The Mana Construct trials were over, but the team wasn't getting a break. The hall still shimmered with residual energy, floating sparks drifting lazily through the air. Arlo leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his sharp gaze studying each of them.
"Good work yesterday," he began, voice calm but carrying weight. "Today, you'll learn the real test: teamwork under extreme pressure. Not raw skill, not brute force—you'll survive only if you think, adapt, and trust each other."
Xavian's chest tightened. His heart still raced from yesterday's fight. He glanced at Dwane, Lyra, Ryan, and Selene. They were all talented—but he couldn't help but wonder if he could keep up.
Dwane smirked, twirling his mana sword casually. "So… coordinate, huh? Guess I'll try… if I survive."
Ryan's quiet eyes swept the hall. "Coordination is more than standing next to each other. Positioning, timing, control… it's everything."
Lyra grinned, spinning her staff. "Frontline is mine. Dwane, back me up. Ryan, you cover the long-range. Xavian… don't die on your first mistake."
Selene's hands glowed faintly, her aura a warm golden shimmer. "I'll keep everyone stable," she said softly.
Arlo clapped his hands. "Then let's begin."
The floor shimmered, and a wave of mana constructs erupted from the walls—dozens of hulking forms with glowing veins of energy, each moving independently. Unlike yesterday, these were aggressive, fast, and coordinated.
Lyra lunged forward, striking a construct with her spinning staff. Sparks flew, but another lunged at her from the side. Dwane darted in, intercepting it with a slash of his crackling sword.
Ryan whispered incantations under his breath, sending mana barriers and blasts toward the constructs—but they shifted unpredictably, forcing him to constantly adjust.
Selene's glow intensified as she cast a protective field around her teammates. "Keep moving! Don't get cornered!"
Xavian froze for a split second when a construct barreled toward Selene. Then instinct kicked in. He clenched his fists and punched—it connected, sending a shockwave that staggered the creature. A surge of mana coursed through him, stronger than yesterday. This… this is my power!
The constructs adapted. Rocks, shards of energy, and shockwaves blasted toward the team from every angle. Dwane took a hit to his side and stumbled. Lyra was forced to leap over a collapsing pillar while swinging her staff midair. Ryan's clones dissipated under heavy attacks, forcing him to improvise in real-time.
"Xavian! Over here!" Dwane yelled as another construct lunged at him. Xavian leaped, landing a punch that shattered its arm, absorbing more mana in the process.
Selene's hands glowed brighter than ever. She sprinted toward Dwane, healing his bruised body mid-fight, then darted to shield Lyra when an energy surge almost knocked her off balance.
The battle raged on—fast, chaotic, and unforgiving. For the first time, the team struggled. Communication faltered, attacks collided, and mana reserves dwindled. But slowly, instinct and trust began to knit them together.
With a coordinated strike, Lyra slammed her staff into a central construct, while Dwane's sword carved through another, Ryan fired a pinpoint spell to destabilize two more, and Xavian landed a decisive punch on the largest one, absorbing a massive surge of mana. Selene kept everyone alive, weaving her aura between them like a living shield.
The final construct shattered into fragments of light, leaving the hall echoing with the hum of residual energy. The team collapsed to their knees, panting, bruised, and exhilarated.
Arlo's eyes gleamed with approval. "Exactly what I wanted to see. Chaos, pressure, struggle… and yet, you adapted. You survived as a team. Remember this feeling—it's nothing compared to what's coming."
Xavian looked at his teammates, bruised and exhausted but alive. For the first time, he felt it: the thrill of shared survival, the spark of something greater than himself. Together, maybe… they could truly become unstoppable.
And somewhere deep inside, he felt his power stirring, eager for the next test, hungry for growth.