Morning came swiftly. The students gathered. Each of them was fully dressed in their combat uniforms.
“Today’s matches are designed to push your adaptability to the limit. You’ll face unpredictable environments—hostile terrain, weather effects, and magical anomalies. You’ll need to use your surroundings to your advantage.”
Mira raised a hand hesitantly. “Do we know what kind of terrains we’ll be dealing with?”
I shook my head. “They’re randomized for every match. Could be anything—deserts, jungles, frozen tundras, or even underwater zones. The only constant is that each will be designed to challenge your teamwork and ingenuity.”
Elaine looked nervous. “And the opponents?”
“They’ll face the same challenges as you,” I said. “Use that to your advantage. If you can out-think them, you’ll win.”
Jace cracked his knuckles. “Sounds like fun.”
“Alright, let's head to the arena,” I said, clapping my hands together. “It's time to show what you’ve learned.”
The walk to the arena was quiet, the students lost in their thoughts, some anxious, others eager. The tournament arena was just ahead—a floating structure designed to simulate different environments at a moment’s notice.
As we entered the large central hall, floating platforms hovered in mid-air in front of us.
“Once inside, you’ll each be assigned to a specific area of the arena,” I explained, as we moved toward the designated entrance. “The arena will begin to change as soon as the match begins. Your first challenge is to assess your surroundings quickly and work together.”
“Good luck, and remember, adaptability is the key to victory.” I said, giving them a last piece of advice.
The team’s second trial took place in a simulated desert. The air crackled with heat, and the ground beneath their feet shifted with every step. Enormous sand dunes formed and dissolved seemingly at random, and sandstorms occasionally swept across the battlefield. The match stats were displayed on the giant screen above the arena—team names, power levels, and under each contestant picture was a bar showing his live damage percentage. The crowd cheered as the numbers updated with every hit and spell cast.
Their opponents, a group from the Frostspire Academy, wasted no time. As the match began, they conjured a barrage of icy projectiles, aiming to take control of the battlefield early. A section of the giant screen showed 5% damage chipped away from Elaine and Aaron.
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“Defensive wards, now!” Jace shouted, his voice cutting through the cacophony of the battlefield.
Mira’s swiftly conjured a barrier of stone before the team, absorbing the icy projectiles. “We need to close the distance!” she called over her shoulder.
Jace locked eyes with Aaron, nodding in agreement. The pair sprinted forward, dashing over the shifting dunes, only for a glacial wall to erupt in their path. The Frostspire team anticipated their advance, and the crowd gasped as the screen showcased Jace and Aaron’s hit points ticking down by another 12%.
Jace’s eyes narrowed. “They really think that’ll stop me?” He unleashed a bolt of lightning, shattering the barrier into a cascade of glittering shards. Aaron didn’t miss a beat, following up with a wall of fire that forced their opponents to scatter.
Behind them, Mira clenched her fists. “Hold on!” she called. The sands beneath their feet shifted, hardening into stone pathways to steady their advance. Meanwhile, Elaine stayed at the rear, weaving strong currents of wind to disperse the relentless sandstorm. The battlefield began to clear—but Frostspire was already countering.
Their leader, a tall girl with silver hair, smirked. She summoned a colossal wolf of ice. As soon as it appeared, it burst from the ground, its frosty jaws snapping as it lunged toward Jace and Aaron.
“Mira, now!” Jace shouted.
For a tense second, Mira hesitated. The screen zoomed in on her—0% damage output recorded so far—and she froze. What if she messed up? But Jace’s calm voice broke through. “We trust you, Mira. Do it.”
Her resolve solidified. She transformed the sand beneath the construct into a quagmire, dragging the wolf to a grinding halt. “Your move!” she shouted.
Jace and Aaron moved in unison. Lightning danced along Jace’s arms as he vaulted over the creature, driving his lightening bolt into its icy skull. Aaron followed with an explosive barrage of fireballs, shattering the construct. The Frostspire leader staggered back, momentarily stunned.
Elaine seized the opportunity. With the help of her surrounding sand, she created a massive sandstorm, tearing into Frostspire’s defensive lines and sending the enemy’s damage percentage plummeting. Mira followed up, trapping two of the opponents in a pit of shifting sand, and skewing the battle heavily in her team’s favor.
Jace and Aaron wasted no time, eliminating the remaining opponents with a synchronized combination of lightning and flame. Frostspire’s damage percentage bar bottomed out. The silver-haired leader tried to rally, but a final, precise bolt of lightning from Jace ended the battle decisively.
The crowd erupted in applause as we exited the battlefield, victorious.
Back in our team quarters, Mira dropped onto the nearest couch, a rare grin lighting up her face. “We did it,” she said softly, more to herself than anyone else.
“Your teamwork and your use of the terrain was excellent. Good job everyone!” I said with a smile.
Jace smirked. “I knew playing in the sand would be fun.”
Aaron groaned while retching. “Speak for yourself. I think I swallowed half the desert.”
Elaine giggled. “At least it wasn’t quicksand, or else Mira and I would have had a lot of work to do.”
Mira looked thoughtful. “The Frostspire team was stronger than I expected. If the other teams are like that, we’ll need to work harder.”
“Exactly,” I said. “Today was a strong start, but don’t let it go to your head. The terrain trials will only get harder from here.”
The group nodded, their earlier confidence slightly tempered by the reality of the competition.
