"AGH!!!" The enemy's scream echoed as one of the veterans severed his arm at the elbow with a brutal sword strike.

Thud!

The limb fell to the blood-soaked ground, eventually being trampled by the ongoing clash of humans and beasts nearby.

Moon helped secure the capture by sending powerful Explosive Flames toward the cluster of beasts attempting to interfere with the extraction. His spells created a wall of fire and concussive force that prevented enemy reinforcements from reaching the prisoner, buying the capture team precious seconds.

Within a minute, the captured awakener was dragged inside the base's interior walls, bound with mana-suppressing restraints, and handed over to personnel who would imprison and question him at a later date.

Information about their enemy was critically important. While beasts couldn't provide intelligence about tactics, or motives, human prisoners certainly could. This captive might reveal who organized the attack, how they controlled the beasts, and what their ultimate objective was.

Moon returned his full attention to the ongoing siege.

He formed another Explosive Flame, this time achieving the smooth mana flow he'd been practicing. The spell launched and detonated with satisfying power.

[Proficiency: 71%]

Moon smiled and continued his relentless assault.

♢♢♢♢

[You have reached level 21!]

[ Name: Moon ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Class: Classless, Pyromancer ]

[ Level: 21 ][ 2% ]

[ Lives: 4929 ]

[ Strength: 32 ] [ Agility: 34 ] [ Constitution: 35 ] [ Mana: 48 ] (+5 to all stats)

[ Attribute Points: 0 ]

[ Skills: Elemental Attack, Five Element Affinity, Tenacity, Silver Skin, Pyromantic Affinity, Explosive Flame, Heat Sense(Limited Time)]

[ Talent: Grim Reaper ]

[ Class Skill: Class Slot {1/1} ]

Moon smiled brightly at the notification. Although most of the beasts he'd been killing were a level or two below him, the sheer volume of enemies he'd eliminated had pushed him over the threshold to the next level. He was satisfied with the results, slowly increasing his level without taking significant risks was always preferable when focused purely on progression.

[Explosive Flame]

[Rank: Rare]

[Proficiency: 79%]

As his proficiency climbed higher, Moon found it increasingly difficult to gain meaningful comprehension. Despite having Kael positioned right beside him, despite watching the prodigy's every motion and analyzing each casting technique, Moon had once again found himself stuck at another milestone.

The diminishing returns were frustrating but expected. The final twenty percent of mastery always proved the most challenging, requiring insights that couldn't simply be observed and replicated.

So Moon decided to power through the barrier using sheer practice volume. If incremental understanding was slowing, brute repetition would have to compensate.

Once I reach level twenty-five, I'll have my class evolution task, and—

Moon's thoughts were violently interrupted when a massive roar filled the entire base.

The sound was so powerful that it physically shook his body. His eyes widened reflexively, and instinctive fear crawled up his spine despite his high attributes and combat experience. This wasn't just noise—it was a declaration of overwhelming power that bypassed conscious thought and triggered primal survival responses.

Moon's head snapped around, searching for the source of the roar. But he quickly realized the sound hadn't come from the northern rampart or anywhere nearby. It originated from the main gate on the western side of Ironpeak, at least several hundred meters away.

Kael also turned toward the sound, his expression grim.

Moments had barely passed when an overwhelming aura emerged from deep within the base's interior, a pressure so intense that even at this distance, Moon could feel it washing over the battlefield like a tidal wave of power.

The aura shot toward the western gate where the roar had originated.

"It's the Base Lord!"

"He's engaging whatever beast caused that sound. That creature better start digging its own grave now!" A veteran laughed while continuing to fight the beasts around him without missing a beat.

The veterans of Ironpeak Base seemed confident in their leader's capabilities. Their morale didn't waver, if anything, it rose at the prospect of their strongest awakener joining the battle personally.

Moon continued his assault on the northern wall for approximately five more minutes, maintaining his casting rhythm and pushing Explosive Flame's proficiency incrementally higher.

Then a sharp alarm sounded from the communication devices carried by awakeners around him.

"THE BASE LORD IS INJURED! COMBATANTS ABOVE LEVEL 20 REPORT TO THE WESTERN GATE IMMEDIATELY! REINFORCEMENTS REQUIRED NOW!"

The urgency in the voice was unmistakable. The person speaking was panicking, which meant the situation was certainly dire.

Immediately, everyone's confidence over the seemingly won war vanished. Smiles disappeared. Conversations died mid-sentence.

The Base Lord, renowned as the strongest awakener in the entire settlement was injured badly enough to require emergency reinforcements.

What kind of beast could do that? Moon thought, genuine concern replacing his previous focus on skill training. Based on his observation of the strongest awakeners in the Ironpeak base, the base lord should be at least level 24, and most likely level 25 waiting to complete his class task to ascend to the second sanctuary.

The base lord could also be purposefully avoiding ascension to stay in his position of power but that didn't mean he wasn't strong in the first sanctuary. Moon's body turned toward the western side of the base. Kael and his entire team were doing the same, their expressions grim and focused.

Kael's eyes met Moon's across the rampart. After a brief moment of mutual understanding, both awakeners nodded.

Without another word, they traded their positions with other awakeners before dashing toward the western gate. Marcus and the rest of Kael's team followed immediately.

Moon sprinted alongside them through Ironpeak's inner streets, dodging awakeners, buildings and objects with ease.

Whatever existed at the western gate was far more troublesome than anything on the northern wall, which was now successfully overwhelming the enemies and pushing them back.

Moon allowed himself a soft smile as a dangerous thought formed internally. He wasn't sure what the beast was fully capable of, but he knew it was powerful enough to injure a Base Lord, which made it exactly what he needed to improve his new skill's proficiency to the max.

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