Chapter 209: Surpise Attack
The beast collapsed in smoking ruin, its charred hide twitching once before falling still. The acrid smell of burnt fur clung thick to the clearing.
Jae let the fire along his arm gutter out, his gaze already sweeping the treeline. His voice was steady, even, though his posture stayed sharp. "Good start. Stay sharp. More will come."
The others drew in a breath, regrouping quickly. Elise rubbed her palms against her robes, trying to still their tremor. Tirel’s lips curved into a slow smile, pleased with the effectiveness of her strike. Byun only melted further into the shade of the trees, as though already preparing for the next wave.
And more did come.
The forest soon rang with snarls and snapping branches. From between the trees padded another set of wolves, their eyes burning faintly with mana. Behind them, tusked boars lumbered forward, their muscles rippling under bristling coats. The ground itself seemed to shiver with their weight. Further still, the air trembled as a deep growl rolled across the canopy. A massive bear emerged, its bulk crowned with crystalline spikes that shimmered faintly, catching glints of sunlight.
The students tightened formation instinctively.
"Right flank!" Jae barked as two wolves broke from the pack. Elise spun, her hand moving faster than her hesitation. She struck with precise, sharp motions, her fingers pressing into exposed patches beneath the wolves’ fur. At first it looked like nothing—but then both wolves faltered mid-leap, their muscles seizing as their mana flow stuttered.
"Nice," Byun muttered, shadows rushing forward to bind the beasts in place before Tirel’s flames swept them away.
The boars charged next, tusks lowered. Tirel’s fire danced wildly, less a steady blaze and more like walls of heat that pushed the beasts sideways, funneling them into narrow choke points. Their momentum faltered, their massive bodies colliding awkwardly as Jae stepped in, his blade a streak of fire that carved through one and left the other reeling.
The bear came last, its roar shaking the air. It slammed a crystalline paw down, spikes gouging the ground. Elise stumbled back, her eyes wide.
"I’ve got it!" Byun shouted. His shadows surged upward, wrapping around the bear’s limbs. For a heartbeat, it held—long enough for Jae to rush forward, fire trailing like a banner behind him. His strike cut deep across the beast’s flank, fire searing into the crystalline growth. The bear bellowed, but before it could swing again, Tirel’s flames erupted, layering over the wound until the beast collapsed under its own weight.
Breathing heavy, the squad regrouped again. Their rhythm had smoothed with each wave. Byun’s shadows wove around them like armor. Elise, though shaking, began to anticipate weak spots and strike with almost surgical precision. Tirel’s fire no longer burned reckless but guided, feeding Jae openings rather than stealing them. And Jae himself—steady, unhurried, his strikes decisive, as if his body had already memorized the flow of battle.
Each time they stumbled, one of them caught the other. When Elise’s breath hitched, Byun’s shadows closed rank. When Tirel overextended, Jae shifted seamlessly to cover her flank. Their movements, born of drills and sparring, had clicked into instinct.
By the time they reached the clearing where their instructors waited, they left behind a trail of scorched earth, gouged trees, and the husks of fallen beasts.
Other teams filtered in gradually. Some came limping, clothes torn, faces pale with exhaustion. Two squads carried classmates supported between them, injuries bandaged roughly with strips of cloth. The tension in the air deepened as more students gathered.
Sun’s group was the last to arrive. Their state spoke volumes before a word was said. Sun’s sleeve was torn and hastily bound, blood already seeping through the bandages. His expression was tight, his jaw clenched. Fin trailed behind, his usual carefree grin replaced by hollow exhaustion. Garun’s chest heaved with heavy breaths, his usually steady steps dragging.
The instructors exchanged quiet notes, eyes sharp as they weighed each squad. Finally, Mrs. Lira stepped forward, her cloak brushing the grass as silence rippled across the clearing.
"Jae’s group," she said, her tone carrying across the assembled students. Calm as ever, but with a faint thread of pride woven through. "Completed their task with flawless coordination. No major injuries. Excellent awareness of positioning. This is the standard you should all aim for."
A current of whispers surged instantly.
"Flawless?" one student muttered, disbelief laced with envy.
"Of course it’s them again," another grumbled, eyes darting toward Jae.
"They make it look too easy," a third admitted quietly, almost grudgingly.
Byun smirked openly, his satisfaction unrestrained. He leaned back on his heels, as if basking in the attention. Tirel’s hand slid through her fiery hair, her eyes bright with smugness. Elise, caught off guard by the praise, lowered her head quickly, her cheeks tinged pink. She fiddled with the hem of her robe, as though trying to disappear into herself.
Jae only nodded, expression even. Inside, he was more aware than he let on of the looks trained on him. Admiration, envy, calculation—they blurred together in a way he had come to expect. Some of the students whispered his name with respect. Others muttered it with resentment. Either way, eyes followed him, and that weight pressed heavier than the fights themselves.
Mrs. Lira dismissed the squads with a short gesture, her words echoing in the quiet forest. "Reflect on your performance. This was no staged battle. You survived because you worked together. Do not forget it."
The groups began to break apart, drifting back into loose clusters. Some were silent, weighed down by their failures. Others grumbled, licking wounds both literal and prideful. A few laughed nervously, relief spilling over now that the danger was past.
Jae’s team lingered. Tirel was the first to break the silence, stepping close enough that her shoulder brushed his. Her eyes gleamed, bright with amusement. "See? With you at the lead, we can’t lose."
Her tone was playful, but Elise frowned slightly, though she quickly smoothed it away and turned to Jae. "Are you tired?" she asked softly, concern threading her voice.