Chapter 208: Teamwork
Mrs. Lira stood at the front, poised as ever. Her cloak was a long sweep of dark green trimmed with silver thread, and the weight of her presence was enough to quiet the last of the chatter. She didn’t need to raise her voice; her calm authority alone carried across the courtyard.
"Today," she began, "you will be divided into squads and sent into the northern forest."
That alone drew several startled glances. The northern forest was not some tidy training ground where mana constructs dissolved at a clean strike. It was untamed. Wild.
"Reports tell of mana beasts gathering in unusual numbers," she went on, her tone steady, unshaken. "This will be both a service to the realm and a test of your teamwork."
Her words landed like stones in water. Murmurs rippled immediately through the students—quiet, nervous, curious. For many, this would be their first mission outside the safety of the academy walls. For some, their strength had never been measured against anything but staged drills, where teachers hovered close enough to halt a mistake before it became fatal.
Mrs. Lira let the whispers breathe for only a moment before lifting her hand slightly, and the murmurs fell away. Her expression was calm, but her eyes held that faint sharpness that demanded discipline.
"These will not be duels, nor staged encounters," she continued. "Mana beasts are unpredictable. They will not wait for you to prepare your stance or finish your spell. You will need coordination, awareness, and trust."
Her gaze moved steadily over the assembled rows, pausing here and there, until it settled—just briefly—on Jae.
"And restraint," she added, her tone softening only enough to carry weight. "Remember, you are still students."
That quiet reminder seemed to ground the air again. Some shoulders sagged a little, some jaws tightened, but no one dared to speak.
When squad assignments were called, heads turned. Jae, Byun, Elise, and Tirel were placed together again, a grouping that drew whispers the moment the names left her lips. It was no secret that they worked well together, their abilities complementing each other in ways that gave them an edge. Some students muttered under their breath, envious of the balance their team offered.
On the other side of the courtyard, Sun’s name was called with Fin and Garun. Sun’s jaw ticked, though his face stayed otherwise impassive. Fin gave a careless shrug, while Garun only crossed his arms, silent as ever.
Not long after, the gates of the courtyard opened, and the squads filed out into the forest under the watch of instructors who followed at a measured distance. Close enough to intervene if disaster struck, far enough to remind the students that the weight of survival rested, at least for today, on their own shoulders.
The northern forest stretched wide, its canopy so thick in places that sunlight fell only in fractured shafts of green and gold. The ground was damp with moss and soil, the scent of earth and pine hanging heavy in the air. Every few moments came the sound of a stream gurgling unseen or the rustle of leaves where the wind stirred. The deeper they went, the more the chatter of students faded into wary silence.
Jae walked at the front of his squad, his stride steady, eyes scanning the underbrush. Byun flanked left, moving lightly, almost noiseless, as though the shadows themselves favored his steps. Elise stayed in the center, her hand brushing the folds of her robe, her eyes darting nervously toward every snap of twig or flutter of wings above. Tirel walked at the rear, her expression relaxed, almost amused, her hands swinging lightly as though she relished the tension more than feared it.
"Remember," Jae said, his tone calm but firm, "we keep tight formation. Elise, stay center. Tirel, focus on ranged fire. Byun, shadows on the flanks. I’ll hold the front."
Byun smirked faintly, tilting his head. "Look at you, playing commander."
"Someone has to keep you from showing off too much," Jae returned evenly.
Tirel chuckled low in her throat, tossing her hair back so that the copper strands caught the fractured sunlight. "I don’t mind following orders," she said, her tone deliberately sultry, "if it’s Jae giving them."
Her words hung in the air, teasing, and Elise’s face flushed a faint pink. She glanced at Jae from the corner of her eye, then quickly dropped her gaze, pretending to study the dirt path beneath her feet. Her fingers tightened on her sleeve, fidgeting until the moment passed.
The banter faded when the first sound reached them. A growl, low and guttural, threading through the air like a warning.
They froze, eyes sweeping the treeline. From the shadows between the underbrush, two shapes emerged—horned wolves, their bodies lean and muscled, their fur bristling, eyes faintly glowing with mana. The beasts padded forward in silence, their growls deepening as they lowered their heads, teeth bared.
"They’re circling," Byun murmured, already melting toward the flank, his form half-consumed by the shade of a thick oak.
Jae drew a steady breath, his voice calm, unshaken. "On me."
The wolves lunged almost as one, their speed startling despite their size. The first came straight at him, jaws wide. Jae stepped forward, fire blooming along his arm, the Dragonfire Blade igniting in a smooth sweep. He slashed across the beast’s body, flame tearing through hide and fur. The wolf let out a high-pitched yelp, crumpling before it could land a strike.
The second wolf veered wide, eyes fixed on Elise. She froze, caught off guard, her spell half-formed on trembling lips.
But shadows answered first. Byun’s power snapped from the ground in long tendrils, coiling around the beast’s limbs mid-leap. The wolf snarled, thrashing, but its momentum was yanked short, its claws scraping the earth inches from Elise’s feet.
Before it could break free, Tirel’s fireball streaked across the clearing and slammed into its side, bursting in a flare of light and heat. The beast shrieked, collapsing in a smoldering heap, the acrid stench of burnt fur rising sharply into the forest air.