As Jack and his parents fought with razor-sharp precision against the rampaging 2nd Star Beasts, distant echoes of combat rolled like thunder across the barrier walls and the dense, scarred forests encircling Jakartha City.
The Beast Tide wasn't just relentless, it was evolving.
BOOM!
A cluster of trees exploded in the distance, sending charred wood and flaming leaves into the sky.
They were getting stronger.
Faster. Cleverer. Hungrier.
Something or someone was fueling the madness, whispering carnage into the hearts of the wild.
Across the blood-soaked battlefield, dozens of Otherworlder Ascendants staggered under the weight of wounds and fatigue. Cries echoed as some fell, their bodies cracked and bloodied. Thud! One collapsed from mana exhaustion.
Crack!
Another barrier shattered under a beast's fangs.
And yet no deaths.
Not yet.
Thanks to the Adventurer Guild's foresight, emergency potions, high-grade elixirs, and blessed high grade gear had been deployed across the battlefield.
But even among the best-equipped defenders…
Team 4 stood alone.
Untouched. Unshaken. Unscarred.
No beast ever got close enough to strike.
Because by the time they lunged they were already dead.
Slain by Jack. Erased by James. Crushed by Emma.
That was the chasm between standard Ascendants… and monsters forged by rare blessings.
Then
BOOM!
Crack!
The ground trembled.
Trees shattered under the force of an approaching storm.
A freezing gust swept through the battlefield as an ominous pressure descended like a mountain of steel.
They came.
The true elites of the 2nd Star tier.
---
Jack didn't hesitate. He Activates has Clone minor blessing.
"Shadow Clone: Twin Echo."
Ding!
Two clones shimmered into existence beside him exact replicas, each pulsing with 50% of his full power. Together, they formed a triad of destruction.
And the killing began.
WHOOSH!
BANG!
A streak of flame swept across the field as Jack dashed forward, cloak fluttering like black wings.
"Pyro-Anemo Fusion Slash!"
CRASH!
A sweeping arc of wind and fire carved a molten line through the enemy.
"Chrono Wave!"
Ding…
A silent ripple burst from his palm, time freezing for a half-breath.
Three beasts lunged. But none reached him.
Not in time.
"Hydro-Cryo Pressure Point Strike!"
CRACK!
A single jab frozen nerves, paralyzed limbs, dead silence.
Jack moved like a phantom.
Every dodge, every blink, every death choreographed to perfection.
His body responded before his mind could think.
"Evasion Instinct active."
Whoosh!
He vanished into the shadows.
Thud!
He reappeared above a serpent, driving his blade downward.
---
On the frontlines, James roared.
"Symbiotic Empowerment: Merge!"
Rrrrraaaaaagh!
CRACK!
Flesh and fur fused as Ironfang and James became one a half-beast, half-man juggernaut. Clawed hands, ears, and burning gold eyes shimmered with savage power.
Jack's eyes widened. He had never seen this form before.
"W-What the hell…?!"
Emma smirked behind him, raising her staff with quiet pride. "That's your father in his true form. It's a blessing ability."
And James no, Beast King James charged like a storm.
THUD!
CRASH!
ROAR!
Every swipe shattered bones. Every tackle cratered the earth. Every command synced with Ironfang's instincts: two minds, one beast.
---
At the rear, Emma stood still as a storm, eyes glowing with focus.
Her staff levitated beside her alive with light.
"Staff of the Archmage: Amplify."
Ding!
Mana surged. Spells danced at her fingertips.
Fireball! Water Bullet! Earth Spikes!
BOOM!
SPLASH!
CRACK!
She didn't cast spells, she commanded them.
Dual-casting with frightening precision, she weaved elements like a virtuoso.
"Flame Whirlwind!"
WHOOOSH!
Pyro met Anemo, a vortex of flame swallowing two charging beasts whole.
"Mud Wall!"
THUD!
Hydro merged with Geo erecting a bulwark that shattered an incoming strike.
----
[Blessing of Arcane Agility]
Enables dual-casting and chantless spell usage.
Grants heightened casting reflexes and fluid elemental manipulation.
----
As the battlefield burned, froze, and cracked under their assault…
One truth became clear:
This was no ordinary family.
They weren't just defending Jakartha. They were rewriting its legends. They will remembered in future as great Ascendants.
----
BOOM!
All four magical beasts lunged at once, fangs bared, claws flashing, eyes gleaming with murderous intent as they descended upon Jack and his parents like a tidal wave of death.
But before they could encircle the trio, Jack struck first.
"Let's end this quickly!" he shouted.
With a WHOOSH!
Jack and his clones exploded into motion, flanking the Moonshade Fox. Their daggers danced with fused Pyro and Anemo energy, forming crimson arcs of fire that surged along the wind.
SWISH!
WHOOSH!
One blazing slash.
THUD!
The fox's body hit the ground and split clean in half. It didn't even have time to scream.
It was only a low-stage 2nd Star beast. It never stood a chance.
----
Next came the Bloodthorn Viper, a writhing, venomous serpent coiled and ready to strike.
"Mom support!" Jack barked.
"On it!"
Jack dashed forward as James entered his Symbiotic Empowerment Form. His beast form shimmered with an ethereal glow, claws extended, infused with the might of Phoebus and Erebus light and darkness in perfect harmony.
ZING!
His claws pierced the viper's skull just as it unleashed a jet of venom toward them.
SPLASH!
WHOOSH!
Before the toxic cloud could spread, Emma cast her hybrid spell Flame Whirlwind.
A tornado of fire roared to life, devouring the beast's body in searing flames.
CRACKLE!
FWOOSH!
The viper didn't just die it was cremated on the battlefield.
----
Seeing their companions fall so easily, the remaining two beasts.Blazefang Drake and Frostgaze Basilisk howled in fury.
ROOOAAARR!!
The ground quaked under their wrath.
The Blazefang Drake reared its head and launched a wave of molten flame.
BOOOOOOM!!
A searing inferno surged forward.
But Emma had already anticipated it. She slammed her staff into the earth.
MUD WALL!
RUMBLE!!
A thick, enchanted wall erupted just in time, blocking the firestorm. Lava sizzled and hissed as it splashed against hardened earth.
On the other side, the Frostgaze Basilisk struck.
CRACK!
WHOOSH!
Its fangs shimmered with ice mana, and it lunged at James's exposed flank.
But Jack intercepted.
With lightning reflexes, his Evasion Instinct kicked in
ZING!
Vanishing in a blur.
He reappeared beside the beast, dagger glowing with Pyro and Anemo elements. He struck a vital point
STAB!
Then
Chrono Wave!
DING!
Time around the basilisk froze for a heartbeat.
THUD!
The dagger plunged into its weak spot. A split second later
BOOM!
Emma's massive Fireball slammed into its skull, detonating in a fiery burst.
CRACK!
SPLAT!
The basilisk collapsed, lifeless.
----
Now, only the Blazefang Drake remained.
The strongest of them all.
"Together!" James roared in his beast form.
Jack, his clones, and Emma surged forward.
SLASH!
BANG!
WHOOSH!
A barrage of elemental spells, martial strikes, and feral attacks overwhelmed the drake.
BOOM!
It tried to fight back.
ROAARRR!!
But there was no room to breathe, no opening to strike.
It fell moments later, its charred body crashing into the ground with a deafening sound.
THUD!
----
Silence.
The forest that once echoed with roars and explosions had gone still.
Blood soaked the earth.
Mana still buzzed in the air.
Four elite 2nd Star magical beasts… were dead.
Victory. Absolute. Unquestionable.
But beyond the trees… something stirred.
Eyes glinted in the dark. Watching. Waiting.
A presence ominous and patient.
It wasn't time… yet.
----
Without pause, Jack, James, and Emma raced toward the next battlefield to support Team 4. Roars echoed through the trees. Flames lit up the sky.
And with the combined might of Jack's clones, James's beast form, and Emma's storm of spells.
BANG!
CRACK!
WHOOSH!
The remaining 2nd Star beasts were exterminated in minutes.
Jakartha's walls held strong for now.
But the Beast Tide… was far from over.
--------
To Be Continued..!!