We were ragged and panting by the time we made it back to our usual spot. After catching our breath, we chatted for a bit before it was time to head back.

  I spent the day at my place, cycling between meditation, eating, and napping. When night fell, we met at our usual spot once again.

  Vael’dargar’s face was etched with its usual look of disappointment as she spoke. “Your team synergy is trash. You know why most teams have a leader, right?” She didn’t wait for an answer, her glare sharpening. “Because two of you are bound to give conflicting orders at some point.”

  She started pacing, using her spear like a walking stick. “And hesitation in the middle of a fight will get you killed.”

  Llin cleared her throat, hesitant. “But Bel can’t watch over all of us and fight at the same time.”

  Vael’dargar snorted and flicked her spear up, Llin flinched, and the trainer laughed.

  Seriously? She’s so fucking childish.

  “That’s why you need to train together, over and over, until you trust your teammates to do their jobs and have your back.”

  She crouched, tracing lines in the sand with the tip of her spear until she had drawn six perfect squares, each five feet to a side. Then she straightened and turned her sharp gaze on Llin. “Don’t think I didn’t see you rolling and flipping.”

  Her hand blurred, and Llin yelped. “Ouch!” She rubbed her forehead as a small pebble fell into the sand. We all started laughing, until a single look from Vael’dargar silenced us.

  “All of you, stand in the middle of a square.”

  We moved into position, and she planted herself in front of us. Feet shoulder width apart, right foot forward, left foot angled to the side.

  “Your instincts tell you to jump backward when facing a strike. That leaves you vulnerable to retaliation.” She shifted her left foot smoothly to the side, then brought her right foot over to match it. “You need to keep at least one foot on the ground at all times. Now, repeat after me.”

  We followed her, sliding left and right. At first, the position felt awkward, but I could already see the merit. The control over my movements was noticeably better.

  Vael’dargar stalked around us, adjusting a foot here, delivering a sharp whack there when someone slipped up. We kept at it for a while before, without warning, she flicked a pebble at me. It wasn’t fast, but it startled me enough to make me jump out of the square.

  I knew what was coming next.

  Vael’dargar was on me in a second, sweeping my legs out from under me. “Back in the square.”

  She continued throwing pebbles at us with uncanny accuracy. One by one, we all got a sandy shower. When we started anticipating her attacks, she adjusted, throwing at odd angles, feinting. At one point, I dodged right into the path of a pebble after misreading her aim.

  When she was relatively satisfied, she had us spar against each other. About six hours in, she finally granted us a short break. We collapsed onto the sand, letting our energy regenerate.

  Joro groaned. “Do you think we’ll be ready for the tournament?”

  Bel, ever the leader, responded without hesitation. “Of course we are. I know how nobles think, at least, elves.”

  Llin grinned and patted his shoulder. “Aww, his Lordship is going to share the secrets of his rich friends with us peasants.”

  We all laughed as he pouted and pushed her hand away. “What I’m saying is that they rely on expensive weapons and enchanted items to boost their strength. They use mercenaries to help them conquer unanchored worlds, boosting their power artificially.”

  He ran a hand along his bow, his expression thoughtful. “My family tried to slow the inevitable decline of our warriors. We mostly have to earn the gifts we receive.” He sighed. “But I’ll admit, I received better help than the average person.”

  Sylvan shot him a glare, and Bel rolled his eyes before begrudgingly adding, “Alright, alright, way better help than any of you did.”

  We laughed at his reluctant admission, but I was stuck on what he had said. I knew firsthand how generational wealth and trust fund kids could lead to entitlement. It was oddly comforting and a little sad that some things were universal across realms.

  “So, who’s participating in this tournament?” I asked.

  Thal answered, “Anyone from the Fourth Realm, as long as they’re between level 100 and 200 and can pay the entrance fee.”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I frowned. “So how can I participate? I’m not from the Fourth Realm.”

  Thal chuckled. “You’re an Ascendant.”

  He said it like it was obvious. “And?”

  He traced an eight-l figure symbol in the air. “Ascendants are the prophets of the System.”

  Sylvan sighed. “Ascendants are rare across the realms, so they usually let them participate if they meet the other requirements.”

  “Got it.” My knowledge about my title was spotty at best. “I thought anyone could ascend, right? I mean, I get that it takes a lot of levels, but if the realms are as big as I think they are, Ascendants shouldn’t be that rare.”

  They exchanged puzzled glances before Bel grinned. “You know leveling up and ascending aren’t the same thing, right?”

  It was my turn to be confused.

  Thal cut in before Bel could continue, eyes glinting with excitement. “Ascending means reaching the next realm with your own energy. No fighting, just reincarnation and introspection.”

  That didn’t make any sense. “I don’t get it. My guardian told me my ascension was unconventional, but I never understood why.”

  Thal tilted his head. “You have the title, right?”

  I nodded. “I do, but it has three question marks.”

  He scratched his head, looking puzzled, but before we could dig into it further Vael’dargar’s voice rang out. “Break’s over.”

  We gathered in a loose semicircle around Vael’dargar, shifting our weight, weapons at the ready. She planted her spear into the sand, its polished shaft gleaming, and looked at us with barely concealed disappointment.

  “You’re going to attack me as a team,” she said, rolling her shoulders. “Try to coordinate. Try to actually act like a team.”

  We exchanged glances, and I felt a flicker of determination from each of my teammates. We had spent hours training and fighting together, breaking down bad habits, refining our movements, but this was different. This was all of us against her.

  Bel was the first to move, knocking an arrow and loosing it in a single breath. Vael’dargar didn’t even look in his direction. She turned her spear, and with a flick of her wrist, deflected the arrow midair. I was already in motion, my manifested spear stabbing forward.

  Llin was gone, slipping into the shadows as Joro stomped forward, raising his shield. Sylvan began weaving a spell, heat radiating from her fingertips, while Thal readied himself behind us, his eyes locked onto the battlefield, prepared to react to the inevitable damage we’d take.

  Joro swung first. His bastard sword, large enough to cleave a person in two, came down in a brutal arc. Vael’dargar stepped to the side, effortlessly dodging as if she had all the time in the world. I threw an energy sphere and a wire trap flickered into place, aimed for her ankle, but she simply lifted her foot, letting the glowing threads pass harmlessly beneath her. Llin’s dagger shot out from the darkness, aiming for her exposed back, but she twisted her body at the last moment, catching the blade between two fingers.

  “Sloppy,” she muttered before flicking the dagger away.

  Bel sent another arrow, this time infused with energy, streaking toward her from an angle. She tilted her spear, blocking it in the same fluid motion she used to step behind Joro. Before he could react, she slammed the butt of her spear against his knee. His leg buckled, but he gritted his teeth and absorbed the hit, refusing to go down.

  “Better,” she admitted. “But still predictable.”

  Sylvan unleashed a burst of fire, the flames roaring toward her. Vael’dargar didn’t move to dodge. Instead, she spun her spear, creating a gust of wind that blew the flames apart before they could reach her.

  I lunged forward, aiming for her ribs. She stepped back, letting my spear pierce the air in front of her, then knocked it aside with a sharp movement of her spear. Llin appeared behind her again, faster this time, her dagger humming with energy. Vael’dargar twisted, her foot sweeping out in a sharp kick. It connected with Llin’s wrist, sending the dagger flying before she could complete the strike.

  Then she finally went on the offensive.

  The shift was immediate. She jabbed her spear at Joro, testing his defenses. He blocked, the impact shaking his shield, but she didn’t stop. She spun, slamming the spear’s shaft against the side of his helmet with a ringing crack. He staggered. Before he could recover, she used the momentum to swing low, sweeping his legs out from under him. He hit the ground hard, cursing.

  Bel loosed another arrow, this one aimed directly for her throat. Vael’dargar caught it midair.

  “What the fuck ” Bel started, but before he could finish, she threw the arrow back at him. He barely managed to dodge, the projectile slicing past his cheek, leaving a thin red line.

  Llin vanished again,, Vael’dargar anticipated it again .The moment Llin reappeared behind her, she tossed a handful of sand into the air. It caught in Llin’s eyes, making her cry out and stumble back. Vael’dargar didn’t waste the opening. She spun her spear in a tight arc, slamming it against Llin’s ribs. Llin crumpled, gasping for breath.

  Sylvan shouted, a surge of water forming in his hands. She hurled it at her, intending to slow her down, but she simply sidestepped. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she threw her buckler. It spun through the air like a deadly disc, slamming into Sylvan’s gut with enough force to knock the wind out of him.

  I set another energy trap, weaving the wires into an intricate lattice meant to ensnare her movements. She stepped forward without hesitation, her spear striking down with pinpoint precision, cutting through the strands before they could activate.

  Then she was in front of me. I barely had time to react before her spear flicked up, pressing against my throat.

  “You’re all too focused on reacting,” she said, her voice even. “You assume you have the advantage in numbers, but your attacks lack coordination. You wait for me to make a move instead of forcing me into a position where I have no choice but to react.”

  She stepped back, letting the spear fall to her side. “Again.”

  We groaned but forced ourselves upright. Bruised, winded, but not broken.

  This time, we needed to do better.

  Bel wiped the blood from his cheek. “Alright, what’s the plan?”

  Joro grunted, shaking off the pain. “We need to press her from all angles. No waiting, no hesitation.”

  I nodded. “If we keep her on the defensive, she won’t be able to control the flow of battle.”

  Sylvan rolled his shoulders. “I can push her with fire, force her into a position where she has to dodge rather than deflect.”

  Llin grinned, despite the pain in her ribs. “And I can be where she least expects me.”

  Vael’dargar watched us with an approving nod. “Good. You’re finally thinking. Now, show me what you’ve learned.”

  We moved as one.

  Bel’s arrow streaked toward her, but this time, it was only a distraction. Sylvan launched a wave of fire at the same time, cutting off her easiest escape route. Joro charged, shield raised high, keeping her from countering immediately. I set my energy traps in advance, predicting where she would step rather than waiting for her to move. Llin melted into the shadows, waiting for her moment.

  Vael’dargar still moved like a force of nature, but she had to work harder this time. Her spear flickered left and right, deflecting attacks, parrying strikes. She still dodged with inhuman speed, but there were moments, tiny, fleeting moments, where she had to work for it.

  She grinned.

  This was what she wanted from us.

  We pressed harder, faster. I felt the rhythm of the fight change, no longer reacting but anticipating. Working together instead of individually.

  Vael’dargar still won in the end,she was faster, stronger, more experienced. But she had to try this time. And when we finally collapsed, gasping for breath, she nodded approvingly.

  “That,” she said, “was better.”