Chapter 394: Team Experiences (1) |
Chapter 394 - Team Experiences (Part 1)
The sun filtered through the canopies, drawing shadows over the sparse underbrush. Cobalt beetles and wide-eared mice rustled through the weeds. Leylines wove among the roots like glowing rivers, just the tip of what arrays covered the academy’s grounds.
Kai scrunched his brows and narrowed the focus of Mana Observer to pierce the cloak. More lines gleamed below. Despite his course on Runes & Enchanting, he was years and grades away from grasping Raelion's tapestry. Each time he thought he’d gotten its measure, he discovered a deeper layer.
His mind still struggled to grasp the scale of such an endeavor. He did understand the academy’s long history. Across the generations, mages must’ve engraved every looming tower, shack and marble plaza, connecting the paved road and winding trail. Though rather than a messy hodgepodge of interconnected arrays, the enhancements followed a fairly unified scheme.
Their concentration varied, thinning in the wilder stretches of land, and denser around the Aula Ordinish, the dorms and the training fields. But Kai had yet to find a patch of ground they didn’t touch.
“Elydes to Mat? You receiving?”
Kai blinked away the glowing lines, looking at his friends. “Yeah, sorry. I got distracted."
His team stood in a small clearing, decked in sparring armor and blunted weapons; a metal pole with a Merian blue flag rose from the ground between them.
"We’ve got a match to win.” Flynn checked a pocket watch. “Forty seconds until we start." He swept his gaze across them. “Remember, they’ll evaluate us on teamwork as much as results. Everyone understands their roles?”
Flynn gave her a thumbs-up. “Try to avoid direct engagements too. But let them think they stand a chance to eliminate you.” His gaze wandered off for a moment. “I just want us to avoid dumb mistakes. And maybe crush them.” A familiar smirk lightened his serious facade.
“It’s alright. I’m next.” Rain rolled his trident over his arm, threw it up and caught it. “I’ll avoid their hunting party and attack their defenders until you snatch the red flag. Then I’ll cover our retreat.”
“And I’ll defend our base and challenge anyone who looks at me wrong,” Kai concluded and stoically gripped his longsword. “I’ll try to leave some for you too.”
Flynn gave him a look.
“I’m joking, I’m joking.” Kai raised his hands. He’d thought Flynn would drop the serious team leader vibe after the first classes, but he’d remained remarkably consistent. Somehow, that pushed him to compensate with levity and silly jokes. “I’ll find a place to hole up and avoid any dramatic last stands. At least, until I catch wind of your glorious victory.”
“You’ll see us return with their flag. And Professor Beltram will signal—”
An echoing bang rattled the woods, announcing the start of the game. A flock of magpies with metallic feathers and scaled legs lifted with indignant chirping.
“Like that.” Flynn gazed up at the higher branches. “Looks like we’re on. Hope you all read the intel I wrote on the enemy team. We need to move.” He took a stride, then glanced back at Kai. “Be safe. If it works out, you won’t have to wait long.”
“I know, I’ll be fine.” Kai gestured them on. “Go. You made a good plan. I’ll just stay here and twiddle my thumbs.” He laughed and gave him a nod to promise he wouldn’t do anything stupid.
With a stiff nod in reply, Flynn motioned the others to follow. Rowan tipped her head at him before darting in the underbrush with quiet footsteps.
Rain gave him a wave, strolling last into the woodland.
Time for my part.
Stretching his back, Kai turned and gripped the metal pole. The grooves of runes dug in beneath his palm. A gust flapped the blue flag as he tried to pull it up. His knuckles whitened, muscles straining with effort as the gravity enchantments multiplied the weight of the metal. With a grunt, the heptagonal base ripped through the ground.
He lifted it until it rested on his shoulder. The shift in weight sent him tipping back, forcing him to hop, trying to regain his balance.
Shit, shit, shit.
Earth mana rushed to empower his legs and back as he squatted. Luckily, no root tripped him. Resting the flag end of the pole on an ash tree, he breathed through gritted and slowly got his footing.
He knew the instructors had a way to monitor them; he only hoped that it didn’t include a video feed.
When Beltram said the attacking team could move their flags, he hadn’t mentioned it would be so damn heavy. It definitely wasn’t meant for a single person to move, but with only four teammates, they’d had to make do.
The scenario was similar to capture the flag, with a few twists. They simulated a team infiltrating enemy territory and stealing a strategic asset from a stronghold—aka, the red flag. To win, they needed to bring it to one of three extraction points on the border of the training field before the defenders found and destroyed their own base.
While the other team couldn't move their stronghold, they possessed a one-time beacon to ‘call for reinforcements’. They just needed to channel mana for ten seconds and any attacker within fifty meters would be eliminated. That offered a massive advantage both when protecting their flags, or destroying the blue base if they brought the beacon with them.
Unless they went for a draw, the game basically forced them to split their forces, which highlighted their disadvantage against a team of eight. So, rather than going two and two would, they chose to bet on a quick win.
Kai hobbled in place to steady himself until he felt confident enough to start moving. His boots sank into the soft ground under the weight he carried. One step and then another. Soon, sweat began to drip down his back.
Why did I think this was a good idea?
Earth and Nature mana rippled to cover his tracks as he looked toward the edges of the training field assigned to the exercise. The woods lacked the lush wildness a true Green-1 mana zone would have, but still held a dense underbrush. More pulses of magic bent the roots and smoothed the holes in his path. Precision let him ration his reserves. Finally getting the chance to make use of his Nature affinity, he would not let himself run dry by letting the pole drag.
Okay, this is far enough.
Kai stuck the pole in the shadows of two olms. Leaves and ivy snaked up to cover the flag with foliage before Shadows wove to veil himself. Cloaking worked as a multiplicative: the quieter and more inconspicuous he was, the more the spell could elevate his camouflage.
Keeping his senses open, he sat on a patch of moss to wait. His sheathed longsword rested on his not-sore shoulder. He didn’t mind being left alone on the defensive. If they tracked him down, he’d likely get to fight multiple opponents. And as long as he remained ‘alive’ within ten meters of their flag, the defenders couldn‘t destroy their base.
For a moment, he considered burying himself underground. It’d be amusing to watch their opponents find the pole, only to stare confusedly at each other, unable to win.
Perhaps if he were alone. Flynn had put too much effort into their strategy for him to just ignore it.
Hopefully, someone will find me.
Larger teams held the advantage of flexibility. Math simply dictated they had more skill slots, even if they were individually weaker. Though most calculations didn’t account for someone with five major affinities.
They must have one scout… unless they completely messed up their team composition.
Minutes trickled by as Kai augmented his senses and listened to the rustle, chitter and creaking of the woods. Occasionally, the wind carried the echo of voices, but they always walked in the wrong direction before fading.
Please, I’m here! I didn’t even hide my tracks that well.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
His palms pressed to his face to muffle an exasperated groan. The crack of explosions and yells traveled in the distance. He fought the temptation to flare his mana to catch their attention.
“…this way.” A nasal voice called from a distance.
Yes, yes. I’m right here!
“Hmm… Those bark marks seem too old.”
No, wait! Just come here!
“What? Now, you think you’re a better hunter than me? My parents hired the Gray Wolf to instruct me in person. Who was your tutor?”
“Just my father. But—”
It soon became clear they had not found his tracks. The bickering intensified as a high-pitched voice joined in, when a fourth finally hushed them.
“Shut up, fools! They’ll hear us coming and run!” A baritone man spoke—naturally, using an even louder tone.
Kai buried his hands in his knees, where he sat. The disgruntled mutters spiked before slowly quietening. Not that it mattered how they trudged through the underbrush. He’d overestimated how city teenagers would fare in the wilds, even one as curated as Raelion’s. The only student with any expertise was a wealthy commoner from Martial Studies, and thus went ignored.
Probably the spearman…
Flynn had gathered intel on their opponents, but Kai couldn’t identify them from their voices alone. Which three of the six mages were they?
Damn, I should have paid more attention. I owe him an apology.
Despite their poor bushcraft, they were all competent fighters. To have a team of eight, they couldn’t have placed too high in the Trials, but that was one test score, not a power ranking. Plenty of strong contenders had finished lower than expected for disparate reasons.
As Kai mused, the four students somehow still ambled in his general direction. Was it an act to get close without suspicion? Possible. There were an almost infinite variety of skills and abilities, but it seemed unlikely. He was confident in his cloaks.
It might as well be my own Luck leading them. Or random chance.
His hand closed on the hilt of his sword. They might still miss him if he remained hidden. Though if they spotted him, he would waste the advantage of surprise.
Four against one, not an easy fight. The wards would eliminate him if they got a single good hit. Trying to identify them without being spotted was too risky. If they carried the beacon, he might actually lose the pole.
Guess I’ll have to fight…
His lips twitched, holding back a smile. It was simply the best course of action. He tied off the Shadow cloak over the pole, so it would sustain for a while without his active channeling. The trick had always felt excessively wasteful until the professors explained the proper way to do it.
A minute should be plenty.
The rustle and snaps from the trampled underbrush gave away their position. They were moving closer.
Pushing himself in a low crouch on his toes, he stepped on the roots of the trees. His right hand gripped the scabbard of his blade, while he held out the left for balance. He had to intercept them before they saw the flag, so he’d be able to retreat without losing the base in case they brought the beacon.
Hidden behind a bush six strides away, he held off channeling offensive spells to avoid triggering any danger sense, though the safety of the wards weakened the skills.
Their grumbling mutters reached him first, followed by their shadows and glimpses of their sparring uniforms among the leaves. Three boys and one girl. One spearman and three mages. The group had also stopped between two ash trees. From their animated gestures, they were debating where to go.
He squinted to make out their faces when a soft murmur brushed his mind, Hallowed Intuition’s whisper.
Dammit.
Rather than wondering how they spotted him, he acted. Water mana flowed into muscles, empowering and smoothing his movements. His unsheathed sword gleamed in his hand. Bursting through from the shrubs, four heads snapped toward him.
Their expressions looked closer to trepidation than surprise.
A suspicion gnawed at him. Before he could try to parse it, a fireball crackled as it flew for his face. Ducking beneath it, he caught a whistle just as the wind whipped at his shins.
Of course they brought the Wind mage. Several spars had taught him how tricky it was to face.
Unwilling to give up the offensive, he shielded his legs with a film of ice. His mana flared as he barrelled through. A sharp sting shattered his shield, but luckily not enough to count as lethal damage. Scrambling to hold on to his elemental empowerment, he channeled a pulse of Earth mana before a stone spike impaled his next step.
“That’s Veernon! Watch out for his Ice Magic! Lukas, take the back.” The baritone Fire Breather yelled orders as the spearman already moved to cut him off.
Shit.
The pieces connected. The obnoxiously loud bickering. The clumsy trudging. He’d let his own expectations poison his judgment. They’d baited him out, and he fell for it.
The spear stabbing at him pushed back the tidal wave of shame. There would be time for self-recrimination later. After he won.
Let’s find out who’s ambushing whom.
Kai dug in his heel, twisting his body into the swing. As his sword blurred to deflect the spear, he switched Water essence for Earth. The strength of his arms seemed to swell, and his blade assumed a bronze gleam.
Unprepared for the blow, the spearman nearly lost his grip, stepping back to keep his footing. Before Kai could capitalize, a gust shoved him into the path of three fireballs.
Reverting his boosting to Water mana, he bent between the spells, but lost his opening. He had yet to figure out how to augment himself with two elements. At least he didn’t sense the beacon. Small mercies.
The spearman already darted to reengage him, assisted by the Wind mage. Behind them, the baritone boy was chanting, flames swelling between his palms, while the Earth Shaper warily scanned the trees.
Are they expecting more attackers?
Kai found himself a little offended. He shifted his stance to buffeting gusts and parried the glowing speartip.
“…eth aketh!”
At the last word of the invocation, the flames brightened and roared forward. The girl waved a fluted wand, summoning a gust that grew, shaping the spell into a burning wave. A shield of pure mana coated the spearman’s body as the fire narrowly soared above him and swooped down.
Kai would’ve admired their teamwork if he weren’t the target. Instead, he cursed and cast a curtain of water. The shield flowed around the sweeping spear, attempting to disrupt it.
Then the flames washed over them, forcing even the martial student back. Kai squinted at the brightness as he fed more mana into his defenses. Water boiled and hissed to scalding vapor that he made to bend away from any rogue gust.
Despite the impressive firepower, heat and concentration mattered more than quality when piercing a shield with fire. And the girl clearly couldn’t manipulate pure oxygen yet.
A bit flashy.
Shielding his eyes, he waited for the flames to consume themselves. Behind them, the mages were already chanting more spells, positioned to press the assault.
A bit late.
With a slight smirk, Kai released the spell he’d been building since the fight began. The flood of mana seared his veins. The baritone boy jolted, catching onto the spell despite the cloaking. Before he could warn his companions, leaves rustled and the woods roused with a creaking of wood.
Understanding dawned on their expressions, then all hell broke loose. Ivy bushes snaked toward them. Gnarly roots burst from the ground to pierce, whip and entangle them. The two closest oaks groaned and shuddered.
Kai watched as the spearman turned into a blur of slashes. Minced leaves and splintered wood burst around him, soon to be substituted by new encroaching plants.
Uhm, that must be a profession skill.
Past the vortex of chips and dirt, the baritone boy burst into flames like the Human Torch. Vines and weeds turned to ash, though he still wrangled with the thicker roots that entangled him. The Earth mage threw himself into a patch of wiggling grass to escape an angry thorn shrub, while the ground waved and churned.
Violent gusts whipped the forest where the girl ineffectually tried to blow back the assault. She managed to cut the thinner plants, striking at vines with her fluted wand and squealing. At least until an oak branch bent to bash her head.
She went down.
Ouch…
Her wards flared red, signaling her elimination. More of the others glowed orange and yellow, showing non-lethal strikes.
Kai could’ve probably jumped to finish them all, but he just stood back and watched. Most spars took place in a sandy arena or grassy field; Nature leaned on its environment more than most elements. His reliance on Water Magic played to his advantage here. And he rarely got the chance to test such large-scale spells, especially on… willing subjects.
And that’s why you don’t battle a Nature mage in the woods. I even got a level! Thanks guys!
He wasn’t sure if he’d ever channeled so much mana into a single spell so quickly. His channels stung slightly, as if scalded. Taking advantage of the terrain, he triggered Nature Healing. Vibrant motes fluttered to soothe his body. To his delight, they also eased the pain in his channels.
Less effective than on flesh wounds, but still works. Maybe I could get a specialization…
The woods’ savagery quickly abated as the essence animating them ran out, but the violent young men continued stomping and burning the innocent shrubs.
Kai cleared his throat. “Uhm, you can stop bashing the weeds. I’m out of Nature essence anyway.”
All three students turned to glare murder at him. The girl mumbled buried under a carpet of lush weeds.
Hey, I was just trying to be polite.
Before they could engage in an argument, Kai raised his sword. The movement only caused a slight discomfort in his mana veins. He’d need to be more careful with spells. Still, with the Wind mage out, he would enjoy fight—
A loud bang blared through the woods, making his foes flinch and freeze.
Oh, come on!
Kai lowered his blade and scowled at the sky. His opponents took a heartbeat longer to recognize the sound. Their round was over. Flynn and Rain must’ve brought the stolen red flag to an extraction point and won. Despite losing, other students looked more relieved than him.
Killjoys.