In the distance, with his supernatural eyesight, Judas couldn't help but notice Mika training in front of the village gates.
'She is working hard.'
Judas smiled before flying further south.
When the village was no longer visible on the horizon, Judas landed in the middle of an open field.
'I am already surrounded.'
A pack of kobolds had encircled him just ten seconds after he landed.
But Judas showed no concern.
『Annihilate』
When the kobolds pounced, a magic circle manifested beneath his feet and a deadly shockwave turned every monster in the vicinity into ashes.
Judas did not spare a glance at the magic stones littering the ground.
『Forcefield』
A dome of transparent energy appeared around him, shielding him from any harm or outside disturbance.
"Now then, six stars... here I go."
The moment he closed his eyes, the air trembled.
Inside him, Judas saw five tiny stars rapidly orbiting a relatively large mana core.
It was like staring at a solar system within his own body — his own little baby universe.
He took a few seconds to admire the beautiful sight, then took a deep breath.
Judas sat cross-legged in the center, his body trembling with strain.
His mana core pulsed like a brilliant miniature sun within his chest, five tiny stars revolving in perfect harmony around it.
When he opened his eyes, their color shifted from purple to deep gold.
He gritted his teeth.
"The Age of Gods... the perfect era where all sorts of mystical energy is abundant. I can count myself lucky."
Picking something from his pocket, Judas revealed a small crystal, shining in rainbow hues.
He gripped it tightly and shattered it into pieces.
Now, when he looked at his surroundings, everywhere within his dome was filled with thick, colorful energy.
Closing his eyes again, it was as if his mana core had turned into a black hole, pulling everything inward.
He drew in the surrounding mana greedily, recklessly.
It surged into him like a tidal wave, crashing against the fragile walls of his core. His vision blurred with light.
Sweat rolled down his brow, but his focus never wavered.
Slowly, painfully, a new glimmer began to take form.
A faint spark detached from the core, struggling to hold shape.
It quivered like a candle flame in the storm, but it was there—
'The sixth star.'
For a heartbeat, Judas felt it.
Power beyond anything he had ever known.
His body lightened, his senses sharpened, his magic threatened to burst forth like a floodgate thrown open.
The sixth star began to fall into orbit, aligning perfectly with the others.
'I am so close.'
Judas felt his heart racing in excitement.
The feeling of reaching a new level of power was exhilarating.
He only needed to grasp it, and this power would be his.
Meanwhile...
Just outside the village gates, a lone dark elf could be seen.
Covered in sweat and taking ragged breaths, Mika wiped herself with a towel.
'Training is difficult... and I am so close to getting hit with a Mind Zero.'
Using a big rock as a seat, Mika stared at the three wooden golems she had summoned and couldn't help but smile.
'But it's so much fun.'
Her thoughts shifted to Judas, and she couldn't help but feel excited, wanting to show off her progress.
"Hehe."
Giggling to herself, she reached for her staff on the ground — only to freeze when a giant shadow loomed over her.
An explicable wave of fear washed over, causing her to tremble.
"Huh?"
Looking up, her eyes shrank in sheer terror as a giant red dragon flew over the village.
"Monster attack!"
The guards on night duty shouted at the top of their lungs.
The red dragon looked down, its eyes burning like molten gold, vertical pupils narrowing into slits. Its gaze was so fierce it felt like the world itself would ignite.
"ROAR!"
With an earth-shattering roar, the beast unleashed its fury.
A torrent of fire incinerated everything in its path.
The sturdy walls and gates that had withstood countless monster attacks collapsed in an instant.
Screams tore through the chaos, only to be snuffed out as bodies blackened, curled, and turned to ash beneath the dragon's breath.
"Nooo!"
Despite her terror, Mika charged through the walls of fire like a fearless warrior, her fate unknown.
"Why am I crying?"
Some distance away, Judas — in the middle of his breakthrough — suddenly felt an ominous heaviness in his heart.
Tears unexpectedly spilled from his eyes.
A sense of dread crawled over his body, like something precious was about to be taken away.
His senses screamed.
Danger! Danger!
"Shit!"
This lapse in concentration lasted less than a second, but fate was never kind.
A small fissure ripped through his mana core.
The newborn star flickered, sputtered, and shattered into fragments of light.
The backlash struck him like a blade to the heart.
Judas gasped, chest searing in pain as blood spilled from his lips.
The five remaining stars wavered in their orbit, nearly thrown out of balance, but clung desperately to stability.
The glow dimmed.
Silence. Only his ragged breathing filled the air.
He nearly collapsed, clutching his chest.
His entire body screamed, mana circuits burning.
The failure to advance was devastating — but his mind was elsewhere.
"The village!"
He tried to stand, but staggered and fell to the ground.
Nausea rose in his throat, nearly forcing him to vomit.
For any mage, the advancement of stars was a crucial process.
Failing meant becoming crippled... or death.
But because he had a perfect mana core, it was strong enough to withstand the backlash, leaving him only with minor injuries.
He tried to stand again, but his legs felt like jelly.
"I don't have time for this."
『Recover』
A green magic circle manifested, and a cool sensation washed over him, filling him with relief.
Without hesitation, he rushed back home.
"Come on, hurry up!"
Blood leaked from his mouth, but Judas didn't care about the searing pain in his body.
He clutched his heart and bit his lip.
A bad premonition.
The sense of foreboding grew stronger with every passing second.
"Caw!"
"Annoying! Get out of my way!"
Any flying monster that intercepted him met a swift end.
"Please... for once... I hope I'm wrong. Please, please, please."
Judas prayed desperately — but reality is cruel.
His pupils shrank when he saw smoke rising in the distance.
For the first time, Judas panicked.
He flew with the air heavy with despair, every breath tasting of ash, the grim realization sinking in: the worst had already come to pass.
『Air Burst』
A gust of wind exploded beneath his feet, doubling his speed.
"This can't be happening!"
By the time he returned, he fell to his knees, staring at the charred remains of the village.
The silence was heavier than the smoke-filled air.
It crushed him.