"Vel!" A familiar voice called out.
Vel turned to see Tomas approaching with Mira trailing behind him. Celia looked up from where she'd been sitting beside him beneath the large oak tree, her shoulders still tight from the earlier confrontation.
"Mind if we join you?" Tomas asked, glancing curiously at Celia. His nervous energy was obvious, but his smile seemed genuine.
"Sure," Vel replied, gesturing to the empty space around them. Other students had claimed spots under nearby trees, but this corner of the Academy grounds remained relatively quiet. "Tomas, Mira, this is Celia Freznoria. Celia, we're all in the unstable attunement group together."
"So you're the one who put Fairwind in her place," Mira said, settling down beside them.
Before Celia could respond, Hileya appeared with a small tray balanced in her hands. She navigated through clusters of students before reaching their spot.
"Master Vel, I thought you and your friends might appreciate some tea after your examination," Hileya said, setting the tray down. Several steaming cups were arranged neatly beside a small pot. "I made it with the leaves you mentioned enjoying."
"Thank you, Hileya." Vel accepted a cup, gesturing for the others to help themselves.
Mira's eyebrows shot up as she looked between Vel and the half-elf. "So it's true. You actually have a personal servant here."
"What happened with Lysithea anyway?" Tomas asked, leaning forward. "Everyone's talking about it."
Celia shifted uncomfortably. "Just a disagreement that got out of hand."
"But you corrected her about rift theory, right?" Tomas pressed. "We heard some of it, but what exactly did you tell her?"
"Actually," Celia said, turning to Vel, "I wanted to ask you about the examination. That rift question—what did you write?"
Vel paused, cup halfway to his lips. This was tricky territory. He knew far more about rifts than he should, but revealing too much would raise questions.
"I think they might be doorways to other places," Vel said carefully. "Based on what happened at Oakhaven."
"That's... actually not a bad theory," Tomas said, though he sounded uncertain. "Most books just say they're magical anomalies."
"But adventurers always have to go inside to close them," Vel added. "That suggests there's something on the other side that needs to be dealt with."
Celia's eyes widened slightly. "Like Clara-neesan..."
Vel nodded. "Exactly. And the unstable ones are different. More aggressive. Like something's controlling them."
"What do you mean 'controlling them'?" Mira asked, fidgeting with her sleeve.
"Like something's using them to invade our world," Vel said. The others fell silent, absorbing his words.
"How do you know all this?" Tomas asked. "That's not in any textbooks."
Vel realized he might have said too much. "It's just a theory. Something I've been thinking about since Oakhaven." He shrugged. "I've talked with a lot of adventurers. They notice patterns that scholars miss."
"That makes sense," Tomas nodded. "Adventurers see these things firsthand."
Vel's gaze drifted to Celia, who sat with her eyes distant. The weight of their shared promise hung between them. That day in Elnor when she'd broken down, confessing her deepest fear that Clara might be trapped somewhere, not dead but unreachable.
The determination still burned within him. He would crack the code, leverage his understanding of mechanics, or force it with raw power if necessary. Clara deserved that chance, and Celia deserved closure.
"Hey," Vel said softly, catching Celia's attention. "We're going to figure it all out. Remember what I promised?"
For a moment, her eyes met his, vulnerability and hope battling across her features. Then she nodded, a slight smile breaking through her melancholy.
"I remember," she whispered.
Vel turned his attention back to Celia, noting the way she'd composed herself after their brief exchange.
"What about you, Celia? Are you doing fine so far?"
She nodded, though her fingers still twisted around the fabric of her skirt. "Well enough. The assessments weren't too difficult."
"It's a shame I couldn't watch you earlier. Haven't got a chance to see you fight seriously."
Celia's eyebrows shot up. "Really? What about that day with the behemoth? I wasn't serious enough?"
"What behemoth?" Mira and Tomas spoke simultaneously, their heads snapping toward the pair.
Vel shifted uncomfortably as both unstable attunement students stared at them with wide eyes. He'd forgotten they wouldn't know about their journey.
"There was a Voidtainted behemoth near the Everfront border," Vel explained reluctantly. "We encountered it on our way to Lona."
Tomas's mouth fell open. "Wait, that was you? I heard it mentioned in recent news. They said some travelers helped the outpost defeat a strangely evolved behemoth."
Their gazes immediately shifted to Celia.
"With some help from the outpost soldiers and a Gold-rank adventurer named Mora," Celia confirmed.
"I circled the beast," Celia said, making fluid motions with her hands, "looking for weaknesses in its armor. The Voidtainted corruption made its hide nearly impenetrable, but I noticed a pattern between the armour plates—"
Tomas and Mira pressed closer, hanging on Celia's every word as she recounted the battle.
"What about Vel?" Mira asked.
Celia's lips twitched. "Oh, he helped alright—by hiding behind cover most of the time and just yelling what to do instead of doing it. Isn't that right, Vel?"
Vel nearly choked on his tea, staring at her in mild disbelief as she continued weaving her tale.
"Hey now—" Vel protested.
"I mean, with Vel's unstable attunement and all that, it's understandable."
Celia glanced over at Vel, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes. Their gazes connected for the briefest moment—just long enough for Vel to understand exactly what she was about to do.
Vel set down his cup and crossed his arms, playing along. "I wasn't cowering. I was... strategically positioned and providing tactical guidance"
The group erupted in laughter. Celia's tension melted away as she giggled, and even Hileya couldn't help smiling behind her hand.
Half an hour later, students were called to gather again. As groups began separating toward their designated areas, Vel spotted Celia walking toward the standard candidates' section.
"Celia!" he called out.
She turned back, eyebrows raised.
"Remember, power isn't everything," Vel said, catching up to her. "Strategy is just a bigger sparring lesson, with more elements to consider."
Celia's expression shifted, understanding dawning in her eyes. She nodded with determination. "Got it. Thanks, Vel."
"Good luck," he said, watching her continue toward her group.
Tomas appeared beside him, shoulders tense with worry. "I've been dreading this one. The academy always adds something new to the test every cycle."
"What do you mean?" Vel asked, falling into step as they headed toward their designated area.
"Last cycle was field war games, in small groups," Tomas explained, gesturing around them. "Yet... we're here inside a building hall."
"Well, that's strategy for you," Vel remarked. "You never know what your enemies are planning."
Instructors led them through tall doors into another large hall. The space was similar to where they'd taken their knowledge assessment, but instead of desks and quills, stone tables arranged in neat rows dominated the floor.
"Whoa," Tomas breathed, stopping in his tracks.
Each table glowed with magical light, projecting miniature landscapes that seemed almost alive. Tiny trees swayed in an invisible breeze, water flowed through miniature rivers, and small hills cast shadows that shifted as if under a real sun.
"Are those... tiny worlds?" Mira whispered, joining them as she stared wide-eyed at the nearest table.
"Some kind of simulation magic," Vel said, studying the intricate details. "Look, you can see individual leaves on those trees."
"This is way more advanced than anything we've used in class," Tomas said, leaning closer to examine a miniature castle perched on a hilltop.
Archmagister Elyssia stood at the center of the hall, her academic robes catching the magical light emanating from the tables.
"Strategy is the final pillar of our assessment," she announced, her voice carrying effortlessly through the chamber. "It encompasses not merely knowledge of tactics, but wisdom in their application. Today, you will demonstrate your strategic thinking at the War Tables."
"War Tables?" Mira repeated quietly. "That sounds intimidating."
"You will choose from three force types," Archmagister Elyssia continued. "Royal Forces, Church Forces, or Guild Adventurers. Each has distinct strengths, weaknesses, and rules that those who have studied military history should recognize."
As they were directed toward their assigned table, Vel observed the other teams. Noble-born students gravitated together, their expensive uniforms and confident postures marking them clearly. Near one table, Severin stood with two other elite students, already discussing strategy.
"Naturally, we'll command Royal Forces," one noble student declared loudly. "Superior numbers always win in large engagements."
"Typical noble thinking," Tomas muttered under his breath.
At another table, students wearing subtle Church emblems distributed themselves around their glowing surface. "The magical advantage outweighs mere numbers," one insisted to his teammates.
"Everyone's picking what they're familiar with," Mira observed, watching the predictable choices unfold.
"That might work in our favor," Vel said quietly as they approached their designated table.
Instructor Lyvenna appeared beside the unstable attunement group, clipboard in hand.
"Three per team, with six total that divides perfectly," she stated briskly. "Mira, Tomas, and Velarian—you'll form one group."
She gestured toward the neighboring table. "Rohen, Enya, Lars, you three take the other table."
Vel noticed disappointed looks cross the faces of Rohen and Enya, as if they'd been hoping to team up with him instead. Lars just shrugged, seemingly indifferent to the arrangement.
"We will be watching you closely—how you perform, not just the results," Lyvenna explained, her gaze moving between both groups. "Besides, Lars, you've done this before three years ago, haven't you?"
The older student looked around, trying to appear confident, but his eyes betrayed his uncertainty. "Last time it was on the field..."
"The strategy fundamentals haven't changed," Lyvenna cut in. "You're just thinking like a commander instead of a soldier this time. Show us what you've learned."
With that, the groups settled in at their designated tables.
Vel stepped toward the war table. Three symbols carved into the stone surface caught his eye: a Crown, a Double Triangle, and crossed swords. His palm pressed against the table's edge, and the miniature landscape blazed to life. Swirling magical mist shrouded most of the terrain, leaving only fragments visible through the haze.
"Fog of war," Vel thought, recognizing the tactical limitation immediately.
"This is… a Real-Time Strategy game," he muttered under his breath, "Who could have designed this?"
"What force should we take?" Tomas asked, fidgeting with nervous energy.
Mira leaned over the table, studying the Royal Forces marker. "The Royal Forces seem balanced—fast reinforcement, advantage with numbers. We could overwhelm opponents through superior positioning."
Tomas shook his head. "The Church seems like a better choice. They have magical advantages, buffs, and mages. Their reinforcement is slow, but their healing and enchantments make up for replenishment issues."
Vel hovered his hand over the Guild Forces symbol on his side of the table. Transparent images of four figures appeared—a heavily armored knight, a robed mage, an archer, and a cloaked scout.
Tank, damage dealer, support, scout, he quickly categorized based on their appearances. The classic adventuring party.
But why only four? Vel thought, glancing at the dozens of units filling Mira and Tomas's sections. Compared to other forces, this seems like suicide.
Unless...
But if I lose one, the whole formation crumbles along with the advantages, he realized. No resurrection, no reinforcement.
"High risk, high reward," Vel concluded.
After considering their options, Vel turned to his teammates. "Mira, you seem to understand Royal Forces well—you should take command of them. Tomas, your magical knowledge could prove useful with the Church Forces."
"And you?" Mira asked.
"I'll take the Adventurers," Vel decided. "I suspect there's more to them than appears at first glance."
Vel surveyed the other tables, noting how other groups had distributed their forces. Several noble groups had chosen an entirely royal army, while Church-affiliated students predictably loaded up on Church forces. The choices seemed less about tactical advantage and more about personal bias.
"Look…," Mira whispered, nodding toward Severin's table. "They're going with full Royal Forces."
"Tactical familiarity, maybe" Vel countered. "They're playing to what they know."
He glanced at the other unstable attunement team nearby and noticed them observing his group's choices with interest. After some hushed discussion, they began selecting the same balanced approach—Royal, Church, and Adventurer forces.
"They're mimicking our approach," Tomas observed, his tone carrying both astonishment and pride.
Vel understood their motives. When Rohen looked over with uncertainty, Vel caught his eye and gave him an encouraging smile and nod.
"Let's hope our strategy proves worth imitating," Vel replied quietly to Tomas.
"You don't sound too sure," Mira observed, studying his expression.
Vel's smile faltered slightly. "I just hope I know what I'm doing. They're trusting my judgment."
The weight of that responsibility settled on his shoulders. It was one thing to make decisions for himself—quite another to influence their choices. If his strategy failed, it wouldn't just be his team that suffered the consequences.
An instructor strode to the center of the room, raising her hands for silence.
"Your objective is to claim victory by controlling more than half of the strategic points on the battlefield, or by eliminating all opposing forces within the allotted time."
She gestured toward glowing markers scattered across the landscape. "The battle continues until these victory conditions are met or a stalemate occurs, at which point we instructors will intervene to determine the outcome."
Vel studied the miniature battlefield intensely as the instructor concluded with, "Let the final assessment begin."
The war table hummed with magic, and small figures materialized across the landscape according to their selections. On Vel's section, four distinct Adventurer units appeared.
Mira's Royal Forces emerged as neat formations of infantry, cavalry, and archers—dozens of units arranged in disciplined ranks. Tomas commanded smaller squads of Church forces, their robes and cloaks billowing with magical energy, even their crusader swords glowing with holy light.
"So it begins," Vel murmured, examining the fog-shrouded battlefield and the distant enemy forces barely visible through the magical mist.
Unlike the other students who seemed eager to rush into battle, he recognized the need for a solid foundation.
"We need a good starting point, somewhere to preserve our troops. " Vel explained, his finger hovering over the miniature landscape. "If a confrontation breaks out, at least we will have our full forces combined."
He pointed toward an open area surrounded by natural barriers that created multiple potential choke points. It wasn't the most obvious position, but Vel recognized its defensive value.
Tomas leaned forward eagerly. "Should we start moving our forces to the strategic points?"
"No, not yet," Vel replied, studying the fog-covered map. "The key to any army is a good foundation. We need stable resources and manpower, accounting for unit losses, ready to expand."
"See these banners?" Vel pointed to the Royal and Church markers. "I think that's where reinforcements will arrive from."
Mira nodded in understanding as Vel continued his explanation, pointing to specific choke points on the map.
"Let's form barriers here and here," he indicated narrow passages between hills and a river bend. "Not every fight guarantees a win. We need places to fall back to, otherwise we'll potentially get wiped out."
He directed Mira to position her Royal Forces infantry to establish a defensive wall at the first choke point, while Tomas's Church units provided magical support behind them.
"I'll take my scout to expand the area," Vel said, moving his cloaked adventurer figure forward. "Trying to get some view on the objectives."
In his mind, Vel was playing the long game, carefully checking if his predictions would prove true. The scout moved swiftly through the terrain, revealing more of the map as the fog of war receded.
A few moments later, they discovered an unoccupied strategic point—a small hill with a ruined tower that overlooked a significant portion of the battlefield. Vel moved his adventurers forward to secure it.
As soon as his party claimed the position, something unexpected happened. A golden aura enveloped all four figures before slowly dissipating. The scout seemed to flicker, becoming less visible even as Vel watched. The knight's armor began to gleam with an inner light, while the robed figure's staff pulsed with magical energy. Wind swirled around the archer, making their cloak flutter.
"Do you see this?" Vel asked, leaning forward excitedly. The scout had unlocked something—a fading ability that made it nearly invisible.
"The strategic points aren't just objectives," he realized. "They're power sources for our adventurers. Every point we secure makes them stronger."
"As long as adventurers stay alive long enough..." Tomas said, watching the enhanced figures.
"They grow stronger with each point we hold," Vel finished, his eyes darting across the map with new understanding. "That's why they start with such small numbers."
Mira's eyes widened. "Quality over quantity?"
"Exactly. If we can keep them alive long enough to secure several points..." Vel trailed off as movement caught his eye.
Through the dissipating fog, a formation of enemy units marched directly toward their newly captured hill—their tabards distinctly marked with the Royal emblem.
"Damn," Vel muttered, his fingers hovering over his units. "Enemy units approaching from the northwest. Royal Forces, full battalion."
Tomas's hand froze above his Church units, his face paling. "Should we engage?"
"No. We're not ready for a direct confrontation." Vel quickly moved his scout away from the approaching troops. "Scout, hiding mode, withdraw to that forest patch."
The cloaked figure seemed to shiver before disappearing among the miniature trees, becoming nearly invisible on the table. The enemy troops continued their march, oblivious to the hidden observer tracking their movements.
"Are those barriers ready?" Vel asked, glancing at Mira's formations.
She shook her head, adjusting her infantry positions. "Another few minutes before we're fully entrenched."
A plan formed in Vel's mind as he studied the approaching enemy formation. "I'm going to play cat and mouse with them for now. Buy us some time."
He moved his archer unit to a position just outside the enemy's detection range. "This is just like kiting in an RTS game," he murmured to himself. "Draw attention, then retreat, forcing them to chase and waste resources."
As Vel executed his strategy, he noticed something peculiar. When he moved his archer to the eastern slope, a group at a nearby table reacted almost immediately, redirecting their cavalry toward the same area.
"Interesting," Vel said quietly. He turned to Tomas and Mira, keeping his voice low. "From now on, whether we win or lose any fight, we should stay completely calm."
"Why?" Tomas asked.
"I don't think we're fighting random enemies. These are troops from other groups in this room," Vel explained. "They may not realize who they're fighting yet. Let's keep it that way—no celebrations, no frustrations. Give nothing away."
Vel moved his archer and scout to harass the enemy flanks while his knight slipped around to capture an undefended strategic point near the river bend.
As the knight secured the second position, another golden aura flashed across all four adventurers. This time, the effects were different—the knight's shield expanded slightly, the mage's robes began to shimmer with protective wards, the archer's arrows seemed to multiply in their quiver, and the scout became completely invisible for several seconds.
"Look at this," Vel whispered, drawing his teammates' attention to the new enhancements. "Each point gives them different abilities."
Tomas leaned closer, eyes widening. "They're evolving again!"
"Exactly. But we need to move fast," Vel said, studying the battlefield with renewed urgency. "Once other teams figure this out, they'll mass their forces to stop us."
Vel pointed to another strategic position marked by a small temple on a hillside. "Let's coordinate our first real attack. Time to see what our combined forces can do."
Mira nodded, understanding his plan. "What's our approach?"
"You go first, Mira," Vel directed. "Create a distraction with your Royal Forces. Tomas, support her with protective buffs from your Church units. I'll use the chaos to take my adventurer party near their important units and take them out."
As they executed the plan, Vel directed his adventurers toward the temple while Mira's Royal Forces moved into position. The enemy garrison at the strategic point seemed unaware of the approaching threat.
He glanced across the room, where Severin Thornwood stood at his table, gesticulating wildly at his teammates. "We're not facing Thornwood's team," he observed quietly. "He's too busy yelling over there."
"Mira, create the distraction now," Vel whispered.
Their coordinated attack began smoothly. Mira's Royal infantry engaged the temple garrison head-on with disciplined formations, while Tomas's Church units cast protective wards and healing spells to keep the assault moving forward.
Using the distraction, Vel's enhanced adventurers circled around to the temple's rear entrance. His invisible scout slipped past the defenders unnoticed, while the knight and mage prepared to strike at the enemy command units.
The plan was working perfectly—enemy numbers at the temple were dwindling as Vel's forces systematically eliminated the defenders. They had nearly secured the strategic point when a warning horn echoed across the battlefield from one of Mira's Royal lookout units.
"More forces coming!" Mira whispered urgently, pointing at a mass of units approaching from the east. "The rest of their army!"
Scores of miniature soldiers flooded across the terrain toward their position—a wave of metal and magic that threatened to overwhelm them through sheer numbers.
Vel's mind raced through the options. They were moments away from capturing the temple's strategic point. His adventurers would gain another power boost—but what new abilities would they unlock? He had no way of knowing.
"Do we finish taking the point or retreat?" Mira asked urgently, watching the enemy close in. "Decide now—they're almost here!"
"If we stay and fight, we're trapped," Vel said quickly, calculating distances. "They'll surround us and block our retreat path."
"But if we retreat now, we lose the temple," Tomas pointed out.
"We retreat. Now!" Vel decided sharply. "The risk is too high."
They hastily ordered their units to fall back, but the enemy forces continued their relentless pursuit.
"They're not stopping," Tomas said anxiously.
Vel remained calm, studying the enemy's aggressive advance. "That's actually perfect. Let's lead them to the choke point we prepared earlier."
"The ravine with the river crossing?" Mira caught on immediately.
"Exactly. Fall back in stages—make them think they're winning," Vel directed. "Tomas, position your mages for the ambush."
Their forces conducted a fighting retreat, drawing the pursuing enemy deeper into the terrain. Step by step, the chase led toward the narrow ravine where Vel's defensive preparations waited.
Enemy soldiers flooded down the narrow path, growing denser as they approached the bottleneck where Vel's forces had regrouped.
"Perfect," Vel muttered, watching the trap take shape. "Wait for it, Tomas."
"Hold the area spell until they're completely trapped," Vel cautioned, placing a restraining hand on Tomas's wrist as his friend reached for his Church mages.
The miniature battlefield became a chaotic dance of light and movement as the enemy forces pressed forward. Vel's knight blocked the front line, its shield gleaming with protective magic as it held back the tide, while his archer and mage delivered precise strikes from safety. Still, the enemy numbers couldn't be ignored—they advanced slowly but steadily despite the disadvantageous terrain.
"Knight, defensive stance!" Vel commanded as he noticed his armored unit taking significant damage.
Tomas immediately responded, a burst of golden light erupting from his side of the war table as one of his Church units cast a healing spell on Vel's knight. The miniature warrior's posture straightened, renewed vigor evident in its stance.
"Nice heal, Tomas," Vel nodded appreciatively.
As the battle progressed, Vel observed something curious about their opponents' strategy—or rather, the lack thereof. The enemy units attacked with brute force but minimal coordination, focusing on whatever targets were closest rather than prioritizing the most dangerous threats.
"They just let the units fight for themselves without any focus," he observed in hushed tones, studying the chaotic pattern. "Look at how their forces act independently without coordination."
Mira nodded, repositioning her archers to higher ground. "It's like they've given general orders but aren't adjusting to the battlefield changes."
This gave Vel an idea. His finger hovered over his knight, which stood at the center of the bottleneck.
"Aim your area spell at my knight," he instructed Tomas.
Tomas blinked in confusion. "But that would hit our own unit."
"Trust me," Vel insisted, his eyes fixed on the battlefield. "Mage, cast protection on the knight!"
His robed figure raised its staff, wrapping the knight in a shimmering barrier just as Tomas's Church mages began gathering their power, magical energy building visibly around them. The enemy units recognized the danger—they started to maneuver desperately away from the glowing mages, trying to escape the incoming area attack.
"Now!" Vel called. His knight raised its shield and bellowed a battle cry that echoed across the miniature battlefield. All nearby enemy units seemed to ignore everything else and were drawn back toward the knight, trapped in the spell's radius just as they'd tried to escape.
"Fire!" Vel shouted.
Tomas triggered his Church mages' area spell. A circle of blinding light engulfed the area around Vel's knight. The enemies, drawn by the battle cry, couldn't escape the spell's radius, while the mage's protective barrier shielded the knight from the friendly magic.
The light faded, revealing devastation. Dozens of enemy units had been caught in the blast, their formations shattered. Survivors staggered away from the impact zone in confusion.
"Now! Focus fire on the survivors!" Vel called out urgently. "Mira, target their commanders while they're disorganized!"
Mira's archers unleashed a coordinated volley at the stunned enemy officers. Vel's remaining adventurers struck at the scattered troops with deadly precision.
The enemy formation broke completely under the follow-up assault. What had been an organized advance became a panicked retreat, units fleeing in different directions.
"They're breaking!" Tomas called out, watching enemy units scatter.
Vel studied the battlefield carefully. The enemy was in complete disarray, their base exposed and vulnerable. But should they press the advantage or consolidate their position?
"Look at their base," Mira pointed. "No defenders left."
"If we don't take it now, they'll fortify," Tomas added.
Vel made his decision. "This is our chance. Strike while they're scattered."
He pointed decisively at the exposed enemy base on the war table. "Mira, rally the troops and head toward their base. Tomas, secure the remaining objectives while they're distracted. I'll support Mira with my adventurers."
Mira nodded, immediately reorganizing her Royal Forces into a tight attacking formation. "On it. Their flank is completely open."
The counterattack unfolded with devastating precision. Vel's Guild Adventurers—now significantly enhanced from holding strategic points—unleashed abilities that hadn't been available at the start. His knight's battle cry strengthened nearby allies, while the scout materialized behind enemy commanders with deadly efficiency.
Meanwhile, Tomas's Church Forces created protective barriers around Mira's advancing troops while simultaneously unleashing devastating area spells that decimated clustered enemy units.
Mira's Royal units executed her flanking maneuver, cavalry charging from the west while infantry pressed from the center, giving the enemy no time to establish a defensive line.
The enemy forces collapsed under the unexpected and multifaceted attack. The royal army they faced had no answer for three different factions working in perfect harmony. What might have been a challenging battle became an overwhelming victory.
Vel kept his expression neutral despite their success, though his pulse raced with the thrill of victory. He glanced sideways at his teammates, noting with approval that they too maintained composed expressions even as their triumph became clear.
From the corner of his eye, Vel noticed a nearby student slamming his fist against his table in frustration. A young noble with an elaborate family crest on his collar was red-faced, shouting at his teammates while gesturing accusingly.
"Well done," Vel whispered to Mira and Tomas as the magical simulation began to fade from the war table. "Perfect execution."
Rather than joining the students who immediately stood to leave, he motioned for Tomas and Mira to remain seated.
"Let's stay here a bit," he suggested quietly. "They might be looking to see who they were fighting against."
Sure enough, several students from neighboring tables cast curious glances toward their group, clearly wondering who had so thoroughly dismantled their strategies. The red-faced noble who had been shouting moments ago now scanned the room with narrowed eyes, likely trying to identify his opponents.
Nearby, Instructor Lyvenna moved between tables, making notes on her parchment. Her expression revealed nothing as her quill scratched across the surface, but Vel noticed how her gaze lingered on their table slightly longer than the others.
As they stood in composed silence, Vel turned to Tomas, genuinely impressed by his tactical spellcasting.
"The casting formation from the church mages…," he said. "How did you know about that?"
Tomas brightened at the recognition, though he kept his voice low. "I researched about it before coming here. The mage scholars mentioned it in their study about collaborative casting. When spells are cast in a correct formation, it enhances the spell to a certain degree."
"It's similar to the ritual of Shaman," Vel realized, remembering what he'd learned from Kazar back in Oakhaven. "Co-casting, where multiple casters can amplify a spell's power when positioned properly."
"Exactly!" Tomas nodded enthusiastically. "It's not just about having more mages—it's about their specific arrangement relative to each other and the target. The Church forces naturally lend themselves to this kind of formation."
"That's why the damage output was so much higher than expected," Mira added, understanding dawning in her eyes. "The spell's effect multiplied rather than just added."
Vel nodded at Tomas, an appreciative smile crossing his face. "See? You don't need the right attunement to use those techniques."
He turned to Mira, equally impressed. "Your decision making was excellent too. You adapted to the situation and moved the troops accordingly in the heat of battle."
Mira's fingers traced absent patterns on the now-empty war table. "For simulation maybe," she said quietly. "In a real battle, I would have frozen or worse, panicked."
Her words hit Vel with unexpected force. He fell silent, his previous enthusiasm draining away as her statement echoed in his mind.
A real battle. Not a simulation.
The image of those scattered enemy soldiers flashed through his memory—how they'd staggered away from the blast zone, visibly confused and panicked. In the heat of battle, his order had been swift and merciless: "Focus fire on the survivors!" He hadn't hesitated. Hadn't thought twice about eliminating the disoriented troops.
But if those had been real soldiers...
The memory of Oakhaven flooded back—the screams, the blood, the desperate faces of villagers fleeing for their lives. The Alpha Wulfangs tearing through guards like paper. The knowledge that some of those deaths could have been prevented if he'd acted differently.
He had once viewed this world as exactly that—a simulation, a game where characters followed scripts and player decisions had limited consequences. Where death meant respawning. Where loss was temporary.
Now it was the world he lived in. People's lives were at stake. His family. His friends. Celia.
Vel's hand trembled slightly as he traced the stone table.
In a real battle, would he have that same cold tactical clarity? Or would the weight of each life paralyze him when it mattered most?
"Vel?" Tomas's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Are you okay?"
Vel blinked, realizing he had been staring blankly at the war table. "Yeah," he said, forcing a smile. "Just thinking about how to improve our strategy for next time."
But as other tables finished their battles, Vel couldn't shake the weight that had settled in his chest. The line between simulation and reality had blurred for him in a way few others could understand. The strategies he employed so casually here would determine life or death out there.
And he wasn't sure if he was ready for that responsibility.