A hint of understanding crossed Kael's otherwise aloof expression as he glanced sideways at Moon joining the northern rampart's defense.

"...So this is what you meant when you said we'd meet again soon," Kael said in a low voice, barely audible amid the chaos of the battlefield.

Moon simply smiled, not breaking his casting rhythm as he prepared another spell. He'd told Kael in the forest that they would meet very soon, and here they were—fighting side by side on Ironpeak's walls as the base struggled to survive an unprecedented assault.

Kael returned his attention to the battlefield, no longer paying heed to Moon's arrival. There was work to be done, and distractions were luxuries neither could afford.

Moon positioned himself several meters away from Kael—close enough to observe the prodigy's techniques clearly but far enough to avoid interfering with each other's casting arcs or creating dangerous overlaps in their explosive radii. He began his analysis immediately, watching intently as Kael formed and released spell after devastating spell.

The difference was apparent within minutes of observation.

His fire gathers faster than mine. The compression happens in a single fluid motion rather than my staged approach.

Moon's eyes narrowed as Kael released another massive fireball. He tracked its formation from the initial mana gathering through compression, launch, and finally detonation with absolute concentration. The way the explosive force distributed on impact, the efficiency of energy release, it was truly an art.

Moon began casting his own Explosive Flame, this time attempting to mimic what he'd observed. He tried to let the mana threads flow into position naturally rather than forcing them into arrangement.

His first attempt was clumsy. The threads tangled before he could establish proper formation, creating weakness throughout the entire spell.

The fireball formed but felt dangerously unstable in his palm. He released it anyway toward a distant target, and it detonated prematurely mid-flight with disappointing results.

Too complex to replicate immediately, but I can work toward it incrementally. Small improvements compound over time.

Moon kept trying, deliberately experimenting with variations despite the battlefield's demands. Some attempts worked reasonably well. Many failed spectacularly, his spells detonating mid-air or fizzling out entirely.

Awakeners around him grew visibly confused. They didn't understand why this powerful mage who'd been devastating enemy forces was suddenly wasting mana on failed castings, detonating his own spells halfway to their targets like a complete amateur.

Some exchanged worried glances, wondering if he was exhausted or injured. Others assumed he was testing something but couldn't comprehend why he'd choose a battlefield for experimentation.

Moon ignored their confusion entirely. His focus remained absolute.

An hour passed in this intense cycle. Moon's success rate gradually improved from twenty percent functional casts to nearly forty percent.

As he formed another Explosive Flame, Moon felt something click into place. The mana threads flowed into arrangement with significantly less resistance than before, settling into a configuration that felt... right.

This is it!

He launched it toward a charging level nineteen boar that had broken through the frontline. The fireball streaked across the distance with terrifying speed, catching the boar of guard. The resulting detonation was noticeably more powerful than his previous explosions.

BOOM!

The explosion radius expanded beyond the standard two meters, catching two additional beasts in the blast and sending them tumbling backward with severe burns.

[You have killed a level 19 Tri-Tusk Boar.] [You have gained 40 Lives.]

[You have killed a level 17 Wolf.] [You have gained 5 Lives.]

–

[Explosive Flame]

[Rank: Rare]

[Proficiency: 70%]

[Details: You can conjure flames that detonate on impact. The size of the explosion scales with mana invested. Detonation radius: 2 meters. Explosions affect all targets within the radius, including the caster. +140% Damage.]

–

Moon felt the skill comprehension deepen. That single successful cast had pushed him to another level of understanding..

He immediately began another cast, trying to replicate that same feeling of natural flow. This time it came easier. It was certainly not perfect, but it was reliable. The fireball launched and detonated with force.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

His success rate was climbing rapidly now that he'd grasped another fundamental principle behind his skill.

As he rained spells on the beasts below, Moon couldn't help but think back to the time he'd spent in the hidden realm. Although it had been a terrible experience, especially for a newcomer like him, he'd been fortunate to remain in Selene's vicinity for an extended period.

Unlike his current situation, he'd had time to copy her Elemental Mage class for multiple days, allowing his proficiency over those skills to rise through constant practice. The luxury of time had made mastering those abilities significantly easier.

Now he was racing against the timer, trying to compress days of natural skill development into a single day.

On the northern rampart, the combat pressure was noticeably higher than the eastern section where Lyra was stationed, but it still wasn't overwhelmingly dangerous. Moon could see many powerful awakeners concentrated in this area, including Kael's entire team and several other veteran squads. The northern wall defended one of the main approaches to Ironpeak's core districts, making it a priority position.

"Capture him! Don't let him escape!" one of the awakeners at the frontline suddenly shouted to his colleagues.

The commotion grabbed Moon's attention.

Several defenders had managed to isolate and grab an enemy awakener—one of the human attackers coordinating with the beasts.

The captured man tried desperately to escape, thrashing and channeling what mana he could access. But he was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of restrictions placed on him. The defending awakeners were clearly experienced in prisoner capture, immediately inflicting serious injuries to prevent any escape attempt through the respawn mechanism.

If the enemy awakener killed himself to buy even a single second of freedom, he would emerge so weakened by the sanctuary's debuff that recapture would be easier than it was now. The defenders understood this mechanic and acted accordingly.

'That's an impressive way of dealing with war prisoners.' Moon thought to himself, learning from the veterans.

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