To put things into perspective—Arjun himself was at the peak of the eighth rank, yet he had barely lasted ten minutes inside the Water Dragon Mirror before reaching his limit, collapsing in a sweat-drenched heap.
As for the others? Almost no one could endure beyond five minutes. Most were forcibly ejected within a minute or two. Even Lucian, ranked 49th on the Continental Elite List and widely regarded as the strongest among them, had only managed half an hour.
But Kael? Two. Full. Hours.
Every additional second inside the mirror was a testament to the ferocity of the battle against the Water Dragon—and to the challenger's unfathomable foundation. A single minute could mean the difference between genius and mediocrity… yet Kael had outlasted everyone by magnitudes.
Gods above, is this guy even human?! Arjun half-wanted to peel back Kael's skin to check if a ninth-rank magical beast was lurking underneath. The sheer absurdity of it was terrifying.
The crowd stood frozen in shock. Thankfully, Lucian wasn't present—seeing this would've shattered his pride beyond repair.
"Idris… you—you even broke through in there?!" Arjun blurted, his voice cracking. The pressure of standing next to Kael was unbearable. This guy looked fresh as a daisy, not like someone who'd just fought the Water Dragon's shadow for two hours straight.
"Correct. Peak of the eighth rank," Kael replied offhandedly. This meant he was now a single step away from the ninth rank—the realm of true powerhouses.
His gaze swept the surroundings, searching for Lucian. Truth be told, Kael was intrigued by the man. Though slightly older, Lucian was undeniably among the top talents of their generation, having already reached the ninth rank. A worthy opponent to watch.
Of course, Kael knew the gap between them remained vast. Even at his new strength, surpassing Lucian's tier was like vaulting over a chasm—a near-impossible feat.
"You broke through mid-battle inside an illusion?! Are you kidding me?!" Arjun shrieked, his voice so shrill it could've slaughtered pigs. Kael promptly smacked him upside the head.
Rubbing his skull with a sheepish grin, Arjun finally registered how loud he'd been. The crowd's stares had intensified, their expressions now bordering on primal terror—as if they'd just witnessed a prehistoric monstrosity stroll into their midst.
"Let's move. Now." Kael shot Arjun a sharp glare—he had no interest in becoming a spectacle.
Arjun, realizing his blunder, nodded hastily and grabbed Kael's arm to leave.
But then—Kael's brow furrowed. A surge of formidable energy locked onto him, sharp as a blade.
His head snapped up. A black-robed female mage streaked toward them, her figure flickering with terrifying speed. Her target? Kael and Arjun.
"It's that ugly hag!" Arjun's eyes widened as he yelled.
Kael turned. The attacker was none other than Seraphina!
Somehow, she'd shaken off the Earthbane Basilisk—a ninth-rank magical beast that would send most fleeing in terror. Whatever method she'd used, it couldn't have been easy.
"You wretched rats!" Seraphina's voice was glacial, her robes tattered, her gaze dripping with malice as if dredged from the abyss. These two had nearly doomed her. The basilisk wasn't just a threat—it had pushed her to the brink of death, costing her dearly. How could she not seethe with rage?
To her, Kael and Arjun were the root of it all.
And between them? Kael drew her fury tenfold. His mastery of Levitation and those monstrous thunder spells made him the greater threat.
"Well, well—if it isn't the scarecrow here to haunt us again!" Arjun burst into laughter. His initial panic faded as he remembered Kael's Levitation. With an escape assured, he couldn't resist taunting. Their feud was already a fight to the death—why hold back?
"Ahhh! I'll tear you to pieces!" Seraphina's fury erupted at Arjun's taunt. Her figure blurred as she lunged straight for him with terrifying speed.
Seeing her charge, Arjun finally panicked. He grabbed Kael's arm desperately, yelling, "Idris, move! You've got Levitation—let's get out of here!"
Arjun was practically choking on bitter frustration. He'd witnessed Seraphina's power firsthand—summoning six peak eighth-rank puppet knights was no joke. That kind of strength dominated the eighth rank; no ordinary mage stood a chance against her.
Clutching Kael like a lifeline, Arjun's heart sank when he realized—Kael wasn't budging.
Not one bit.
Because Kael had no intention of running.
Fresh from his battle against the Water Dragon's shadow in the mirror, brimming with insights and newly ascended to the peak of the eighth rank, Kael was itching to test his limits. And here Seraphina was, delivering herself to him on a silver platter.
Besides, their feud wouldn't end by fleeing. Kael still aimed to plunder the Water Dragon's secrets—crossing paths was inevitable. Better to settle this now, once and for all.
Arjun read Kael's resolve but still hesitated. Kael was strong, yes, but Seraphina's puppet knights were forces to reckon with—even if diminished.
"Not running? How suicidal!" Seraphina's rage boiled over at Kael's calm demeanor. Did this brat really think her knights were just for show?
"Come forth, my darlings!" she shrieked.
Magic circles flared as her puppet knights materialized—still clad in heavy armor, mounted on shadow-steeds wreathed in black mist. But something was different.
Where there were once six, now only three remained.
Kael's earlier thunder magic had obliterated two. And her desperate fight against the Earthbane Basilisk had cost her another. Surviving had come at a steep price.
"I expected more. Three puppets? You call this intimidation?" Kael's lips curled in a faint smirk as he scanned Seraphina with dismissive eyes.
"This is more than enough to send both of you wretched brats to hell—now die!"Seraphina snarled, directing her puppet knights straight at Kael. Her instincts screamed that he was the greater threat—eliminate him first.
"Ugly hag, I told you—it's rude to scare people with that face of yours." Kael sighed, flicking his staff. Crackling violet lightning instantly encircled him, forming a defensive barrier of thunder magic.
Seraphina's eyes glinted with murderous intent, yet she held her ground. She recognized this as bait—Kael was trying to provoke her into recklessness. Now was the time for discipline, not panic.
Seeing her restraint, Kael remained equally composed. With a glance, he signaled Arjun to stay back, then released his full aura.
The peak eighth-rank power erupted around him. Wind howled, whipping his robes violently as he tightened his grip on the staff, his energy surging to its absolute limit.
"Peak of the eighth rank?!" Seraphina's breath hitched—how had he advanced again in such a short time? But her shock quickly hardened into cold fury. "You think that's impressive? Let's see you withstand three puppet knights!"
No sooner had she spoken than the knights charged. Their golden-horned steeds shrieked, hooves pounding as the knights' greatswords swept forward—each strike capable of cleaving mountains.
And at that moment—Kael finally moved.