The frontline erupted.
Growls, crackling fires, and the sharp ringing of magic clashing against claws filled the air. Each squad fought desperately to push the beasts back before they reached the inner wall.
Amid this chaos, three young mages began pushing their limits.
Lu Jun — Controlled Sharpness
Lu Jun's Metal element honed itself with every cast.
Every time he released a spell, his stardust spun a little smoother.
Every time he blocked a strike with Water, his control refined.
The hunters around him started noticing something unusual:
"He's getting faster."
"And his Metal spell… its edge is cleaner than before."
Lu Jun felt it as well.
His double-star maps were aligning more naturally.
The resonance between Metal and Water was stabilizing.
Not a breakthrough — not yet —
but the feeling of a wall thinning,
like he was one cast away from piercing it.
He exhaled calmly,
"Good. If I keep this pace… I can advance soon."
He stepped forward, slicing through another beast.
Mo Fan — Fire Becoming a Blade
Mo Fan fought as if he had lived a hundred battles.
His fire burst forward in clean arcs, burning through fur and hide with crisp efficiency. He no longer hesitated before drawing his stars. They flowed together with practiced rhythm.
"Fire Burst!"
A wave of flame scorched the ground, dropping a mid level beast instantly.
Mo Fan blinked, surprised.
"That… felt stronger."
Not because his fire had reached the next realm —
but because his technique had finally reached true stability.
Even the hunter captain closest to him muttered:
"This boy… his fire may jump realms soon."
Mo Fan grinned despite himself.
"Just a bit more…"
Lightning crackled faintly inside him — a reminder he still had another storm hidden for Yu Ang alone.
Xu Mang — Summoner Under Pressure
Xu Mang's lightning moved like an extension of his thoughts.
There was no wasted motion.
No unnecessary glow.
Just controlled, precise arcs that struck exactly where he aimed.
Each cast polished his rhythm.
Each enemy forced his stardust to circulate faster.
But Xu Mang felt something else growing:
His Summoning element.
The spiritual line connecting him to Wolfie stretched further, thickened, strengthened. Even though Wolfie remained in the Ice Plane, Xu Mang could feel its presence vibrating against his soul.
Not yet. Not here, Xu Mang thought. But soon.
He drew another bolt of lightning and dropped a beast instantly.
A hunter stared at him.
"That's not novice-level control… who trained you?"
Xu Mang didn't answer.
He was too busy feeling the Summoning stardust tightening, compressing, polishing itself with every spell he cast.
He knew exactly what was happening:
Combat pressure was pushing him toward Intermediate Two Star.
Waves Crash Again
The second wave of beasts pushed through the trees, stronger and heavier. High-level servant beasts and a few warrior-level shadows surged forward.
Zhan Kong appeared briefly on the rooftops, eyes searching the battlefield.
His gaze flickered over:
Mo Fan — flame cutting through the darkness.
Lu Jun — balanced control stabilizing a collapsing frontline.
Xu Mang — lightning-sharp casting and a Summoning aura he could barely disguise.
Zhan Kong narrowed his eyes.
"These three… their growth is unnatural."
He didn't intervene — not yet.
He simply watched, analyzing, evaluating.
They weren't normal students.
They weren't even ordinary talents.
They were something more.
Three Paths Converging
As the beasts pressed closer, the three boys felt their stardust tighten again, each approaching a limit.
Lu Jun nearly felt the threshold rippling under his footsteps.
Mo Fan felt fire humming like a blade ready to be sharpened.
Xu Mang felt his summoning star map trembling in anticipation.
Three novice mages on the brink of greater realms — during the destruction of their city.
Hunters shouted.
Walls shook.
The sky rumbled.
Beasts poured from the treeline like water.
And the three of them stepped forward again.
They were not just fighting.
They were advancing.
"Let's go," Xu Mang said quietly.
Lu Jun nodded.
Mo Fan grinned.
And the three surged into the next wave of beasts — preparing to carve their way toward the future.