Alex and Emily stood in the guild's forest training grounds, the tension thick in the air. Silas and Nira, their respective tutors, faced them. Today was the final test of their training, a mock battle to determine their progress.
"Alex," Silas said, flipping his dagger in his hand. "Your goal is simple: land five hits on me. Emily, you're on standby with Nira. When the fight's over, you'll demonstrate your healing under real pressure. Let's see what you've got."
The Fight Begins
Alex activated his body strengthening, focusing on his legs. The familiar rush of mana coursed through him, and he felt lighter, faster. He remembered Silas's earlier advice: Your opening move is your best chance to catch your opponent off-guard.
Without hesitation, Alex charged forward, his footwork precise as he closed the gap. Silas, arms loose at his sides, barely reacted. Alex pivoted at the last second, feinted left, and landed a clean slash across Silas's arm.
Silas raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. But if you think this is going to be easy…"
Alex grinned. "You'll have to try harder than that, or this test will be over too soon."
Silas's smirk disappeared, and his stance shifted. The real fight was about to begin.
On the Run
Silas dashed forward with blinding speed, forcing Alex to react. Alex quickly realized he couldn't match Silas's speed head-on. Instead, he threw a dagger mid-dodge, aiming to slow Silas down. Silas deflected the blade effortlessly, closing the gap.
Alex retreated, throwing knives to maintain distance, but Silas dodged each one with ease. A sharp pain erupted above Alex's left eye as Silas's blade grazed him, blood trickling down and blurring his vision.
Breathing heavily, Alex activated his astral ability, shifting into an intangible form for a few seconds to evade Silas's next attack. Reappearing behind a tree, he threw down a smoke bomb, concealing himself in the forest.
Silas stopped in his tracks, standing still in the clearing. "Smart move," he called out. "But I'm not going to chase you. You'll have to come to me."
The Counterattack
Hidden in the smoke, Alex steadied his breathing. He tied a thin, nearly invisible wire to his next dagger and flung it toward Silas. Silas sensed the attack, deflecting the knife with ease. But as he moved forward, Alex yanked the wire, causing the blade to slash Silas across the back.
Silas stumbled but quickly regained his composure. "A wire trick, huh? Clever."
He deflected another knife and, this time, cut the wire. "That won't work again," he muttered.
Suddenly, Silas felt a sharp pain in his side. Alex had used his astral ability to phase through the tree and strike him. But the effort left Alex vulnerable. Silas countered, stabbing Alex in the lower stomach.
Alex staggered back, gritting his teeth against the pain. With his remaining strength, he activated his body strengthening, landing a powerful punch that sent Silas stumbling backward.
The Final Move
Wounded and desperate, Alex collapsed to the ground. Silas approached, his guard momentarily down.
"Stay back!" Alex said, his voice trembling.
Silas chuckled. "Out of tricks already?"
Alex threw a knife, but instead of aiming for Silas, it embedded into the base of a tree. Silas took another step forward—then suddenly tripped as the wire attached to the knife pulled taut across the path.
Thud.
Silas hit the ground, and Alex mustered the last of his strength to stab Silas in the side, landing his fifth and final hit.
Emily's Healing Test
Nira guided Emily to Silas and Alex, both wounded from the fight.
"Now it's your turn," Nira said. "Start with Silas. He'll be easier to handle."
Emily hesitated but quickly knelt beside Silas. She noticed that his stab wounds were shallow despite their appearance.
"How are these so shallow?" she asked.
Nira smiled. "Some assassins train their bodies to withstand and recover from injuries faster. Silas is one of them. Now focus."
Emily activated her healing ability. A sharp pain shot through her chest, but she pushed through, healing Silas in under a minute.
"Good," Nira said. "Now, onto Alex."
Emily moved to Alex, whose injuries were far worse. Confident from her success, she began to heal him, but the pain was overwhelming, nearly causing her to faint.
"You can't push through this," Nira warned. "If you couldn't handle it just now, you won't manage it at all."
Emily clenched her fists. "I have an idea." She grabbed a mid-grade healing potion from Nira's pouch, drank it, and resumed healing Alex. Using the potion to dull the pain, she worked for three minutes, finally stabilizing Alex.
Recognition
Alex woke up twenty minutes later, groggy but alive. Darren, Silas, Nira, and Lola stood over him and Emily, their expressions a mix of pride and approval.
"You've passed," Darren announced. "Both of you are officially D-rank adventurers."
Silas handed Alex a pair of high-quality daggers. "In all my years of teaching, you're the first to creatively use an advanced technique like string knives. You've earned these."
Nira handed Emily a box containing three high-grade potions. "I wasn't sure what to give you, but after today, I realized you'll need these. Save them for something major."
Alex and Emily exchanged tired smiles as they made their way home, proud of what they had achieved. Their journey as adventurers had only just begun.