Alista, Artemis, Klaus, Fors, and Gwen arrived at a discreet location Alista had found during a previous expedition—an independent sparring ground hidden behind a derelict cathedral. It was a perfect mini-arena, just large enough for two people to duel.
Klaus looked around, unimpressed. "Why are we here again?"
Artemis replied with an air of cold indifference. "We are here to gauge your fighting capability and form a reliable combat group."
The first round featured Klaus and Artemis. Artemis summoned her sword, and Klaus summoned his spear. They took their stances and began the spar. As the fight progressed, Alista focused on Klaus's capabilities. Klaus demonstrated a solid offensive style. He cleverly used nearby broken debris, invoking his Aspect ability to temporarily transform them into hostile, writhing stone snakes, which immediately targeted Artemis. He couldn't maintain the transformation forever, but he was clearly well-adept at using the ability for misdirection and control.
Alista then observed something crucial: Artemis's sword was showing minute cracks near the hilt. Alista understood her strategy immediately. 'She's pushing her gravity field through the sword to test its limits before a real fight. Smart.' He smirked.
The duel was intense, with Artemis ultimately winning, but Klaus's performance was commendable.
Klaus, slightly winded, asked, "How was it?"
Alista gave a curt nod. "Well. You are good."
Next, Fors and Gwen started their spar. Fors summoned her bow, and Gwen summoned a katana, taking a defensive stance. From this battle, Alista estimated that Gwen's Healing Field was strong enough to simultaneously heal two persons, at most. Fors's archery had improved significantly. She aimed for weak spots and employed rapid hit-and-run tactics, which was ideally suited for her [Door] Pathway Aspect.
After all the spars were complete, Alista summarized his findings mentally. 'In this group, the highest fighting capability belongs to Artemis. Even though I have high physical capability, my sword skill still needs development. The least capable is Gwen. She has a strong foundation, but the reason she is barely below Fors is that she is hesitant for some reason—most likely due to her Flaw.'
Finally, Artemis stepped back into the arena. She summoned her sword and began using her Gravity field, but instead of controlling gravity around her, she focused the force around her sword, creating zones of attraction and repulsion from the blade itself.
Klaus watched her, impressed but concerned. "Miss Serious, are you trying to replicate what you did in our spar? It's a good idea, but your memory is showing cracks. It can't withstand that kind of strain forever."
Artemis nodded, acknowledging the limitation. "Yeah. Alista told me there was a blind character called Fujitora who used to fight like this."
Fors laughed. "Yeah, that would work, still it needs perfect control to execute."
Alista stepped forward, summoning his own sword. "Let's spar, Artemis. Try to use it here."
Artemis smiled faintly, her resolve hardened. "Bring it on, Blood Emperor." They began a new, brutal spar centered on her experimental ability.
*****
Alista, Fors, and the others were roaming the Outer Settlement, heading back to their safe house. People were looking at them with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity—some curious about the newcomers, others contemptuous of Klaus and Fors.
Alista focused on their goals. 'I need to get the Mantle of the Underworld from the Memory Market. Weaver's Mask can wait, but the Mantle is crucial for mobility.'
Klaus spoke, noticing the hostile stares. "It seems some people still harbor some hatred for me. Well, it is human nature."
Artemis looked at him, surprised. "What did you do?"
Klaus shrugged. "Nothing much. I joined Genma's team. In short, I was a Gunlaug lackey."
Gwen gave a quick series of hand signs, which none of them understood. She then gently scribbled a message on Fors's hand with her finger.
Fors relayed the message. "Apparently, she wants to sell a broken Memory. She needs payment of a single Soul Shard, or she'll outsource it to the Memory Market."
Alista volunteered immediately. Gwen transferred the Memory via a handshake. Alista's eyes widened instantly as the familiar notification appeared in his mind:
[You have received a Memory: M… Un…old]
Fors was confused by his reaction. "What happened?"
Alista spoke, his voice faltering slightly. "Nothing… Gwen, I am buying it. Remind me to give you a Shard."
Gwen's reserved smile widened. 'Cute,' Alista thought, before staring internally at the message: Mantle of the Underworld.
'The minute I thought that I need to get it, I am receiving it immediately. What type of coincidence is this?' Alista felt a chill. He wanted to dismiss it, but he still remembered the strange visit of Adam in his first Nightmare.
'What do you want?' he questioned the unseen force that seemed to be manipulating events in his favor.
The group dispersed, their minds focused on the training.
A week was spent in continuous combat and coordination drills, hunting monsters to increase their collective strength. They had successfully increased their teamwork, and finally, the day came to hunt for the Moonlight Shard.
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Hey,Guys,it is a short chapter,kindly read and review ot