Today was the beginning of their 3rd week of training and Kaiden was excited that this was the halfway point until he was finally inside his first dungeon. He ended up training with Liana most of the day and felt like he made a lot of progress in training his Arcane Vision and memorizing all those strange runes, but he hadn’t made a level. Apparently, it was really difficult to level up abilities, especially the later levels. He’d only been at it for a few weeks, so realistically he shouldn’t be disappointed.

The platoon was formed up in front of the stump, standing at attention and silently praying Oros that Sergeant Farron might have mercy on them this week with whatever fresh brand of insanity she had planned. Farron walked up, gave them all a quick once-over, and started speaking.

“Alright, fall out and form up in your dungeon parties.”

The collective sigh of relief was almost audible as the group split and reformed. Apparently, they’d been spared from another brutal PT session—for now, at least.

Davick walked over to Kaiden and said, “You look a little disappointed.”

Kaiden shrugged, feigning indifference. “No, of course not.” But truthfully, he was a little let down. Skipping the day’s PT session almost felt like missing out.

Coren and Tybalt approached to complete their group, and Davick greeted them cheerily. “Mornin’, fellas.”

Kaiden echoed with a nod, but Tybalt barely glanced at them. “Don’t speak to me, commoners,” he muttered, his voice laced with disdain.

“Really, man?” Davick said, eyebrows raised. “You’re still on that ‘commoner’ bullshit?”

Kaiden sighed, attempting one last time, “C’mon, Tybalt, we’re a team and—”

But Tybalt turned his glare on Kaiden, his expression taut with irritation. “I don’t recall giving you permission to address me by my given name, Private Hayward.”

Kaiden exhaled sharply, rolling his eyes, and chose to let it drop. Coren frowned but kept quiet, while Davick looked moments away from snapping at Tybalt.

Thankfully, Farron’s voice cut through their tension.

“Now, let’s begin with a warm-up.” A ripple of confusion and distrust at the word “warm-up” made its way onto almost everyone’s face. Farron grinned, almost kindly, then her voice shifted, taking on that too-calm tone they were starting to dread.

“Defenders are down,” she said, then she continued, her voice rising steadily as she moved into a yell. “Which means pick up your teammate and FUCKING RUN! FIFTEEN LAPS, NOW!”

Everyone knew better than to complain, so in a heartbeat, the entire platoon was off, launching into their laps with Farron’s sharp orders ringing in their ears.

“You know the drill—switch every lap! Casters are next, then Strikers, and finally Bracers. Let’s go!” She followed along at an unrelenting pace, never seeming to tire as she ran alongside them, her voice carrying loud and clear over the sound of pounding boots.

By the end of the fifteen laps, there were even more stragglers than when they’d only run ten. Kaiden, legs burning and lungs aching, still managed to stay with the main group. But once everyone had regrouped and the last runners staggered in, Farron’s face was set in that hard, disappointed stare that the platoon had already learned to dread.

“Zero Platoon, that was pathetic! I can tell half of you used your free day to laze about. Tomorrow it’s twenty laps, so come prepared.”

A horrified silence swept through the group. How in Aterra were they supposed to prepare for that? It wasn’t exactly a test they could study for, but of course, nobody dared to speak up.

Kaiden, for his part, was exhausted but surprisingly satisfied. His muscles felt like they’d been pushed to their limit, yet he knew he could take more. He hadn’t used his Regeneration ability during the run, deciding instead to let his muscles stay fatigued throughout the day to encourage growth. He wasn’t exactly an expert, but he was willing to bet the extra effort would pay off.

Back in your groups,” Farron barked, and everyone shuffled back to their spots, weary but knowing better than to hesitate. The rest of the day was filled with more simulated combat, drilling through mock encounters with different types of monsters. They faced varied, imaginary foes, learning to rely on each other’s strengths as they ran through scenarios. It was like Farron was playing the role of a Dungeon Master.

The next day, the platoon formed up in front of the stump, weighed down by dread. Farron had promised them twenty laps, and now there were crates of armor staged ominously nearby. “Oh no, please don’t let this be an armored run,” someone whispered behind Kaiden.

Farron’s eyes sparkled with something that almost seemed like mischief. “Remember,” she announced with relish, “you must be prepared to not be prepared.” She nodded toward the crates. “Suit up. One minute. Go!”

Everyone sprang into action, frantically grabbing pieces of armor and strapping them on. Barely a minute had passed when Farron’s command rang out again: “Run!”

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The following morning, the trainees were greeted by another line of crates—this time stocked exclusively with heavy armor. They all exchanged grim glances, knowing exactly what was coming. Farron didn’t bother with preamble. “Everyone’s going to wear heavy armor today. One minute. Then, run!”

As they lined up the next day, many dared to hope there’d be a break from the endless runs, but they’d learned by now not to expect any mercy. True to form, Farron grinned wickedly as she called out, “Casters and Strikers are down! Now, run!” The disbelief on every face was clear. This time, the remaining Defenders and Bracers had to each carry a “downed” teammate on their own. Having to run with two downed teammates instead of one meant less help. Everyone had to carry one other person by themselves.

Finally, on the last day of the week, the exhausted platoon lined up, dreading whatever twisted variation might await them. They’d guessed right: more running. But this time, Farron added an unbearable twist—running with gear while carrying a downed teammate.

It was brutal. More than one trainee’s expression was bleak as they took their places, still winded from the last hellish run. Kaiden, shoulders aching and mind barely focused, looked over at Farron, who stood ready to launch them into their next challenge.

“Now,” she said, arms crossed and as calm as ever, “let’s begin the lesson.” The lesson proceeded just as the others had during the week. More scenarios from the Dungeon Master. Although by now, most people had a pretty good handle of how to conduct themselves as a team and use their abilities together.

Still, some things never changed. Tybalt still insisted on being called Private Hargrave and he was still an unbearable asshole.

Tybalt’s ice shards flew toward Farron in steady intervals, each shard a slow, predictable bolt of frozen mana. Farron, unimpressed, blocked them all without effort, raising her shield to deflect each one while simultaneously fending off Davick and Coren’s attacks. She wielded only a wooden training sword, and while everyone else fought with steel, no one had even grazed her once. Her skill was undeniable; even without using any abilities, she maneuvered with such speed and strength that none of us could break her guard. She’d even stated she wouldn’t use her abilities to “give us a fighting chance.”

Ready to launch a sneak attack, Kaiden gripped his sword, careful not to be seen as he approached her from behind. He waited until the moment was right, then charged with his sword aimed to strike her back. But just as he moved in, Farron spun around with incredible speed, deflecting his sword in one seamless motion and sending him barreling straight into Davick’s shield. Kaiden’s full weight collided with Davick, knocking them both to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Farron barely paused, using their momentary confusion to slip around to Coren, who had hesitated just a second too long. With three sharp taps, she “killed” him. Kaiden and Davick barely had time to recover before she was upon them, dishing out swift blows to “finish” them as well.

Only Tybalt remained, still launching single ice shards at her in a desperate attempt to keep her at bay. Farron batted each shard aside with casual swings of her shield, closing the gap between them. Tybalt hadn’t even drawn his sword. She struck him once with her wooden blade, and he went down just like the rest of them.

“Pathetic,” Farron spat, her tone razor-sharp as she eyed the noble. She shook her head and addressed the rest of the group, “The plan wasn’t a total disaster—a risky use of your Bracer, sure, but I didn’t hate it. So, what went wrong?”

Coren stepped forward first, clearly frustrated but respectful. “We lost formation when Kaiden ran into Davick.”

“Exactly,” Farron said. She looked at Tybalt, raising an eyebrow. He, however, looked absolutely livid.

“Sorry, but that was unrealistic and unfair, Sergeant!” Tybalt snapped. “A low-level monster in a wood-grade dungeon would never move like that. Our plan would’ve worked if this was a real dungeon.”

Farron’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe or maybe not. But you’re missing the point, Private One. Communication is key. Dungeons aren’t predictable. In there, teamwork is survival. Private Two,” she said, turning to Davick, “why did you fall? You’re a strong guy—Kaiden shouldn’t have knocked you over so easily.”

Davick’s ears turned red, and Kaiden noticed him glancing nervously around before answering, “I… I didn’t see him coming, Sergeant.”

“Exactly. Because Private Seven was sneaking up, so you couldn’t see he was behind me. So when I moved, you were caught off guard and couldn’t brace for the impact. If you’d called out, that wouldn’t have happened.” Farron’s tone softened just a hair as she looked around at them all. “Tactics shouldn’t be secret in a dungeon. Call out your intentions; let your team know what you’re planning. Monsters don’t understand you, but your team does. Private Seven, if you’d told them you were moving in, your Caster here could’ve fired his ice shard and drawn my attention, while the Striker engaged to hold me off.”

Everyone around Kaiden nodded, the logic of Farron’s words hitting home. Kaiden, Coren, and Davick exchanged looks, recognizing their own role in the failure.

“But that would still ruin the element of surprise,” Tybalt argued, his tone sour. “The monster would hear us coming from a mile away if we called out all our moves.”

“That’s true—but unless you have a stealth ability which none of you do, almost every monster is gonna hear you charging in,” Farron replied sharply, her tone cutting through Tybalt’s objections. “Monsters tend to have superior hearing compared to humans, even at lower levels. This was covered in your lectures, right?”

Tybalt muttered something under his breath and looked away, clearly not keen on accepting defeat.

“And That’s why I said to match your timing,” she continued. “Sure, the monster might hear you behind it, but if you’re forcing its focus elsewhere, it’s got a lot less of a reason to turn around and look. Besides, there are ways to communicate quietly that you’ll find out about later on.”

Kaiden exchanged a look with Davick and Coren, and all three felt the truth of her words resonate.

“And why didn’t you run, Private one? With your team dead, you’re only acceptable option would be to run.”

“I-I...” Tybalt began, but couldn’t seem to find the words and just shut his mouth.

“Make sure you all practice your abilities as often as you can. There’s still time to make the leap before the dungeon. The advantage of a level 2 ability over a level 1 ability is undeniable.” Farron gave them one last critical look and said, “Not bad for your last attempt of the weak. Hell, another week and I think you might be able to scratch me. Think about it more next time.” She turned and left to assess the next group, leaving everyone in thought.

Coren said, “Sergeant Farron makes some good points we can learn from.”

“Agreed,” Davick replied, and Kaiden nodded in silence.

Tybalt just let out a frustrated sigh. “She makes these scenarios impossible to win.”

“That’s the point, isn’t it?” Kaiden said. “If practice is this hard, the actual dungeon should be a breeze.”

Everyone looked hopeful and pleased at what he said—until Coren added, “Unless the real dungeon’s just as brutal,” making their expressions turn sour.