[Location: Barrack sector 17; AUN Training grounds]

  The group stood in the middle of the isolated training ground, sweat glistening under the dim artificial lights. The weight of their recent defeat still hung over them like a dark cloud. None of them spoke at first, but they all knew why they were here.

  James stepped forward, his voice firm. “We’re training until we can stand in battle without needing to be saved. No more close calls. No more second chances.”

  The training grounds stretched out before them, bathed in the glow of the setting sun. James and his team stood side by side, their weapons in hand, ready to face the grueling session ahead. After their close call, they had realized just how weak they were compared to true elites like Commander Rourke and Trainer Vincent. Now, they had something to prove—not just to the world, but to each other.

  Sam twirled his longsword with an easy grin. "Alright, let’s try not to embarrass ourselves too much, yeah? I’d hate to have to carry you all through this."

  Jonathan snorted, gripping his axe. "Big talk for someone who nearly got his head taken off last time."

  Amanda smirked, resting her spear against her shoulder. "Enough chatter. We’re here to get stronger, not reminisce about past failures."

  Sophia nodded quietly, stretching her arms. William, as usual, said nothing, simply drawing his daggers and taking his stance

  There was no need for further words. They all understood.

  Their first drill was endurance. They ran laps around the vast training area, pushing each other when one of them started to slow down. Sam, usually the one making jokes, surprised everyone by taking it the most seriously. “No slacking, Jonathan! You think enemies will wait for you to catch your breath?”

  Next came weapon drills. They paired off, switching partners after every few rounds. Amanda’s spear clashed against William’s daggers in a dazzling display of precision and agility. Sam’s longsword met Sophia’s saber in a series of rapid, controlled strikes. Jonathan, always the powerhouse, practiced swings against James, both of them testing their limits against each other’s strength

  After hours of relentless training, they collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily but smiling.

  “I think I just became best friends with the floor,” Jonathan muttered, sprawled out.

  Sophia, who usually stayed silent, let out a small laugh. “You and me both.”

  “We have a long way to go” . William muttered.

  “I Know what you mean” James replied to to Williams remark.

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  Sam sighed dramatically. “Great, now I’m feeling all emotional. Someone punch me so I can focus.”

  Without hesitation, Amanda lightly smacked his arm, making the others laugh.

  “Hey, take it easy my body still feels sore”. Sam said with a grin on his face.

  Jonathan chuckled, adjusting his axe on his shoulder. “Speak for yourself. My back still feels like I got hit by a truck.”

  Amanda smirked and jabbed him lightly with her spear. “Maybe if you didn’t swing that thing around like a maniac, you wouldn’t have been knocked down so fast.”

  “What are you talking about, I was the one who gave you guys an opening, you could at least give me a massage rather than criticize”. Jonathan replied back.

  William, as quiet as ever, simply nodded as he tightened his grip on his daggers. Sophia stood beside him, her curved saber resting against her shoulder, watching the exchange with an unreadable expression.

  As James and his team wrapped up their training, Trainer Vincent had observed them with a nod of approval. Their teamwork was solid, and their progress was undeniable. However, his tone remained firm as he addressed them.

  "Despite your improvements, both your team and Lucas’ team failed to meet the mission’s requirements," he stated, his voice carrying a weight that made the cadets tense. "By all rights, you should both be disqualified."

  Before anyone could protest, he continued, "However, considering you managed to take down an awakened on your own, we’ve decided to let you determine your own fate. One of your teams will stay. The other will leave. The choice is yours."

  Amanda’s voice cut through the air almost instantly. "That’s not fair! We were this close to submitting our assignment!"

  Jonathan followed up, frustration evident in his tone. "Yeah! We already completed it when we stole the rations from the rogue awakened camp! That is… until Lucas, Ethan, Jared, and Miles interfered."

  At those words, Trainer Vincent’s expression hardened. His usual composed demeanor darkened into something colder, more authoritative.

  "You’re mistaken." His voice dropped, but it carried even more weight. "In real life, there are no second chances. That’s exactly why we sent you out—to teach you what it’s like to fail. Yet here you are, complaining."

  Silence fell over the cadets as his words sank in.

  "The truth is, you were all meant to be eliminated." His gaze swept over them. "But talent isn’t easy to come by, and throwing away promising individuals would be a waste."

  A long pause, then his voice sharpened.

  "However, if we start making exceptions, where do you think military justice will fall? Favoring individuals for personal reasons will destroy the balance of power within the military. That’s a risk we cannot afford."

  His eyes locked onto each of them before delivering his final decision.

  "So, here’s the deal—the seven most outstanding cadets from both teams will qualify. The rest are leaving. If you don’t want to be overtaken by the crowd, push yourselves to the absolute limit.The challenge will be held a week fro—"

  A low hum started behind him.

  “Wuuum– CRACK.”

  All of a sudden an energy rift appeared behind him. It was a void break.

  “Tch”

  “What the hell is the headquarters thinking of not sending a report”. Vincent muttered to himself .

  A foot appeared from the rift causing the ground to crack…

  Before completely revealing itself.

  It was a red troll, Towering up to 8 feet,With two long fangs sticking out of his mouth and the most notable feature . Was a crimson broken sun embedded on his chest…

  “Why is there only a single monster?”. Sam, having seen firsthand how a void break pours monster out was in shock.

  “Listen up”. Vincent yelled towards James and his team.

  “Don't Und —”.

  “When did it get over there, I didn't even sense it moving”

  Vincent was surprised to see the monster he was initially facing; it was already behind Amanda.

  The monster’s palm hovered over her back for a fraction of a second. Then her body began to swell, grotesquely and rapidly, her veins darkening like bursting wires under skin.

  Blood leaked out of her eyes as she stared at Sophia. The one closest to her.

  She smiled faintly “get out of here”.

  She muttered before her body exploded.

  “AMANdaaaa!”

  Sophia screamed out