feat(aura): protect blocks within player radius

design/log.md

@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ description: Chronological record of material changes to the Spigot Creeper Fear
 
 # Design Log
 
+## 2026-08-11
+
+- Updated US-002 so an unlocked player's aura protects blocks from any creeper explosion within 25 blocks, without requiring the explosion to hit the player.
+
 ## 2026-08-10
 
 - Completed US-008 with permission-aware command, online-player, and rank tab completion.

design/user-stories/us-002-unlock-creeper-aura-ranks.md

@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@ As a **player**, I want Creeper Aura to become stronger as I defeat creepers so
 - [x] A player unlocks the next rank after earning the configured number of kills within their current tier.
 - [x] Unlocking a rank resets current-tier progress to zero.
 - [x] A player below rank I receives normal creeper explosion behavior.
-- [x] An aura activates when an unlocked player would have been hit by the creeper explosion, even when armor or another modifier would reduce the eventual damage to zero.
+- [x] An aura protects blocks when a player with rank I or higher is within 25 blocks of a creeper at explosion time, including at exactly 25 blocks.
+- [x] Block protection does not require the aura player to be hit by or have line of sight to the explosion.
 - [x] An activated aura prevents that creeper explosion from breaking or removing blocks for everyone affected by the explosion.
+- [x] Players beyond 25 blocks and players whose aura is locked do not activate block protection.
 - [x] Other nearby players and entities continue to receive their normal creeper explosion effects unless they have their own aura damage modifier.
 - [x] The protected player's rank multiplier is applied to vanilla creeper explosion damage before armor, enchantments, resistance, and difficulty mitigation.
 - [x] At rank VI, the protected player's creeper explosion damage event is cancelled so that damage and knockback are nullified.