He instinctively stepped back as they marched forward. Even though they weren't real Orcs, they were terrifying enough. Their sheer size and power were intimidating, and their clubs smashing into the ground sent tremors through the chamber.
He glanced at Ryn, hoping for so semblance of encouragent, but the Ranger's cold glare told him he was on his own.
"The team's depending on you!" Ryn barked, pacing the edge of the training area. "You're the last line of disruption. Stop thinking like a soldier and act like a Ranger. MOVE!"
Aeric gritted his teeth, his body surging with adrenaline. The first Orc charged toward him, club raised high.
"Are you going to wait for them to hit first?! The first thing I said about Rangers is that we do not wait. Rangers are strikers! Strike!"
"Don't stand still! Keep moving!" Ryn kept shouting.
Aeric rolled to the side just as the club ca crashing down, the impact sending shards of crystal stone flying.
He summoned a glowing red whip of his Divinity, snapping it at the Orc's legs. The energy wrapped around its ankles, and with a sharp pull, Aeric yanked its legs out from under it.
Everyone raised their brows in surprise. 'He can already manipulate physical Divinity to create constructs? I didn't teach him that...'
"Good!" Ryn praised. "But move on, Ranger! You've got two more breathing down your neck. Stay ahead!"
The second Orc was already upon him, swinging its club horizontally. Aeric ducked, the club whooshing over his head. He lunged forward, driving his energy whip into its side, but the Orc barely flinched.
"Don't waste energy on brute force!" Ryn growled. "You're not here to kill them — you're here to stall them. Get creative!"
Aeric's mind raced. 'Get creative. Great creative.'
He moved his eyes about and clocked on an advantage. Quickly, he darted behind a nearby pillar, the Orcs snarling as they chased him. As he ran, he spotted a loose crystal embedded in the wall.
It was then that an idea clicked.
He sprinted toward the crystal and slashed at it with his whip, shattering it. The energy released sent a burst of light and heat that montarily blinded the Orcs.
"Better!" Ryn called out, though his tone remained critical. "Now use the terrain! Don't fight fair! There are no rules in a Dungeon! No rules in a Beast Glade. It's not your job to fight fair!"
Aeric spotted a set of chains hanging from the ceiling and quickly activated the Divinity in his legs.
He leaped up, grabbing them with one hand while his other summoned a small orb of red Divinity. He hurled the orb at the first Orc's face, causing it to stumble backward into the second.
"Don't stop! Keep them off balance!"
Swinging from the chains, Aeric kicked the third Orc square in the chest, sending it staggering.
With a front flip, he landed on the ground, activating the Divinity in his knees to strengthen the bones and absorb the impact of the land.
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Then, speeding straight into action, he imdiately whipped at the first Orc again, this ti wrapping the Divinity whip around its club and yanking it from its grasp.
"Perfect!" Ryn finally shouted. "Now finish it! Create the ti your team needs!"
Aeric took a deep breath and slamd his hands into the ground. His Divinity surged, sending out tendrils of red energy that coiled around the Orcs' legs, rooting them in place.
'Unbelievable! He can already summon constructs of such complexity? What kind of Adept Level Player is this? This should be... no, this is impossible.'
The dummies thrashed and roared, but they couldn't move. They were all constrained by the red tendrils, and because of that, they couldn't advance anymore.
The imaginative team now had all the ti they needed to recuperate.
Ryn pulled the lever again, shutting down the simulation. The Grey Orcs froze, their forms reverting to lifeless dummies.
Aeric collapsed to one knee, panting, his body drenched in sweat. He looked up at Ryn, who stood over him with his usual unreadable expression.
"You did better than I expected," Ryn said, crossing his arms. "I want you to understand that a real fight isn't this forgiving."
Aeric gave a weak laugh. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Ryn smirked faintly and offered him a hand. "I truly am impressed, Prince Aeric. That was fun to do and to watch. In fact, you'll make a decent Ranger one day if you decide to go down that path. Just rember: it's not about glory. It's about making sure the rest of the team survives."
Aeric nodded, taking Ryn's hand and pulling himself up. "Understood, sensei."
As he walked back to join the others, he couldn't help but feel a small surge of pride. Especially because he had broken the small barrier that stood between him and grumpy ol' Ryn.
Bel was next.
The girl was the complete opposite of Ryn. Her gentle smile and warm deanor instantly put Aeric at ease.
"Support is all about the team," she said with a soft and hearty voice. "We heal, we strengthen, and we make sure everyone else can do their best."
She handed Aeric a small vial of sparkling liquid. "This is an Amplifying Elixir. It will amplify your Divinity temporarily. I want you to try channeling that energy into sothing supportive — maybe a buff or a human shield for ."
Aeric hesitated, unsure how to proceed. He summoned his Divinity but struggled to focus it on any of those things. Buffs could only be done through Skills it seed, and human shields as well.
"It's okay," Bel said reassuringly. "Not everyone is suited for Support. Just try your best."
After several failed attempts, Aeric slumped his shoulders and shook his head. "I don't think this is my role."
Bel tilted her head and smiled. "I understand, your Highness. It's alright. Knowing where you don't fit is just as important."
Then the finale arrived, it was Alzera's turn to teach Aeric on the role of a Tactician. Perhaps, although argued, the most important role of all.
"Are you ready for this, Aeric?" she asked with a taunting smile.
Aeric raised a brow. "Ready for what exactly?"
They arrived.
Alzera sat cross-legged across from Aeric at a glowing table, the Player X Player board ga between them.
"This is where the real challenge begins," she said with a grin. "A Tactician has to think ten steps ahead. Every decision you make affects the entire squad."
The board lit up, projecting a map of a fictional battlefield. Each player had small tokens representing their squad mbers.
Alzera leaned forward. "Now I ask again. Are you ready, Prince Aeric?"
Aeric grinned. "Born ready."
The rest of the squad gathered around, jostling for front-row seats. Kael laughed. "My money's on Alzera!"
Ryn scoffed. "I bet on the Prince."
The ga began.
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