin never faltered.
It was then he noticed something. His sword felt different—lighter, sharper, and almost... alive. A faint blue hue began to shimmer along its edge, pulsating in sync with his heartbeat.
"This... is new," Max muttered to himself, his voice laced with excitement.
"GRRR!"
The goblin charged again, its roar reverberating like thunder. It appeared in front of Max again and attacked.
Max pivoted, dodging the overhead swing with a swift roll to the side. He sprang to his feet and launched into a relentless counterattack.
Just as they were once again locked in combat, Max's sword began to glow brighter with every clash with the goblin.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each strike carried a strange energy, a force that resonated beyond the physical realm. Max felt it building within him, a wellspring of power surging through his veins and into his blade. It was as though the sword was absorbing the essence of the battle itself, feeding on the intensity of their duel.
The goblin growled, sensing the shift in momentum. It swung wildly, but Max anticipated every move. He deflected each strike with ease, his sword leaving trails of blue light in the air as it moved.
The goblin faltered, its ferocity unable to match Max's newfound precision.
Max's body moved on instinct, his mind completely immersed in the rhythm of the fight. One strike, two strike, three strike... He lost count of how many strikes he landed on the goblin one after another.
The goblin soon began to feel overwhelmed by Max's relentless barrage of attacks. The increasing lethality of Max's sword, enhanced by the shimmering blue light, made it nearly impossible for the goblin to withstand his strikes head-on.
"GRRRR!"
The goblin roared in frustration upon realizing it couldn't defend itself and swung its massive blade wildly in a fit of rage.
Max was prepared for everything the goblin would throw at him and its last attack was no exception. He focused and parried the desperate lunge from the goblin, sidestepped its follow-up, and delivered a devastating counter—a diagonal slash that forced the creature to stagger backward.
It was at that moment, the glow of his sword intensified, now radiating an almost blinding light.
"This..." Max's chest heaved as the energy reached its peak, the sword humming with barely-contained power. He clenched the hilt tightly, feeling as if his sword could no longer hold the energy stored within it.
"This is it..." Max whispered.
The goblin roared and rushed forward for one final attack, its blade raised high.
Seeing that, Max planted his feet firmly and gripped his glowing sword with both hands. In one smooth motion, he swung it down with all his might.
WHOOSH!
A brilliant arc of blue light erupted from the blade, cutting through the air like a wave. It struck the goblin with overwhelming force, slicing cleanly through its body. The goblin froze mid-charge, its eyes wide with shock, before its form split in two and collapsed to the ground.
The chamber fell silent, the glow of Max's sword fading as the energy dissipated.
'It's over.' Max exhaled slowly, lowering his sword.
[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for comprehending Sword Aura.]
[The skill Basic Sword Arts has leveled up to level 21.]
[The skill Basic Sword Arts has leveled up to level 22.]
[The skill Basic Sword Arts has leveled up to level 23.]