For Leah, Eliza fixed the slight tilt in her bow arm, which had been throwing off her aim just enough to notice at longer ranges.

  Daniel discovered that using his torso to generate momentum gave his dagger throws more force.

  Emma learned to relax her grip on the bowstring, reducing the hand tremor she hadn’t realized she had.

  Eliza then paired them up: Noah with Victor, Leah with Emma, and Daniel on the side practicing advanced footwork.

  Noah and Victor focused on coordinating sword-and-shield tactics- how to position themselves so Victor could draw attacks while Noah struck from safe angles. They realized they’d been stumbling into each other’s space too often.

  Leah and Emma drilled arrow volleys—one firing high, the other low—forcing them to communicate to avoid crossing trajectories. It was trickier than expected, but after several attempts, they managed to sync up.

  Daniel, somewhat bored with the slow pace, had the unique “privilege” of being Eliza’s direct sparring partner. She repeatedly demonstrated precise footwork to evade his lunges, then smacked him with a wooden practice sword each time he overextended.

  By midday, all of them were breathing hard, clothes damp with sweat. Eliza announced a short break, handing out skins of water.

  Daniel collapsed onto a stump, wiping his brow. “I’m… not used to training in a safe environment. In the forest, it was either you fight or die.”

  Eliza took a swig from her own water skin. “That’s exactly why I run these drills—to keep you from dying out there. Trust me, a few days of this will refine your sloppy habits.”

  Noah nodded, already feeling the strain in his arms. “I can tell we’ve been brute-forcing everything. This is good, though.”

  They continued until the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving them exhausted but with better control of their bodies. By the time Eliza ended the session, everyone’s muscles were burning.

  Noah gave Eliza the agreed fee—a total of 250 copper coins—and she handed him a small wooden token.

  “Keep that. It shows you’re under my training. If you come tomorrow, pay the same amount, and I’ll push you further.”

  Leah winced, rolling a sore shoulder. “Oh, we’ll be back. Whether we can move our arms is another story.”

  Emma smiled wearily, securing her bow across her back. “I feel like I learned more in one day than I have in all our forest fights combined.”

  Daniel massaged a bruise on his ribs. “Next time, try not to whack me so hard.”

  Eliza’s laughter echoed across the yard. “Stop leaving yourself open, and I’ll have no need to teach you via lumps.”

  Noah gave a brief bow of thanks. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Eliza. And… thanks.”

  She merely nodded. “Don’t be late.”

  Exiting the training yard, the group walked back through the village with heavy steps. Muscles they didn’t even know they had were aching. Yet, there was a sense of accomplishment in the air—like they’d taken a crucial step.

  Daniel groaned. “I can barely lift my daggers. That was brutal.”

  Leah snorted. “You wanted real training, remember?”

  Emma rubbed her shoulder, a tired but satisfied smile on her face. “It might hurt now, but I’m excited to see how much better we fight after a few days of this.”

  Noah stretched his arms, feeling the slight burn in his muscles. As they walked along the narrow path back to the inn, he noticed Emma massaging her sore shoulder.

  Her bow, slung over her back, kept bumping awkwardly against her. She winced each time it jostled her bruises.

  Quietly, he fell back in step with her. “Hey,” he began, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the others, “I was thinking about how we’re using your talents. You awakened as our healer—Vitalis Archon. But right now, you’re fighting mostly like an archer.”

  Emma gave a small nod, not quite meeting his eyes. “I-I know. But we don’t have a proper staff or wand, and I was decent with a bow back on Earth. I felt safer that way.”

  Noah gently touched her arm. “You’ve already helped a lot with your healing. But what if you can’t aim fast enough or get pinned down in a real fight? Your priority should be keeping distance—not just to shoot arrows, but to have the focus and time to heal and buff us. I think we need to shift your training a bit.”

  Emma bit her lip, nodding in agreement. “You… might be right. If I’m constantly in the thick of the fight, I won’t be able to concentrate on healing or fortifying you guys.”

  He offered a gentle smile. “Exactly. You need more defensive maneuvers, and ways to protect yourself if something rushes you. Tomorrow, maybe we should talk to Eliza. She can teach you sidesteps or quick retreats. And”—his gaze flicked to the small pouch where he kept the Essence Cores—“maybe we can figure out how to forge a wand or staff using one of those cores.”

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  Emma’s face lit up with a hint of excitement. “You really think that’s possible? We’d need an enchanter… or maybe a skilled blacksmith who can handle magic items.”

  Noah shrugged. “Not sure yet, but we can at least bring it up. If anyone in this village has a clue, it’d be Garrick. Worst case, we hold onto the cores until we find someone more experienced.”

  She nodded more confidently now. “That sounds like a plan.”

  Ahead of them, Daniel was complaining loudly about his bruises—earning him a playful elbow in the ribs from Leah—and Victor simply trudged on, shield clanking lightly at his side.

  …

  By the time they reached the inn, the smell of roasted meat and fresh bread nearly made them forget their aches.

  They collapsed into chairs at their usual corner table, ordering a hearty dinner. Steaming bowls of stew, warm loaves of bread, and jugs of water quickly arrived.

  Nobody wasted time on the conversation at first as their hunger took over.

  It was only after they’d scraped the bottom of their bowls that the group let out collective sighs of contentment.

  Victor leaned back, patting his full stomach. “If only every training session ended with a feast.”

  Daniel stretched his arms high above his head. “I second that. Hard training, good food, and a soft bed—I might actually sleep like a baby.”

  Leah took a sip of water, still feeling the pleasant burn in her fingers and shoulders. “We won’t be as lucky tomorrow when Eliza levels up the difficulty.”

  Noah stood, picking up his sword. “All the more reason to rest well. We’ll want to get to the training yard early and continue refining our basics. Emma, we’ll talk to Eliza about your repositioning and maybe some defensive drills.”

  Emma bowed her head gratefully. “Thank you. I’m honestly relieved.”

  The five of them headed upstairs, each to their own small room. The moment Noah’s head hit the pillow, he drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep, his body exhausted from the day’s training.

  —

  The next morning came far too soon. Bright sunlight peeked through the curtains, accompanied by the distant chatter of villagers.

  Noah roused himself, stretching each sore limb until it gave a reluctant pop. He washed quickly at the basin in the corner, then strapped on his gear.

  Down in the inn’s main room, he found the rest of the group finishing up a quick breakfast- eggs, strips of crisp meat, and simple porridge.

  Emma gave him a small wave, looking a tad anxious but more determined. Leah, Daniel, and Victor were in various stages of finishing their food.

  “Let’s eat fast,” Noah said, sliding into an open seat. “We don’t want to be late.”

  They shoveled in the last bites of breakfast and left the inn. The crisp morning air helped wake them up fully.

  The village square was still relatively calm, with a few merchants setting up for the day. In the distance, that familiar clack of wooden weapons echoed from Eliza’s training yard.

  —

  They found Eliza already going over footwork with two newcomers. She paused as they approached.

  “Back again.” Her gaze swept over them, noticing the new bruises and stiff postures. “Glad to see you’re not limping away.”

  Daniel offered an exaggerated bow. “We’re gluttons for punishment.”

  Eliza smirked. “So, what’s the focus today?”

  Before anyone else could speak, Noah stepped forward. “I’d like more detailed sword work. Yesterday’s basics helped, but I’m lagging behind in actual sword techniques. I’ve been relying on brute strength and Essence Strikes.”

  Eliza raised an eyebrow. “Brute force gets you killed, eventually. Alright. We’ll work on specialized cuts and parries. That means you’ll be sparring with me while the others run advanced drills.”

  He nodded in gratitude. “Thanks, Eliza. Also—” He gestured for Emma to step up. “Emma could use help on defensive maneuvers. She’s our group’s primary healer. We need her out of the direct line of fire.”

  Emma gave a small, timid smile. “If you can show me how to avoid or escape close-quarters combat, I’d really appreciate it.”

  Eliza nodded. “So, refine your sword work,” she told Noah, “and teach Emma how to dodge trouble. Fine. That’s enough for a start. The rest of you—” she looked at Leah, Daniel, and Victor “—we’ll run partner drills again, but push the complexity. More realism, more coordination.”

  Victor set his shield down and flexed his arms. “We’re ready.”

  Leah patted Emma’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. With Eliza, you’ll learn fast—or suffer until you do.”

  Daniel just sighed, already anticipating another brutal round of smacks. “Let’s get this over with…”

  Eliza motioned them toward the practice dummies and sparring rings. “Then let’s begin. We’ve got a lot of bad habits to beat out of you—and not enough time to do it gently.”

  Eliza gestured for Emma to step off to a less crowded portion of the yard. “Alright, Miss Healer,” she said, leveling her gaze at Emma. “Let’s see how well you move without that bow in your hands. Your job is to avoid trouble, heal your allies, and stay alive if something gets too close.”

  Emma glanced down at the bow slung over her shoulder, then carefully set it aside against a nearby post. She looked both nervous and eager. “I… I haven’t tried fighting without my bow before.”

  Eliza folded her arms. “You won’t be fighting much, but you need to defend yourself or dodge if you’re cornered. Let’s work on footwork first—sidesteps, backsteps, rolling away from a tackle. No fancy moves. Just the basics to keep out of reach.”

  Eliza motioned Emma into a loose, balanced stance—feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent—then demonstrated the technique for sidestepping a straight-line charge.

  Sidestep: Shift weight onto one foot, push off, slide to the side.

  Backstep: Quick step backward, hands raised to guard her head or any crucial spot.

  Emergency Roll: If knocked off-balance, drop a shoulder and roll away, springing back to her feet as quickly as possible.

  “Elbows in,” Eliza corrected, tapping Emma’s arms. “Don’t flail. Keep your movement tight, less wasted motion means fewer openings for a beast or bandit to exploit.”

  Emma tried the moves, stumbling slightly on the first few attempts. Each time, Eliza demonstrated again—swift and smooth. Gradually, Emma’s steps grew more stable, her rolls less clumsy.

  “Good,” Eliza finally said, a hint of approval in her voice. “Now we’ll combine them with a bit of pressure.”

  She beckoned over one of the teenage trainees—a lanky boy with a wooden sword. “Pretend to rush her. Light swings only. Emma, do not attack, just avoid.”

  The boy came forward in a slow run, sword raised. Emma’s eyes widened, but she managed a sidestep, the wooden blade barely grazing the air beside her.

  When the boy swung again, she backstepped in time. A third swing forced Emma to roll away, this time landing on her feet rather than tumbling.

  “Much better,” Eliza praised. “Do it again. Faster.”

  They repeated the sequence in short bursts, and Emma’s confidence visibly grew. She still occasionally tripped or hesitated in her movements, but each slip-up was fewer than the last. After several minutes, Emma’s breathing was ragged, but there was a determined gleam in her eyes.

  Eliza clapped the boy on the shoulder, then turned back to Emma. “Keep practicing these drills whenever you can—build muscle memory. Once you’re comfortable, we’ll see about letting you keep a small sidearm for last-ditch defense. But remember, your priority is healing and support. Don’t get stuck in the front line.”