The squad had been training for a while on the floating islands, but Astro was pacing, clearly hyped.
"Yo, mfana, this chill phase is over. Time to see if all this flexing actually matters," he said, twirling his shadow-light sword.
Tenji cracked his knuckles, aura glowing bright. "Finally, dawg. I've been itching for a real fight."
Hunter checked his holographic interface. "Heads up, squad. The readings just spiked. This planet isn't just empty. It's a trial zone first level, probably set by whoever runs this place. Dangerous stuff incoming."
Phantom melted into a shadow, then reappeared on a floating rock above them. "Bout time. Let's see what these mfana really got."
The Trial Begins
A rumble shook the floating islands. From the shadows, cultivators appeared four of them, glowing with elemental auras. Each looked like they were mid-level cultivators, maybe Level 5-6 in the 12-level hierarchy.
"Fresh meat," one said, smirking. "Let's see how strong you really are."
Astro grinned. "Bruh… they really think they can mess with us?"
No talking. The fight started.
Testing Powers & Teamwork
Astro:
Shadow clones multiplied instantly, each clone striking independently.
Fused light and shadow powers, creating a shockwave that sent enemies flying.
"Try not to get smacked by all this, mfana!" he yelled.
Tenji:
Launched flight bursts, punching enemies mid-air with light-enhanced fists.
Cracked rocks and sent shockwaves across the battlefield. "Big dawg energy engaged!"
Hunter:
Manipulated shadows to trap enemies and control the battlefield.
Used predictive barriers to deflect attacks. "Bruh, strategy > brute force!"
Phantom:
Blinked between shadows, striking from unexpected angles.
Confused enemies with multiple shadow duplicates. "Silent but deadly, dawg," he whispered.
Squad Banter Mid-Fight
Astro dodged a massive fire blast. "Yo, Tenji! Stop punching the rocks like they owe you money!"
Tenji laughed mid-air. "Bruh, it's satisfying!"
Hunter muttered, "Dawg, focus… these guys aren't just fodder. Keep it tight."
Phantom appeared behind an enemy. "Lowkey… they can't even see me coming. Easy."
Unlocking New Abilities
The fight wasn't just about brute strength. The squad had to adapt and push their powers:
Astro learned to combine shadows into a whip-like weapon while firing light projectiles from his sword.
Tenji mastered directional light bursts, making his punches faster and more explosive.
Hunter upgraded his battlefield control, moving multiple objects at once with shadow manipulation.
Phantom could now create multiple shadow merges, attacking simultaneously from different points.
By the end, the enemy cultivators were overwhelmed, barely escaping the squad's teamwork.
Aftermath & Foreshadowing
The squad stood on the cracked floating islands, breathing hard but laughing.
Astro sheathed his sword. "Hell yeah. That's how you test limits."
Tenji flexed. "Big dawg confirmed."
Hunter scrolled through his interface. "Energy readings… they were strong, but we handled it. Still… something tells me the real trials are coming."
Phantom vanished into a shadow. "Dawg, next time, I'm taking the high ground. That was too easy."
Far above, the stars twinkled innocently. But the Hub Goblins and other intergalactic cultivators were paying attention. The squad had officially stepped onto the galactic stage and trouble was coming.