The next morning, Ethan woke to the sound of horns.
Group drills day. He rolled out of bed, muscles stiff from yesterday's sparring. His left shoulder ached—a faint echo from a second-life monster claw that never quite healed right.
He rubbed it absently and grabbed his gear.Breakfast was quick. Bread, eggs, weak tea in the Tier 2 cafeteria. Students around him talked about the drills. Some bragged. Most looked nervous.
Ethan ate in silence, watching Adrian's table from across the room. The Tier 1s laughed loud. Catherine cleaned her nails with a dagger. Elara picked at her food. Seraphina passed bread to first-years.He finished and headed out. The training field was bigger than the arena. Marked off with flags. Instructors yelled orders as groups formed up.
Ethan got placed in a Tier 2 squad. Ten people. Mixed skills. Their leader was a third-year named Roric—big guy, slow but strong. "Stay tight. Cover flanks," Roric said.Across the field, Adrian commanded a Tier 1 team. His voice carried clear.
People listened.The drill started simple. Run formations. Then pass wooden orbs hand-to-hand while jogging. Basic teamwork stuff. Ethan's group fumbled the first few. One kid dropped an orb three times.
Roric cursed."Reset," Ethan said quiet to the kid next to him. "Catch from the wrist, not fingers. Less slip."The kid nodded and did better. Group improved a bit. No one credited Ethan.Then real fighting. Squad vs squad, wooden weapons only. No mana.
First bout: Ethan's team against two Tier 3 groups. Twenty total opponents.Whistle blew. Chaos.A short guy rushed Ethan first—wild overhead swing. Too slow. Ethan stepped left, blade coming up under the guy's armpit. Tap to ribs. Guy grunted and backed off, winded. Real hit would crack bone.
Next was a girl with a staff. She jabbed low at his knee. Ethan jumped it—barely—and hooked her shaft with his sword. Twist. She lost balance, stumbled into her own teammate.Behind him, Roric bellowed and shoved two attackers back. Good power, bad footwork. Their left flank folded fast.
Ethan moved to cover it. A big Tier 3 kid charged him, shoulder down like a bull. Ethan dropped low, rolled his blade flat against the guy's neck as he passed. Tag. Out.The kid swung back blind. Ethan ducked—the wooden edge whistled past his ear. Close. Heart kicked up.
He countered with a quick thrust to the thigh muscle. Solid thump. Kid hopped, cursing.Squad held. Barely. Instructors called it after five minutes.
Ethan's team won by two tags.Roric clapped shoulders. "Not bad." He didn't look Ethan's way.During break, Ethan sat on the grass. Watched Tier 1s. Adrian's team moved like a unit.
Catherine flanked perfect. But Elara lagged on recovery. Her breaths came short again. Yesterday's fix hadn't stuck yet.Seraphina healed scrapes nearby. Her hands glowed soft.
A Tier 2 girl twisted her ankle running up. "Hold still," Seraphina said. Light flowed. Girl flexed her foot, good as new.Ethan's turn next. His squad vs Tier 1 reserves. Tougher. Adrian sat this one out, watching from sidelines.This time they added mana. Low power only. Sparks and small shields.
Whistle. Ethan's group got rushed hard. Roric took a shield bash to the chest—staggered back gasping. Flank opened.Three on Ethan now. Staff girl again, plus two swords. He blocked the first jab, felt the impact jar his wrist. Real pain. Staff girl swung wide.
He parried—wood cracked loud. Her staff split.Sword one came high. Ethan dropped and swept low. Leg tag. Down.Sword two smarter. Feinted twice, then lunged stomach level. Ethan twisted aside, blade slipping on sweat. Tip grazed his side—sharp sting through shirt. Blood welled warm.
He ignored it. Countered with elbow to gut. Air whoofed out. Tag to shoulder.They pushed back. Ethan's arms burned. Lungs tight. A mana spark clipped his leg—numb shock.
He stumbled but kept feet.Roric rallied. "Push!"They held the line. Won narrow.Instructor called end.
Ethan wiped sweat. Side throbbed. Not deep. He'd patch it later.Seraphina walked by with heals. Paused near him. "You okay?""Fine," Ethan said.
Didn't meet her eyes.She nodded and moved on. No push.Adrian clapped from the side. "Good fight." To everyone.Back at dorms, Ethan cleaned the cut. Shallow. Stitched with basic mana thread.
Reminded him of second life—patching gashes alone in ruins. No healers then.Communicator pinged. Lina."Drills today?""Yeah. Took a scratch.""Show!"
He angled the screen. "See? Nothing.""Be careful! Love you.""Love you too."He laid back. Muscles ached real. Good ache.
One more day. Elara's stance would stick soon. Adrian's team stronger indirectly.Progress.