Once foreign ships burned and sank, the creatures turned inland, surging up rivers and canals toward coastal cities. Krala, lairiy, ropesu cities reported tentacles smashing harbors and tidal waves flooding streets.
Magic Energy rifles and artillery wounded them, but only long-range missile barrages—conventional and Magic Energy–tipped—finally drove the swarms back into the ocean.
Similar reports flooded in from every coastal nation worldwide. The oceans had awakened in rage.
Land animals had grown stronger too—tigers larger, elephants more aggressive—but remained manageable with enhanced weaponry. Aquatic mutants were in a different league entirely.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mordan paced with barely contained fury, his trusted advisors and scientific heads standing at rigid attention.
"These aquatic beasts didn't just appear," he snapped. "They are stronger, faster, more organized than anything on land. I want answers. Dissect them. Study their physiology, their blood, their organs. Find out why sea creatures adapt to Magic Energy so dramatically while land animals show only minor changes. And most importantly—discover why animals can passively grow stronger with this energy while humans remain completely unaffected."
Top-secret research facilities across India mobilized immediately. Captured specimens (or what remained after missile strikes) were rushed under heavy guard for analysis. Every major power launched identical frantic studies.
Months of global research yielded frustratingly similar dead ends… until Xing Nation seized the narrative.
In a meticulously staged international broadcast from the Great Hall in Buching, a senior spokesman for the Xing government addressed the world.
"After exhaustive study, we confirm: Magic Energy is a universal strengthening force. It enhances living beings and non-living matter alike."
Cameras panned to an ancient stone Buddha statue, weathered yet pristine, placed center stage.
"This relic, recovered from a remote temple exposed to ambient Magic Energy for months, has developed a natural protective field."
A soldier stepped forward and fired a high-caliber round point-blank. The bullet struck an invisible barrier inches from the stone and ricocheted harmlessly to the floor with a metallic ping.
"Beasts grow stronger by instinctively absorbing Magic Energy from plants, water, and air. Humans and other sentient species lack this instinct. Passive breathing alone would take centuries—if not millennia—to produce noticeable effects. We must actively guide the energy."
He paused dramatically.
"But Xing Nation has succeeded where others have not. We present the pioneer of human strengthening—the creator of the Xuan Breathing Technique."
A young man, appearing no older than twenty, walked calmly onto the stage. Lean, unassuming, yet carrying an undeniable aura of restrained power, he took the microphone.
"Hello. I am Xin Xuan. Through dedicated research, I developed the Xuan Breathing Technique—a precise method to actively draw in, circulate, and refine Magic Energy within the human body. It is entirely distinct from natural breathing. With disciplined practice, anyone can achieve strength like mine."
On cue, four heavily muscled military assistants strained to carry in an enormous steel and set it down with visible effort, veins bulging, faces red.
Xin Xuan stepped forward, gripped the bar with one hand, and lifted it smoothly overhead as if it were made of foam. He held it steady for several seconds before lowering it gently.
The hall erupted in gasps and applause.
The commentator's voice swelled with pride: "Behold the future! Xin Xuan, pioneer of the Xuan Breathing Technique, proves humanity can rise alongside the beasts. He will lead us into a new era of strength and supremacy."
Xin Xuan returned to the microphone, voice calm and clear.
"If any nation or individual wishes to learn the Xuan Breathing Technique, applications may be submitted through official Xing military channels. We will review them carefully."
He offered a slight bow and exited the stage.
The commentator then spent several minutes detailing the exact contact protocols—secure diplomatic lines, required credentials, and non-disclosure agreements—ensuring the world understood that access would be controlled, selective, and almost certainly tied to political concessions.
The broadcast ended, but its impact rippled instantly across the globe.
In the opulent halls of Xing Nation's Ministry of Defense, diplomatic envoys from dozens of small countries flooded the secure channels with urgent requests. Desperate for the Xuan Breathing Technique to bolster their defenses amid rising global tensions, they offered tribute: rare earth minerals, territorial concessions, even shares in national industries.
But Xing's response was unyielding: "Massive resource commitments—equivalent to 50% of your annual GDP for the next decade—or no deal."