[Date: 2/1]

[Time: 2:30 PM]

[Location: Blue Monarch Academy]

The afternoon sun beamed down, casting a warm glow upon the outside training grounds of the academy. The air was filled with the sounds of chatter and excitement as students gathered for the exercise. Today, Ms. Fleur decided to have us complete a team exercise in preparation for the upcoming Raid that was taking place next month.

"Alright everyone, listen up! Today we will be working on honing your skills and abilities with a team exercise. There are five banners spread across the academy that you all need to capture. The first team to capture all five banners and return them here wins. This exercise will be counted as a Quest meaning you can level up upon completion of this Quest!" Ms. Fleur explained.

{Quest: Capture the 5 Banners.}

"There are a total of 45 students here, so you should split into a team of three, making 15 teams in total for this exercise," Ms. Fleur said, then clapped her hands together. "You all may find your teams at this time!"

I looked around, watching as everyone dispersed to find their teams. I wandered around for a bit, asking around to see if they wanted to team with me, but I was rejected left and right either because they already had their third person or they didn't want me on their team. Each rejection felt like a sting, a reminder of my outsider status, but I kept moving, determined to find a place.

After wandering around for a bit, I made my way to Devina and Meadow, who were still trying to find their third member. "Hey, got room for one more?"

Meadow turned her gaze to me, her eyes brightening as she noticed me. "Yeah! We were just talking about you also."

"Welcome aboard, Mr. Achilles," Devina giggled softly.

[Team Set!]

{Suru: Allow me to get Meadow's information for you as well, so you'll know what you're working with.}

Name: Meadow Thornheart

Level: 15

Rank: Pawn

Star Rating: One Star

HP: 443/443

MP: 583/583

Attack: 104

Stamina: 121

Dexterity: 102

Senses: 301

Luck: 201

'Her MP, Senses, and Luck are probably this high because she's a Witch…' I thought, analyzing the stats in front of me.

Once everyone's teams were set, we gathered around Ms. Fleur once again. Ms. Fleur watched us with a smile on her face, nodding her head at the teams made.

"Alright, since everyone is ready, the exercise can begin! Good luck, everyone!" Ms. Fleur said, nodding her head and signaling us to start.

{Quest Time Limit: 1:30:00.59}

Devina, Meadow, and I gave each other nods before hurrying off to our first Banner. As we ran, the sound of our footsteps mingled with the excited shouts of other teams. We discussed strategies and who should be the leader out of the three of us. Meadow and Devina collectively agreed to make me the leader, which I happily accepted.

"Let's head to the northern banner first," I suggested. "It's closest, and we can plan our route from there."

"Agreed," Devina nodded, her eyes glinting with determination. "We'll need to watch out for the Blue Falcons. They always go for the central banners first."

As we continued, the air was filled with a sense of urgency and competition. Other teams dashed past us, their strategies and tactics evident in their movements. The exercise wasn't just about capturing banners; it was a test of teamwork, strategy, and quick thinking.

We made it to the northern banner but were stopped by our first enemy team. The other team had already captured the banner, but I knew it wasn't too late to claim it for ourselves.

"Heh, you two really took in this scrub? This newbie doesn't truly have what it takes to be a wielder, let alone climb the ranks! It's best if you just gave up!" the male said, holding the banner in his hand.

I felt a surge of anger but kept my focus. "We should protect Meadow from this battle. They have a full Fire Synergy Team, and Meadow is at an Elemental Disadvantage," I said, looking at Devina.

Devina nodded, summoning her Relic Sword. The blade of the sword was very dull, its usage evident in how worn it looked. "Got it! Meadow, you'll be alright with support this fight, right?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me. I'll make sure you two stay healthy," Meadow said, twirling her cane in her hand.

"Alright," I said, closing my eyes as an image of Kera popped up in my mind. I formed two orbs around me, one a dark crimson and the other a dark azure. "Let's do this team…"

Devina glanced at me, an excited smile playing on her face. 'He copied Kera's Skill..! I wonder what he has planned.'

"Go!" I called out, yanking my hand and pulling the leader toward me with my dark azure orb.

The leader grunted as he flew toward me, then groaned as I landed a knee strike to his stomach, forcing him to drop the banner. Meadow darted forward, her hand outstretched as vines shot from her fingertips, grappling nearby trees to swing away with the banner.

[Tyler's HP: 135/135 -> 87/135]

A mage opened her tome and launched a fireball at Meadow, but Devina was quick to defend her. She slashed down, cutting the fireball in half, then put on her mask. Once she put on her mask, dark energy flowed around her body, her cloak splitting and resembling eagle wings.

I looked at Devina, shuddering lightly at her presence. I looked at my arms and noticed goosebumps crawling all over. 'Her energy is nearly as scary as Stein's… are all Gang Leaders like this..?'

Devina's transformation was awe-inspiring. She moved with a predatory grace, her eyes glowing with a fierce determination. "I'll handle the mage. You take care of the leader."

"Got it," I replied, focusing on the leader who was recovering from my earlier strike. I could see the anger and determination in his eyes as he charged at me.

'Stay calm, focus on the plan,' I reminded myself. I raised my dark crimson orb, preparing to counter his next move.

The leader swung his weapon, but I dodged, using my orb to repel him off balance. He stumbled, and I seized the opportunity, landing a powerful punch that sent him sprawling.

Meadow, now safely away with the banner, began casting healing spells to support us from a distance. The vines around her glowed with a soft green light as her magic flowed through them.

[Your Team's Banner Count: 1/5]

"Keep it up, Meadow!" I shouted, feeling a surge of confidence as we secured our first banner.

Devina, now fully engaged with the mage, unleashed a flurry of attacks, her sword moving so fast it was almost a blur. The mage barely had time to react before she was overwhelmed by Devina's relentless assault.

With the leader incapacitated and the mage defeated, we regrouped. "One down, four to go," I said, breathing heavily but feeling exhilarated.

Devina nodded, her fierce expression softening into a smile. "Let's move to the next banner. We're just getting started."

The three of us made our way to the center banner, the closest to us. I glanced at my map as we ran, noticing team icons disappearing one by one. A powerful team was prioritizing defeating other teams over capturing banners, but they were on the other side of the campus.

"By the way, how are you able to copy abilities? You copied that from Kera, didn't you?" Devina asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

I nodded. "Yeah. His ability seemed very interesting, so I wanted to try it out for myself. Add more skills to my personal moveset, y'know. I call this the Esoteric Gravity Technique."

"Oooh~ Sounds fancy," Meadow giggled, giving me a bright smile. "I can't wait to see what all you do with it! In the meantime, we have some company."

Ulric, guarding the banner, noticed us approaching, and a smirk played on his face. He whistled, alerting Benedict and Bothild. "We've got company."

Benedict looked at us, then cracked his knuckles, his eyes glowing with determination. "Finally, some actual competition… and a chance to put that little bastard in his place."

I stopped in my tracks and locked eyes with Ulric, a memory of them bullying me in the alleyway flashing in my head. I shook it off and got into my stance. "Meadow is still at a disadvantage with Bothild having the Ice Element, but Ulric is also much faster than her… so let me deal with Ulric."

"But Ulric is also faster than you. In fact, he's faster than all of us," Devina said, adjusting her mask. "Lightning Users are just below Light Users in speed despite them being Advanced Element Users."

"Not exactly. My basic skill boosts my Senses and Dexterity Stat by 50% when in combat. On top of that, I gain Enhanced Reflexes from the skill as well, boosting it by 25% permanently," I explained.

Dexterity: 80 -> 140

Senses: 75 -> 131

"With these boosts, I'm still just under him in Dexterity, but in senses, I topple him three times over," I said, my orbs spiraling around me swiftly.

"I see. Well, that's useful. Alright, I'll deal with Benedict, and Meadow, you do your best against Bothild," Devina said, readying her sword for combat against Benedict.

"Okay!" Meadow said, her floral energy flashing around her body.

"You two, do not let up! Take them down as fast as possible while I deal with this Defect," Ulric said, assuming his stance as well.

"Yessir!" both Benedict and Bothild said.

The stage was set for the battle to commence. Each of our gazes locked onto our opponents. In this battle, I was no longer alone against the Blue Falcons. I had allies beside me to have my back as I would have theirs.

Devina inched forward, causing Benedict to step backward. Once she saw him move, her grin widened beneath her mask. "Let's go, Falcon scum!"

Devina launched herself toward Benedict, her sword swinging rapidly. Benedict evaded each slash with careful steps, but Devina's movements were fluid and relentless. He went for a counterattack, but Devina gracefully spun around his punch, grabbing the back of his collar and flinging him across the battlefield. Benedict groaned as he hit the ground, quickly recovering to his feet.

"Nice one, Devina!" Meadow cheered, riding on the back of a floral butterfly to evade Bothild's ice spikes.

Bothild gritted her teeth as Meadow constantly evaded her projectiles. She decided to use a more widespread move. "Skill: Winter Storm!"

Suddenly, a blizzard formed, knocking Meadow off her butterfly. Meadow grunted softly as she noticed her arm was now covered in frostbite.

[Meadow's HP: 443/443 -> 414/443]

She pointed her cane at the ground, conjuring a massive rosebud to catch her. She slipped inside the bud, leaving Bothild wondering what she was doing.

"Transformation Technique: Alraune!" Meadow called out. The rosebud bloomed, and Meadow slowly rose from the bud, covered in vines.

Her body was covered in smooth, leaf-like skin in shades of green, blending seamlessly into her human-like features. Her vibrant, petal-like hair cascaded down her back in deep purples, bright reds, and soft pinks.

Meadow's base was beautiful in appearance, a giant blossom with colorful petals and a sturdy, verdant stem surrounded by lush foliage. The flower base exuded a sweet, alluring fragrance, adding to her enchanting presence.

Meadow let out a soft giggle, gently biting her lip. "Now… it's time for us to start our real fight…"

Bothild launched a large ball of ice toward Meadow, but Meadow easily deflected it with a swipe of her vines. Bothild grunted softly, taking a step back and assessing the situation. Meadow watched her closely, licking her lips and letting out a soft, sensual chuckle.

'Her demeanor has changed with such a Monster Transformation. She's more lustful and strong-willed. Best not get in her way unless I have to,' I thought, focusing on my battle with Ulric.

Ulric surrounded his hands with lightning and walked forward. He got into his stance, his gaze focused and determined. "You won't defeat me like last time, defect."

"You keep using that term like it hurts me. Put your money where your mouth is and fight!" I retorted, getting into my stance.

Without any other words, we dashed toward each other and clashed our fists. We entered a fierce hand-to-hand combat, blocking and evading each other's attacks. Ulric roared as he launched his next attack, but I dodged it, and my crimson orb shined brightly, blowing him away with a repulsive force of energy.

[Ulric's HP: 410/410 -> 386/410]

Ulric recovered in the air, launching his Lightning Threads at me, causing them to wrap around my arm. He pulled me toward him and prepared a powerful attack. I flew toward him and kicked my crimson orb toward him, surprising Ulric. The crimson orb struck his stomach and began to glow brightly.

"Esoteric Gravity Technique: Crimson Pulse!" I bellowed, snapping my fingers, causing the orb to release a powerful force of energy to blow him toward the ground.

Ulric groaned as he crashed to the ground and slid backward as the crimson orb pushed him continuously. He did his best to withstand the repulsive force of the orb but ultimately failed, being sent flying into a tree.

[Ulric's HP: 386/410 -> 344/410]

Ulric slowly stood up, holding his shoulder and huffed softly. Gravity Manipulation..? Where did he learn that..?

{Suru: Good job, Partner!~ Now let's keep up the pace!}

Devina dodged Benedict's fireball, her eyes widening as it veered toward me. "Kieran!"

I held my hand out, my azure orb glowing and causing the fireball to circle around me. I launched the fireball toward Ulric then dashed toward him. "Don't worry about me! Focus on defeating Benedict!"

Devina nodded, then leapt into the air, landing a powerful kick on Benedict's chest, knocking him away. Benedict used a burst of flames to propel himself back into the air, but vines wrapped around his leg, slamming him down.

[Critical Hit!]

[Benedict's HP: 355/355 -> 210/355]

Devina glanced at Meadow, smiling and nodding. She dashed toward Bothild, swapping opponents. Meadow giggled softly, pulling Benedict toward her with her vines.

Benedict clawed the ground, resisting, but ultimately was dragged into Meadow's flower. "Let me go..!"

Meadow felt a rush of excitement as she noticed Benedict activating his skill. She bound him with vines, sapping away his Mana. "I can't let you win, Benedict..~ I won't allow you to win..~"

Benedict felt drained, weakened, and entered Stasis Mode. "You… filthy…"

Meadow chuckled, flinging him out of her flower. As the petals closed, she emerged in her normal form, the stolen mana boosting her stats. She ran toward the banner and grabbed it, looking over at Devina and Bothild.

Bothild dashed toward Devina and rapidly thrusted her ice sword at her, but Devina swiftly blocked and parried each strike, watching Bothild's movements carefully. Bothild slashed her sword swiftly, but Devina evaded the attack and stepped backwards. Devina noticed Bothild thrusting her sword at her chest, a smirk stretching across her lips beneath her mask.

Devina blocked the thrust then parried the next slash and rushed forward with a feint, causing Bothild and panic slightly and stumble backwards. Devina swiftly slashed at her midsection, but Bothild was barely fast enough to evade the attack, only sustaining a scratch beneath her chest.

Bothild flipped backwards then readied her blade once again, panting softly and wiping the sweat from her face. 'I can see how Stein struggles against her. She's too fast. She hasn't even used a single technique or skill since she started fighting.'

"Come on, Bothild! I see you all the time on ArkTalk saying how you were gonna beat me and everything, and I gave you time to train and this is all you can muster up? Pathetic!" Devina taunted.

Devina's eyes narrowed behind her mask, her mind flashing back to every insult Bothild had hurled at her in ArkTalk. This was more than just a battle—it was personal.

"What...?" Bothild muttered, glaring at Devina.

"You're weak. Wasn't it you and your gang that said the weak don't belong in this world? You're pathetic, can't even stand by your own words…" Devina's voice was cold, her mask's eyes glowing ominously.

Bothild grunted as a rush of black energy hit her, the pressure of her aura causing her body to tremble. 'What...is this..?'

An ominous shrill sounding call echoed across the sky and caught everyone's attention. Devina performed a hand gesture with one hand.

"Summoning Technique: Black Eagle," She said, her tone chilling to the core.

Suddenly, a large black winged eagle landed in front of Devina, spreading its wings and letting out a powerful cry. The eagle looked down at Bothild, its golden eyes glowing terrifyingly.

Bothild's breaths were shallow as she stood in the presence of the Black Eagle. Her heart raced, nerves buzzing with fear; the creature's mere presence was enough to scare her.

"I-I yield..! I yield..!" Bothild said, dropping her ice sword and stepping away from the Black Eagle.

Devina scoffed, dismissing the eagle. "Pathetic…you only act strong because you hide behind the Belmonts."

Ulric, seeing two of his allies down, gritted his teeth. He looked at me, then stepped back. "You win this time, Maimed. Next time, I won't show you any mercy."

I watched as Ulric grabbed his allies and retreated. Checking my MP, I noticed how much I had consumed, but it was refilled back to full thanks to Meadow's magic.

[Your Team's Banner Count: 2/5]

The three of us regrouped, ensuring everyone was okay before looking back at the map. Meadow pointed to the next banner.

"This team… there is a Hercules Family member leading it," Meadow said, looking at both of us.

'Hercules Family… One of the Big Three. Is he really there?' I thought, crossing my arms.

Devina tilted her head slightly, looking at me. "Is anything wrong, Kie?"

I shook my head, giving her a reassuring smile. "No, just thinking about how strong this person might be."

"Oh yeah, the Hercules Family is one of the Big Three, right? We should leave them to you then. I'm curious about how strong each of the Big Three are up close!" Devina said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Right~ That would be a sight to see!~ Let's not waste any more time then!" Meadow said, clapping her hands and smiling at me.

I nodded. "Right."

We hurried toward the next banner. My mind raced, wondering who this member of the Hercules Family could be. My heart pounded with anticipation, not knowing what or who to expect.

{Time Remaining: 0:48:12.04}