Chapter 236: Lightning Raiju The battle’s chaos did not diminish, but intensified as bodies piled up on the floor, making it increasingly difficult to maneuver despite the group’s efforts to store the corpses of slain beasts in their spatial rings. The sheer volume of casualties was overwhelming, creating obstacles across the battlefield. ’There are so many of them. It’s hard to identify an S-ranked beast amongst the horde unless it reveals itself,’ Moon thought, his eyes constantly scanning the swirling mass of creatures around them. His true target had yet to reveal itself, but that was acceptable. He wasn’t in a rush. Patience in combat often meant the difference between life and death. Moon continued releasing his spells in low bursts, carefully maintaining an artificial equilibrium between mana usage and regeneration. His bracelet and staff both contributed to his recovery rate, allowing him to sustain continuous casting far longer than most mages could ever hope of achieving. He knew instinctively that this wasn’t the climax of their challenge. An S-rank gate wouldn’t be this straightforward. The current battle felt almost like a screening process, an appetizer rather than a true threat to their survival. Besides, since the team was performing perfectly with nobody seriously threatened by injury or death, Moon’s role remained primarily damage supportive in dealing with the A-rank beast majority. He made sure to contribute damage to most kills within range, earning as many lives as possible from the shared elimination rewards. Lives remained an incredibly important currency. He still didn’t know how many would be required to evolve a Legendary skill if the opportunity arose, and he wanted a substantial reserve for any unexpected needs. Moon nearly tripped over the corpse of a particularly large beast he’d helped kill moments earlier. He cursed internally, quickly storing the body inside the large storage ring that Tom had provided. Zap! Crackle! BOOM! Nearly ten minutes had passed since the battle’s opening engagement, and the beast numbers were finally thinning at a noticeable rate. The horde that had seemed endless was proving finite after all, worn down by the relentless attacks of ten S-rank awakeners working together. Moon’s eyes continued searching through the chaos for priority targets. And then he found it. ’There you are!’ Moon’s lips curved into a smirk. He immediately began channeling one of his strongest attacks—Lightning Raiju—while simultaneously moving gracefully between the surrounding beasts. Dancing through the battlefield with purpose, searching for the perfect angle, targeting one creature and one creature only. The beast was of average size compared to some of the larger ones they’d been fighting. But when it moved through the horde, the other creatures instinctively moving to give it space, respecting its personal territory in a way that immediately marked it as different. Moon spotted that behavior instantly. Upon closer observation, the creature’s entire demeanor was completely unlike the frenzied aggression of its A-rank kin. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺 The beast was sly, deliberately suppressing its aura and power to avoid drawing attention. It was a toad with thick, blue skin covered in bulbous pimples that glistened with what might have been poison or simply moisture. Its eyes moved with cunning intelligence, tracking threats and opportunities alike. ’This is the one...’ Moon’s mana depleted rapidly as the epic-ranked spell formed, the mana requirements incredibly high even for his own immense reserves. [Lightning Raiju] [Rank: Epic] [Level: MAX] [Details: You conjure a devastating lightning attack that manifests in the form of a Raiju, a mythical beast-spirit composed entirely of electrical energy. The lightning spell takes physical shape as a wolf-like creature that charges toward targets with terrifying speed. The Raiju can be directed mentally after casting and will relentlessly pursue designated targets until collision occurs. +150% Lightning Damage. +150% Armor and Barrier Penetration.] A small Raiju, initially no larger than a tennis ball, began forming in his hand. His energy began to glow with intense blue-white radiance as compressed lightning energy gathered and took shape. Moon’s heart pounded with excitement rather than fear. The anticipation of testing his epic skill’s full potential against an S-Rank target sent adrenaline surging through his system. He wondered exactly how much devastation this attack could unleash, he’d been wanting to use it for some time, ever since he received it.Within a few seconds, the spell completed its formation. Half of Moon’s substantial mana pool evaporated during the process. ’This skill consumes mana like it’s starving,’ Moon thought with a mixture of excitement and concern for the resource drain. Even with his immense reserves and mana regeneration, he couldn’t spam this ability carelessly. Moon positioned himself perfectly during the casting time, weaving through the battlefield chaos until he had a clean angle of attack. "Go!" Moon whispered, releasing the spell towards the blue toad. The Raiju expanded rapidly from tennis ball size to the dimensions of a large wolf, its form into a creature of pure crackling energy, lightning arced across its translucent body as it shot forward with explosive speed. Lightning flashed over the heads of multiple beasts as Moon guided the Raiju through the crowded battlefield, his mental control keeping it on target. The spell was incredibly difficult to direct despite theoretically moving in a straight line. Maintaining the guidance also continuously drained additional mana, the control cost adding to the already high casting expense. But the results justified every drop of power spent. The spell crossed the distance between Moon and the blue toad in mere seconds, moving faster than most eyes could track. When the Raiju positioned itself directly above its target, Moon mentally commanded it to strike downward. The blue toad’s cunning eyes widened suddenly, finally feeling the threat descending toward it. Before the S-rank beast could react, the Raiju struck from above like a lightning bolt. CRACKLE! ROAR! A brilliant blue-white light flashed across the entire cavern, illuminating every corner with radiance bright enough to temporarily blind weaker awakeners looking directly at the impact point. Then it vanished like lightning disappearing into a starry sky, leaving only afterimages burned into retinas and the smell of burning flesh. *** GT Rank: No.8 Let’s go guys, we can hit top 10! Updated Goals: Top 10 GT (Monthly - End of Month) = 10 Chapter Mass Release (in progress) Top 5 GT (Monthly - End of Month) = 20 Chapter Mass Release (in progress)