Chapter 78: Dugbog [2] Kael’s eyes opened after ten seconds of intense concentration. A red flame appeared above his staff, but this wasn’t like his previous attacks. Hints of blue mixed with the crimson, creating a myriad of colours. The flame began to grow noticeably, expanding from the size of a fist to the size of a person’s torso within seconds. The heat radiating from the technique grew to the point that everyone, including the Dugbog, sensed the immense energy forming at Kael’s staff. The temperature spiked so dramatically that nearby vegetation spontaneously ignited without even being touched by flames. Moon’s eyes widened at the scene. Did he have some sort of breakthrough? How is that possible?! Moon had been fighting alongside Kael for nearly two hours. He knew how powerful the young man’s flames were, having witnessed their destructive capacity firsthand. But this flame was on another level entirely. The mana density alone was terrifying, and Moon was certain this wasn’t part of any skill, since he had copied all the skills that Kael had. Which meant Kael had probably gained some sort of breakthrough in his understanding during the battle itself. A moment of enlightenment that allowed him to push beyond his previous limits and access a technique that shouldn’t be available at his current level. What a freak... Moon thought inwardly, impressed by the growing fire. Then his eyes turned toward the Dugbog. The beast recognised the danger. Its instincts screamed warning as it sensed the gathering power. Wooden constructs erupted from every direction simultaneously, all converging toward Kael’s position in a desperate attempt to interrupt the technique before completion. At that point, everyone shared the same thought. Protect Kael. Moon immediately unleashed a barrage of Explosive Flames, detonating the incoming wooden spikes and vines before they could reach halfway to their target. The support mage erected multiple overlapping barriers. The warriors positioned themselves as living shields, ready to intercept anything that slipped through. The archer rained arrows into the Dugbog’s face, forcing it to partially close its eyes and disrupting its coordination. The beast thrashed desperately, understanding on some primal level that if this attack completed, the fight was over. But it was too late. Kael’s flame had finished forming, a swirling sphere of red and blue fire. "Move," Kael said quietly. Everyone scattered immediately, clearing the line of sight between the pyromancer and the beast. Kael and the beast locked eyes in a brief moment that stretched until Kael released the technique The sphere shot forward, not as fast as a normal fireball, but with infinitely more presence. It crossed the distance to the Dugbog, and the beast was unable to dodge due to the close proximity. The moment the sphere made contact, a blinding flash made everyone’s eyes close. Moon had to squint hard to understand what was going on. BOOOOOOM! The explosion was beyond anything Moon had witnessed before. A mushroom cloud of flame erupted upward, consuming the Dugbog entirely. The shockwave knocked Moon backwards despite the distance, heat washing over him briefly. Trees within fifteen meters of the blast were simply gone, vaporised instantly by the overwhelming heat. Those beyond burned like torches, flames spreading rapidly through the forest and filling the air with smoke and ash. When the light finally faded, and Moon could see again, a large crater ten meters wide and several meters deep had formed where the Dugbog had stood. Molten rock cooled at its edges, glowing red-hot and radiating intense heat that made the air shimmer. Inside the crater, the Dugbog lay heavily injured, blood flowing from its body freely. Its wooden hide was charred black, cracked and smoking. One of its legs had been blown off entirely. Its breathing came in ragged, laboured gasps. But it was still alive. "Finish it... off." Kael’s tired, low voice erupted across the battlefield. His body swayed as he lost his balance from exhaustion. Marcus immediately moved to support him, catching the pyromancer before he could collapse. "Are you okay?" Marcus asked with concern written all over his expression. Kael grabbed his head as if it was about to explode from pain. "I’m fine. Just go finish it. It’s not dead... yet." Marcus helped Kael sit against a tree trunk safely away from the crater’s edge, then jumped down to join the rest of the team converging on the dying beast. Moon had already begun attacking, sending constant Explosive Flames toward the creature without mercy. Each detonation tore through weakened flesh, opened new wounds, and pushed the Dugbog closer to death. The beast tried to manipulate the surrounding wood one final time, but its mana reserves were depleted, and its control shattered. After ten seconds of relentless bombardment, the beast finally went still, succumbing to its injuries. The light in its eyes dimmed until it became hazy. [You have slain a level 23 Dugbog.] [You have gained 300 Lives.] Moon couldn’t help but be surprised. He had expected to level up from that kill, a level twenty-three A-rank beast should have provided a good portion of experience. But the notification never came. Frowning slightly, he pulled up his status to check. [ Name: Moon ] [ Race: Human ] [ Class: Classless, Pyromancer] [ Level: 19 ][ 78% ] [ Lives: 4579 ] [ Strength: 28 ] [ Agility: 30 ] [ Constitution: 33 ] [ Mana: 40 ] (+5 to all stats) 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺 [ Attribute Points: 5 ] [ Skills: Elemental Attack, Five Element Affinity, Tenacity, Silver Skin, Pyromantic Affinity, Explosive Flame, Heat Sense(Limited Time)] [ Talent: Grim Reaper ] [ Class Skill: Class Slot {1/1} ] Seventy-eight percent. Just twenty-two percent away from level twenty, but that final push would require several more high-level kills. The experience had been split among everyone who contributed to the fight. With six people attacking the Dugbog, Moon’s individual share was significantly reduced compared to solo kills. That was the trade-off for fighting in groups; shared danger meant shared rewards. Still, three hundred lives and substantial progress toward his next level weren’t bad for a two-hour fight where he’d primarily focused on training Explosive Flame rather than pure efficiency. Moon’s eyes drifted to the skill in question.