The trials tinued.

  Teams entered. Some succeeded. Some failed. Others barely crawled out.

  Elias’s team never came back.

  Well, not together, at least. They scattered. Fled. As if simply existing in the same space as their former leader was enough ter a survival instinct.

  Naturally, this led to a versation.

  "You traumatized them," Rael said.

  "I traihem," Elias corrected.

  "You broke them," Leon muttered.

  Elias crossed his arms. "They lived."

  Gale sighed, ping the bridge of his nose. "We’re recruiting, not itting war crimes. you not destroy the mental stability of the batch?"

  Elias sidered that. "…Willingly?"

  "At all."

  A pause.

  “…I’ll try.”

  It was the best they were going to get.

  And so, with the uanding that Elias would at least attempt to restrain himself, Phase Two began.

  * * *

  [Phase Two] - [Rael's Team]

  The dungeoraned ahead, a jagged ruin half-swallowed by nature. Thick vines curled around broken pilrs, and the remnants of an a civilization y in scattered stonework. Dim blue light filtered through the cracks above, casting eerie shadows.

  Rael stood at the front, eyes sing the group that had been assigo him for this phase. They were a mix of different csses, all standing at attention, waiting for orders. Some looked eager. Others looked like they were hoping to survive.

  He wasn’t expeg much. The st batch had been… petent but unremarkable.

  “Alright.” He adjusted his grip on his sword. “Same as before. Tanks in front, supports in the middle, damage dealers on the fnks. Stay in formation, don’t do anything stupid.”

  A round of nods. No objes.

  The dungeon portal hummed as they stepped through.

  The air inside was thick with dust and age. T stone walls lihe path ahead, fractured with deep cracks from time’s slow erosion.

  They moved in formation, progressing cautiously. Rael observed quietly, taking note of movement patterns, reas, and deaking.

  The first wave of enemies appeared—skeletal warriors rusted armor, their hollow eyes fring with dull blue light.

  “Tanks, engage,” Rael ordered.

  The frontline cshed immediately, shields meeting rusted bdes with a dull g. Magic surged from the bae—firebolts, are missiles, a burst of lightning. It was… fine. No oated. No one panicked. But there was nothing that stood out.

  Then—

  A silver fsh cut across his vision.

  Rael’s eyes flicked toward the movement.

  A lone swordswoman weaved through the battlefield, katana slig through two skeletal warriors in a siion. No wasted movement. ation.

  Her stance was sharp. Effit.

  Rael’s i piqued.

  He opened her profile.

  [Takane – Swordsman]

  …Just Swordsman?

  Rael’s eyes flicked over the status s again. At this level, most pyers had already developed their own fighting styles, even if subcsses weren’t avaible yet. But something about her setup felt… inplete.

  Her equipment was all visible—fine-quality armor, a solid katana—except for ohing.

  Her handguards weren’t listed.

  Equipment visibility to the pyer, but why hide just those?

  Before he could think further, another wave of enemies surged in.

  Takane shifted into motion again, seamlessly intercepting an approag skeletal knight. Her bde danced between its openings—owo, three precise strikes—before the enemy crumbled into dust.

  Rael adjusted his grip.

  This might be iing.

  “Push forward,” he ordered, stepping ahead.

  The dungeon corridors stretched ahead, twisting into the ruins of what once might have been a temple. Cracked stone pilrs lihe path, eerie blue fmes flickering atop rusted sces. The air was heavier here—thicker, like something was waiting.

  Rael’s team pressed frowing more fortable after the first wave. The tanks were holding their own, the damage dealers were effit, and the healers weren’t scrambling.

  Then came the wave.

  A trio of hulking, spectral knights emerged from the shadows, their translut armor shimmering with cursed energy. Uhe mindless skeletons from before, these moved with purpose—intelligent, aggressive.

  Before Rael could issue an order, someoepped forward.

  “Stand back.”

  A voice—calm, fident.

  A mage, tall and draped in fine robes, smirked as he adjusted his grip on his staff.

  [SureArrow – Sorcerer]

  His magic fred to life, golden energy densing into a spear of pure force.

  “These things are resistant to most elemental attacks,” SureArrow said casually. “But my magic? Pure impao resistances.”

  He thrust his staff forward. The spear shot through the air, colliding with one of the knights.

  A heavy boom echoed through the chamber.

  The knight staggered back, its armor dented.

  SureArrow grinned, eyes flig toward the others. “See that?”

  Another spear formed instantly in his grasp.

  “Siarget magic is superior. No wasted energy. No ineffit spread. Just , direct eliminations.”

  With ahrust, he unched his sed attack.

  Rael watched, arms crossed.

  SureArrow wasn’t wrong. His magic was effit. The force spears had solid damage and ignored elemental resistances. But there was a differeween strong and practical.

  Burst damage meant nothing if you weren’t versatile.

  Takaood nearby, silent, watg.

  Rael didn’t ent. He simply gave a short nod. “Keep going.”

  SureArrow smirked, clearly pleased with himself.

  The fight ed up quickly after that, SureArrow nding a final spear that sent the st knight crashing into the ground, dissolving into mist. The team murmured among themselves, impressed.

  SureArrow took a step back, spinning his staff once before resting it against his shoulder. “I think that proves enough.”

  Rael simply turned away. “Move forward.”

  As the team ehe mid-boss chamber, the Stonebound Golem stood at the ter—a-foot-tall struct of a stone and rusted metal, its eyes burning with eerie blue light. The moment their presence was detected, cracks along its body pulsed with energy, and dust cascaded from its massive frame as it began to move.

  The air grew tense.

  SureArrow stepped forward, rolling his wrists, a small smirk on his face. "Alright, listen up." His voice was firm, fident. "This thing’s big, but it’s slow. The key here is overwhelming damage before it enters its sed phase. Stiy calls, and it won’t evehe ce to swing twice."

  Rael watched quietly from the back.

  He’s fident. Too fident.

  SureArrow wasn’t wrong—high burst damage was effective against slow, tanky ehe problem was assuming nothing would g.

  Still, Rael just nodded. "Go ahead. I’ll observe."

  The fight started.

  SureArrow’s magic struck first. Aether Lance. A pressed bolt of pure energy shot forward, smming into the Golem’s shoulder with pinpoint precision. The force cracked the stoing, exposing the runiergy beh.

  "Focus fire on the oint," SureArrow ordered.

  The mages obeyed instantly, unleashing a barrage of spells. Fire, ice, and shadow cshed against the Golem’s frame, deepening the fractures. The tanks moved i, shields up, holding the lihe melee fighters followed, striking with sharp, trolled movements.

  For the first mi was a fwless execution.

  The Golem barely mao raise its on before it was staggered by another barrage. Its swings were sluggish, predictable.

  Textbook fight.

  Then, the first mistake.

  A rogue on the left fated for just a sed before dodging an attack. It was minor—barely a dey—but it was enough to throw off positioning. One of the tanks had to shift slightly to pensate, and the formation lost a bit of its rhythm.

  SureArrow clicked his tongue. "e on, don’t sck off."

  His tone was sharp, not harsh—but there was an edge to it.

  The rogue nodded quickly and adjusted. No major issue. The fight went on.

  The Golem's health dropped below 50%. Its core pulsed brighter, and it let out a low, rumbling sound—the signal for Phase Two.

  SureArrow reacted instantly. "Tanks, be ready fro shift. Mages, increase burst damage!"

  A solid call.

  But then—the Golem didn’t follow its normal pattern.

  Instead of attag the front li twisted unnaturally, pivoting mid-motion and luraight at the bae.

  Its massive arm came crashing down.

  "Shit—Cleric, reposition! Tanks, re-engage now!" SureArrow barked.

  The cleric barely mao escape the attack, stumbling backward. The tanks scrambled to adjust. For a few seds, the fight was chaotic—people moving out of syne reag te, others overpensating.

  But they recovered. No o down.

  The Golem's attack pattern stabilized again.

  A few mier, it colpsed into dust.

  SureArrow flicked his wrist, looking satisfied. "Told you. Burst magic works every time."

  Rael gave a small nod. "Yeah. Solid calls."

  But in his mind, he was already analyzing.

  Good leader. Quick reas.

  But when things don’t go his way…

  SureArrow had adjusted fast. But Rael had seen the way his jaw ched when the Golem ged patterns. The way his ands got sharper. How his voice had the slightest hint of frustration.

  * * *

  As they pushed deeper into the ruins, SureArrow naturally took trol. His voice carried over the group, direg them through enters with calcuted efficy.

  "Clear the ranged enemies first. Focus fire on the spellcasters."

  "Tank, stop overextending. If you step too far ahead, you’re making the healers work overtime."

  "Rogue, reposition—don’t stand in the AoE zone!"

  His calls were fast, precise. The team followed without question. Even Rael had to admit that, on the surface, SureArrow looked like a strong leader.

  But Rael wasn’t just looking at the surface.

  He stayed back, watg the flow of bat. Most enemies were animated structs—hollow suits of armor, wraithlike figures drifting through the halls, remnants of whatever force had once defehis ruin. They weren’t difficult to deal with. The group’s coordination was det, and SureArrow kept them moving.

  Yet, there were cracks.

  A minor mistake from someone—a rogue missing a backstab, a healer misjudging timing, a mage stepping half a sed te—and SureArrow’s tone would shift, his frustration barely cealed. He didn’t yell, didn’t curse, but there was something rigid about him. He expected perfe.

  And when he didn’t get it, his patiehinned.

  Rael g Takane.

  She was still following orders exactly as given. Her movements were crisp, precise—but nothing remarkable. No wasted effort, but no moments of brilliaher.

  She’s holding back.

  He wasn’t sure why. Maybe she was just being cautious, maybe she didn’t see a reason to go all out. Either way, she blended into the group, not standing out in any way beyond her efficy.

  A pack of Hollow Knights emerged from a crumbled corridor, their rusted ons raised in a silent charge.

  SureArrow reacted instantly. "Tanks, form up. DPS, stagger your attacks—don’t let them retaliate at the same time!"

  The group obeyed. The tanks locked the knights down, the melee fighters stru quick succession, the mages bsted from the back. It was textbook.

  A—Rael was getting bored.

  Everything was moving smoothly, but nothing was iing.

  His eyes drifted to Takane again.

  How long are you pnning to stay in the background?

  Rael exhaled through his nose, shifting his grip on his sword. He had half a mind to start pushing the pace himself, but before he could act—

  The ruins trembled.

  A deep, metallic groan reverberated through the walls, dust casg from the cracked ceiling. The air grew thick, oppressive.

  Then, the chamber ahead split open. Stone ground against stone as a doors, carved with faded sigils, dragged apart to reveal a t, armored figure within.

  [A Warden ]

  Its body was a fusion of rusted metal and spectral energy, a colossal knight ed in decayed ceremonial armor. Its hollow eyes flickered with a deep, sunken light, a phantom echo of its past duty. The air around it wavered with raw pressure.

  SureArrow’s voice rang out immediately.

  "Final boss! Positions—NOW!"

  The team scrambled into formation, tanks forward, DPS in the middle, healers at the back.

  Rael just watched.

  The Warden raised its sword—an enormous, jagged greatbde that looked half-corroded but carried a weight that made the air feel heavy. It moved.

  The ground cracked beh its first step.

  SureArrow took and instantly. "Tank, hold aggro! Mages, stagger your spells—don’t burn cooldowns too early!"

  Good calls. But Rael could already see the problem.

  The Warden wasn’t like the previous enemies. It wasn’t just a bigger, stronger version of what they had fought before. It adapted. It reacted.

  And SureArrow… wasn’t built for that.

  At first, things went well.

  The tank locked it down, taking the brunt of its strikes. The melee fighters chipped away, and the mages rained fire from a distahe Warden’s health steadily dropped.

  Thetern ged.

  The Warden raised its sword high, then smmed it into the ground. The entire floor shifted, rippling like a disturbed ke. A pulse of force erupted outward, throwing everyone off-bance.

  SureArrow hesitated. "What—!?"

  A sed attack followed immediately—a sweeping horizontal strike. The tank barely blocked it in time, his stance breaking from the sheer force.

  Rael narrowed his eyes.

  This is where it begins.

  SureArrow ched his jaw. "Adjust positions! Healers, recover—DPS, don’t let up!"

  But Rael could see it now—the cracks widening.

  SureArrow’s orders became sharper. Faster. More forceful.

  He masked it well, but Rael had seen this before. When things stopped goily acc to pn, when small mistakes piled up—he started panig.

  A rogue mistimed an attack. A healer hesitated on a cast.

  SureArroed, "Don’t dey! We’re losing momentum!"

  Aremor. The Warden shifted again—its sword dissolving into a spectral that shed out across the battlefield.

  The formation broke.

  A knight was sent sprawling. A mage barely dodged, his spell fizzling mid-cast.

  SureArrow’s voice was sharp now. "Tank, get ba position! We need trol!"

  But the tank was still rec. And the Warden wasn’t waiting.

  Rael’s fiightened around his sword.

  It’s falling apart.

  The Warden prepared its finishing move—its greatbde ref, spectral energy coiling around it. If it he fight would be over.

  Rael sighed, about to step in—

  Then, something ged.

  A ripple in the air.

  A shift itlefield.

  Takane moved.

  It wasn’t just speed—it was something else.

  For the first time, Rael’s eyes sharpened.

  Her sword—no, something above her sword—flickered.

  A sed shape. Translut. Faint. Like an illusory bde mirr her on’s edge.

  And then—

  She struck.

  The battlefield was silent for a moment. Then, the Warden’s shattered on fred with ghostly embers, its form stitg itself back together. Not fully, not ly—but enough to keep fighting.

  Its body vulsed. The sed phase had begun.

  SureArrow was the first to react. “Regroup! We finish this now!”

  The team hesitated—only slightly—but Rael caught it. They weren’t looking at SureArrow anymore. Their eyes kept flig to Takane.

  SureArrow noticed, too. His jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. Not yet.

  The Warden lurched forward, faster than before. Its movements were erratiow, almost desperate, but its attacks hit harder. A wide sweep sent the frontlianks skidding back, shields rattling.

  "Hold the line!" SureArrow barked. "Mages, keep staggering your casts! We’re not overpping cooldowns again!"

  Rael observed. The pn was sound. The team fell bato formation, rec from the shift in pag.

  Then the Warden shifted again.

  This time, instead of another brute-force attack, it vanished. A blink. No, not teleportation—just sheer, blinding speed.

  Rael’s eyes darted up. Above.

  “Move—!”

  Too te.

  The Warden crashed into the formation, scattering the party like leaves in a storm. Shields ged against the ground. A mage tripped over their own footing. The rogue was barely standing, bleeding out from an earlier mistake.

  SureArrow’s voiapped like a whip. “Regroup! Hold formation!”

  But the team was crumbling.

  One of the tanks hesitated a sed too long. The Warden’s strike smmed into his shield, sending him skidding backward. A healer fumbled a spell, missing their target.

  SureArrow’s jaw ched. He adjusted—his instincts were good, but his anger bled into his voice. “I said, focus!”

  Takane moved before the and even finished.

  Not alone. With the team.

  She stepped in, her katana fshing as she covered for a struggling vanguard. One precise cut, redireg an ining strike just enough for the tank to recover.

  The mage, SureArrow’s earlier misfire, took the ce to cast again—this time nding a burst of fme against the Warden’s exposed fnk.

  The rogue, barely on his feet, followed up with a desperate luhe Warden twisted away, but not ly.

  Now.

  Rael’s gaze sharpehe momentum was shifting.

  The Warden howled and raised its on high—preparing a devastating overhead cleave that would end the fight.

  Takane moved first.

  Not breaking formation. Not ag alone.

  She was just there.

  A step. A fluid motion. Her katahe Warden’s desding bde mid-strike.

  The impact cracked the ground, sending tremors through the battlefield.

  A sed shape, faint as driftials, unfurled in the air. Translut, ephemeral—like a bde woven from falling blossoms, mirr her katana’s arc.

  And then—she moved.

  Not a strike, but a dance—fluid, effortless, as if the wind itself carried her bde. The illusory petals swirled in her wake, trag the motion of her bde as it carved through the air.

  The Warden staggered again. Spectral cracks spread across its armor, the impact f it back.

  Not dead. Not yet.

  But hurt.

  Rael barely registered the murmurs, the gnces exged betweeeam. His focus was locked on her.

  The glow faded. The illusion vanished.

  Iing.

  * * *

  The dungeon's shimmeri portal pulsed softly as Rael stepped through. The cool evening air hit him immediately—a stark trast to the oppressive atmosphere inside. He ran a hand through his hair, his thoughts still on the fight.

  SureArrootential, but his leadership had crumbled under pressure. Takane… she was something else entirely. The illusory sword, the way she moved wheopped holding back. He still didn’t know what exactly she had done, but it was clear she was nowhere near her limit.

  Stepping onto the worn stoh outside, he caught sight of Elias.

  Of course, he was already here. First, as always.

  Elias leaned against the ree, arms crossed, his rapier hanging loosely at his side. His gaze flicked over as Rael approached, a smirk tugging at the er of his mouth.

  “Sed pce? Must’ve been a rough run.”

  Rael snorted. "Your eeam ran away."

  Elias shrugged, utterly unbothered. “They’ll recover. Eventually.”

  Rael sighed. Typical.

  The rest of his team was still stepping out behind him, the portal rippling as they emerged one by one. SureArrow looked visibly frustrated—probably repying his mistakes. The others were more subdued, some stretg, some talking in low voices.

  Then Takane walked through.

  Her posture was rexed, but Rael could tell she was gauging the reas arouesting the waters.

  She wasn’t the only oing looks. SureArrow was, too. But his were different. His performance had been strong, but his mistakes had been noticed. Rael could already see it—he knew he had lost his grip.

  Takane, oher hand, had just put herself on the map.

  Rael filed that away.

  He had two o think about now.