The battle raged toward its climax.

Moon’s sword split a spirit from shoulder to hip, purple lightning scorching both halves as they fell. Before the spirit’s remains could hit the ground, Moon’s body was already moving toward the next target.

Mirage brought both hooves down on a spirit that had been knocked to the ground by the doppelganger. The skull caved beneath the stomp.

The Fire and Nature beast soul kept a third occupied, its burning vines coiling around the spirit’s blade arm while a fist of molten bark drove into its chest. Knocking the air out of its lungs.

One by one, the ten spirits fell. Some died to Moon’s sword. Some to his lightning. Some to the combined attacks of Mirage and the beast soul capitalizing on openings Moon created.

After five minutes, it was over.

Ten Second Star spirits lay dead across the courtyard. Moon stood among them, breathing hard, his mana reserves noticeably lighter than when the fight began.

He grinned.

The mana cost had been decently high, but the improvement he felt was worth more than any resource. His hybrid fighting style, blending magic and swordplay into a single fluid approach, was sharpening with every battle. Lightning-coated strikes transitioned into elemental spells that flowed back into physical combos without hesitation or wasted movement.

It still couldn’t match the raw destructive output of his pure magical offense. A fully charged Thunderclap Raiju would always hit harder than a sword swing. But the rate at which his hybrid style was improving was astonishing.

At this pace, the gap would close. And eventually, it would surpass it entirely.

A swordsman who could cast. A mage who could cut. Both at once, with neither suffering for the other. Moon was evolving his battle style, something he had wanted to do for time.

"Fifth acupoint completed. Ignite has improved."

Moon had placed Ignite in his fifth acupoint, and during the battle, the combination of constant use and rich spiritual energy from the spirit kills had pushed the acupoint to full capacity whilst weaving the skill into his foundation. The process felt almost natural now, a process that had once taken hours completed in the flow of combat without conscious effort.

He glanced at the carnage around him. Only one of his peak First Star beasts remained alive. The hydra had won its duel and was now assisting the Fire Hound with the last of the stragglers.

Moon smiled in satisfaction. With five acupoints filled, he had enough foundation to justify the next step.

He evolved Ignite.

[...]

[Level 18 → 19: 16,384 Lives Consumed]

[Level 19 → 20: 32,768 Lives Consumed]

[Total Lives Consumed: 63,488]

[Your First Order Skill Ignite has evolved to Second Order Skill: Explode!]

[Explode]

[Order: Second]

[Rank: Epic]

[Level: Max]

[Details: Conjures blue flames that detonate on impact with a radius of 15m. Affects all units, including caster. On hit: Burning — 15% total damage per second for 5 seconds. Ignite — targets hit receive -15% Fire Resistance for 5 seconds. Damage: 400%.]

A satisfied smile spread across Moon’s face.

His fire had turned blue. The flames burned hotter, and now carried two additional effects that compounded on each other. The burning damage over time would pressure any target that survived the initial blast, and the fire resistance reduction meant every subsequent fire attack would hit even harder.

He looked at the remaining spirits still fighting his beasts across the courtyard. Moon joined in without hesitation. Blue fire and purple lightning tore through the stragglers, and within a minute, every spirit in the pavilion was dead.

Their bodies piled at his feet. Moon collected the spiritual cores for later absorption. Then he stopped.

He sat down on the pavilion steps, summoned a mana replacement potion from his ring, and drank it slowly.

"Time to wait for the strong one to arrive."

This had been the plan all along. Every provocation, every beast sent charging at the gates, every elder killed in the forest, all of it designed to pull the pavilion spirit out of its lair.

Fighting it alongside its crew would have been much more difficult, but dividing, then conquering the spirit pavilion was much easier. This way, he could almost guarantee success.

Moon finished the potion and set the empty vial aside.

He waited.

Just a few minutes later, Moon felt a massive aura rising up the mountainside at a speed that was nothing short of terrifying. The pressure emitted hit him before the figure came into view, pressing against his chest like a hand trying to push him backward.

"It’s here."

Moon stood up. His body responded to the aura before his mind gave the command. Every instinct he had sharpened at once.

"Gather up." Moon commanded his voice taking on a serious note that wasn’t there before.

At the same time, lightning began to crackle in his left hand, the Raiju forming up in preparation.

His beasts responded instantly. The Hydra positioned itself to his left, all four heads low and alert. The Fire Hound took his right, flames flickering across its claws. Mirage stood directly behind him joined by his beast soul.

They formed a line around him, ready for whatever was approaching.

Within seconds, the source of the aura crested the peak.

’A female spirit?’ Moon thought, staring at her.

She was taller than Moon by a full head, her skin pale as moonlight.

Ice trailed behind her footsteps, thin sheets of frost spreading across the stone wherever she touched.

Moon stared into her eyes that were fixed on the pile of corpses around him. The dozens of spirits, piled beside the pavilion steps. Her subordinates. Her kin. Stacked like firewood by the human standing at the top of her mountain.

"Human." Her voice came out low, trembling a little as she spat, "How dare you."

The temperature plummeted. Ice spread outward from the pavilion spirit’s feet, coating the stone in a five-meter radius that expanded with every passing second. The air itself seemed to freeze, each breath Moon took burning cold in his lungs.

’The first spirit I’ve encountered that wields an element...an advanced one too. This won’t be easy.’