...
{3rd Pov}
Astreo stood quietly in front of the orphanage, taking a slow, deep breath to steady himself.
He was holding a small bundle of flowers in his hand as he stepped inside.
Almost immediately, he was greeted by the new matron, who looked at him with a polite but curious expression.
After a brief exchange, Astreo explained the reason for his visit.
Upon hearing it, the matron didn't seem particularly surprised.
Clearly, she already knew who he was and why he had come.
Without asking unnecessary questions, she simply nodded and guided him through the grounds, leading him toward a familiar place at the back of the orphanage.
They soon arrived at Grandma Yu's grave.
It had been over four years since she had passed away—roughly a year before Astreo had even started high school.
Time had moved forward relentlessly, but the memories tied to this place remained unchanged.
Astreo stepped forward and carefully placed the flowers on the grave, arranging them neatly.
"Grandma," he said quietly, his voice steady, "I'm back."
The matron gently patted his shoulder, offering silent understanding, before turning around and walking away.
She deliberately gave him space, leaving him alone with his thoughts and memories.
Astreo remained there in silence, standing before the grave, letting the moment settle without saying anything more.
It almost felt like a cruel joke to Astreo.
Grandma Yu had already been old, and as a normal human, her physique had been nothing special.
She had no cultivation, no magic, and no extraordinary vitality to resist the passage of time.
Because of that, she passed away quietly, without even living long enough to see him enter high school.
At that time, Astreo himself had never planned to attend high school in the first place.
To him, it had seemed pointless.
He possessed infinite resources, knowledge that surpassed most of the world, and strength that already placed him among the strongest mages alive.
From his perspective, going to high school felt like nothing more than a waste of time.
What could a classroom possibly teach him that he didn't already know?
What purpose could such a mundane institution serve for someone like him?
Yet, in the end, it wasn't logic or benefit that decided his path.
It was Grandma Yu.
On her deathbed, weak and barely holding on, she had expressed one final wish.
She wanted to see him go to high school.
She wanted him to graduate from a reputed university.
She wanted him to walk the same path as ordinary people, not because it would make him stronger immediately, but because she believed that was how he could become the greatest mage who had ever lived—not just in power, but in standing and recognition.
That wish stayed with him.
Because of her words, Astreo chose to attend high school.
Because of her, he decided to follow the established path and even go along with the so-called "plot" of the world while he was at it.
It was not because he wanted to relive his school days.
To be honest, for him, those memories didn't matter at all.
School had never been something precious or nostalgic in his past life.
Every day back then had been the same—go to class, sit quietly, leave without anyone noticing.
No friends.
No conversations.
No bonds worth remembering.
He had been the kind of person who never spoke to anyone in the classroom, the kind of student teachers forgot existed.
The invisible boy.
Because of that, returning to a school environment meant nothing to him emotionally. Whether he attended or not made no difference.
There was no warmth, no longing, no desire to experience it again.
If anything, it was just another sequence of days passing by.
So no, it wasn't about memories.
It wasn't about youth.
And it certainly wasn't about enjoyment.
He did it for only one reason.
Because it had been her final wish.
Because he had promised her.
He had promised Grandma Yu that he would walk that path, complete his education, and stand proudly in the world.
Not as someone hiding in the shadows, but as someone whose name would be known by everyone.
That promise mattered.
And because of that promise, Astreo was determined.
He would become the greatest mage to ever live.
And one day, without exception, the entire world would know it.
Astreo lifted his gaze toward the cloudy sky above the orphanage grounds.
The darkened clouds felt heavy, oppressive, as if they were carrying more than just rain.
To him, it was obvious—this was not an ordinary change in weather.
It felt like a prelude to what was about to come, and he could sense it clearly.
The power of the one blessed by water was already spreading, enveloping the entire city.
The Nether Dew was about to fall.
Astreo could feel it in the air, in the subtle changes in mana density around Bo City.
Once the rain began, it would seep into the ground, flow through the waterways, and spread everywhere.
When that happened, all the monsters lurking near the city would go berserk.
Their instincts would be twisted, their aggression amplified, driving them to attack without restraint.
It would turn into a bloodbath.
Civilians would die.
The city would burn.
And chaos would follow.
Astreo looked back at Grandma Yu's grave one last time.
His expression softened slightly as he spoke.
"Grandma," he said quietly, "I'll see you later. For now, I need to take care of this."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Just then, the first drops of rain fell from the sky.
[Image]
Cold water struck his cheeks, sliding down the sides of his face before dripping onto the ground below. The rain quickly intensified, turning from scattered droplets into a steady downpour. Within moments, it was raining heavily.
'It has already begun… Our paths have finally crossed, Salang,' Astreo thought, his expression hard and serious as the weight of the situation fully settled in.
He had already made his preparations long before this moment arrived.
Every child from the orphanage who had grown up and moved to other cities had been quietly relocated or placed under protection.
Some had been admitted into Magic Universities, while others had been secured positions within corporations or organizations, all arranged through connections he had carefully pulled behind the scenes.
He had ensured that none of them would be caught in this disaster.
Not a single one of them would die here.
As for the current orphanage, Astreo had taken even more precautions.
No matter how chaotic Bo City became, he would personally make sure that the orphanage and every child still living there would survive.
There would be no exceptions.
"This is my last gift to you, Grandma Yu," he said softly.
"My final thank you."
A small smile appeared on his face, but there was no lightness in it.
He knew that from this moment onward, his path would only diverge further from that of an ordinary human being.
The road ahead would demand more sacrifices, more violence, and more decisions that would push him farther away from the life she once wished for him.
But this was the path he had chosen.
He looked at the grave one last time, committing it to memory, then slowly turned around.
With steady steps and no hesitation, Astreo walked away, leaving the orphanage behind as the rain continued to fall.
The disaster had begun, and he was ready to face it.
...
Meanwhile, Lisa stood silently by the massive window of the skyscraper where the Bo City sub-branch of Star Industries was located, her gaze fixed on the rain pouring down outside.
Even at a glance, she could tell that something about this rain was deeply wrong.
This was not natural rainfall.
As one of the highest-ranking members of Star Clan stationed in the city, she immediately sensed the abnormal mana fluctuations mixed within the water droplets.
The density, the spread, and the subtle elemental imbalance all pointed toward an artificial trigger rather than a natural phenomenon.
She had been personally assigned the responsibility of handling the Bo City disaster, and frankly speaking, there was no one else better suited for the task.
In fact, other than her presence, no additional reinforcement was truly necessary.
After all, Astreo was here.
And Astreo was an Emperor.
His presence alone guaranteed that no matter who or what stood against them, the outcome was already decided.
From Lisa's perspective, the fate of any enemy was sealed the moment he chose to intervene.
Whether it was Black Vatican, rogue mages, or monster hordes, none of them stood even the slightest chance once he stepped onto the battlefield.
Compared to other heavily infested regions, the monsters surrounding Bo City were relatively weak.
The strongest known threat in the area was merely a Commander-ranked Flying Wolf, a creature that barely qualified as a real danger by their standards.
Even someone at Lisa's level—a Super Tier mage—could erase such a monster with a single, uncomplicated attack.
Because of that, there was absolutely no need to summon additional Monarch-level forces to the city.
Doing so would have been unnecessary, wasteful, and frankly excessive.
With Astreo present, Bo City was already under the protection of an overwhelming power that far exceeded what this disaster required.
Lisa continued to watch the rain in silence, her expression calm and composed.
Everything was proceeding exactly as expected.
"Are all the students safely inside the company?" Lisa asked casually, her voice calm and composed as she spoke to the bodyguards stationed behind her.
Every one of them was a mage from the Star Clan.
Not a single one was below the Advanced Tier.
That alone was more than sufficient to defend both Star Industries and the Star Clan's business operations within Bo City.
In fact, once the disaster fully unfolded, the Star Industries headquarters and the Star Clan facilities would naturally become sanctuaries for civilians seeking protection.
Long before the situation escalated to this point, preparations had already been made.
Under the pretense of organized school trips, large numbers of students from various schools across Bo City had been brought into the Star Industries branch.
Officially, it was labeled as an educational visit.
In reality, it was a calculated evacuation designed to save as many children as possible from the coming catastrophe.
Thanks to these arrangements, the majority of students who would have otherwise perished in the disaster were already secured.
However, Lisa was fully aware that deaths were still inevitable.
A lot of people were going to die, and the Star Clan had already made the conscious decision to allow that to happen.
This was not cruelty—it was realism.
In a world like this, heroes were not those who prevented tragedy entirely, but those who appeared at the peak of despair and stopped it.
Only salvation that followed suffering was remembered.
Only heroes who ended despair were worshipped.
The Star Clan already had a strained relationship with the Chinese government, and this incident would undoubtedly worsen it in some aspects.
But at the same time, it presented an opportunity—one that could be leveraged to reshape their public image across the entire country.
By the time the dust settled, the narrative would be clear.
When Bo City fell into chaos, it was Star Clan and Star Industries that stood firm.
And when salvation arrived, it would arrive under their banner.
"Yes, ma'am. All of them are safe. We are sealing the gates now," one of the bodyguards reported in a firm voice.
None of them knew the full details.
All they were aware of was that the higher-ups had received intelligence suggesting that the Black Vatican might target Bo City.
That single piece of information was more than enough for the Star Clan to mobilize.
The so-called school trips were nothing more than a precautionary measure—an insurance policy in case the worst happened.
And now, the worst was clearly arriving.
"It's starting," Lisa said calmly as she stared at the rain pouring down outside the massive glass windows.
"Something is seriously wrong with this rain."
The moment those words left her mouth, the expressions of every mage behind her hardened.
No one questioned her judgment.
If she said something was wrong, then something was very wrong.
…
The effects of the rain were immediate.
Almost the moment the abnormal rain began to fall, the entire monster population inhabiting the mountains surrounding Bo City descended into complete madness.
Creatures that normally avoided large-scale confrontation suddenly lost all restraint and logic.
Their eyes turned red, their movements became erratic, and a single instinct dominated them all—attack.
Without hesitation, the monsters surged toward the city.
The first wave crashed into the outskirts of Bo City, where military mages were stationed as the primary defensive line.
At first, resistance was mounted.
Defensive formations were activated, spells were cast, and alarms blared across the region.
But it did not last.
The monsters were not fighting normally.
They ignored pain.
They ignored injuries.
Limbs were torn, bodies were burned, bones were shattered—and still they charged forward.
They did not retreat.
They did not hesitate.
They only went for the kill.
The military mages were caught completely off guard.
Within minutes, half of the defending forces were wiped out.
The sheer brutality of the assault overwhelmed the soldiers almost instantly.
The monsters' crazed behavior, combined with the element of surprise, shattered defensive lines that would normally have held for hours.
Coordination collapsed as units were torn apart one after another.
And there was another harsh reality.
Even under normal circumstances, monsters were stronger than human mages of the same tier.
Now, with their numbers swelling and their combat instincts pushed into a berserk state, the gap became insurmountable.
The military posts stationed at the outskirts were not staffed with elite forces—only standard defensive units meant to delay, not repel, a full-scale invasion.
Against this tide, they stood no chance.
Overrun by sheer numbers and overwhelming force, one military post after another fell.
Defensive barriers were shattered, command centers destroyed, and retreat routes cut off.
What little resistance remained was crushed with brutal efficiency.
The monsters poured past the broken defenses and surged deeper toward the city, leaving destruction in their wake.
Bo City had officially entered a disaster state.
Soon, the Crimson Alert blared throughout the entire city.
At first, the people going about their daily lives froze in place.
Shops were still open, vehicles were still moving, conversations were still ongoing—until the alarm cut through everything.
For a brief moment, confusion reigned.
Many citizens simply stood there, unable to comprehend why an emergency alert had been issued so suddenly, without any warning.
Then realization struck.
And fear followed immediately after.
This was not a Yellow Alert, which already terrified the population and usually meant monster sightings or minor breaches at the outskirts.
It wasn't even a Purple Alert, which was enough to make people collapse in panic or run desperately toward shelters the moment it was announced.
This was Crimson.
The deadliest alert level.
A signal drilled into their minds since childhood, repeated endlessly in schools, public announcements, and emergency drills.
Everyone knew what it meant, even if they desperately wished they didn't.
A Crimson Alert meant that the city's military defenses had failed.
It meant that a massive monster herd had already breached the city's perimeter.
It meant that the situation was no longer under control.
More importantly, it meant that the city itself stood on the brink of annihilation.
This was the final warning, the last stage before total collapse.
Sirens screamed relentlessly across Bo City as crimson lights flashed violently on towers, buildings, and emergency beacons.
The once-familiar streets were instantly bathed in red, casting an ominous glow over everything.
The alarm system echoed endlessly, overlapping with itself as if trying to hammer the message into every citizen's skull.
Cars crashed as drivers abandoned vehicles in terror.
Shops were left open, goods scattered across the streets as owners fled without looking back.
Parents grabbed their children, dragging them toward shelters.
Some froze in place, faces pale, bodies shaking as the meaning of the alert finally sank in.
This was no drill.
This was not an exercise.
This was not a warning for something that might happen.
It was already happening.
The sound of the alarms mixed with distant roars and explosions, confirming everyone's worst fears.
The city was under attack, and the monsters were already inside.
Bo City had entered one of the most catastrophic situations a city could ever face.
A full-scale monster disaster.
And it was unfolding right before their eyes.
"Bloody Crimson Alert!" someone screamed in disbelief within a panicking crowd.
The words barely finished leaving his mouth before chaos erupted.
Screams rang out one after another, spreading rapidly like a contagious disease.
Panic overtook reason as people began running in every direction, no longer thinking, only reacting.
Some rushed desperately toward their homes, hoping to find safety behind familiar walls.
Others abandoned that thought entirely and sprinted toward the nearest large buildings, shelters, or underground passages, believing that any solid structure was better than open streets.
But it was already too late.
From the outskirts of Bo City, monsters began breaching the defenses in overwhelming numbers.
They poured in relentlessly, one wave after another, their movements fast and savage.
The city's outer barricades collapsed almost instantly, and whatever resistance remained was crushed beneath sheer numbers and feral strength.
The streets became rivers of blood.
Human bodies were torn apart without mercy.
Flesh splattered against buildings, staining walls and pavements alike.
Screams were cut short as monsters lunged, claws ripping through bone and muscle with horrifying ease.
People were dragged down screaming, only to be silenced moments later beneath snapping jaws and tearing claws.
Children were not spared.
Their cries echoed briefly before being drowned out by the sounds of chewing and tearing.
Small bodies were crushed, bitten into, their soft flesh devoured without hesitation.
Blood soaked the streets, pooling beneath shattered limbs and broken bodies as monsters fed openly, uncaring of the horror unfolding around them.
Despair consumed the city.
Everywhere, people screamed—calling out for loved ones, begging for help that would never arrive.
Hope vanished almost instantly as the reality of the situation became undeniable.
This was not a battle.
This was a massacre.
Bo City had fallen into hell.
The disaster that would later be known as the Bo City Catastrophe had finally begun.
...
Mo Fan was cultivating inside the Holy Cultivation Ground, the Natural Spring of Bo City, a place that was considered one of the most precious cultivation sites in the entire region.
He had earned one full week of access to this sacred location after defeating Yu Ang in the duel held during the coming-of-age ceremony.
The effects were immediate and shocking.
After cultivating here for just a single day, the Fire Element that had already been on the verge of a breakthrough—thanks to the resources he had secretly acquired through trading with Star Industries' material shops—finally broke through to the Intermediate Tier.
The speed at which it happened stunned even Mo Fan himself.
What would normally take months, or even years for an ordinary mage, happened in a matter of hours.
Not stopping there, he continued cultivating diligently.
By the third day, his Lightning Element also successfully broke through to the Intermediate Tier.
The feeling of power surging through his body made him giddy with excitement.
For the first time, he truly felt that he was stepping onto the path of becoming a real mage, someone capable of standing against monsters rather than merely surviving them.
Even after those breakthroughs, Mo Fan had no intention of stopping.
Although the improvement rate had slowed down significantly after reaching the Intermediate Tier, he still had several days left in the Holy Cultivation Ground.
Even minimal gains were worth pursuing, especially in a place as rare and valuable as this.
With that thought in mind, he decided to continue cultivating, squeezing out every last bit of benefit he could from the Natural Spring.
That was when everything changed.
Without any warning, alarms suddenly began blaring throughout the cultivation grounds.
The sharp, urgent sound pierced through his concentration, causing Mo Fan to jolt upright in shock.
Almost immediately, he felt something was wrong.
The previously dense and rich magic energy surrounding him began thinning out unnaturally, draining away at an alarming rate.
Within moments, the magic density dropped so low that it barely enhanced his cultivation speed at all.
Before he could even process what was happening, the heavy gates of the Holy Cultivation Ground burst open.
A woman soldier rushed inside in a state of urgency, her expression tense and filled with alarm.
She didn't stop to explain anything.
The moment she entered, the gates slammed shut behind her with a deafening crash.
Just outside the gates, Mo Fan could hear terrifying roars and impacts.
Monsters had arrived.
The gates had closed only just in time—mere seconds before the monsters could breach the cultivation ground and flood inside.
Mo Fan's heart pounded violently in his chest as he finally realized the truth.
Something had gone terribly wrong in Bo City.
"What happened?!" Mo Fan asked urgently, his voice filled with shock as he finally took a proper look at her pale face.
Only then did he notice the grievous wound on her back.
Blood had soaked through her uniform, and her breathing was uneven, clearly showing that she had forced herself to come here despite being seriously injured.
"The city of Bo City is currently under a full-scale monster attack," she said through gritted teeth, forcing herself to stay upright.
"A Crimson Alert has been issued. We also encountered members of the Black Vatican along the way. This disaster is very likely their doing."
Her words sent a chill down Mo Fan's spine.
A Crimson Alert meant absolute catastrophe. It wasn't just a simple monster invasion—it meant the city's military forces were already failing to hold the line.
Before Mo Fan could ask anything else, she reached into her pocket and took out a small glass vial.
"T-This?" Mo Fan asked instinctively, staring at the vial in confusion as she shoved it into his hand.
"This contains the remaining energy of the Holy Spring," she said sharply.
"The entire Holy Spring has been condensed into this single vial. Your task is to get this to safety and hand it over to Sir Fan Xian, the military commander. Do you understand me?!"
Her voice was forceful, leaving no room for refusal.
Mo Fan stared at the vial in disbelief.
The container was small—barely larger than his thumb—and yet he could clearly feel the immense magical energy sealed inside.
He couldn't comprehend how something as vast and powerful as the Holy Spring had been compressed into such a tiny amount of liquid.
However, he knew this was not the time to ask questions about magical processes or military secrets.
Instead, his gaze returned to her injured back.
Blood was still dripping steadily onto the ground, forming small pools beneath her boots.
His expression turned grim with worry.
"You're badly hurt," Mo Fan said, his voice lowering.
"What about you? You're bleeding too much."
She clenched her teeth, clearly suppressing the pain, but didn't answer immediately.
"What about you?!" Mo Fan shouted again anxiously.
"We need to escape together, quickly!"
He reached out instinctively and tried to grab her hand, but she forcefully shook him off.
The sudden rejection made him freeze, and he stared at her in disbelief.
"Are you out of your mind?!" he snapped.
"We need to get out of here right now!"
Before she could respond, a violent tremor shook the entire structure.
The front gates of the cultivation ground slammed violently as something heavy crashed against them from the outside. T
he sound echoed through the chamber, making Mo Fan's heart skip a beat.
"It seems that along with the monsters, those bastards have already caught up," she said through clenched teeth.
She struggled to her feet, her legs shaking as she forced herself to stand despite the blood loss.
Mo Fan could see it clearly now—she was barely holding herself together.
"Your name is Mo Fan, right?" she asked suddenly, her voice steadier than her condition suggested.
Before he could respond, she continued quickly, not giving him a chance to interrupt.
"Listen carefully. Take the hidden route. There's an emergency gate at the back of this place. It should lead you out to a relatively safe area. Once you get out, run as fast as you can. Do not look back. Do not hesitate."
She shoved him lightly toward the rear corridor as if afraid he might waste even a second.
"And you?" Mo Fan demanded, his voice shaking.
"What about you?!"
She paused for a moment, then gave him a weak, strained smile.
"As for me…" she said softly, her breath uneven.
"I'll hold them off. Someone has to buy you time. Someone has to stay."
Her eyes met his, sharp and resolute despite the fear and pain clearly hidden behind them.
"Remember my name," she said, her voice dropping slightly.
"Remember that someone stayed behind."
"It is—"
…
Mo Fan ran as fast as his legs could carry him, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
His breathing was ragged, not just from exhaustion, but from the weight pressing down on his chest.
He couldn't believe what had just happened.
He couldn't believe that he had turned his back and run while someone else stayed behind for him.
He had let someone die for his sake.
'What is the point of me being a mage?'. he thought bitterly as he ran.
'What's the use of this power if I still have to let a woman die in my place? For this?'
His gaze dropped to the small glass vial clenched in his hand.
Inside it was the condensed Holy Spring, glowing faintly, carrying enough power to change the fate of the city.
Yet at that moment, it felt unbearably heavy, as if it were soaked in blood.
The image of Lin Yuxin standing there—wounded, forcing herself upright, smiling weakly while telling him to run—was burned permanently into his mind.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push it away.
Every step forward only made that image clearer.
Then, unbidden, Astreo's words echoed in his head.
"A mage's duty is to protect yourself and the people you love."
Mo Fan's jaw tightened as his fists clenched even harder.
He didn't want to lose Xinxia.
That was the truth he couldn't deny.
Between staying behind and almost certainly dying, or running and having a chance to survive, he had chosen the option that gave him hope of protecting the person he cared about the most.
And because he had better chances of surviving if Lin Yuxin stayed behind, he had accepted her sacrifice.
That realization hurt more than any wound.
For the first time since coming into this world, Mo Fan truly understood what the word mage meant.
It wasn't just about casting spells, cultivating elements, or growing stronger.
It was about making choices—cruel, painful choices—where no option was clean, and someone always paid the price.
And this time, the price had been paid by someone else.
...
Meanwhile, the monsters continued storming through the city without slowing down in the slightest.
Screams echoed endlessly through the streets as monsters ripped people apart, tearing bodies into flesh and bone with savage force.
Blood stained the roads, walls, and buildings, while the cries of the wounded and dying blended into a single, horrifying chorus.
People ran in blind panic, abandoning everything they owned just to survive.
Some hid inside buildings, barricading doors and windows with shaking hands, while others fled through the streets without direction, driven only by fear.
Families were separated in the chaos, and many never saw each other again.
Then, suddenly, something changed.
The sound of magic being unleashed rang throughout the city, cutting through the screams and destruction like a sharp signal.
A powerful surge of mana rippled across the battlefield, making even the monsters hesitate for a brief moment.
A massive blue bolt of lightning descended from the sky.
It struck the ground with terrifying precision, crashing down upon hundreds of monsters at once.
In an instant, their bodies were obliterated.
Flesh burned, bones shattered, and entire forms were reduced to blackened remains.
The lightning fried them completely, leaving nothing behind except drifting ash and the overwhelming stench of scorched meat.
For the first time since the disaster began, a small portion of the city fell into stunned silence.
Something powerful had arrived.
"Everyone! Star Industries is willing to protect all survivors! If you are near the buildings of Star Clan or Star Industries, come immediately. Our mages have already formed defensive barricades. If you are far away, do not attempt to reach us. Instead, your chances of survival will be higher if you hide properly or escape toward the designated safe zones at the outskirts of the city!"
The voice echoed directly inside the minds of every citizen across Bo City, carried by the power of a Sound Mage from the Star Clan.
The message cut through the chaos, the screams, and the despair that had filled the city since the Crimson Alert began.
For people who had already lost hope—who were trembling in fear, hiding in corners, or waiting for death—the announcement reignited something inside them.
Hope.
A reason to keep moving.
A reason to survive.
They didn't want to die.
Clenching their teeth and forcing their shaking legs to move, people began running again.
Parents grabbed their children.
Friends pulled one another up from the ground.
Even the injured tried to crawl forward.
Hearts pounded violently in their chests as they pushed past fear and exhaustion, focusing on only one destination.
The tallest buildings in the city.
The place that housed Star Clan and Star Industries.
Meanwhile, fierce battle cries rang out around those towering structures.
Intermediate and Advanced Mages stood shoulder to shoulder, forming layered magical barricades.
Fire, lightning, ice, and earth magic clashed violently with the incoming waves of monsters as the defenders fought without retreat.
Mana surged continuously as the mages held the line, turning the area around Star Industries into a battlefield where survival was guaranteed.
Inside the buildings, there were already more than a thousand students gathered together.
This was due to the large-scale, commissioned school tour that Star Industries had been hosting for free.
Officially, the purpose of the trip was to give students an early understanding of their future career paths and expose them to real corporate and magical infrastructure.
In reality, many schools had eagerly accepted the offer because Star Industries provided massive donations in exchange for participation.
Now, those same students could hardly believe their luck.
Out of the entire Bo City, they had ended up in one of the safest locations possible when the Crimson Alert was triggered—right at the core of Star Industries itself.
While the city outside descended into chaos and bloodshed, they were standing inside a fortress.
Even a small branch of Star Industries was heavily guarded.
At minimum, each branch had at least one Advanced Mage stationed permanently as a security guard.
These guards received enormous salaries, not just for their combat strength, but for the responsibility of protecting company assets and personnel.
Alongside them were several Intermediate Mages, forming a layered defense system capable of resisting monster attacks for extended periods.
For many mages, this position was not just a job—it was a quest assigned directly by Star Clan.
After advancing to the next major cultivation stage, members were required to serve a mandatory one-year tenure as a guard at a designated Star Industries branch.
This system ensured that every branch had experienced and loyal mages stationed at all times.
After all, Star Industries and Star Clan operated under the same overarching organization.
Because of this structure, even a single branch of Star Industries functioned as a fully operational safehouse during times of crisis.
Inside the building, many students began muttering endlessly as they stared at the massive display screens showing the situation outside the city.
The main hallway was equipped with huge screens that were normally used for advertisements, announcements, and promotional content.
Now, those same displays were broadcasting live footage from dozens of surveillance cameras placed throughout Bo City.
Every corner of the disaster was visible.
Students watched in horror as monsters rampaged through the streets.
Buildings burned, barricades fell, and bodies littered the roads.
The images were raw and unfiltered, showing exactly what was happening beyond the walls protecting them.
Many students couldn't take it.
Some fainted on the spot from fear and shock.
Others broke down crying as they recognized their parents, relatives, or neighbors among the corpses shown on the screens.
Teachers rushed to console them, trying their best to calm hysterical students and keep order inside the hall.
Several students began shouting and begging for the screens to be turned off, unable to endure the brutality any longer.
However, the guards quickly shut those demands down.
"Do you even understand what you're asking?!" the head of the bodyguards shouted angrily.
He was an Advanced Mage, and his voice carried authority that immediately silenced the crowd.
"We are using these feeds to monitor the entire area and make sure our barricades aren't breached! I know what you're seeing is brutal, and I know it's horrifying, but this is the reality outside right now!"
He swept his gaze across the shaken students.
"This is what the real world looks like. This is what a real mage has to face. Turning off these screens won't make the danger disappear. It will only make things worse!"
His words were harsh, but no one could refute them.
The screens remained on.
In fact, he knew that Star Industries was currently extremely secure.
An elite combat team was stationed there, along with one of their highest-ranking figures who held the title of Monarch.
That person was none other than Lisa herself.
It had been her lightning magic that wiped out hundreds of monsters in a single attack, unleashing a devastating lightning rain that carved out a temporary safe zone.
It was also under her command that the citywide announcement had been broadcast, guiding survivors toward Star Industries and giving them a chance to live.
Because of this, the guards were fully aware that as long as Lisa was present, this branch of Star Industries was one of the safest places in the entire city.
Hearing the Advanced Mage's explanation, the teachers fell into silence.
They had already seen the hellish scenes playing out on the screens and understood the situation clearly.
If switching off the live feeds caused even a single mistake in monitoring the barricades, it wouldn't just be an error—it would be fatal.
And the ones who would pay the price would be them.
At this moment, there was nothing they could do except feel gratitude toward Star Industries and silently pray that the people defending this place would continue holding the line.
Some teachers gently guided students to look away from the screens, shielding them from further trauma.
Meanwhile, through the reinforced gates, more survivors continued to arrive.
People ran inside in desperation, many of them injured, bloodied, and barely standing.
"Healing team! Move quickly and treat the injured!" the head guard shouted urgently.
"If anyone here has experience as a nurse or has medical training, step forward immediately and help us!"
Several teachers responded at once, followed by a few students who had prior medical knowledge or basic healing skills.
Together with the Star Clan's medical mages, they began assisting the survivors.
People were laid down on the floor, wounds were cleaned and bandaged, and healing magic was used just enough to stabilize them and prevent death.
Many of the survivors were still in shock.
Some stared blankly at their surroundings, unable to believe that they were still alive.
Others grabbed the hands of the Star Clan members who had saved them, thanking them repeatedly, their voices shaking with emotion.
"Everyone in my family is dead!" a woman who had just been brought inside suddenly cried out.
"Only me… only I survived!"
She collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Her words sent a ripple of fear through the students who heard her.
Several of them went pale, their minds immediately drifting to their own parents, siblings, and relatives who were still outside.
At the same time, there were moments of relief as well.
A dozens of few lucky students spotted their parents among the incoming survivors.
Tears flowed freely as families reunited, holding onto each other as if afraid they might be torn apart again.
The head guard watched all of this in silence.
Despite the horror unfolding outside, despite the screams and grief inside the building, he felt something else as well—pride.
Never before had he felt so proud to be a member of Star Clan and Star Industries.
However, the disaster was far from over.
What had happened so far was only half of the calamity.
Thousands of monsters were still flooding toward the city from every direction, their numbers showing no signs of decreasing.
The pressure on Bo City continued to rise with every passing minute.
At the outskirts of Bo City, a terrifying roar echoed through the air.
A Commander-level Winged Wolf revealed itself.
Its massive body, comparable in size to a skyscraper, blotted out the sky as it spread its enormous wings.
The creature was completely berserk, its eyes glowing with madness as it flew toward the city at an alarming speed, tearing through the air with violent momentum.
Its presence alone caused panic among the remaining military units stationed near the outskirts.
From a distant vantage point, Lisa calmly observed the approaching threat.
Her expression remained unchanged as she assessed the monster's movement and trajectory, already calculating how and when to intercept it.
To her, this Commander-level monster was nothing more than another obstacle that needed to be eliminated.
Meanwhile, in a completely different part of the city, Mo Fan was running for his life.
He fought desperately against Servant-level monsters that kept emerging from the ruined streets and collapsed buildings.
Each time he paused to cast magic, more enemies closed in on him.
To make matters worse, members of the Black Vatican were actively pursuing him, using the chaos of the disaster to hunt him down.
Trapped between monsters and human enemies, Mo Fan had no choice but to keep moving forward, fighting and fleeing at the same time.
The Bo City disaster was escalating rapidly.
And it was far from finished.
…
"Hahaha! Lady Salang's request has been fulfilled! Our experiment has gone far beyond expectations!" the man laughed loudly as he observed the city drowning in despair.
Screams echoed in the distance, and the rain continued to fall as monsters rampaged freely.
To him, it was nothing more than a successful result.
"Is that so?"
The man's body jerked violently.
He spun around instantly, his heart skipping a beat, because he was absolutely certain he had been alone just moments ago.
There had been no sound, no warning, no fluctuation of mana that he could detect.
Yet someone was standing behind him.
A handsome young man with black hair and striking purple eyes stood there calmly, hands in his pockets, his expression indifferent as if this scene of destruction meant nothing to him.
The man's pupils shrank.
"You know," the young man spoke casually as he took a step forward, his gaze locking onto him, "we like to call ourselves the Blessed. But people like you really prove that calling us Calamities isn't wrong at all."
His voice was calm, almost conversational, but every word felt heavy.
The man finally realized who was standing in front of him.
Astreo.
The young master of Star Clan.
"We finally meet, Water Calamity," Astreo continued, his tone steady and cold.
"Wu Ku."
The name landed like a hammer.
Wu Ku's face stiffened as he stared at Astreo, fully understanding the situation now.
There was going to be no escape, no negotiation, and no misunderstanding.
It was time.
Time for the calamities to face each other.
(A/N: Even if one will die instantly XD)
To be continued...
(A/N: I AM HERE!
Now this is a chap to tell everyone this fic has returned, also from monday we will begin the race for powerstones. My Great Sage after months of irregular chapter got in top 7 after seven chaps. Likewise this fic is supposed to get two weeks of stable update if we just get at top 20, and bonus chaps if you score higher!)