Next morning, they hit the abandoned warehouse again. Cosmic shards were glowing, making the place look like some sci-fi dojo.
Astro twirled his shadow-light sword. "Aight mfana, time to see what we can really do."
Tenji cracked his knuckles, aura glowing faintly. "Bout time. Let's wreck shit, dawg."
Hunter activated his holographic interface. "Yo, most cultivators just flex magic. We're not most. Don't sleep on this, yeah?"
Phantom melted into a shadow corner, then popped behind a floating drone. "Chill. I got the side hustle covered. Y'all don't die on me, aight?"
Discovering Powers
Astro: Shadow clones popped up everywhere, swinging mini shadow-light swords. He teleported between them, hitting from all angles. "Try keep up, mfana!" Light bursts mixed with shadows. Even low-level cultivators would struggle.
Tenji: Glowing fists smashed pillars. "Y'all see this? Big dawg energy!" Raw strength plus light magic made him slightly OP too.
Hunter: Shadow traps, decoys, predictive barriers. "Bruh, power ain't everything. Strategy wins fights."
Phantom: Blinked between shadows, illusions messing with drones. "Silent but deadly gentsss," he said, smirking.
Squad Banter
Astro's clones pranked Tenji, mimicking his big head mid-swing.
"Yo, why is that dancing like me?!" Tenji yelled, punching a clone.
Astro laughed. "Even your shadow agrees you need practice, mfana!"
Hunter rolled his eyes. "Bruh, focus. Levels don't mean jack if you can't control your moves."
Phantom whispered from the shadows, "Lowkey, distractions are fun. Makes taking them down too easy, dawg."
Foreshadowing Intergalactic Trials
By sunset, the warehouse glowed. They were strong, but the universe was massive.
The 12-level cultivation hierarchy isn't just about power it's survival. Most cultivators barely scratch their level. But Astro and the crew? They were already breaking rules: dual affinities, fused elemental manipulation, tactical genius.
Far away, Hub Goblins and other cultivators watched. "Damn, these laaities power is insane," one whispered. Soon, the universe would notice.