Chapter 172: A Moment to Breathe
Another flame dart curved toward Selene.
And another toward Althea.
A flame dart also dropped suddenly behind Torren and aimed for Nox’s back.
Torren barely turned in time to block it.
"Behind you!"
Nox jumped forward.
"Thanks!"
The attacks came from strange angles now.
Some curved around pillars.
Some dropped from above.
Some shot forward then turned sharply.
Arthur wasn’t focusing on one person.
His attention covered the whole field.
His control was becoming faster with every second.
Ryn kept chasing him.
Arthur had to move while controlling the flames.
Without his intent step it became harder.
But instead of retreating, he adapted.
He released another suppression wave.
Ryn slowed for a second.
But then Ryn’s body suddenly changed.
Mana wrapped around him like a thin layer of armor.
Arthur noticed immediately.
"Oh... that technique."
It was the one Lyra mentioned earlier.
Mana flowing around the body like a protective field.
Arthur had been curious about it since the first time he saw it.
Ryn used it now while pushing forward.
Arthur watched carefully.
Even while controlling flames he observed the way the mana moved.
Interesting...
Another wave of fire constructs launched into the field.
Torren blocked two.
Selene shot one down.
Althea barely dodged another.
Nox kept running with the sacks.
The entire field turned chaotic.
But Arthur kept control.
The flames moved like extensions of his mind.
Faster.
Sharper.
More precise.
He had never pushed his control this far before.
Not even when he used Sovereign’s Domain.
Yet here he was.
Holding the pressure.
Watching the battlefield.
Blocking Ryn.
And still attacking the rest of the team.
Lyra watched everything with interest.
Her smile slowly grew.
Arthur had done exactly what she wanted.
He created the perfect difficulty for them.
And somehow he still had control of the chaos.
The drill continued for a long time.
Sweat covered everyone.
Nox’s legs trembled from the sacks.
Torren’s shield was covered in burn marks.
Selene’s breathing grew heavier.
Althea struggled to keep up with buffs and bindings.
Ryn kept chasing Arthur like a hunting wolf.
Yet Arthur remained focused.
Fire spun around him again and again.
Each construct sharper than the last.
Each attack forcing the others to adapt.
Finally Lyra raised her hand.
"That’s enough."
Arthur released the last flame.
The constructs faded into sparks.
Silence slowly returned to the field.
Everyone breathed heavily.
For a few seconds nobody spoke.
Then Nox dropped the sacks and fell flat on her back.
"I’m done," she groaned, staring at the ceiling. "I’m actually done."
Torren didn’t look much better. He planted his shield on the ground and leaned on it while catching his breath.
Selene sat on one of the crates with her bow resting across her knees. Even she looked tired, though she tried to hide it.
Althea lowered herself to the ground beside the obstacle course and stretched her arms.
"Remind me why we agreed to this again."
Ryn laughed and dropped beside a pillar.
"Because the commander said so."
Arthur walked over slowly and finally sat on a crate himself. His breathing was heavier than usual, though he looked far more relaxed than the rest of them.
Nox lifted her head and glared at him.
"This is your fault."
Arthur blinked.
"My fault?"
"Yes," she said, pointing at him. "Those flying fire things were trying to kill me."
Arthur raised both hands.
"Hey, don’t blame me. The commander came up with the idea."
Everyone looked toward Lyra.
She stood nearby with her arms folded, watching them.
Nox squinted.
"...You know what, that checks out."
Selene let out a quiet laugh.
"You’re lucky she’s letting us rest."
Arthur chuckled.
"You all did fine."
Nox threw a small piece of wood at him.
"Don’t encourage her!"
The group slowly relaxed where they sat.
Some of them stretched their arms, others leaned back against the crates or pillars.
The tension that had filled the training hall earlier slowly faded.
Arthur reached into his pouch and pulled out a small mana potion.
He uncorked it and took a slow sip.
Warm energy spread through his chest as the potion worked.
"Ah... that helps."
Ryn noticed and pulled one out as well.
"Good idea."
The others soon followed.
Even Selene drank one after a moment.
Torren wiped sweat from his face and sighed.
"That was worse than fighting monsters."
Arthur grinned.
"You’ll thank her later."
"Not today," Torren replied.
They started joking with each other while resting.
Nox complained about the sacks.
Selene complained about Arthur’s fire constructs.
Ryn joked that next time he would bring a shield as well.
Even Althea joined in, pointing out how chaotic the drill had become near the end.
Commander Lyra watched all of it quietly.
This was exactly what she wanted to see.
They had only trained together for a day, yet the way they spoke now felt different.
The tension from the morning was gone.
They joked.
They complained.
But there was a kind of understanding forming between them.
Lyra allowed herself a small smile.
Good.
The training had been brutal.
But they needed it.
The Abyss was not waiting for them to grow stronger.
It wouldn’t slow down so they could prepare.
If they were going to survive what was coming, they had to become a real squad quickly.
She knew that better than anyone.
Lyra stepped forward and the group slowly noticed her approaching.
The chatter died down gradually.
Nox sat up.
Torren straightened.
Even Arthur stood from the crate.
Lyra looked at each of them before speaking.
"You all did well today."
The words were simple but they carried weight.
The team listened quietly.
"You adapted faster than I expected," she continued. "Most teams take weeks before they can handle that kind of pressure."
Ryn rubbed the back of his neck.
"Feels like we got hit by a truck."
Lyra ignored the comment.
"But the fact that you endured it means...."
She paused.
"...You all have potential."
Lyra continued.
"And more importantly, you are willing to improve."