Versatile Mage: Starting with the White Tiger Pendant

Lu Jun was delighted. These 200 fragments were already pushing the limits of the White Tiger Pendant's capacity; otherwise, over 300 soul fragments would have been his.

Of course, the vast majority were "Servant Level" fragments, with only two or three belonging to Warrior Level.

Combined with the Warrior Level fragments stored in the pendant's [Blood Lake] from the last battle in Magic City, there were only "seven or eight" in total—still far from the hundred required to synthesize a complete Warrior Essence.

But that was fine. Lu Jun's Servant Level fragments were now sufficient to synthesize two complete ones.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Inside the White Tiger Pendant's Blood Lake, over 200 dim flames began to fuse and overlap, forming two clusters of ghostly green fire, stirring a significant energy fluctuation.

The result was two complete synthesized Servant Level Essences.

As he progressed through mid-Level across all elements, the snowball effect began. He only needed five more Essences to upgrade another element's basic Level 4 magic. And this was despite his poor luck—not even a single complete Servant Essence had dropped.

Remember when Mo Fan in the future reached mid-Level across all elements? Within just a year, he managed to upgrade both his Thunder and Fire basic and mid-Level spells to Level 4.

Lu Jun's heart burned with ambition. All four elements were starved for essences. Once all of them reached basic Level 4, each basic spell would be equivalent to half a mid-Level spell, significantly boosting his combat power. Re-challenging the new students at the entire academy would become much easier.

If he could reach mid-Level 4, heh, he might even dare to solo all the senior students in Magic City's main campus.

Such opportunities to farm safely were rare.

And Lu Jun wasn't the only one who thought so. Other elite monster hunters felt the same. Everyone here was at least a senior-level hunter, armed with dual mid-Level elements, representing the cream of Magic City's city guard corps.

Roar, roar, roar!

The crocodilian horde, having suffered a crushing defeat, realized that staying in the water was a death sentence. They roared furiously, climbing up the steep dam walls with astounding speed and agility.

The sight of densely packed black-scaled beasts clinging to the tall walls resembled a terrifying zombie swarm from Train to Busan, except each one was a ten-meter-long monster with an overwhelming aura of bloodlust.

Unlike the crippled sea demons, the crocodilian tide demons were true amphibious creatures. While their earlier position in the water had given them the upper hand against the military mages, it had now become a disadvantage. It was no longer safe in the lake, so they shifted to close combat on land.

Leading them was an advanced Warrior Level crocodile, its massive twenty-meter-long body resembling a dragon. Its black scales shone like armor, and its menacing blood-red eyes glinted as it bared its jagged teeth.

With its experience, it knew that as long as they could engage the frail human mages in close combat, they would be easily crushed.

Within moments, several large crocodilian demons had nearly reached the top of the dam. Their speed was leagues beyond ordinary crocodiles, especially considering the dam's reinforced height.

Tang Yue shouted, "Everyone, be alert! The crocodiles are climbing ashore. But don't be afraid! Compared to mountain wolves and other demons, they're slower and clumsier. Just kite them and strike!"

The experienced hunters responded quickly, casting wind tracks on themselves or their teammates to enhance mobility. Lu Mei, Lu Jun's elder sister, controlled her wind element, using her spirit Seed[Demonic Wind] to boost their agility.

At that moment, Lu Jun felt white cyclones swirling around him like feathers in a snowstorm, lifting his hair and cloak dramatically. This wasn't just any ordinary spell—it was a spiritual essence. The speed boost came with a defensive, slightly offensive edge, as anyone who got too close would be slashed by wind blades.

If breached, the wounds would bleed profusely and resist healing, with basic fire spells instantly extinguished upon contact.

Boom, boom, boom!

Flames, thunderbolts, and wind tornados filled the air in a chaotic bombardment.

Lu Jun didn't remain idle. As he controlled his star chart, he took a deep breath, eager to test the limits of [Tides]. His previous [Tide: Expulsion] spell had already drained 20% of his mana after striking a group of crocodilian demons.

He launched a second [Tide:Expulsion] with a punch. Despite being a mid-Level Level 1 spell, it was enhanced twice by his spiritual essence, nearly matching the strength of an ordinary Level 3 spell.

A slightly dim but massive blue waterfall surged forth, sweeping a dozen climbing Servant Level crocodilian demons and slamming them back into the water.

Swoosh!

The already turbulent lake saw a clear blue channel carved through its center, the immense tidal force pushing forward relentlessly. In the blink of an eye, it spanned the lake, crossing to the far shore, sweeping up crocodilian demons along the way.

The tide didn't stop, crashing violently into the opposite bank. The resulting splash reached over ten meters high, scattering dirt and sand as it carved a deep trench into the forest.

Seeing this, Lu Jun sensed over thirty Servant Level fragments floating towards him, with one complete Servant Essence finally among them.

At this point, the Warrior Level crocodilian demons took notice of him. Two or three massive ten-meter-long beasts began climbing towards him.

Meanwhile, other crocodilian demons had already reached the dam and were engaged in combat with hunters. With only seventy or eighty people to defend the long dam, gaps were inevitable.

Lu Jun, however, remained unfazed. Dodging with wind tracks, he drew his star chart, summoning dark blue tides that mingled with the swirling winds around him. A massive blue tornado rose skyward.

A third enhanced [Tide: Expulsion] was unleashed, surging to fifty meters in width and mercilessly sweeping two or three ordinary Warrior Level demons off the dam.

Boom, boom, boom!

The crocodilian demons' massive bodies were caught in the tide, crashing repeatedly with heavy thuds, as if struck by ten-thousand-ton blows. Like before, they were pushed across the lake, carving a trail of destruction through the trees on the other side.

When the tide subsided, the deep trench revealed three Warrior Level demons lying broken, their bones shattered and internal organs pulverized. Death was imminent.

Lu Jun wasted no time. His black-and-white eyes glowed, and his mental control summoned a fourth [Tide: Expulsion], its power further amplified. His body radiated overwhelming energy as the entire lake shimmered with dark blue light, resonating with him.

The elite hunters around him were forced to retreat, stunned by the escalating destruction.

By the third spell, every subsequent one pushed into uncharted territory.

Boom, boom, boom!

Sensing the immense power, the crocodilian demons attempted to flee. But Lu Jun's precise mental control directed the tidal wave towards the densest group of demons.

Towering waves smashed through the swarm, shattering their dark scales, as blood turned the lake red. The tide carved a waterway across the lake, connecting the two shores with a bloody trench.

"[Tide: Expulsion]."

Lu Jun unleashed a fifth water spell. After five enhancements, it approached the threshold of high-Level magic. Dark blue radiance enveloped the dam as the lake resonated, responding to his call.

Swoosh!

The advanced Warrior Level crocodilian leader could no longer hold back. It roared, emerging from the lake's depths. Its enormous, sinewy body coiled like a dragon, leaping skyward to attack Lu Jun and stop his spell.

The shadow it cast blotted out the sun.

Below, Lu Jun remained composed. A burst of brilliant radiance shot skyward, slamming into the crocodile leader's underbelly. The behemoth was thrown dozens of meters into the air before crashing heavily back into the lake.

The once-vast lake now resembled an exploding basin, its center hollowed out, exposing the riverbed as overlapping waves surged to the shorelines.

This impact alone crushed over a dozen smaller crocodilian demons beneath it, while the advanced Warrior Level beast itself was gravely injured.

The surrounding hunters were left speechless, dumbfounded by the sheer devastation.

Was this still the supposedly defensive and controlling water element? It was more terrifying than thunder or fire!

[For additional chapters....

Versatile mage {40 chapters}

Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}

Patreon. Com/ALLISWELL123