A shift was rippling through the world, and for the first time in years, the tides were turning in favor of humanity. In the Azure Prime Plane, the sudden surge of powerhouses had finally begun to outpace the meat grinder of the front lines. Death rates were plummeting. For the first time since the world changed, people had room to breathe—and more importantly, room to plan.
Long-term survival was no longer a pipe dream; it was a policy. The Stellar Pact, in coordination with the major guilds, had begun a massive initiative to centralize human populations and, crucially, fix the broken education system. The focus was now on the next generation of The Awakened.
Every child who hit the age of ten was now entitled to years of foundational schooling. It wasn't a luxury education, but it taught them the essentials: monster biology, dungeon mechanics, and class-specific roles. Knowing how to survive an Awakening was the difference between a long career and a premature grave. In the early days, Run and the other pioneers had to learn through blood and trauma because the pressure of extinction was too great to allow for classrooms. Back then, the Leaderboard’s top ten changed every few years like clockwork. Stability was impossible.
Now, with Evan Valor personally spearheading the movement, the Azure Prime Plane was undergoing a cultural revolution. The Skystrider Guild alone had taken in nearly a hundred thousand ten-year-olds into their Guild Grounds. These kids wouldn't just be sweeping floors in orphanages; they were watching the monsters surge against the Rampart from a safe distance, receiving a visceral, real-world education before they even touched a weapon.
Of course, progress came at a cost. Thousands of guild members had to stall their own Leveling progress to act as guardians and instructors. Protecting the unawakened was now deemed just as vital as defending the Rampart itself.
Fortunately, the guild’s Kill Count was skyrocketing, and Guild Contribution Points were flowing like water. New Defense Towers rose every day, funded by the guild’s vast reserves of materials.
Outside Southhaven, the horizon was a bruised canvas of fire and thunder. Even fifty miles away, the sky burned a deep crimson as fire-elemental spells tore through the clouds. Level 200 powerhouses were clashing with monstrosities that dwarfed the surrounding peaks. The air itself vibrated with spiritual pressure that could be felt from leagues away.
"Being ranked fourth has its perks," Ash Valor noted, watching the distant chaos. "The monsters are throwing everything they have at the Ruinblade and Eternal guilds."
The Ruinblade Guild—Southhaven’s undisputed number one—had skyrocketed in the rankings solely because Evan Valor called it home. Eternal, the former top dog, remained a powerhouse with a staggering number of Level 200 veterans. Compared to those two giants, the Skystrider Guild was the underdog that had fought its way up from the dirt. They were strong, but not yet a threat the monster lords felt the need to snuff out immediately.
With Ruinblade and Eternal acting as the lightning rods, Skystrider’s Territory remained relatively stable.
"Ruinblade and Eternal both hit Guild Level 8," a scout reported. "They’ve expanded their Guild Grounds to Level 6 simultaneously."
While Skystrider had pushed their Territory to Level 4—bordering Level 100 mob spawns—the top two guilds were effectively moving in next door to Level 200 nightmares. It was the most aggressive human expansion in history. Powerhouses from other cities were flocking to Southhaven to join the fray. The world was changing; rather than fighting a hundred small wars, humanity was concentrating its strength into a few massive kill-zones.
"Those two are taking the heat for everyone else," Ash mused. "We have to seize this window. Within a year, I want every member of our Crafting Class to be at least Level 100. And anyone over Level 150 who wants real blood should head to the Eternal Territory."
For now, Ash was staying put. The outskirts of the Skystrider Territory were crawling with Level 100 mobs, which was perfect for his own grind. Venturing too far was a risk he didn't need to take, especially with the Crimson Vow still lurking in the shadows.
"Everything's great... except the lack of bosses," Ash muttered.
He unleashed another Meteor Volley, eyes scanning the horizon for a named elite, but found nothing. The bosses were getting cautious. Or, more likely, Cole Ashford and Declan Ward were being too efficient. The two of them were roaming the wilds, slaughtering high-level bosses daily. The constant stream of Kill Count announcements was providing the entire Skystrider Guild with a steady drip of bonus attributes.
Ash’s own growth was relentless. He was gaining a Level every five or six days. By the end of the month, he hit a new milestone.
[Level 130 Reached. All Stats +100. Attack Range +20m. Attack +12,000. Attack Speed +0.2]
[Planar Vault Bonus: 16,000 Gold]
His attack range now sat at 360 meters, and his Meteor Volley covered a devastating 130 square meters. He was now the undisputed number one in the Galeforce Squad.
Suddenly, a new notification flared in his vision.
[Ding! Total Abyss Creatures slain: 10,000,000. Achievement Earned: Abyssal Demonslayer.]
[Reward: Lifesteal +1%, Attack Range +40m.]
Ash smiled. He loved surprises.
"Ten million Abyss kills for an achievement... that means there should be similar ones for Undead and Fiends, right?"
The 1% Lifesteal was a nice bonus, bringing his total to 3%, but the range was the real prize. At 400 meters, he was starting to rival specialized Sharpshooters. There were nine different types of extra-planar invaders currently plaguing Azure Prime. If he could max out the achievements for all of them, he’d be a god.
He checked the forums. Reaching the ten-million-kill mark wasn't unheard of, though the Awakened abilities granted by the achievement were randomized. Some got defense buffs; he’d lucked into Lifesteal and range. As for a hundred-million-kill achievement? The forums were silent. No one had reached that level of slaughter yet.
"Ash, did your range just jump again?" Brett Fang asked, blinking as he watched a meteor strike a target nearly half a kilometer away.
"Got an achievement," Ash said casually. "Keep grinding. There are rewards waiting at the ten-million mark."
If he could just upgrade his Soulbound Weapon one more time, his range would become truly absurd. Maybe then I'll head to the Eternal Territory to see what real war looks like.
High-level mobs dropped decent coin, and after a month of uninterrupted grinding, Ash had amassed a small fortune. He was pulling in over a hundred thousand Gold a day, but he was still 4.5 million short of his next goal.
He’d thought about asking Brett and the others to pitch in, but seeing how hard they were struggling to gear up, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Orion would have done it without a second thought, but the guild’s coffers were currently being emptied into fortifications.
"Two more months of grinding it is," Ash sighed. He didn't want to keep relying on loans.
He climbed back onto a Defense Tower and rained down eleven consecutive Meteor Volleys before switching to his bow. He targeted the highest-level mobs at the very edge of his vision, maximizing his efficiency.
He was beginning to realize that these "trash mobs" weren't exactly living creatures—they were more like Phantom Summons. Only the Level 100+ Bosses felt like true inter-dimensional beings. The mobs were an infinite resource, designed by the invaders to grind down humanity’s numbers and patience. It was a strategic war of attrition, and Ash was finally starting to see the board.
[Ding! You ranked 9th on the Monthly GCP Leaderboard. Guild Reward: 1 Epic-Tier Equipment.]
It was his first time breaking into the top ten. Usually, these rewards were a result of Caden Marlowe’s tireless efforts. Caden was a saint, dumping hundreds of pieces of high-tier gear into the guild vault for the sake of progression.
"Sorry, Caden," Ash whispered. "I'm broke."
He picked the most expensive item in the reward list and immediately listed it on The Exchange.
[Gold +230,000]
His Contribution Points were piling up, too. While they were mostly a metric for guild growth, they were vital for the collective. Every point Ash earned helped fund those new Defense Towers.
Orion’s voice crackled over the guild channel. "Fortifications are stabilizing. Rampart pressure is down. We're starting Dungeon rotations. If you need to clear, get your squads ready."
With no bosses appearing on the walls, the Dungeons were the only option left.
"Brett, what's the highest Dungeon you guys have cleared?" Ash asked.
"The Level 10 Hard Difficulty," Brett replied. "High-level Dungeons are a nightmare."
Ash had only done the Level 10 Normal. "Level 10+ Dungeons don't have an entry fee. Why don't we try the Hardest Difficulty? If we clear it, it’s pure profit."
Brett looked hesitant. "Captain... it’s a hundred-man raid. There’s only ten of us."
"We’re all Level 120 or higher," Ash countered. "We can handle it."
"Last time we cleared it, we had six Level 130 elites carrying the group," Brett reminded him. "Even then, people died. A full team of Level 120s isn't a guarantee."
"The top tiers are already prepping for the Level 24 Dungeons," Ash said. "We can't fall behind. I don't want to lead a hundred strangers and get them killed, but the ten of us? We know each other. The loot split is better, too. We need the pressure to grow."
He looked at the squad. "We go in one month. I want to hit the Level 10 Hard Difficulty. One clear is worth at least a million Gold."
"You're serious?" Brett asked.
"If the Captain says we go, we go," Grant Fang chimed in, though he looked nervous.
Ellis, Celeste, Vera, and Nina all nodded. They weren't just following orders—they looked genuinely excited.
"Good," Ash said. "Spend this month pushing for Level 130. Get a full set of Epic gear if you can. Let’s hope Cole and Declan keep killing bosses for those attribute buffs."
Ash set his own goal. "I’m hitting Level 140 this month. If I can do it, you guys can hit 130. Just add an extra hour to your daily grind."
"An extra hour? I already feel like I'm killing mobs in my sleep," Grant groaned. "And Level 140 in a month? Ash, I love you, but you're full of sht."
"He’s right," Lyra added. "Not even Evan Valor leveled that fast at this stage. You're dreaming."
"It’s about the mindset," Ash said, trying to sound inspiring. "The Azure Prime Plane is still standing—that’s a miracle in itself. We make our own miracles. If you believe you can do it, your feet stay steady."
"Listen to him," Grant snorted. "Your bullshtting skill is leveling up faster than your Archer class. If we didn't know you, we might actually believe that crap."
"Grant, shut the hell up," Ash snapped, though he was grinning.
Brett stepped in, slapping Grant upside the head. "The Captain said it, so it's true. Shut up and listen." He then turned to Ash with a mock-serious face. "We totally believe you, Captain. Level 140. Easy."
Ash rolled his eyes. "You're worse than he is, Brett. Fine. For the next month, you two are glued to me. No breaks. If I'm awake, you're awake. I'm going to show you what 'effort' actually looks like."
Ash turned away and opened his private messages, firing one off to Orion.
Ash: Hey, can I borrow ten million Gold?
The reply was instantaneous.
Orion: Get lost.
Ash: Fine. Then I need mana batteries. Get me a rotation of people to keep my Mana topped off 24/7.
Orion: Is this a 'two steps forward, one step back' negotiation? Everyone is busy, Ash. No one owes you a service.
Ash: Zane told me The Stellar Pact just sent the guild a massive funding grant.
Orion: ...You are contributing to the guild's overall power. I suppose we can support that. Mana is easy enough to manage within the grounds. I'll have a rotation set up by tonight.
Ash smirked. Works every time.