The four days had passed like lightning. Now, as morning light filtered through Vanguard Hall's windows, all seven prodigies stood assembled in perfect formation.
Each cadet carried themselves differently now, shoulders broader, eyes sharper. The forest had marked them all.
Thorne's voice sliced through the silence. "Your training period is over. Today, you depart for your first mission."
He gestured toward the side entrance. Heavy footsteps echoed against marble as a figure emerged from the shadows.
The newcomer's presence filled the hall like wildfire consuming dry grass. She appeared to be in her late twenties, her fiery red hair pulled back in a severe, practical bun that spoke of countless battles.
Her uniform bore the standard black of the Defenders, but the D-Rank insignia near her chest gleamed like a badge of honor. Beneath the fabric, her frame spoke of forged steel and tempered flame.
Adrian's eyes tracked her movement, noting the controlled grace of someone who had danced with death repeatedly. Her build was that of a warrior, not a scholar, each muscle earned through combat rather than training halls.
"This," Thorne announced, "is your commander for the mission. A graduate of the Vanguard Program, now a D-Rank Defender."
The woman stepped forward, her posture rigid as a sword blade. When she spoke, her voice carried the steel of military discipline.
"Cadets. I am Commander Helena Drake, Fire Affinity, Vanguard Graduate, D-Rank Defender."
Seraphina shifted slightly, her celestial light flickering in response to the commander's presence.
"I've reviewed your files," Helena continued without pause. "Each of you is classified as an E-Rank Defender now, having killed E-Rank monsters and mastered an E-Rank skill."
The E-rank skill they all mastered was the one they got four days back.
Her gaze swept across them like a searchlight, lingering briefly on each face. "That makes you soldiers, not trainees. You will conduct yourselves as such."
The cadets straightened instinctively, spines snapping to attention. Adrian felt the weight of her words settle into his bones like gravity itself.
"Your mission is as follows," Helena's voice cut through their thoughts. "A nest has been discovered near City Veridia's perimeters."
The mention of Veridia sent murmurs through the group - they all knew the city's reputation.
"This is not a routine sweep," Helena's expression darkened. "The nest is led by a D-Rank monster."
The words hit like thunder. Adrian felt his mana pool pulse in response to the spike of adrenaline flooding his system.
"Understand this," Helena's voice dropped to deadly quiet. "When monsters ascend to D-Rank, their intelligence evolves rapidly. They command their species, breed faster, and can coordinate attacks."
"If left unchecked, a single nest can multiply until it spawns multiple D-Rank threats, or worse, a C-Rank abomination," Helena's eyes burned with the intensity of forge fire. "That is unacceptable."
The weight of her words fell like anvils. Adrian exchanged a glance with the others, seeing his own tension reflected in their faces.
Seraphina's light dimmed slightly. "Commander, with respect, we're still E-Rank ourselves. How can we—"
"Do not misunderstand," Helena's lips curled into something that might have been a smile on a less dangerous face. "I will deal with the D-Rank personally."
Her contempt for the lesser creatures radiated like heat from a furnace. "Your role is simple. Contain the pests."
"The E-Rank monsters swarming the nest are nothing more than distractions," she continued, dismissing them with a wave. "You will keep them off me while I execute the kill. That is all."
The blunt reduction of E-Ranks to mere vermin left the cadets processing the scale of what lay ahead. Adrian's mind raced, calculating odds and possibilities.
Damon spoke up, his voice steady despite the circumstances. "How many E-Ranks are we talking about, Commander?"
Helena's smile turned predatory. "Intelligence suggests anywhere from twenty to fifty. Consider it practice."
...
Moments later, the squad followed her through the outer halls of the Academy toward a compact, high-tech transport waiting on the landing platform.
The transport dominated the platform like a predator at rest. Its hull gleamed midnight black, etched with defensive runes that pulsed with faint silver light.
Adrian studied the craft's design with appreciation. Unlike the passenger vessels that brought them to the Academy, this machine radiated lethal purpose in every armored plate and weapon mount.
"Impressive," Kai murmured, his spatial awareness mapping the transport's dimensions. "Built for war, not comfort."
Helena gestured toward the boarding ramp. "Move. We depart in thirty seconds."
The interior struck Adrian immediately, no central passenger bay or rows of seats. Instead, ten individual chambers lined the corridor, each sealed behind reinforced doors marked with biometric scanners.
"Personal quarters for extended missions," Helena explained without being asked. "Sound-dampened, climate-controlled, privacy guaranteed."
She moved down the corridor, assigning chambers with swift gestures. "Ashford, chamber three. Valerius, four. Steele, five."
Adrian received chamber seven, the scanner reading his palm print with a soft chime. The door slid open to reveal a compact but complete living space.
The chamber contained everything a soldier might need: a sleeping alcove, a workstation, equipment storage, and even a small meditation area. Soft lighting adjusted automatically to his presence.
"Two hours until arrival at the outpost," Helena's voice carried through the transport's comm system. "Rest, prepare, or train as you see fit."
Her own chamber door sealed with finality, leaving the cadets to settle into their temporary homes. Adrian closed his door and felt the transport's engines hum to life beneath his feet.
The Academy's barrier dome rushed past the small porthole as they ascended. For the first time since arriving, Adrian watched the Academy shrink below them.
His pulse quickened with genuine excitement. Books and simulations had described Defender outposts, but seeing one with his own eyes would be different entirely.
These fortresses stood as humanity's first line of defense, where real soldiers faced real monsters every single day. Where death waited behind every wall and victory measured itself in lives saved rather than points scored.
The transport banked sharply, breaking free of the Academy's protective sphere. Open sky stretched endlessly ahead, carrying them toward their first taste of the real war.
Adrian settled into the chamber's meditation alcove, closing his eyes to center himself. Two hours to prepare for whatever waited at the outpost.
Two hours before his first real mission began.