The alarm echoed across the training grounds. Red lights bathed the field in an ominous glow.
"This is it," Marcus muttered, adjusting his gloves. His hands shimmered faintly from residual energy, though he tried to hide it.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and followed him outside. The mission zone was massive—a simulated urban environment, crumbling buildings, and scattered debris. The core objective: retrieve a C-rank artifact while avoiding or neutralizing enemy units.
"Looks… messy," I said, scanning the area.
Marcus didn't respond. His eyes narrowed, analyzing routes, enemy positions, and potential hazards.
"Relax," I said with a grin. "We've handled worse."
"You hope we have," he replied.
Suddenly, a shadow moved overhead.
"Marcus Lee. And you must be the D-class attacker." A sharp voice cut through the air.
I tensed. Liora Vex landed gracefully, her wrist interface glowing as mechanical drones hovered around her. Behind her, a massive figure shifted—Kael Thorn, the A-class defender, his body radiating a near-impenetrable aura.
"So the famous healer shows up," Liora continued, her smirk sharp. "And paired with this?" She gestured at me, amusement dripping from her tone.
Marcus's hands flared faintly. "Stay close to me," he warned. "Every hit you take—I feel it too. If I overextend… I might not be able to sustain it.
I nodded, mentally preparing. The drones buzzed, spinning into formation. Kael stepped forward, arms crossed, as if daring us to move.
The first attack came without warning.
Mechanical blades spun toward us from every angle. Marcus reacted instantly, placing a barrier between me and the nearest drone. A faint glow shimmered over his body, stitching up minor cuts as the debris hit—but the strain was visible in his posture, his breathing ragged.
"Careful!" he shouted. "This will hurt me if it keeps up!"
I ducked, dodging a whirling blade, and retaliated with a punch to the nearest drone. It staggered, but barely slowed down.
Liora laughed. "Predictable. Healer types are easy to trap. Let's see if you can keep up, Marcus."
The next wave of attacks came faster, more coordinated. Kael moved methodically, shielding Liora and using shockwave punches to funnel us into a corner.
I could see it in Marcus's eyes: the faint strain of Shared Pain as he healed my glancing cuts. His glow intensified for a brief second—then something changed. His aura flared brighter, muscles tensing unnaturally.
"Marcus…?" I asked, seeing him step forward.
Without warning, he lunged, intercepting a spinning blade mid-air. The sheer force of the strike sent it ricocheting into a nearby wall, shattering the concrete.
I froze. "What the—?"
Marcus's body shimmered gold. Every movement was precise, lightning-fast, almost inhuman. He didn't just heal—he fought. Each dodge, each strike, displayed strength, speed, and stamina far beyond a normal healer.
"Overheal," he muttered under his breath. "I can do this… but only for a short time."
The drones swarmed, and Kael rushed forward to counter, expecting easy targets. Marcus moved between us, blocking attacks, creating openings, and forcing the drones back. I had to adapt, keeping my movements tight to protect him while avoiding injury myself.
Then Liora's voice rang out: "Impressive… but you're still predictable!"
She commanded her drones to form a spinning cage around us. The artifact's glow was just beyond the perimeter. Kael stepped in, forming a wall of kinetic energy, forcing Marcus to react.
He gritted his teeth, feeling the strain in his body multiply. Shared Pain, overheal strain, the combined effort—he was pushing himself to the limit.
"Now, Kent!" Marcus shouted.
I barely realized what he meant. My fists slammed the nearest drone, creating a small shockwave—but even I could sense the potential I wasn't fully using.
Marcus took the moment to leap, shattering Kael's forward wall with a defensive punch-turned-offensive strike. Liora's drones faltered. Her smirk faltered too.
The artifact was ours. I grabbed it, and we retreated, Marcus's aura fading as the Overheal effect wore off. He collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his brow.
"Are… you okay?" I asked.
Marcus gave a faint smile, though exhaustion marked every movement. "Barely… but we did it. Remember this feeling—control and restraint are just as important as power."
Liora's gaze followed us as we withdrew. "This isn't over," she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else.
I looked at Marcus, realizing something crucial: he wasn't just a healer. He was a force of nature when pushed, a defender, and an attacker all in one.
And if we were going to survive this academy… we would need every bit of that hidden strength.