The eight members of the Obsidian Phalanx stood at the true gateway of the Eastern Territory. The air was thick with chaotic, volatile mana. Zane Bladeheart took immediate command. "Listen up. The mission priority is stealth and speed. We are not here to fight the monster population; we are here to bypass it. Kaelus's mana output is now our biggest advantage and biggest liability. He can clear anything, but that power is a massive beacon."
Zane quickly mapped out the formation. Vara Shadowstep, utilizing her new Typhoon Element (Wind/Water) for advanced stealth, took the point, moving a kilometer ahead to identify major threats. Zathis the Swift followed Vara, using his Geyser Element (Fire/Water) for silent cleanup of smaller threats. Sylva Moonshadow provided ranged support and acted as the party's early-warning radar. Kaelan Bulkhead and Grund Stonebreaker formed the immovable defense at the center. Jian Stormheart guarded the flank with controlled Lava Element disruption. Zane remained directly behind the tanks, using his Petrify Element (Wind/Earth) to slow any flanking maneuver. Kaelus Wyndhelm remained at the center, reserved only for SS-Rank threats or total party annihilation.
"This strategy minimizes Kaelus's mana signature while maximizing our evasion," Zane concluded. "Any questions?"
Kaelus nodded. "Let's move."
The infiltration immediately showcased the dramatic improvements gained from Kaelus's unconventional two-day training session. Kaelus, drawing from his vast knowledge of shounen manga, had inspired the team to use their elements with more versatility and creativity.
Vara moved at the head, a true phantom. She utilized her new skill: Typhoon Shroud. She created a constantly shifting, invisible film of micro-wind and water vapor around her body, completely dissolving her footsteps and heat signature, making her virtually undetectable by sight or mana sense—a massive upgrade to her natural scouting abilities.
Zathis followed, utilizing his new skill, Geyser Flicker—a short-range teleport fueled by pressurized steam—to instantly traverse small gaps, ensuring he left almost no trail and improving the party's infiltration speed by nearly thirty percent.
Three hours into the advance, Sylva's radar shrieked. "Stop! Three A-Rank patrols converging on our position! We're pinned!" Zane instantly shifted the plan. "Kaelan, Grund! Shield! Jian, North!"
The threat was a patrol of three A-Rank Stone Golems and two A-Rank Basilisk Wyrms, powerful Earth and Poison threats. Kaelan and Grund slammed their shields together, summoning thick, interlocking walls of reinforced Wood Element vines and fortified Earth Barrier—their standard defensive formation.
Jian, however, was already in motion. Kaelus had pushed him to combine his Fire and Earth power with a physical attack, inspired by Earth-bending techniques. Jian roared, leaping toward the Stone Golems, and slammed his Lava-infused Tetsubo into the ground.
Jian Skill: Magma Shockwave!
The resulting blast of synchronized Lava and Earth magic sent a searing wave of molten rock and concussive force outward, destabilizing the Golems' heavy footing and turning the ground into liquid heat. The Basilisk Wyrms ignored the heat and launched streams of corrosive acid at the defensive line.
"Gravity Lock!" Zane shouted. The air around the two Basilisk Wyrms compressed instantly as Zane's Gravity Magic (Enhanced Earth) fought against their flight, forcing them downward.
Simultaneously, Zane moved, drawing his longsword. He used a new technique Kaelus had shown him, inspired by fast-draw martial arts: Flowing Steel. Zane channeled his own Wind mana to create an invisible, continuous cushion beneath his feet, allowing him to glide with silent, unnerving speed. He darted between the collapsing Golems and delivered a precise, lightning-fast series of cuts infused with Sound Magic, shattering the crystalline armor of one Wyrm and silencing its threat. This was the first time Zane used a pure Wind-and-Sword technique taught directly by Kaelus.
Sylva instantly followed up, targeting the remaining Wyrm. "Plasma Field!" She unleashed a sweeping net of Plasma energy, vaporizing the incoming acid and severely wounding the grounded Wyrm. The party was secure, but the noise was a massive beacon.
Zane, wounded slightly by a rogue acid spray, looked at Kaelus. "The beacon is active. We need immediate, absolute silence and annihilation. Kaelus, it's time for area denial."
Kaelus nodded. There was no longer any need for stealth; they needed mass casualty.
He drew the Viridian Sword. The blade hummed, radiating pure mana. He channeled a minimal portion of his newly expanded Dragon Core.
He utilized the concentrated power of the Gale Machinegun, but this time, amplified by the Mid-Tier 8-Star Dragon Core.
Kaelus Skill: Hyper-Gale Purge!
Kaelus swung the Viridian Sword, and the atmosphere in the entire valley shrieked. The sword unleashed an uncontrollable, continuous hurricane of razor-sharp wind bullets. This was a twenty-meter-wide annihilation zone. The concentrated, endless barrage of compressed wind bullets shredded the remaining Stone Golems and the two Basilisk Wyrms instantly, reducing them to scattered mana and dust.
The power surge was so immense that Kaelus could barely maintain his footing. He released the skill, panting heavily. The total annihilation was silent save for the initial roar of the wind.
The immediate threat was gone. The Hyper-Gale Purge had annihilated the A-rank threats, and the surrounding forest settled into a tense quiet. There was no sudden psychic surge or anomalous shift; the immediate Eastern Territory remained in its volatile, chaotic state but showed no further collapse, confirming that Kaelus's initial massive attack had not compromised the barrier further.
The Obsidian Phalanx, though mentally exhausted, paused to recover. Vara Shadowstep quickly moved among the team, administering Mana Restoration Pills and healing potions. She offered a pill to Kaelus, but he refused.
"I'm fine, Vara," Kaelus said. "I didn't need to unleash a large skill this time, so my core is mostly intact."
As they rested, gathering the fragmented Golem cores, a nervous tension permeated the air, leading Zathis the Swift to break the silence.
"I have a question in my mind," Zathis announced, his voice tentative. "I may be dumb to all of you, but I am so curious, so please do not laugh at me."
"What is it, Zathis?" Sylva asked gently, sensing the depth of his thought.
"As far as I know, Kaelus can conjure a flying carriage made of wind," Zathis stated, pointing toward the direction of the canyon. "Why do we have to walk and clear our path through the deepest part of this territory? Why don't we just fly over everything?"
Kaelan Bulkhead nodded firmly. "You won't laugh at you, Zathis, because we also have that exact question in mind."
Sylva sighed. "We can't do that. Our mission is to investigate and we can't miss a single detail. If we fly high above, we cannot clearly see the happenings below us—the new monster trails, the subtle mana distortions, and the environmental changes."
Kaelus, amazed by the genuine tactical insight Zathis had hit upon, considered the possibility. He knew Zane and Sylva were overly cautious about revealing his full aerial capacity. "Is there any other reason besides that, Ms. Sylva?"
Sylva thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, there isn't. The moment we fly, we become a gigantic moving beacon of mana, but if we stick to ground level, we are at least partially shielded by the canopy and terrain. But if you can guarantee ground-level observation, there is no other reason."
Kaelus grinned, recognizing an opportunity to apply his vast, unconventional knowledge. "Then I have a solution for that."