The floating islands shimmered under the afternoon sun, but the squad's usual chill energy was tense now. Astro squinted at the horizon, shadows flickering across his form.
"Yo… mfana, something's off," Astro muttered, swirling his shadow-light sword. "Energy readings are weird. Too quiet."
Tenji cracked his knuckles, golden light spilling from his fists. "Bruh… lowkey feels like a trap. Big dawg senses tingles."
Hunter tapped his grids. "Dawg… readings spiking. Multiple humanoid-level cultivators… not Drexar-tier… but fast, coordinated. MFers are smart too."
Phantom smirked, shadows stretching behind him. "Lowkey… finally some action. Let's see if they can push us."
The Ambush Hits
Before the squad could react, the air shimmered violently. A dozen Hub Goblins dropped from hidden vantage points floating rocks, high cliffs, and shadowy canopies.
Emerald-green goblins lunged first, claws crackling with energy.
Silver-runed ones hurled floating shards, spinning like miniature satellites.
Obsidian-black goblins melted into shadows, striking unpredictably.
Astro's clones activated instantly, shadows flaring with light. "Dawg… they're coordinated. Not normal random attacks."
Tenji's golden aura flared. "Bruh… gotta fight smart, not just hard. Big dawg ain't slippin'."
Hunter analyzed grids rapidly. "MFers are flanking, adapting. Can't over-rely on predictive vision if we do, they'll bait us into a trap."
Phantom grinned, shadows wrapping around the nearest goblin. "Lowkey… this is hype. Let's make 'em regret showing up."
Pushing Powers Beyond the Limit
The squad quickly realized this fight was different. Their eye powers, incredible as they were, weren't enough alone.
Astro's Galaxy Eyes allowed him to anticipate clone movements and energy flow but the goblins moved too fast and in unpredictable formations. He had to combine shadow and light powers instinctively, creating new attacks mid-combat.
Tenji's Radiant Fist Vision let him see pressure points but relying solely on prediction got him caught off guard by a goblin that phased partially through shadows. He had to evolve his fists, adding radiant energy extensions to reach further and react faster.
Hunter's Strategic Grid gave him full tactical awareness but the goblins kept changing their patterns dynamically. He had to trust intuition over pure calculation, combining strategy with improvisation.
Phantom's Mirror Shadow Vision excelled in darkness, but goblins with glowing patterns temporarily blinded him. He learned to merge shadows with decoys, tricking enemies rather than just evading.
Astro gasped mid-air, sword and clones spinning in unison. "Dawg… mfana… pushing past what I thought I could handle!"
Tenji landed, fists glowing like suns. "Big dawg… mfana, this is insane. Can't just rely on eyes anymore!"
Hunter's grids flickered. "Dawg… evolution isn't just power. It's knowing when to trust yourself, not just numbers."
Phantom dissolved, reappearing behind a goblin. "Lowkey… finally understanding what big dawg instincts mean."
Evolution of Powers
Each member began to evolve instinctively under pressure:
Astro: Galaxy Eyes evolved into Celestial Sight, he could now perceive energy patterns not just in space, but across time fractions, allowing him to predict near-future movements of multiple opponents simultaneously.
Tenji: Radiant Fist Vision evolved into Solar Breaker Mode, letting him extend fists with radiant energy projections while maintaining precision on multiple targets.
Hunter: Strategic Grid evolved into Omni-Grid, a mix of predictive AI-style calculations and instinctive combat anticipation, able to simulate and react to complex attacks in real-time.
Phantom: Mirror Shadow Vision evolved into Shadow Mirage, creating multiple semi-solid clones that moved independently but were controlled subconsciously, confusing enemies and protecting himself simultaneously.
The Fight Hits Its Peak
The goblins weren't holding back anymore. Their attacks became a storm of precision strikes, energy shards, and shadow ambushes.
Astro's clones clashed with multiple goblins, energy sparks flying. He barely dodged a shard spinning faster than his Galaxy Eyes predicted. "Dawg… this mfana almost got me!"
Tenji blocked and punched simultaneously, radiant extensions smashing through the flanking goblins. "Bruh… Big dawg's fists hurt more than ever. But mfana keep coming!"
Hunter repositioned mid-air, grids recalculating every millisecond. "Dawg… limits exceeded. MFers adapting faster than expected. Can't rely on old calculations!"
Phantom disappeared and struck from shadows, creating multiple mirages. "Lowkey… these mfers tryna predict me? Bad move."
Lessons Learned
After an intense barrage of attacks and near-death maneuvers, the squad managed to push the goblins back, but it wasn't a full victory. They were exhausted, sweat-soaked, and adrenaline-pumped.
Astro gasped, gripping his sword. "Yo… mfana. Learned something today. Can't just rely on eyes. Gotta trust my instincts too."
Tenji flexed, golden light fading. "Bruh… limits are real. But evolution is worth it. Big dawg still standing."
Hunter nodded, holographic grids flickering. "Dawg… strategy + instinct + evolution = survival. Don't forget it."
Phantom smirked, dissolving into shadows one last time. "Lowkey… next fight, we gonna push even further. Goblins are just the start."
Foreshadowing
From afar, a higher-level Hub Goblin observed, noting the squad's evolution with interest. "… these four mfana… unusual. Powers evolving under pressure. Notify the council. They're getting dangerous."
Lord Kael's laughter echoed faintly across the void of space. "Interesting… the young ones are awakening faster than expected. Time to see how far they can really go."
Astro wiped sweat from his brow, unaware. "Yo… we just trained, mfana… universe ain't ready."
Tenji grinned. "Big dawg said… next fight? Crazy."
Phantom's shadows flickered. "Lowkey… love this. Bring the mfers on."
Hunter's grids blinked. "Bruh… next level ain't waiting for anyone, mfana."