Max couldn’t stop grinning.

  His new sword was incredible—lighter than Spitefang, yet somehow heavier with purpose. Just holding it filled him with a quiet confidence, the kind that settled deep in your bones. He was eager to see what Solaris Edge could really do.

  Eager enough to delay his return trip across the island.

  Instead of heading back to his shelter like he originally planned, Max detoured through the jungle, retracing his steps toward the goblin outpost. He figured a little field testing was in order. After all, what better way to break in a new blade than with live targets?

  He approached cautiously, moving like a shadow through the thick foliage. Once he reached the edge of the treeline overlooking the goblin compound, he hunkered down and waited. The sun had started its descent, casting long golden rays across the clearing, but the goblins inside didn’t seem particularly alarmed. That was a good sign.

  If they had discovered the remains of the patrol he’d wiped out earlier, they weren’t showing it.

  At least… not yet.

  Max scanned the encampment carefully, watching for patterns. Movements. Clues. He noted a few groups training, some sitting around crude campfires, and others hauling equipment or repairing the outer walls. No alarm bells. No frantic orders. Just the rhythm of daily life inside the outpost.

  After nearly an hour of patient observation, his chance came.

  A small patrol of five goblins exited the main gate. They were better armed than the last group—rugged leather armor reinforced with metal studs, and heavy-looking spears that looked sharpened and well maintained. One of them, wearing cloth robes and carrying a polished staff, was clearly a healer.

  Max narrowed his eyes.

  That group’s not random. They moved with intention, checking tracks, scanning the path, pausing every so often to look for signs. Max’s suspicions grew—they’re searching for the others.

  Perfect.

  Like a predator stalking prey, Max tailed them through the underbrush. Silent. Focused. He let them lead him right to the spot where he’d stashed the corpses of the previous patrol. And that’s when he struck.

  With a burst of movement, Max launched himself into their ranks—Solaris Edge already glowing faintly in his hand. His first swing was a fully charged Power Strike aimed straight at the largest goblin in the formation.

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  The result was catastrophic.

  The goblin practically exploded in a spray of gore and shattered bone, the energy in the strike overloading the creature’s defenses in an instant. Max didn’t wait for the others to react—he pivoted, blade flashing, and decapitated the healer in one smooth motion before it could cast a single spell.

  Then came the real test.

  “Solar Flare,” Max whispered, triggering the sword’s ability.

  In an instant, the dim light of dusk was obliterated by a blinding white radiance. It didn’t affect Max, but the goblins howled in confusion and pain, clutching their eyes and stumbling blindly into one another. It was like detonating a flashbang in the middle of a darkened room—pure chaos.

  Max didn’t waste a second.

  He weaved between them, Solaris Edge carving through armor and flesh like it wasn’t even there. Thick goblin plate—previously a challenge for even his strongest attacks—split apart with ease. Three swift strikes. Three more bodies on the ground.

  The fight was over before the light even faded.

  Max took a breath, surveying the scene. Blood soaked the forest floor, but none of it was his. He was faster, stronger, more precise than ever before—and this new sword was a monster.

  “No way Spitefang could’ve cut through that armor,” Max muttered as he crouched beside one of the fallen. He pried a few pieces of mostly intact gear from the goblins—one set of armor, a few usable spears—and dropped them into his storage ring. The healer’s staff caught his eye as well.

  [Healer's Staff – Uncommon]

  Effect: Boosts all healing spells by 50%

  Condition: Good

  It wasn’t something he needed personally—not with the upgraded Greater Heal from the Mercy trial—but it would fetch a decent price when bundled with the rest of his loot. He tucked it into his ring.

  Turning his attention back to Solaris Edge, Max tilted the blade in the fading light.

  Not a single scratch.

  No residue. No sticky blood. It was like the sword repelled the very notion of filth. Even now, the surface gleamed—radiant and unmarred. The leather grip, plain but comfortable, felt like it was molded to his palm.

  “Pristine,” Max murmured, running a finger along the edge. “Like it was forged to never fade.”

  Satisfied, he sheathed the blade across his back and turned away from the carnage. The sun had almost fully set, and the jungle shadows deepened around him. There was no way he could make it back to his shelter tonight—and he didn’t feel like traveling in the dark.

  As he made his way toward the coastline, he came across a fallen tree, its massive root system yanked from the ground during some long-forgotten storm. It formed a natural shelter, with the trunk creating a windbreak and the roots offering a defensible position.

  Max nodded to himself. “This’ll work.”

  He pulled out one of the goblin tents he’d looted from a previous camp and set it up beneath the leaning trunk. It wasn’t luxury, but it would keep the dew off and give him some cover. Not wanting to draw attention, he skipped the fire and simply crawled inside.

  “As long as nothing tries to eat me in my sleep…” Max muttered, stretching out on the bedroll.

  He glanced up once more at the canopy overhead, where the stars had started to peek through the dusk.

  Another battle won.

  Another step forward.

  And tomorrow? He’d find out just how deep the goblin threat went.