Xu Mang leaned back against the broken wall, trying to catch his breath. The battlefield roared in the distance, but the immediate area around them was quiet for the moment. Lu Jun stood beside him, his gaze fixed on the direction where Zhan Kong was still clashing with the massive wolf. Dust kicked up with each impact, and the trees shook like they were about to split apart.
Lu Jun exhaled slowly. "This… wasn't supposed to happen right now."
Xu Mang nodded gently. "Yeah. In the original story, the invasion only starts after Mo Fan clashes with Yu Ang. That duel is what pushes the Mu Family's attention away from the city. Only then do the beasts pour in."
Lu Jun kept watching the flashes of Zhan Kong's wind magic. "But this… it's earlier. Way earlier. A commander-level wolf is showing up before the duel even begins."
"And it looks like the one in the book," Xu Mang added softly. "Black ridges, same posture. But something's off. This one is weaker than the true commander that appears after the duel arc. And Zhan Kong can actually keep up with it alone."
Lu Jun's brows tightened. "Which means this isn't the real invasion. Just a small fracture. A first trial. The real horde hasn't started moving yet."
Xu Mang rested his arm against his knee. "Exactly. If things keep following canon… the Sacred Underground Holy Spring will activate soon. That's when the REAL invasion begins. That's when no one can stop the fall."
Lu Jun stayed silent for a moment, then turned his attention to Xu Mang. "Before things get worse… how did you break into Intermediate so fast? I sensed the shift when we were fighting those warrior-level beasts."
Xu Mang didn't hide it. "Come on now, I worked hard cultivating I mean all 3 of us have Sacred Totem Beast Pendants. Getting to the next level with a help of some of the servant class soul essences and diligent work.
Lu Jun nodded. "Yeah. It felt identical. Water stabilized first for me, then Metal. They both aligned under the pressure. Both of my elements have reached intermediate 1.
"You did it cleanly," Xu Mang said. "Your control improved mid-battle. The hunters were shocked."
Lu Jun gave a faint smile. "You weren't exactly subtle either."
Xu Mang shrugged. "Lightning responds very differently the moment the star map clicks. And honestly… taking down those servant-level beasts helped. Their soul essences gave that final push."
Lu Jun crossed his arms thoughtfully. "You swallowed a few too, right?"
"Yeah," Xu Mang admitted. "Nothing big. Just some servant-level spirits to reinforce my summoning frequency. Wolfie reacted to them too."
Lu Jun looked toward the battlefield again. "Then there's Mo Fan. He broke through too. I can feel it from his stardust."
Xu Mang cracked a small smile. "Lightning resources. I'm gonna invest 1 Billion into him sooooooo better not fall behind. I gave him the last one after I reached saturation. His fire seems to almost be on the edge. He just needed something to trigger the circulation."
Lu Jun raised an eyebrow. "And his fire?"
"Extremely close," Xu Mang replied. "Once he touches the Sacred Underground Holy Spring… he'll hit the real Intermediate realm cleanly. Fire will burst through like a chain reaction."
"The same way it happened in the original," Lu Jun murmured.
"Yeah." Xu Mang's tone sank low. "Which means this isn't the invasion we know. This is only the echo. The real disaster is still coming when the Holy Spring is broken."
Lu Jun looked at him, his expression turning serious. "We need to prepare. This early commander… it means something in the timeline shifted. The monsters might attack in waves instead of one single overwhelming strike."
Xu Mang nodded. "I know. It's already different. That wolf shouldn't be here yet. Neither of us should be Intermediate yet. Mo Fan shouldn't be this close to breakthrough yet. Everything is accelerating."
"And it's not going to stop," Lu Jun added, voice steady.
Xu Mang stared into the distance where Zhan Kong's figure clashed against the massive wolf. "This is just the first test. The real Bo City calamity… it hasn't even started."
Lu Jun shook his head slightly. "Then we better get ready. Because once the Sacred Underground Holy Spring is touched, the timeline we remember ends. After that… everything will be new."
Xu Mang took a slow breath and stood up straight.
"Good. I prefer it that way."
Lu Jun joined him, eyes sharp for the next wave.
"And just like the book said… the first time a city falls is when heroes are born."
They didn't need to say anything else.
Both stepped forward, returning toward the fight as Zhan Kong drove the false commander back into the woods, and the battlefield prepared for the next darkness waiting at its edge.