Chapter 395: Team Experiences (2) |
Chapter 395 - Team Experiences (Part 2)
Sunlight glinted off the metal spire as they arrived at the grassy clearing, accompanied by their panting. On the highest pole, a blue flag whipped in the wind. Even without the rules against it, Kai doubted any students could chip or move the defenders’ stronghold from where runes anchored it to the ground.
I hope it’s not another team of eight.
In the scenario, only the attackers infiltrating enemy territory knew which team they’d be up against. Once Professor Beltram assigned them the next field, they rushed ahead, hoping to hide their position.
“Alright, minions…" Flynn straightened and gazed at the team sprawled on the grass. His breath hitched slightly from talking and running. He looked more relaxed since they crushed the first bout. “We’re facing an unknown enemy. All in favor of the Rabid Shadow strategy we discussed? Can I get an aye?”
“Aye.” Kai sat cross-legged with an eye roll, but laughed anyway.
Lying among the lush weeds, Rain raised an arm with a thumbs-up, his eyes up at the morphing clouds.
“Petition to change the name to something less stupid,” Rowan asked.
“Denied!” Flynn said. “You’ve already been outvoted.”
Kai gave a sheepish shrug, doubling on his meditation to refill his reserves. Better not to get involved.
“You should have lobbied better,” Flynn grinned. “I don’t make the rules. I mean, I’m kinda team leader and all. But still, I try to be impartial. Memorable names help with remembering. Anything else?”
Rowan sighed. “No… It’s the best strategy we have with the information we have. And you do have a point. I won’t forget it.”
“Alright. We’re all friends here.” Flynn chuckled nervously. “If there are no other petitions, we should discuss the previous bout. You know the drill. Who—”
“I’ll start!” Rain said. “My biggest mistake… Hmm, I could have finished the defenders sooner if I hadn’t let them show their skills.”
“I didn’t mind it. It gave me a chance to practice.” Rowan gave a bitter smile. “Honestly, you could have probably won alone. Even without my distraction. But…”
“Agree on both points. If we don’t work on our teamwork now. It’ll be a problem when we’re against stronger teams,” Flynn said.
He’d started gathering them to review their performance after every team exercise. What did they do wrong? What could they do better? They each pointed out their own mistakes before opening up for others to offer their suggestions.
Kai nodded along. He had little to contribute this time, having been absent from their fights and had his own cut short. He hadn’t expected to have the round end so abruptly, or to start another soon after.
Raelion’s vast grounds and scores of instructors matched with an equally large student body. Teams needed to share resources and facilities. Accounting for Mixed Combat’s class size, the number of training fields, and the length of each bout, they shouldn’t have gotten another round before the end of the class.
Leaning back, Kai gave a rueful shake, his fingers splayed in the wet grass. Vibrant green motes whirled into his body from the surrounding woods. He could siphon the reserves in his Wellspring amulet, but that would just mean he’d need to spend longer refilling it later.
This isn’t Earth…
Back behind the school desks, the similarities sometimes lulled him to miss where their societies starkly differed. Even aside from patricians and commoners, Raelion didn’t treat all students the same.
As he lifted his head from his thoughts and gave more attention to the people around him, the different principles were apparent. Students who did well received more of the professors’ attention, extra resources in class, longer access to facilities and better opportunities to impress. Only once he started counting the instances did the trend become undeniable.
The academy wasn’t a public institution, aiming to uplift and educate everyone. Raelion bred elites, the future rulers of the Republic and their enforcers—one full Green mage over three dozen middling adepts.
Not that I can complain much.
His Trials’ ranking set him in a privileged position, though he couldn’t know for sure if that was the reason. Did the Herbal Alchemy professor supply the best Yellow fenix bloom, or was it chance? Did Professor Asterelle offer better advice because of his high skill, or simply out of sympathy? Like on Earth, teachers always had preferences; some were overt, others tried to hide it or strive for fairness, but no human could be entirely impartial.
He didn’t feel guilty for the preferential treatment; he hadn’t asked for it and couldn’t change it. Mostly, it was just opportunities to practice and learn. But if it grew over the next few years, it could easily become a self-fulfilling cycle. The high rankers would receive better treatment that kept them atop, while the lower performers got scraps that made it even harder to catch up.
I shouldn't get ahead of myself.
For now, it was only little things, nothing blatant. He had no proof that the trend would worsen.
I just need to stay on top.
If his results ever fell off, he could fall victim to the same mechanisms he suspected.
“Hmm—” Kai cocked his head to hide his wandering mind. Three sets of eyes were watching him. Damn. He must’ve split off too much of his attention and zoned out. With a thoughtful look, he slowly nodded. “That sounds like a smart idea,” he said, hoping that was a fitting enough answer to whatever they’d asked.
Rain gave him a bright smile from where he sat up.
“You… agree?” Rowan’s eyes narrowed, skeptical and suspicious.
Flynn threw him a long look that mirrored her sentiments, though with more amusement. “Alright then. Let’s continue. I’m not sure how many more minutes we have. Given the rumors around some of us—”
Rowan coughed in her palm. “Mat and Rain.”
“Yes, well.” Flynn stifled a smile. “Some unnamed members of our team have a penchant for calling attention to themselves. So our opponents are likely to know more about us than we do about them in every team fight. We need to account for that. I should’ve done a better job gathering intel for this, preparing for today.”
“You did more than well.” Kai shut his parallel musings to bring his full attention back. “It was the first serious exercise. There are thirty-seven teams in our class, and Beltream told us who we'd be up against minutes before we started. Honestly, I was surprised you knew their main weapons and affinities at all.”
“I wasn’t surprised.” Rain beamed as if he’d received the compliment himself.
Even Rowan dipped her head in silent agreement.
“I—uhm…” Flynn averted his eyes. For a moment, he lost his usual nonchalance, studying the weeds between his boots. “I appreciate the vote of confidence. But I can still do better. Battles start long before we get to the field.” He mumbled a few more words before regaining his team leader persona. “Anyway, Mat, why don’t you close the circle? How was your fight?"
Gazes shifted back to him. Kai sent a silent thanks for the hint. He recapped how he moved and cloaked the pole before getting to his failed ambush.
What he could have done better was obvious.
“I underestimated them. If the enemy team had brought their reinforcements beacon, I would have risked elimination.” He scowled. “They baited me out.” Just because he won didn’t erase his missteps. Finishing his own critique, he fought down his embarrassment and looked at his teammates for their opinions.
Rain shrugged. “Does it matter if they lured you there? They still lost. It looks more like they overestimated themselves.”
But—
“I also can’t think of much you could have done better. Not without seeing the whole thing myself.” Rowan lifted one shoulder in a shrug. ”It sounds like you didn’t hesitate. If they expected you, there was no way to ambush them before they found our pole anyway. And we won the game.”
Kai just stared at them.
I misjudged them! And got lucky!
How could they praise him for that embarrassing performance? Elijah would have ripped him apart. Mistakes in a fight got people killed. Turning to Flynn, he pleaded for some abrasive critique.
“You adapted well.” The tall boy chuckled at his expression. “I can’t add much to what you’ve already said yourself. Just… maybe mind what spells you show. Rumors about a madman animating the woods were already spreading. Students will be wary of Nature affinity when we fight in the woods. And information is power. Each trick and tactic we show today is one less we’ll have against a stronger team. Or during scored matches.”
That’s… a good point. How are there already rumors…
Kai pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll be more careful with what I show.”
“Hey, don’t sweat it too much.” Flynn patted his shoulder. “Our actual competition would’ve deduced your skill with Nature Magic from your one-on-one duels. And we don’t need to hold back everything. Smart teams will keep to themselves what they discover.” His eyes stopped on Kai with a lopsided half-grin. “For you, Mat, there are also ways to hide your abilities.”
“Hmm, meaning what? Exactly?"
“Just… Why let your fame just be a disadvantage? You already have a hundred crazy stories about yourself. By now, they practically feed themselves. We could plant some of our own rumors and muddy the waters. Make people question what’s real and what’s fake. Chill Moons! We could even create realistic ones to mislead them. Turn your fame into a weapon!”
“And I suppose we’ll use this tactic only with me?” Kai watched the amused faces of his companions; his finger dug into the weeds of the clearing.
“It just wouldn't work for us,” Flynn said matter-of-factly. He alone kept a straight face. “Even Rain can’t compare to your illustrious reputation.”
“Alas, ‘tis true!” The siren dramatically crumpled into the grass, his chest quivering with guffaws.
“I’m envious.” Rowan nodded.
Kai watched them, then groaned. “I hate that that might actually work.”
“No need to thank me.” Flynn grinned again. “Want me to start working on it after the next round?”
“…sure.”
Not like it can get worse than it already is…
Ignoring their laughter, Kai circled the metal spire and began stretching for the impending game. The flapping flag mixed with rustling woods. After his last unsatisfying fight, he wouldn’t mind getting right back into another.
All that rush just to end up waiting.
The sun beamed in the sky at the edge of the canopies. Splitting his mind tended to mess with his internal clock, which had never been great to begin with. He couldn’t check his pocketwatch either. Once on the field, they weren’t allowed to take out more equipment from spatial items.
“You doing alright brooding in the shade?” Flynn came to join him, checking the throwing daggers on the bandolier across his chest. “We can find another way to hide your skills if you don’t want to spread more rumors.”
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“Nah, it's a smart idea.” Kai drew his longsword. Spreading his legs into a stance, he moved through the forms of a basic kata. “And I’m not brooding. I was just mildly annoyed for unrelated reasons. My last duel got interrupted just as it got fun."
”Of course.” Flynn gave him a slight smirk. “I’ll draw a less efficient plan, so we don’t win so quickly. Though you should know, the exercise’s goal is to take their flag, not to bully the other students.”
“I did not bully anyone!”
“So… you have no idea why that Wind mage girl left the woods running and asked Beltram to be dismissed early. I heard she flinched at each tree she passed.”
“Uhmm. Maybe that one was my fault. I was testing a new spell…” Kai gave a sheepish look. “I really didn't think it was that bad. They were all warded. ”
“You know, mana nerds are a delicate breed. This might be the most intense experience many ever had. And the wards don’t protect you completely.”
Kai scoffed. “I got blasted and burned a dozen times. Barely stings.”
“Maybe for you, yes. Martial students aren’t that lucky. Depending on the blow, the wards let some of the kinetic energy through. Beltram’s not so bad. Other courses, if your professor is an asshole, it can be up to half or more.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yup. What’s the point of meat shields that can’t take blows?”
“That’s… Sort of messed up.”
“Yup.”
“How did I not know?” Images of all the martial students he’d fought played in his mind.
I didn’t hit spearboy that hard, right?
“You never asked,” Flynn said. “And, to be fair, they amped things up in the second semester. A senior student was quite detailed in all the ways they can tweak the wards— Ow!” He jolted as an icicle struck his exposed arm. “You jerk! ”
“Sorry, I didn’t think…” Kai peacefully sheathed his sword and retreated from his glowering friend. A reddened bruise was already spreading on the skin below Flynn’s elbow. “You really weren’t joking.”
“No, shit. I wasn’t. That stung!”
“You said Professor Beltram still keeps the protection high, so…”
A bang rattled the peaceful woods.
For once, on time.
“Looks like we’re starting.” Kai thanked the Spirits and retreated toward the clearing, where Rain and Rowan stood alert.
Flynn stalked behind him. “Alright minions, assemble! You know the Rabid Shadow strategy. Mat and I will scout and report. Back in fifteen at the latest. You two good on guard duty?”
“Yeah, we can handle the defense.” Rain bent to pick up a cube of interlocking plates that had detached from the metal spire. “Are you sure you don’t want the reinforcement beacon?”
“Nah, keep it in base. It’ll just slow us down if we need to run. It’s risky, too risky until we gather more intel. Signal if you get attacked. If that’s all, let's move. Mat, with me.” Without waiting for a reply, Flynn strode into the underbrush.
He sounds a little mad…
Kai cautiously tread behind him. “I can scout alone.”
“Let’s stick to the plan. You’re better with Mana Sense, and I’m better with Perception and tracking. If we split, we just increase the risk if we run into an ambush. One good sweep. That was your argument when we finalized this strategy.”
Yeah, I remember… It seemed a good idea at the time.
Kai caught up to him behind a pine, setting aside the innocent misunderstanding to focus on the task. His mana looped around Flynn’s arm before they both wove cloaks of Shadow. It had taken practice to move together without tripping on themselves and losing track of each other.
“Spiral inward?" Flynn coolly whispered.
“Seems like the best option.” The attackers could’ve moved their base anywhere, but people tended to hide along the edge.
Kai crossed a fallen trunk to take the lead. Given the lack of danger and his weak connection to the attackers, Hallowed Intuition offered no guidance. Perhaps Luck would guide his feet. His senses spread wide with his touch light; he trusted Flynn to hear or see any physical trace before him. Scouting in pairs was the better solution. They could cover much more ground when each focused on their specialty, and do it better.
Their stronghold was located close to the northwest corner. The awkward tension faded as they cut toward the closest ward boundary, then moved clockwise. They could cross exercise fields in minutes sprinting; the main challenge was moving quickly without being detected by their foes.
Caution versus speed.
A shaft of sunlight filtered through the canopies. Keeping to the shadows, they stalked through the scattered ferns and patches of moss.
“I can’t believe you hit me with a fullpowered spell.” Flynn’s muffled whisper came behind his ear, still clear with indignation.
“Does it help if I feel really bad about it?”
“A bit. Though not as much as smacking you back. Which I can’t even do because of these ridiculous wards. That’s almost more frustrating."
“Fair. I’ll buy you lunch tomorrow.”
“All you can eat style?”
“Yes. Curse the day when I taught you the concept…”
“Blessed day. It’s a travesty we don’t have them here.”
“Maybe in some other kingdom. Also, shouldn’t we be silent?”
“Nah, just speak quietly. We can’t move faster than this without being thorough. And I’ve been practicing muffling sounds.”
“Is that why your Shadow mana moves all wispy around us? How does that work?”
“There are different weaves and techniques. But I’m not teaching you right now.”
“Pretty please? You could get a multitasking skill.”
“I already have one. I learned it during the Trials.”
“Fine, keep your secrets. I’ll make a note for later.” Kai scanned the purple shrubs across a small groove. Thick roots spread through a carpet of leaves around gnarly trunks. Added with Mana Analyst, he was fairly confident in his detection abilities that they hadn’t crossed anyone yet.
Where are they hiding?
“Hey, have you decided on the bond skill?” Since Flynn resolved to bond the Lucenti kit, he’d spent almost as much time as him in the library. Companion skills had a silly number of variants. Kai was glad he never had to go through that with Hobbes, and satisfied with what they got.
“I did actually,” Flynn smugly whispered. “I picked it yesterday.”
“I can help—” His left boot slipped on a patch of glistening moss, nearly making him lose his balance. “Wait, you already picked?”
“Yeah, we don’t all have decision paralysis.”
“I don’t have—” Kai clamped his mouth shut before his voice rose higher. “Who even told you that?”
“Not telling. I don’t snitch.”
“What about another all-you-can-eat lunch?”
“Nope. And not even for ten. Some things aren’t for sale.”
Just wait till I find them!
Kai tightened the mana thread linking them to signal a halt. Mana Observer scanned a large oak at the edge of the field. A peak Red owl was napping in its hollow.
He sighed. It was more fun to be on the attacking team.
"False alarm. Anyway, you’re proceeding with the bond?” While skills weren’t made equal, the Guide did balance them within the same grade. Often, it was a matter of restrictions and tradeoffs. If a bond skill gave you control over your companion, it wouldn’t do other things as well, such as granting you benefits from your familiar. “Have you finally picked a name for the kit?”
“Yes and yes.”
“Oh…”
Flynn lightly patted his head. “Don’t feel bad. You’ve been getting better. We’ve all been busy. Before you ask, I’m also not revealing his name to anyone until this weekend.”
This weekend… Was there something…
Kai split his mind to rifle through his list of memos.
Memo 71: Remember Flynn’s birthday.
“That’s a sweet idea. I’ve cleared my schedule so I won’t miss a second of your birthday!”
EMERGENCY MEMO: reschedule weekend plans after class.
“You remembered?” His senses caught a ripple of surprise from Flynn.
“How could I not? I’m not that forgetful.”
“Then you’ve also already thought of a present?”
“A present, right… people get those at birthdays.”
“Look where you’re going.” Flynn caught him before he tripped on a rock. They had completed a sweep of the outer field without a trace. “Isn’t your multitasking skill super high? I was joking about the present. Actually, I'm glad you didn’t get one yet. I already know what I want. You’re coming to a party.”
Kai blinked at the empty woods. “A… party?”
“You know, those mythical events when people go to have fun and mingle? Raelion’s students go crazy with them.”
“I may have heard of them. So, you organized a party?”
“Nah, I’m not that rich. The sums patricians spend on them are ridiculous, mine would just look sad by comparison. So I convinced a student in my course to let me hijack theirs. Really nice guy. Just dress in something that’s not your uniform.”
“What if I buy you a nice present instead?”
“Nope.”
“What about a nice and very expensive present?”
Flynn flicked his ear, which barely registered. “Curse these wards. Stop trying to bribe people to get your way. I want you at that party. That’s all. It’ll be fun. And who doesn’t like free food? You don’t even need to stay long if you get bored. The guy promised it’d be nothing crazy. Also, did I mention Valela will also be there?”
“Uhm, what time did you say it was?”
So
Flynn stifled a laugh. “I’ll give you the details later. Have you still caught nothing of the attackers?”
“Not a wisp of mana.” They were moving halfway through the second turn of their closing spiral, having covered most of the field. “You?”
“Nothing either. They must have an Earth and Plant mage to cover their tracks. They’re not hiding on the edges.”
“That’s odd.”
“Quite so. We still have four minutes, but I think we should get back. They’re probably all waiting in ambush, or hiding somewhere and aiming for a draw. That, or they’re making a move on our base. Keep your eyes open.”
“Always am.”
Stalking across a thicket of ferns and pines, they cut toward their stronghold. Whispers tickled his mind.
Flynn abruptly grabbed his arm to halt him. “You heard that?”
“What—” Channeling mana to augment his hearing, he caught the faint clanks of metal—people fighting.
“They’re at our base.”
Without need for words, they abandoned stealth for speed. Crossing hundreds of meters in seconds, with only minimal precautions to avoid a trap. The clash of steel grew louder, adding to the blast of spells and yells of students.
Damn, Flynn was right. They must’ve stashed their flag and cut for our stronghold directly.
It was a reckless tactic, something he’d usually expect himself to try.
“Why did they not signal when they got attacked… Or use the beacon!” Flynn cursed, leaping over a thornbush.
Breaking into their clearing, the lush meadow turned into patchwork or frozen weeds, charred ground and ripped earth. Flames licked the trunk of a tree, while the splinters of another littered the ground. Five students lay strewn, moaning on the ground, their bodies flickering with angry red wards—Rowan among them, still holding the beacon.
Dammit.
Thick fog cloaked the air around the metal spire. Beyond it, four students fought at the opposite edge of the clearing. Three against one.
Rain.
Kai took in the scene in a heartbeat. Earth mana rushed into his legs. Rather than slowing, he turned his run into a charge. His strides ate the distance. A male student at the back was manipulating a whip of steaming water.
Sensing the danger, the young man spun with unnatural speed. His face carried an attempt at a patchy beard. His eyes widened. Yet he didn’t freeze. The whip cracked the air.
Kai leaped to meet it head-on. His arms crossed to defend his head, his legs drawn to reduce the surface area to protect. Thick plaques of ice cocooned him, and immediately shattered against the whip, yet his momentum brought him crashing forward.
Across the billowing fog, his opponent’s ward flickered bright red. Then the charge carried him past. Twisting to dig his sheathed blade into the ground, he slid to a stop in the wreckage of a leafy shrub.
Water mana smoothed his movements as he turned to face his remaining enemies, sword drawn and spells tingling his palm. Flynn and Rain stood over the last two opponents, one girl and one boy—both eliminated.
The battle was over.
“You came back quickly.” Rain waved his trident, stepping over a downed student. “They attacked us a couple minutes ago. And tried to retreat when they started losing. Sorry, I chased them. I knew you hoped to fight them.”
“That’s fine—” Kai bit his cheek.
Something’s off.
He counted the attacking students groaning on the ground. They were clearly eliminated until the end of the round. Many held their bruised bodies,
but their expression didn’t look defeated. Rather, he caught several hints of smiles.
“How many attacked you?”
“They charged in seven.” Rain now frowned too. The scenario had an alternative win condition; if they eliminated the entire attacking team the instructors should’ve sounded their victory. The siren’s gaze snapped back toward the metal spire. “I…”
As the fog swept back, a blue flag whipped on the pole. Kai’s breath of relief was short-lived when the fabric unraveled into a stream of luminous motes.
Their flag was gone.
“Illusion spell.” Rain clenched his jaw and muttered a curse in alien, lilting language. He frantically scanned the woods.
A handful of seconds later, a loud bang rattled the woods.
“I think… we just lost. Anyone up for that review meeting?”