Chapter 97: They had to

The portal's ominous pulsing filled the air with an otherworldly hum, its rhythmic expansion and contraction both hypnotic and terrifying. Levi stood rooted to the spot, his muscles tense and ready for action.

'This really doesn't feel like a simulation,' Levi thought as he took in his surroundings. Everything felt so real that it was hard to believe it was just an illusion.

Beside him, his teammates wore expressions of determination tinged with apprehension. It was clear that everyone wanted to perform well in this training—after all, points from instructors played a crucial role in their advancement to the second year.

Levi's gaze drifted to Lysandra. He had hoped she would recognize him, but it seemed his face wasn't as memorable as he'd thought. She stood at a distance, her silver hair gleaming in the eerie light emanating from the portal, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She appeared incredibly serious, considering this was a simulation.

His eyes then moved to Toby, who was nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot. Ryn's hands were clenched into tight fists at his sides, while Alex stood slightly apart, his gaze darting between the portal and the simulated civilians cowering nearby.

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The tension in the air was palpable, growing with each passing second. Levi could feel the essence within him responding to the charged atmosphere, coursing through his veins like liquid fire.

Without warning, the portal's pulsing intensified. The air around it shimmered and distorted, reality itself seeming to bend and warp. Then, with a sound like tearing fabric magnified a thousandfold, the portal burst open.

'Wow, technology is so amazing,' Levi marveled.

From the gaping maw of the interdimensional tear, a horde of creatures surged forth. They were unlike anything Levi had ever seen or imagined. Each monster was roughly the size of a large dog, but that's where any similarity to earthly creatures ended.

Their bodies seemed to be composed of shifting shadows and gleaming, obsidian-like surfaces. Multiple limbs, somewhere between tentacles and insectoid appendages, propelled them forward with frightening speed. What passed for their heads was a cluster of glowing, multifaceted eyes that darted in all directions independently.

"Scatter!" Lysandra's command cut through the chaos, spurring the team into action.

Levi leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the first wave of monsters. He summoned his essence, feeling it coalesce around his hands in a glow. With a sharp gesture, he sent a bolt of energy towards the nearest creature. The monster shrieked as the essence struck it, its form wavering before dissolving into wisps of shadow.

The dormant monsters were too weak to withstand Levi's power, even though he wasn't using the full extent of it. He simply infused a bit of his essence into his hands and punched at the monsters. Levi realized he was the only one in the group not using any kind of weapon, yet that didn't make him inferior. He cleanly dispatched the monsters with single punches while moving to the next.

However, for every monster Levi managed to dispatch, three more seemed to take its place. The sheer number of creatures pouring from the portal was overwhelming.

'Is this many supposed to come out of the portal?' Levi wondered momentarily as his eyes scanned the simulated battlefield. His teammates were faring no better.

Toby had taken a defensive stance, creating barriers of solidified essence to funnel the monsters away from the civilians. But the creatures were unpredictable, some phasing through the barriers as if they weren't there.

The weight of responsibility pressed down on their shoulders. They had to do better. They had to find a way. Because in the real world, outside this simulation, failure would mean more than just a bad grade. It would mean lives lost, cities destroyed, and humanity pushed to the brink.

With renewed determination, they readied themselves for the next onslaught. They might be struggling now, but they would learn.

They had to.

***

Professor Vale stood atop the observation platform, his keen eyes surveying the chaos unfolding below. The simulation was progressing exactly as he had designed it – challenging, overwhelming, and brutally eye-opening for the young trainees.

He watched as the teams struggled against the tide of shadow creatures pouring from the simulated portal.

And while watching those teams - a particular team caught his eyes.

It was a team let by a silver-haired girl.

Professor Vale squinted his eyes as he observed.

Their individual skills were impressive, he had to admit. The black-haired kid's raw power, the silver-haired girl's precision, and the muscular boy's agility – all showed promise.

But as a team? They were a disjointed mess.

Vale's lips tightened into a thin line as he observed their lack of coordination. This was the crucible that would either forge them into a cohesive unit or break them apart. The real test wasn't about individual prowess, it was about learning to work together in the face of overwhelming odds.

He noted with interest the varying approaches of each student. The black-haired kid's direct, essence-infused attacks were effective but lacked finesse.

The silver-haired girl's sword strikes were impressive but clearly unsustainable. The others were each fighting their own battles, failing to support one another or cover the gaps in their defense.

When the first civilian 'casualty' occurred, Vale felt a pang of sympathy for the shocked expressions on the trainees' faces. It was a harsh lesson, but a necessary one. In real combat, there were no do-overs, no reset buttons. Every mistake could cost a life.

He shook his head at them and just them, another team caught his attention!

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