Team 3 sat in a rough semicircle near the supply containers, their exhaustion finally catching up properly now that the immediate danger had passed. The defensive barrier vibrated softly around the perimeter, a steady pulse of energy that marked the boundary between relative safety and the Scourged Zone beyond.
Kaelen leaned back against a crate, his body protesting every movement. Around him were his teammates in various states of recovery.
Mateo's shoulder was wrapped in regenerative bandages, the puncture wounds still visible beneath the translucent material. Mira's arm showed fresh treatment, the claw marks sealed but tender. Sofia sipped water carefully, her throat still swollen lightly despite the specialized solution. Elias looked pale from aether exhaustion, making his movements slow. Kenji meditated quietly. Nyxara sat with one hand pressed against the ground, habitually monitoring through resonance. Vyne had somehow found a comfortable spot on a supply crate, looking entirely too relaxed for someone who'd just survived two life-threatening encounters.
Instructor Davos stood facing them, his gray eyes sharp and assessing. He'd given them ten minutes to recover. Now it was time for answers.
"From the beginning," Davos said, his voice carrying quiet authority. "What did you find in the facility?"
Kaelen straightened, pushing through the fatigue. His mind organized the information orderly, prioritizing what mattered.
"Initial entry through western corridor," he began. "Structural damage consistent with sudden evacuation. Blast scoring throughout, equipment abandoned mid-operation."
He paused, making sure his report was clear. "We found multiple laboratories. Most were stripped or too damaged for useful data. But Elias recovered fragments from intact terminals."
Elias pulled up his tablet, showing the corrupted text they'd found. "Dimensional resonance experiments. The facility was studying reality manipulation at fundamental levels. Something went catastrophically wrong—resonance cascade event in Sector 7. That triggered evacuation protocols."
Davos's expression didn't change, but his attention sharpened. "Continue."
"We documented equipment configurations, environmental readings, structural damage patterns," Kaelen said. "Everything pointed to experimental failure on a massive scale. Then, approximately fifty meters deeper, we encountered the nest."
The word hung in the air for a moment.
"Describe it," Davos directed.
Kaelen pulled up the mental image, still vivid despite the adrenaline crash. "Chamber approximately three stories tall, fifty meters across minimum. Organic nest construction using scavenged materials and something that pulsed with residual aether. Dozens of creatures werevisible. F-rank scavengers, E-rank hunters. And at the center, a D-rank matriarch."
He activated his wristband, showing the partial scan data. "The band couldn't fully scan her, but threat assessment confirmed D-rank. Approximately three meters at shoulder, four meters long. Intelligent. Command structure over subordinate beasts."
Mateo spoke up. "The coordination wasn't instinct. She was directing them. Pack tactics, but controlled."
Davos nodded slowly.
Kaelen continued. "The matriarch was territorial, not immediately aggressive. She was assessing threat level."
"Retreating was the best you could do," Davos said.
"Yes. Elias created a conceptual barrier.The hunters pursued but didn't engage aggressively. The matriarch made a decision that we weren't worth the cost, which saved us from fighting."
"She let you leave," Davos said quietly.
"She escorted us out," Vyne corrected. "There's a difference. She wanted us gone, so her hunters made sure we left. But they never attacked, just followed."
Davos considered this for a long moment."These are abnormal beasts behaviors."
Silence settled over the group as the implications sank in.
Elias spoke up, his voice sharp despite his exhaustion. "The facility's dimensional instability. Could it be affecting local beast behavior? We documented resonance readings that felt wrong even outside the structure."
"It should be possible but, the facility was created before the Descent. Centuries ago, that should have worn off. Something else is causing this." Davos said. "The city elders will investigate. For now, you documented critical intelligence under adverse conditions." His gray eyes swept across the team. "You adapted when plans failed. You escaped without casualties despite encountering threats significantly above mission parameters. That's good work."
The praise was understated but genuine.
"Transport returns in approximately two hours," Davos continued. "Rest. Recover. Stay within the barrier. Do not leave the perimeter for any reason."
He moved toward the barrier's edge, activating his communication device to report to academy administration.
Team 3 settled in to wait, the tension finally easing as exhaustion took over properly.
...
Kaelen checked his status while others found comfortable positions to rest.
[HP: 380/380]
[A.E.: 320/480]
His health was full, the minor strains from earlier combat already healed through passive regeneration. His aether had climbed back to about sixty-five percent capacity, the recovery supplement was doing its work alongside natural regeneration.
He pulled up his weekly quest status.
[Weekly Quest: Novice Trials]
[Progress]
- Complete 7 Daily Quests Consecutively (6/7)
- Win 3 Sanctioned Sparring Matches (3/3) (Complete)
- Complete 3 RP Missions (0/3)
- Kill 5 F-Rank Beasts (5/5) (Complete)
- Cultivate for 10+ Hours (18/10) (Complete)
- Complete 1 Club Mission (0/1)
- Allocate 5 Stat Points (5/5) (Complete)
[Categories Complete: 4/7]
Four complete. The club mission would finalize once they returned and filed the official report. Five out of seven categories. Enhanced rewards secured.
Tomorrow's daily quest would complete the week.
Kaelen dismissed the interface and let his head fall back against the crate. His body felt like lead, heavy with the kind of exhaustion that came from sustained adrenaline and combat stress.
Around him, his teammates were similarly spent. Mateo and Mira sat together, talking quietly about the fights. Sofia had found a water container and was drinking carefully, her throat improving minute by minute. Elias reviewed data on his tablet with half-closed eyes, unable to fully rest even now.
Kenji remained in meditation, his breathing was slow and controlled. Nyxara kept her hand on the ground, monitoring through resonance out of habit rather than necessity. And Vyne looked like she might actually be asleep, which seemed impossible given the circumstances.
The landing zone was quiet except for the soft hum of the barrier and distant sounds of the Scourged Zone. Other teams were at different locations in the Scourged Zone, their own missions ongoing. Team 3 was alone here with Davos.
Kaelen closed his eyes, letting the fatigue pull at him.
Just two more hours. The transport would arrive, and they'd return to the academy.
He could rest properly then.
...
Fourty–Five minutes Later.
Kaelen was pulled from the edge of sleep by Nyxara's sharp voice.
"Movement."
His eyes snapped open. Nyxara was crouched now, both hands pressed flat against the ground, her solid black eyes was wide with alarm.
"Multiple sources," she continued, her harmonic voice carrying an edge Kaelen had never heard before. "Converging on our position from all directions."
Davos turned immediately from his position at the barrier's edge. "Numbers?"
"Many." Nyxara's expression was strained with concentration. "Too many to count accurately through resonance. Various sizes. F-rank, E-rank..." She paused, her face paling. "And larger ones. Much larger."
Kenji's eyes opened, his shadows spreading out automatically without conscious command. They flowed across the ground, fragmenting in all directions, scouting beyond the barrier.
"Confirmed," Kenji said, his quiet voice tight with tension. "Dozens of signatures. At least thirty F-ranks. Fifteen or more E-ranks." His breathing quickened. "And five that register as... significantly larger. D-rank, minimum."
The team was on their feet immediately, exhaustion forgotten in the face of new threat. Kaelen's hand moved instinctively to his gauntlet.
Davos's expression was grim as he scanned the perimeter. "Something's wrong."
Movement became visible in the vegetation beyond the barrier. The bioluminescent growth parted, disturbed by shapes emerging from the Scourged Zone in multiple numbers.
Kaelen's breath paused as the first creatures stepped into view.
Aether-Scourged Wolves, the massive bear-sized beasts they'd fought earlier. Not five or six, but dozens. Their dark fur caught the light, crystalline structures along their spines pulsing. They moved in coordinated packs, spreading out to surround the landing zone from multiple angles.
Scavenger Rats poured in, the smaller F-rank beasts from the facility nest. Twenty, thirty, more. Their eyes glowed yellow in the shadows, reflecting the barrier's light.
Serpentine Stalkers slithered into position. They're snake-like creatures but noticeably different from crystalline serpents.Three meters long with crystalline scales that refracted light. Their bodies coiled and uncoiled with predatory patience.
Then the E-ranks emerged.
Scourge Hounds, the massive hunters. Eight of them spread out, each one taking position with tactical precision. Their jaws clicked softly, the sound carrying across the clearing.
Crystal Serpents, like the one they'd fought during the survey mission. Three of them, six meters long, bodies glowing with internal luminescence. They moved with fluid grace, completely silent.
Razorback Boars crashed through vegetation without subtlety. Four of them, armored beasts built like living battering rams. Metallic plating covered their bodies, and their tusks gleamed with sharp edges. Each one was the size of a small hover-transport.
Kaelen's mind refused to process what he was seeing. "This is a secured zone," he said, his voice distant. "E-ranks are supposed to be rare here. This many shouldn't gather in one location."
"D-ranks shouldn't exist in these numbers at all," Mateo added, his deep voice carrying disbelief.
Because behind the E-ranks, five massive shapes moved into position.
The Scourge Alpha appeared first. A wolf, but twice the size of the already massive F-ranks. Its body radiated authority, pack leader written into every movement. Scars covered its dark fur, evidence of decades of survival. Its eyes glowed brighter than the others, intelligence and cunning evident in how it assessed the barrier.
The Coiled Titan emerged from shadows to the east. A serpent twelve meters long, its body as thick as a tree trunk. Scales covered its form in overlapping plates, each one edged with crystalline structures protruding. It moved with terrifying speed despite its size, coiling and uncoiling with barely contained power.
The Ironhide Brute stomped forward from the south, the ground trembling with each step. A boar-type beast covered entirely in metallic plating that looked like natural armor. It was the size of a small transport, and when it snorted, steam vented from its nostrils.
The Shadow Stalker was hardest to see. A feline predator that seemed to exist halfway between physical and shadow. Its form flickered, barely visible even in direct light. The sleek and fast, it prowled along the northern perimeter.
And the Crystalline Warden stood to the west, an insectoid horror composed of living crystal. Its body refracted light in impossible ways, creating afterimages and illusions. Many-limbed, it moved with unsettling grace, each leg clicking against the ground with crystalline resonance.
Kaelen's Analytical Scan tried automatically to process them, but the results were the same for all five.
[ERROR: Target exceeds current scan capability]
[Approximate Rank: D]
[Threat Assessment: D–rank]
The team stood frozen in stunned silence, staring at the gathering horde.
"This isn't a normal beast behavior," Davos said quietly, his voice carrying absolute certainty. "D-ranks are territorial. They don't cooperate. They especially don't gather with this many subordinates in another predator's hunting ground."
The creatures didn't attack immediately. They just gathered, forming a complete encirclement around the landing zone.
They are atching. Waiting.
It felt orchestrated. Like they were waiting for a signal.
Davos activated his communication device with sharp efficiency. "Observer Davos to Academy Command. Critical situation at landing zone Alpha-7. Multiple D-rank convergence, unprecedented beast coordination. Requesting immediate support and emergency extraction protocols."
The response came quickly. "Confirmed, Observer Davos. Support en route. ETA in thirty minutes. Maintain defensive position. Don't engage unless absolutely necessary."
"Acknowledged." Davos turned to Team 3, his gray eyes was hard. "The barrier will hold against F and E-ranks indefinitely. But five D-ranks working together could breach it if given time."
He scanned the team. "Aether reserves?"
Quick check showed most were between sixty and eighty percent capacity. The rest and supplements had done their work, though nobody was at full strength.
"I'll handle the D-ranks," Davos said simply.
Kaelen blinked. "All five?"
"All five." Davos's expression was cold, controlled. "I'm Sentinel cultivation. This is what that means. You focus on keeping the E-ranks contained while I work. The barrier will protect you from F-ranks without support."
He pointed to the defensive perimeter. "You fight from inside it. Ranged attacks, barriers, anything that doesn't require leaving the perimeter. I go out." His eyes locked on each team member. "Don't follow me. Don't try to help. Just keep the E-ranks from breaking through while I handle the rest of hd threats."
"Can you—" Mira started.
"Yes," Davos interrupted. "Watch and learn what Sentinel cultivation actually means."
The Scourge Alpha howled.
The sound cut through the air like a blade, primal and commanding. It was the signal.
The horde surged forward as one.
...
Davos stepped through the barrier. It parted for him seamlessly, recognizing his authorization, then sealed behind him immediately.
The moment he crossed the threshold, his aetherc presence exploded outward.
Kaelen felt it even through the barrier—pressure so intense it made the air itself seem heavy. This wasn't the subtle authority Davos had displayed earlier. This was raw cultivation superiority unleashed without restraint.
The F-ranks scattered instantly. Thirty-plus Aether-Scourged Wolves, Scavenger Rats, and Serpentine Stalkers broke and ran, unable to withstand the pressure. Survival instinct overrode pack loyalty. They fled into the Scourged Zone as if the landing zone had become toxic.
The E-ranks faltered. Kaelen saw hesitation in their movements, the instinctive recognition that they were vastly outmatched. But they pushed forward anyway, driven by something stronger than self-preservation.
The five D-ranks didn't hesitate at all. They spread out immediately, attacking from multiple angles with coordinated precision.
"Engaging!" Mateo shouted as three Crystal Serpents broke away from the D-rank assault and rushed the barrier directly.
The battle began.
Kaelen's attention split between coordinating his team and watching Davos work. It was impossible not to watch, even as E-ranks crashed against their defenses.
The Scourge Alpha tried pack tactics, circling to flank. But Davos moved like he could see into the future. Every attack met empty air as he repositioned with minimal effort.
The Coiled Titan struck with impossible speed, its massive body was a blur. But Davos caught it mid-strike and redirected its momentum directly into the Ironhide Brute. The two D-ranks collided with enough force to create a shockwave.
The Shadow Stalker was the fastest, flickering in and out of visibility. But Davos tracked it anyway, Sentinel-level perception rendering its stealth meaningless. When it lunged, he was already moving, his counter-strike catching it before it could retreat to shadow.
The Crystalline Warden was most dangerous, its body refracting light to create multiple false images. But Davos ignored the illusions entirely, striking the real body with precision that suggested he could sense it through means beyond sight.
He used no named techniques. No flashy displays of power. Just movement, redirection, and strikes placed with the kind of efficiency that came from years of experience. It wasn't a fair fight, but it was five-on-one, so it was brutal.
"Kaelen!" Sofia's shout pulled his attention back.
Three Crystal Serpents had reached the barrier, their bodies coiling as they gathered aether for concentrated blasts. The energy built visibly, crystalline patterns glowing along their scales.
Kaelen activated Temporal Lock on the nearest one.
[–33 A.E.]
[A.E.: 287/480]
The serpent froze mid-coil, suspended in temporal stasis.
"Mateo, Kenji, now!"
They moved in perfect coordination. Mateo's Pulsebreak struck through the barrier—the energy passing through without weakening it and destabilized the frozen serpent. Kenji's shadows wrapped around it, holding it in place as the Temporal Lock expired.
The creature tried to strike, but Nyxara was already there, her hands pressed against the barrier near its position. Her Resonance Manipulation extended outward, targeting the serpent's crystalline structure. The aether it had been gathering for its attack turned unstable, the energy feedback tore through its body from within.
The serpent collapsed.
The other two serpents unleashed their attacks. Twin beams of concentrated aether struck the barrier, making it flare with blinding light. The defensive field held, but cracks of light spread across its surface.
"It won't hold forever!" Elias shouted. He raised both hands, activating Conceptual Binding. "This barrier cannot be breached by force."
The concept locked into place, reinforcing Davos's barrier with impossible law. The cracks sealed, the structure stabilizing.
But maintaining it was draining him rapidly. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his hands were rembling with the effort.
Four Razorback Boars charged from different angles simultaneously. Each one was a living battering ram, their armored bodies built to break through obstacles.
Mira braced against the barrier from inside, her Environmental Mimicry copying the barrier's energy structure. Her body became semi-translucent, glowing faintly as she reinforced the point where the nearest boar would strike.
Sofia took a controlled breath and released Resonant Voice. The sound passed through the barrier like it wasn't there, a focused sonic blast that struck all four boars. Their charge wavered, thier coordination was disrupted by the assault on their senses.
A property of the defensive field, which allowed attacks out but not in.
Two crashed into each other, momentum turned into catastrophe. They went down in a tangle of limbs and armor. The other two recovered quickly and continued their charge.
Nyxara targeted their joints, resonance attacks destabilizing the connection points in their legs. One stumbled, going down hard. The other reached the barrier and struck with massive force. The barrier stood, barely. More cracks appeared.
"They're testing for weak points!" Elias called out.
Eight Scourge Hounds worked together, moving along the barrier's perimeter in coordinated strikes. Each one would attack, retreat, then another would strike a different point. They were systematically finding structural weaknesses.
Kaelen used Spatial Warp, creating false weak points that drew attacks to the most reinforced areas.
[–24 A.E.]
[A.E.: 263/480]
Three hounds fell for it, their attacks hitting sections reinforced by Elias's binding. But five adjusted, recognizing the deception.
"Sofia, southwest section!" Kaelen directed.
She turned and released another sonic blast, targeted precisely. Two hounds went down, their enhanced hearing making them vulnerable to the attack.
Kaelen used Flash Step for rapid repositioning inside the barrier.
[–19 A.E.]
[A.E.: 244/480]
He moved to the eastern section where three hounds were converging on an actual weak point. His Spatial Lance formed in his palm.
[–38 A.E.]
[A.E.: 206/480]
SHRIEEEK
The compressed spatial tear shot through the barrier and struck the lead hound. The creature's chest cavity opened, crystalline growths shattering. It went down. The other two hounds retreated, survival instinct finally overriding aggression.
[+650 XP]
[Base Level Up]
[Base Level: 10] (320/3200XP)
[System Level: 8] (1720/2400 XP)
[New Skill Unlocked]
[New Skill Unlocked]
Kaelen's reserves refilled immediately due to leveling up and multiple notifications came in but he was too busy to check them.
[A.E.: 480/480]
A Crystal Serpent found the weak point the hounds had been testing. It struck with its full body, slamming into the barrier with tremendous force.
The barrier cracked. Light bled through fissures spreading across a two-meter section.
Then the serpent pushed through.
It was inside the barrier, E-rank in close quarters with exhausted students. Time seemed to slow as Kaelen's mind raced through options.
The serpent coiled, preparing to strike. Its eyes fixed on Sofia the closest target and most vulnerable.
Kaelen activated Temporal Lock without hesitation.
[–33 A.E.]
[A.E.: 447/480]
The serpent froze. Three seconds was what he had. Flash Step carried him into position.
[–19 A.E.]
[A.E.: 428/480]
His Spatial Lance formed in his palm, already compressed, aimed at the beast.
[–38 A.E.]
[A.E.: 390/480]
Time resumed.
SHRIEEEK
The spatial lance struck at point-blank range, tearing through the serpent's head. The creature's aether structure collapsed instantly. It fell, dead before it hit the ground.
Kaelen staggered from the recoil.
[+650 XP]
[Base Level: 10] (970/3200XP)
[System Level: 8] (2370/2400 XP)
Outside the barrier, a massive aether detonation erupted in the distance. The pressure wave hit seconds later, strong enough to make the barrier ripple.
When the light faded, the five D-ranks were down. The Scourge Alpha lay motionless, its skull caved in. The Coiled Titan was broken in multiple places, its body twisted at impossible angles. The Ironhide Brute's armor had been shattered from within. The Shadow Stalker was pinned to the ground by some unseen force. And the Crystalline Warden's body had shattered into countless fragments.
Davos walked back toward the barrier, barely winded. Not even bleeding. His expression was calm, like he'd just finished a training exercise rather than defeating five D-rank beasts simultaneously.
The remaining E-ranks took one look at the carnage and fled. Survival instinct finally overwhelming whatever had driven them to attack.
The landing zone fell silent except for the barrier's hum and the team's ragged breathing.
Kaelen collapsed against the barrier from inside, his legs giving out. His team was similarly spent.
Davos stepped through the barrier, and it sealed behind him. He surveyed the team with those sharp gray eyes, then nodded once.
"Well done."
"Five different species," Davos said quietly."All converged here simultaneously with coordinated subordinates."
He looked at towards the facility direction in the distance, then back at the team.
"This wasn't random," he said. "Something drew them here." His gray eyes swept across Team 3 one more time. "Whatever you documented in there, it's more important than any of us realized."