Manifest Fantasy

“Begin.”

Henry took a breath as Kelmithus’ words faded from his earpiece. He fell into the center of Alpha Team’s wedge, moving forward alongside his team.

As he stepped into the makeshift battlefield, he somehow felt almost… excited. Nervous, perhaps, but excited for sure. This wasn’t the Ranch or Olympus – no OpFor here, just a couple of magic-slingers who could probably turn him into a frog if he fucked up. Well, it wasn’t a spell he’d ever learned about or seen, but hey, who was he to say what magic was capable of?

He couldn’t help but snort at the absurdity of it all as they cleared the entryway ahead. Here they were, decked out in cutting-edge gear, about to play magical paintball. It was a bit of a surprise; he had actually expected simmunition, but it seemed paintball was more palatable to the locals – apparently most were pretty wary about having realistic guns pointed at them. If only his old drill sergeant could see him now.

But as ridiculous as it felt, he knew they weren’t here to just fuck around. Those Nobian assassins had been crafty bastards, sure, but they were killers first, magic-users second. The bandits? Hardly worth the ammo. Arran and Kelmithus? Now these guys were the real deal – mages trained from the ground up to fight with magic alone. And maybe a sidearm in Kelmithus’ case. Either way, it was time to lock in and see if all those mind-numbing lectures on magical theory would hold up in the field.

Past the entryway was a large arena. It was hard to get a sense of the scale just from the ground level, but he could tell the Archmage’s efforts weren’t just for show. It wasn’t quite like Olympus’ killhouses, but it was damn solid for something that was cooked up in a few minutes. Low walls of packed earth snaked across the field, forming crude rooms and corridors. Past the plaza ahead, boulders and scrubby vegetation broke up the landscape, providing a mix of hard cover and concealment. The whole setup was a far cry from the flat clearing they’d walked in on.

Ron moved up, crouching behind a waist-high wall ahead. He scanned the half-formed archway at 2 o’clock, confirming it was clear. Good. That would’ve been quite the spot for Arran to pop out and start slinging spells. Ryan had the right flank, shooting back another confirmation for the corridor stretching from 10 to 11. Yeah, they’d probably want to avoid that if they couldn’t find Arran with the drone – potential choke point.

Henry’s nose twitched at the earthy smell of freshly moved dirt. He would’ve loved to say it reminded him of his parents’ garden, but there was one memory that took the forefront – those earth roots. Probably wouldn’t be an issue with Arran, given the kid wasn’t quite on Kelmithus’ level, but the possibility remained.

Perimeter secured, Henry allowed himself a moment to breathe. He caught the Doc’s eye, nodding toward him. The Doc knew what came next, already reaching for the drone.

With just a touch of a button, the Black Hornet’s rotors spun up. It rose from Dr. Anderson’s palm, hanging in the air for a split second before zipping upward. Man, no matter how many times he saw it, the little piece of tech never failed to impress. Hell, having one could’ve saved an arm and a leg many times over for lots of guys he’d talked to.

His IVAS pinged as the drone’s feed came online. The top-down view replaced his minimap – a whole new perspective on their makeshift arena. From up there, Kelmithus’ handiwork was even more apparent. He scanned through the feed – no movement, no defenses, no sign of Arran. Doc must’ve seen the same lack of Arran, since he switched to thermals. And there it was, near a cluster of boulders about 80 meters out, concealed by an alcove of earth. One heat signature, humanoid, crouched low: Arran.

A new ping popped up on Henry’s HUD – Dr. Anderson marking Arran’s position. Looked like the kid was planning an ambush. With magic traps? He’d have to get closer to check for EMF readings, but even then, they wouldn’t be accurate enough to point out specific traps – only enough to warn him that there was some spell in the area. Oh, how he wished Lamarr could MacGyver an EMF sensor onto the Black Hornet, but that sounded more fantastical than the real magic he’d seen.

Now, options. What could they do here? A direct approach was out of the question, and the possibility of magic traps around those boulders remained extremely high. Chances are, Arran probably only had the time to lay down traps in his immediate vicinity; they'd have to engage him at range.

Flanking was the obvious choice, but obvious didn't always mean wrong. If they could draw Arran's attention in one direction while maneuvering around... yeah, that could work. Ryan was their best shot, and those low walls to the left offered decent cover for a flanking route. Meanwhile, the rest of his team could cover all the angles around that boulder.

It was impossible to predict how Arran would react, but it was the simplest option.

Henry highlighted a path for Ryan on his HUD then pointed at the man, fist with thumb down, then left. Ryan blinked once, a slight nod. Message received.

Henry tapped his own chest, flat hand push forward, twice. He was gonna draw fire from a mage. Not exactly standard infantry school stuff, but hell, when had anything about this world been standard?

For Ron, Isaac, and Dr. Anderson – hand raised, fingers spread, then a sweeping motion outward. They’d disperse, spreading out to cover multiple angles.

Movement confirmed that they got the memo. Henry allowed Ron to take point as they crept forward, using the walls and terrain to mask their approach.

Henry laid down by a shrub for concealment while everyone else skulked around the edges like they were prepping to get the jump on Bin Laden. Was it overkill? Yeah, probably. Against a mage? Well, no such thing as overkill.

The closer they got to those boulders, the more his skin tingled. Reminded him of static before a lightning strike, only constant. The EMF readings on his HUD ticked up as they approached. Ambient mana, or Arran building up charge for a spell? Tough to say. This region was after all ground zero for the duel earlier.

He glanced to the left. Couldn’t see Ryan past the walls and obstacles, the Black Hornet above confirmed he was in position and ready. Now, to draw Arran out and get him to commit. What better way than a little misdirection?

Henry pulled the trigger, sending three paintballs flying toward Arran. Bright splotches splattered against the right boulder.

Arran took the bait almost immediately. He rounded the boulder, exposing his entire body as he prepared to fight back. Amateur move. Well, in terms of positioning. The instant firebolts that formed over his head suggested a different kind of expertise, though not quite enough to make up for everything else.

A rapid succession of pops came from the left – Ryan, right on cue. Arran sent the firebolts upward, raising his hand as he recognized the hits.

“Target neutralized,” Ryan announced.

Arran stepped out. “Well played, Alpha Team.”

Surprisingly, they didn’t even get to apply what they’d learn from Kelmithus. Half an hour of wargaming against a mage wasn’t nearly enough to say for sure, but it looked like their basic tactics were enough for most magic users – no surprise there considering their performance against the bandits and Nobians.

A part of him had expected – maybe even hoped for – some spectacular magical duel. But this? This was better. Still, Henry knew better than to get cocky. One successful little bout didn’t mean they had it all figured out. Phase 1 was just the warm up. Kelmithus would have tougher challenges in store, guaranteed.

“Thus concludes Phase One,” the Archmage said. “A commendable showing. Now, steel yourselves for a change in the field of battle.”

The ground began to tremble as the low walls and pseudo-structures sank back into the ground. Henry tilted his head to the left, directing his team back to the tents while Kelmithus spent some time restructuring the arena.

The field warped and twisted, spitting out buildings like a 3D printer on steroids. The mapping software on his IVAS struggled to keep up, error messages flashing as it tried to process the impossible.

The general layout was simple enough – recreation of the middle-class section of Eldralore’s market district, complete with almost a dozen buildings and a central square. He caught a few glimpses of unique features before the walls came up completely. The four-story in the middle? Perfect overwatch position. The narrow alleys through the main promenade? Dangerous choke points.

Kelmithus wasn’t done yet, but Henry had seen enough to know what he wanted to do. “Yen, Doc – you two on overwatch. The four-story in the main square looks like it’ll have good sight lines for most of the arena.”

Henry gave a quick nod to Ryan and Ron. “Tight triangle formation. Owens, you're point. Hayes, left flank. I'll take right and rear. Three meter dispersion, ready to break on my signal. Ron, you're primary breach. Let us know if you see any tells. We’ll leave the center once the minimap’s updated.”

The rumbling stopped, the last of the buildings solidifying into place. Kelmithus’ voice carried across their headsets. “Alpha Team, preparations for Phase Two are complete. Are you prepared?”

Henry looked back at the hill. The Archmage didn’t seem tired at all. Or if he was, he showed no sign of it. “Yup. We’re ready.”

“Thirty minutes for this phase. Begin.”

Ron took point as they entered the conjured district. Surprisingly, their boots barely kicked up dust; though freshly formed, the earthen streets had been compacted enough to mimic the real deal. No sound but their own movement as they pushed through – the magical construct was a dead zone, devoid of the ambient noise one would expect in a real urban environment.

They made for the central structure, a four-story cube of packed earth that would give Isaac and the Doc the vantage they needed. No sign of Arran so far.

“Yen, Doc,” Henry said as they reached the entrance. “Get topside and start your sweep. Radio when you’re set.”

They watched the main square in the meantime. Again, no sign. Seemed like the kid wasn’t interested in the primary POI, probably plotting an ambush somewhere in the tighter areas. He wouldn’t be surprised if Arran had anticipated they’d take the tower in the middle; that would narrow down the search areas to blind spots where the local architecture blocked lines of sight from Isaac’s position.

“Minimap should be updated.” Dr. Anderson’s words accompanied the shift in their HUDs.

Perfect. Henry nodded to Ron and Ryan. “Let’s move. East side first. We’ll go counterclockwise.”

They spread into their wedge, Ron at the helm, Henry and Ryan on the flanks. The buildings around the main square looked pretty normal, but as they started their search along the roads not taken, something felt off.

Henry’s eyes narrowed. Yeah, he knew exactly what was off. Windows. Fucking windows everywhere. Every cube of packed earth was riddled with them, from ground level to the top floors. There were even some diagonal ones, likely positioned adjacent to staircases. It was an infantryman’s nightmare, a shooting gallery where they were the ducks.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Ryan spat. The man sounded half amused and half annoyed.

Yeah, that was exactly how Henry felt. Probably Ron too, based on his sigh. He had to hand it to Kelmithus – the old mage sure knew how to make things interesting.

His gaze shifted from the windows to the layout of the streets. Shit. As if the windows weren’t enough. The Archmage hadn’t just given them a thousand potential sniper nests – he’d funneled them into a killing zone. The road ahead was barely wide enough for two men to walk abreast, hemmed in by the sides of the buildings. No side entrances, no alternate routes. Just one long, narrow corridor of certain death if Arran decided to open up from any of those windows.

It was straight up urban warfare nightmare fuel. Henry suppressed a grim chuckle. Kelmithus might not have combat experience, but the crafty bastard was a real quick learner. Just a few weeks with them and he already knew how to create THE tactical clusterfuck. It’d be a pain in the ass, but that was the point, wasn’t it? This wasn’t some half-assed training ground; hell, this wasn’t even the real deal. It was worse: stress inoculation at its finest.

Part of him wanted to groan at the challenge. The rest of him? Well, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t looking forward to it. Getting through a worst-case scenario was pretty exciting.

Looked like this road was clear. “Yen, sitrep.”

“All quiet up here,” Isaac replied. “No movement on the skyline.”

“Drone’s coming up empty too,” Dr. Anderson added.

The fake town was quiet as a tomb. They couldn’t take too long, either, since they had a time limit. 30 minutes was more forgiving than the first phase’s 15, but not nearly enough to carefully clear out all the buildings. More than enough if they just walked along the fatal funnels and didn’t bother with each and every room.

It was only a matter of time before Arran showed up on one of the windows. Why hide away in a corner for a stalemate when he could get easy pickings from one of the million windows?

It didn’t take too long to be proven right. Ron slipped into a doorway, taking cover. Henry and Ryan instantly imitated Ron’s move. “Second to last building on the left, second story windows.”

Sure enough, there was a flicker of movement – a shadow. Now, if there was one saving grace about the layout of the district, it was the fact that the entrances worked both ways. One way in, one way out.

The big question now: had Arran seen them? If he hadn’t, they might have a chance to approach undetected. But if he had…

Henry couldn’t be sure. They couldn’t afford uncertainty.

“Alright,” Henry decided. “Hayes, suppression. Owens, we’re bounding. Stick to the left, come up on his blind spot. Let’s move.”

Ryan opened up with a volley from his paintball marker, splattering the windows ahead. Whether by inexperienced surprise or deliberate awareness, Arran immediately responded. Fog rolled in faster than he could react, engulfing them in seconds. Well, so much for breach and clear.

“We’ve lost visual,” Isaac said. “Fog’s too thick. You’re on your own down there.”

Shit, there went the sniper support. “Yup. Doc, bring that drone closer; park it at the intersection ahead of us.”

He strained his ears, listening for any sound that might point to Arran’s position. It was nothing compared to the Nobian assassins back at GB-2. No invisibility magic here, no silent footsteps. Just fog. And unlike those assassins, Arran couldn’t hide his body heat. Nor could he hide the disturbances in this mist as he moved. It was nothing they couldn’t handle, but still dangerous if they got sloppy.

“Nothing on infrared,” Dr. Anderson reported. “He must still be inside.”

They approached the doorway, stacking up on either side. Couldn’t really pie corners with all the fog. It sucked, but there was still a time limit.

Ron moved in first. He barely cleared the doorway before he hit the deck, landing on his back and keeping his weapon trained toward the room ahead. Henry joined him, using the doorframe as partial cover as he leaned in.

A bolt of energy – probably some sort of stunning spell from Arran – sizzled through the space where Ron’s torso had been a split second earlier. Henry opened fire at the direction where the spell came from.

“Oh.” Muffled surprise confirmed at least one hit had found its mark.

A light gust of wind cleared the fog. “Well played.” Arran raised his hands in surrender.

They stepped out of the alley and into the main square, allowing Kelmithus to prepare for the next phase. They’d won this round, sure, but the margin was a bit too close for comfort. If it had been a version of Ron – or anyone else in Alpha Team for that matter – with magic, they probably would’ve been cooked. A mage with no experience in urban warfare? Easy pickings. A mage with even a modicum of experience? That’d be a real issue.

If anything, the whole ordeal taught him one important thing: they were missing a ballistic shield. He’d have to ask for a couple from Chief Cole to stuff in the Holding Cart, at least until they could get their hands on and test one of the local shields. Ballistic shields sure were great against bullets and arrows, but if he recalled correctly, he figured a shield made from Vorikha materials or voidstone would work better against magic-based attacks.

He eyed the Archmage, then glanced at the map he was building. It was shaping up to be an indoor facility about the size of a small mall, one where such a shield would’ve come in handy. Of course, the walls sprung up first. Bit unfair that Kelmithus would know the layout and they wouldn’t. But hey, stress inoculation, right? Plenty of ops where they’d gone in blind.

Kelmithus didn’t take too long. Once he finished construction, he approached them by the entrance. “Harken, for I would set forth a condition ere we commence. In the phases to come, you shall rely only on your helmets and the drone. All other tactical equipment are henceforth prohibited.”

Damn. No smoke grenades or flashbangs, then. Slight handicap, but nothing they couldn’t work around. IVAS and comms were still available to them, which was the important part.

“Understood. We’re ready.”

“Very well.” Kelmithus walked into the facility, disappearing past the entryway as he no doubt made his way to his respective starting point. Took a couple minutes, but his voice finally popped up again. “Thirty minutes. You may begin.”

The entryway opened into a narrow corridor that, by the 20 meter mark, split into three tunnels. From what Dr. Anderson could tell, all three converged 30 meters ahead into what looked like a chamber. The initial corridors had low ceilings, about a story. As their drone progressed, the space opened up. Some areas stretched upwards to 5 or 6 meters, with a visible second level. No clear choke points aside from the tunnels, but plenty of blind corners and crevices along the way.

The two-story space itself reminded him of the expanses within a castle, complete with a large staircase. Past it, chambers of varying sizes dotted the layout. Some were the size of living rooms while others opened into multi-story spaces with balconies and overlooks. Among these, one stood out – a cavern-like space that must’ve been near the center of the complex. Interestingly, the highest floor had lines of sight throughout most of the makeshift facility. Perfect spot for a sniper.

The journey there was easy enough, but between the initial drone scouting and the actual transit, they’d already used up 10 minutes. They covered about half of the facility, leaving 20 minutes for the other half plus scoring on Kelmithus. It was time to explore the T-junction ahead. Isaac’s vantage point up top showed a lot, but not quite where the left and right paths led to.

They probably could use the drone itself to map out the rest of the facility, but it’d be cutting it close. Though, it seemed like they didn’t need to.

“Movement on the right path,” Dr. Anderson corroborated what Henry just saw.

“Send the drone ahead. Hayes, Owens.” He tilted his head toward the path.

They consolidated into the same triangle formation they used in the second phase, Ron at the point. As they approached the junction, Henry caught sight of a sliver of stained gray – Kelmithus’ protective gear. He moved around the corner, seemingly unaware of their presence.

He didn’t think it’d be this easy, but hey, it wasn’t implausible that he made a mistake. The moment Ron peeked around the corner, he sent a burst of paintballs at the target. Instead of the satisfying splat of a hit, they passed right through. The figure subsequently shimmered and vanished like smoke.

“Illusion,” Ron muttered.

Before Henry could process this, movement flickered in his peripheral vision. Two more Kelmithuses appeared, one at the end of the left path and one straight ahead from their position. Both were moving, one appearing to cast a spell while the other ducked behind cover.

He immediately shot at the one behind them to the left path. Another fizzle and puff of smoke. Another illusion. Ryan confirmed that his target had been an illusion as well.

“Captain, the illusions didn’t have any heat sigs,” Dr. Anderson informed.

Henry nodded. Switching to infrared would be smart. It was a great callout, but time was already halfway up. Where was the real Archmage while they chased shadows?

The other copies they encountered walked through doorways, hid in corners, pretended to charge at them, and generally mimicked human movements, but it seemed that was all they could do. From the looks of things, they couldn’t actually cast spells or interact with physical objects. They had no physical or magical presence. They weren’t threats, just distractions.

If there was one thing he was certain of, it was that Kelmithus was waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. They could spend the rest of the time running circles to no avail, or they could take the bait. The more disadvantageous their position, the more likely it was that Kelmithus would swoop in for the kill.

It was a shitty plan, but with time running low and Kelmithus anywhere on the field, it would have to do. “New plan,” Henry announced. “We’re gonna chase one of the illusions. Make it look good.”

Ron nodded, sprinting ahead toward the Kelmithus decoy on the right. Henry and Ryan fell in behind him.

The illusory Archmage led them on a merry chase, always just out of reach. Henry played the part, deliberately missing shots like a stormtrooper just to sell the act. To Kelmithus, it would hopefully look like they were falling for the trap hook, line, and sinker.

“Dead end ahead,” Anderson warned. “Narrow passage, opens into a small chamber with a lot of pillars. One other exit.”

Perfect. Henry grinned. “Yen, you got eyes?”

“Affirmative,” Isaac replied. “But it’s a tight angle. Can’t see the corners. You’re gonna have to draw him toward the main entrance or out the side.”

“Copy.” Henry pushed forward. Kelmithus was in here; there was no doubt about it. But… he couldn’t see him. He wasn’t behind any of the pillars.

Right then, he heard the telltale sign of earth magic – the crackling of rocks, coming from above. Ron dodged instantly, rolling to take cover by a pillar. Henry followed, jumping toward his own pillar right as a series of shards bombarded the ground.

“Fuck!” Ryan hissed. “Lost a shield!”

It was a nasty ambush, but not one they didn’t expect. Kelmithus stood on an outcropping of rock, a small foothold that was connected to the structure itself. It slid down one of the pillars before landing with equal gentleness and quickness.

Kelmithus leapt off, three moving walls of earth forming around him as he descended. The best they could do was suppress the Archmage; there was no chance their paintballs were ever gonna penetrate those barriers.

The moving walls’ surfaces bubbled before launching more earthen shards, completely suppressing them behind the pillars. At the same time, the ground beneath them began to liquefy, threatening to sink them ankle-deep in quicksand. Talk about getting caught between a rock and a hard place. Or in this case, a soft place. They had to do something.

Not willing to risk getting caught by the quicksand, Henry burst from the side, pelting Kelmithus’ position with a barrage of paintballs. Ron and Ryan followed suit without hesitation, syncing perfectly as they struck the Archmage’s barriers from multiple angles.

Kelmithus’ earth walls shifted rapidly, trying to block incoming fire from all directions. With three separate – and moving – attack vectors, he certainly couldn’t cover them all and the accuracy of his shard counterattacks showed. This was it. That divided attention, that split second lapse in judgment was all Isaac needed.

A single shot splattered against Kelmithus’ shoulder. The Archmage froze, the earthen walls crumbling around him. He raised his hand, calling the hit before congratulating them. “Most commendable. I trust your prowess in the final trial shall prove equally remarkable.”

Huh, the old man actually sounded impressed. Henry bit back a smirk. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Well, not the fact that they’d be going up against the near-pinnacle of magic with only paintball guns. That was definitely not something to look forward to. Seeing what was possible, though? Seeing just how far their tactics could go? Now that was something he could look forward to.

“Pray, would you clear the area?” Kelmithus tapped his staff on the ground, causing the structures to flow back into the earth.

Right. Henry jerked his head towards the sidelines. Once he and his team were back at the tents, Kelmithus raised his staff to begin construction on the fourth and final map.

“So,” he turned to the others. “Thoughts?”

“That was bullshit.” The words came out of Ryan’s mouth like he was just waiting to say it. “Wouldn’t be down a shield if it weren’t for that spellcrap.”

Ron chuckled. “Yeah, bruh. No kidding. How the hell we supposed to counter that? What if he just makes an earth dome around hismelf? No shot our paintballs are gonna do shit.”

Anderson’s face said it all: it was one hell of an uphill battle. And if the third phase was a simple hill, the last phase would probably be Mount Everest. “It does seem rather… stacked against us.”

Henry sighed. Yeah, he didn’t like the odds either, but… “I’m sure Kel’s factoring that in. He wouldn’t set up an impossible scenario. This is more about y’know, adaptability. Stress test. I’m sure he’s not interested in our ability to punch through solid rock.”

“Fair point,” Ron said.

The rumbling earth finally stilled – that was a bit quick. Kelmithus’ voice came through their earpieces, “The final arena is prepared. Alpha Team, are you ready?”

“Yeah,” Henry responded. “Let’s do it.”

“Very well. You may begin.”

Henry signaled the team forward. The structure’s exterior was similar to the previous map – just a large cube with straight walls. The interior, just as similar. Natural light filtered in through holes in the roof, their positioning speaking volumes about Kelmithus’ tactical thinking. The lights covered the main walkway and possibly other open spaces throughout the rest of the structure, whereas hidden corners remained dark. In other words, they couldn’t see the enemy, but the enemy could sure as hell see them.

“Lighting’s ass,” Ron pointed out.

“Yeah.” Henry switched to night vision. The world shifted to crisp black and white, as the phosphor tubes activated. Better contrast and depth perception compared to the green murk they used to have, but it still felt like looking through a high-end security camera.

Kelmithus had to know the light – or lack thereof – wouldn’t be a problem. So what was his play? Force them to use night vision? Henry looked up. The light pouring through the hole in the ceiling blazed through the IVAS’ night vision, making everything else fade into deep shadows.

Seemed Ryan had the same idea. “Better to use flashlights.”

It was the better of their alternatives. Flashlights carried an increase risk of exposure, but it was preferable to getting a bedsheet pulled over their heads and getting skullfucked by one of Kelmithus’ traps.

They secured a small antechamber of sorts near the entryway. It reminded him of the lobby in the Baranthurian site. Packed dirt walls surrounded them, the only other exit a single corridor that stretched ahead.

“Doc.”

Dr. Anderson deployed the Black Hornet. It zipped down the corridor, its feed populating Henry’s HUD. As it explored more of the map, it became obvious why the lobby felt so similar – the entire place must’ve been modeled after a Baranthurian facility. That aside, there was one other thought, this one much more pressing.

Oh great, another CQB shitshow. He couldn’t say he didn’t expect this, but it still didn’t change the fact that he hated what he saw: tight corridors, glorified closets that would probably go for $3,000 a month in New York, earthen barriers, and all manner of corners and blind spots that just made him feel bad for Ron. Well, and wish again for a ballistic shield.

The first few rooms off the main corridor were barren, save for half-hearted attempts at cover – little more than lumps of packed earth masquerading as furniture. Kelmithus hadn't wasted much effort here.

The more the drone pushed in, the more the details sharpened. Complex room layouts with tight chokepoints and barriers, better-defined shapes. Then, bingo. The drone's camera panned across a room that practically screamed ‘boss fight’. A tight chokepoint entrance opened into a space cluttered with eerily human-shaped mounds of earth. And there, tucked behind it all, a flash of stained gear.

Henry’s jaw clenched. This wasn’t a challenge – it was a fucking invitation. Kelmithus might as well have painted a giant ‘X’ on the floor.

“Well, that’s not obvious at all,” Henry muttered. “That’s gotta be the target room. Kel ain’t hid–”

A brilliant flash filled the drone’s feed, followed by a black rectangle emblazoned with ‘NO SIGNAL’.

“Well, he certainly isn’t hiding at all,” Dr. Anderson said.

It was a trap, but one they couldn’t move around. The rules were simple – neutralize Kelmithus or fail the phase. Sure, it’d be tough without equipment, but breaching was breaching. No point in overthinking it. “Yeah. Let’s move.”

It was a straight shot through. Of course, they still pied each room as a courtesy, in case Kelmithus managed an upgraded illusion trick. They found nothing. Kelmithus was serious about wanting that fight.

They eventually came across the final room, Ron covering the left angle while Ryan covered the right. No shots from within, even as they peeked.

Kelmithus must be crouched behind one of the many rows of barriers. All Henry could see were those earthen mounds, which only looked even creepier up close. He glanced at the EMF readings on his HUD. Completely normal, despite the elevated ambient mana. The decoys themselves didn’t seem to radiate any mana.

“No cores,” Ron said, weapon trained on one of the decoys.

Henry recalled their test back at the Adventurer’s Guild. “No cores, so we don’t have to worry about golems?”

“Don’t think so.”

Henry sighed. Without access to any other gear, their options were severely limited. “We’re just gonna have to sweep the rows.”

Ron and Ryan went in first, clearing their respective corners. Henry followed suit, covering the central aisle. The first row was empty, save for a bunch of Kelmithus statues in various positions, all taking aim at the door with dirt staffs. No heat sigs among them.

They cleared the first row of barriers, starting to move onto the second row. Then Henry heard it.

“Hark, earth beneath. Gather into cylinders, then compact with great pressure. Bond and harden as the finest steel…”

Shit, an incantation, and a bit of a long one at that. Let the old man finish and deal with whatever spell he conjured? Or rush in, risk the trap, but maybe disrupt the cast? What if he was doing the same trick he did against the Nobians? What if this was a powerful new spell and he actually needed an incantation to cast it?

Fuck it. Risk, reward. “Push! Stop the spell!”

Henry pushed forward, marker up. Sounded like he was in the far corner, the furthest Kelmithus could possibly be from the entrance. No grenades to throw, and no peeking Archmage to take a shot at from this range. He needed to get to the final row for line of sight.

“... Lesser motes, compress and taper. Form yourselves as rounded arrowheads…”

Whatever Kel was cooking up, it was taking its sweet time. And from the sounds of cylinders and rounded arrowheads, it was probably a new spell inspired by their guns. Impressive, but also horrifying. Talk about cultural contamination gone wrong.

“Clear,” Ron called from up ahead, darting past the second row of barriers.

Henry kept his sights on Kelmithus’ little corner, ready to advance alongside Ron when –

“Fuckin’ bollocks! It’s the statues! They’re animated and hostile!”

Doc? Henry whipped around, coming face-to-face with one such statue throwing a haymaker at him. He ducked instinctively, the packed earth fist whistling over his head. His marker came up, squeezing off two quick shots center mass. The statue’s chest erupted in a spray of paint and dirt before crumbling to the ground like a sandcastle hit by a wave.

Holy shit. These were the dirt piles they’d ignored. Moving. Twisting. Throwing hands, of all things. Lumps of earth stretching into something way too human-like for comfort. But how? They didn’t have cores, for fuck’s sake. That’s why they’d dismissed them in the first place.

“Doc’s down a shield!” Isaac reported.

Fantastic. As if the Archmage’s casting wasn’t enough of a headache. They couldn’t let the constructs stop them, though. Who knew how screwed they’d be if Kelmithus managed to complete his incantation.

“We’re cutting through!” Henry ordered.

They got past the fourth row of barriers, somehow. Halfway to Kelmithus. But how the hell were they supposed to keep fighting this swarm? Take one of the statues down and three more seemed to replace it. It helped that they were pretty fragile, but there were just too damn many of them.

“Magic bullshit…” Henry heard Ryan mutter.

No kidding. Henry ducked under a wild swing, then drove his elbow into the attacker’s face. The thing’s head just… disintegrated. Okay, that was kinda satisfying. This wasn’t something they could keep up forever though.

“... Fyrite, gather beneath the motes…”

“EMF’s rising,” Ron said.

Not much time left. Where had he heard ‘fyrite’ before? Shit, was it when Sera talked about blasting a Ravalisk sky high?

“... Flame, erupt with furious might. Ignite within these earthen chambers…”

The ground quivered beneath his boots just as he bolted past the fifth row and entered the sixth. It was so subtle, a faint vibration that would have otherwise been easy to miss if not for Kelmithus’ training earlier. It was hard to believe that Kelmithus was really throwing this at them while controlling the statues and crafting a new spell. Tier 9 was no joke.

“Jump! Roots!”

Henry sprang into the air as the ground exploded beneath him. Damn dirt tentacles everywhere, writhing like something out of a hentai nightmare. He twisted, feeling one brush his calf. Too close. He hit the ground hard, rolling to disperse the impact before bringing up his marker to dispatch another group of statues.

A strangled yell to his left. Ryan. Henry’s head snapped around just in time to see one of those earthen bastards latch onto the poor guy’s ankle, snaking up his leg faster than he’d seen even in that one anime Ron had him watch. “Fuck! I’m hit!”

Isaac suffered the same fate. Henry caught a glimpse of him thrashing. “Can’t break it!”

Henry looked ahead. “Owens, you good?”

“... Earth and flame, join in wrathful propulsion…”

“Affirm–” Ron cut off his own reply. “Oh sh– GET DOWN!”

“Loose your barrage, Earth Artillery!”

Henry barely had the time to duck under one of the barriers when a deep rumble shook the ground. A hellish shriek filled the air as Kelmithus’ spell tore through the room. The barrier above him exploded, showering him with dirt and rock fragments.

Holy fuck.

A statue to his left caught the full brunt of one of the bullets. It got completely vaporized. No warning, no mercy – it just… ceased to exist. One second it was there, the next it was a rapidly expanding cloud of pulverized earth – or at this point, fine sand.

Apparently that wasn’t the end of it. He took a moment to survey the devastation. Barriers that had seemed solid moments ago were similarly vaporized. Not just the barriers, but the literal walls as well. He could see the next two rooms over from the holes in the walls.

Wait, were their shields even rated for this?

“Anyone hit?” Henry asked.

“Doc’s eliminated and I’m down one,” Isaac replied. “Hayes still holdin’ up.”

Ron turned his head back, taking a look at the faint shimmer around Henry. “Yeah, you’re also down a shield.”

When had that happened? Henry didn’t even remember getting hit. The shrapnel from the exploding walls, maybe?

He didn’t dwell on it. What’s more important was the fact that it was quiet. Kelmithus must be out of ammo.

He risked a peek over the remnants of his cover.

A firebolt over his head forced him back under, but he got all the intel he needed. The earth barrels were falling apart like early railgun prototypes, barely able to sustain that initial volley before getting ripped apart by their own forces. One and done, just like those the DoD’s first attempts at electromagnetic weapons. And the statues? Vaporized by their creator’s own spell. Hooray for friendly fire, as long as it happened on the other side.

With the field clear and Kelmithus’ spell out of juice, it was clear as day. This was it – their window of opportunity.

“He’s dry!” Henry barked. “Move!”

He had already hopped over his shattered cover before the words were fully out of his mouth. The battlefield was an obstacle course of cratered earth and pulverized barriers, but it was sure easier to navigate without a horde of Kelmithus mannequins.

Twenty feet. A leap over a mound of dirt.

Fifteen. Sidestep a small crater.

Ten. Incoming icicles and firebolts. Slide under a partially collapse wall.

Five. Suppressive fire from Ron.

Kelmithus’ eyes widened, staff aimed at Henry as firebolts formed just over his shoulder. Too little, too late. Henry opened fire.

Paint bloomed across Kelmithus’ chest just as three firebolts erupted.

Henry tensed, but the magical projectiles fizzled out halfway, dissipating into harmless sparks and smoke. Kelmithus lowered his staff, his hand rising in the universal ‘I’m out’ signal.

“Well played, Captain,” he said.

“Whew,” Henry let out a breath, lowering his marker. “Thanks. You certainly didn’t make it easy.”

Kelmithus chuckled. “Indeed, it would be a disservice to offer aught but a genuine challenge. One’s mettle is best honed against the most formidable of trials, or so Captain Sinclair spoke of your practices as a warrior.”

With a wave of his staff, the arena began to crumble, sinking back into the earth.

Damn, the sunlight was bright. Henry gestured back to the tents as he shielded his eyes. “Let’s head back for our AAR.”

Ron jogged to catch up with them, something clearly on his mind. “Say, Kel… that Earth Artillery spell was some crazy shit.”

Kelmithus smiled. “‘Some crazy shit’, it was indeed.” Was that pride in his voice? “Rather mana-intensive though, I must admit. It demands simultaneous mastery over earth and fire, not to mention exacting control over myriad projectiles.”

“Sounds draining,” Isaac said, swiping off the dirt from his legs where he got anime’d.

“Verily,” Kelmithus concurred, his prideful smile only growing. “The spell draws inspiration from your firearms, you see. The earth forms both barrel and projectile, while fire and fyrite provide the propulsive force. Where the mechanisms of a gun handle the attack, each process of this spell requires intense focus.”

If that was what a Tier 9 magic user was like, then they were up against some serious threats. Ryan, of course, was already thinking ahead. “How long you reckon you can keep that up?”

“In true combat? My mana capacity permits mayhap ten such attacks of that caliber. Fifteen if I were to be fully rested, and have supplementary artifacts. It is a devastating opening gambit, but not one to be sustained. As you’ve seen, the barrels crumble after but one volley, and the casting time is lengthy.”

“Hmm,” Dr. Anderson mused. “A trade off, then? Proper damage output, but leaves you vulnerable?”

Kelmithus nodded. “In magical combat, as in your means of war, judicious use of one’s resources is paramount. Overreach,” he lifted a statue from the ground before slamming an earth spike into it, “and you may find yourself bereft of defense at a critical moment.”

“Huh. And those decoys?” Henry asked, tilting his head toward the statue that Kelmithus had just demonstrated on. “Didn’t expect them to come to life like that. Thought we had ‘em figured out when we didn’t detect any cores.”

Kelmithus raised up another statue, having it walk alongside them. “A touch of guile oft proves invaluable in combat. While autonomous constructs such as golems require cores, a mage may directly animate and control forms without. It is more taxing, to be sure, but affords great adaptability and the element of surprise.”

Ron whistled low. “No kidding. Damn near took a shield off with that surprise.”

“Advanced magic tactics revolve around diversion – to compel you to contend on multiple fronts at once that you may be overwhelmed.”

Henry took off his helmet as they reached the tents. “Can’t rely on our EMF readings to pre scan for threats, then.”

Kelmithus pointed to a nearby tree and demonstrated. Several acorn-like objects flew from its branches, slamming into a random part of the clearing. “Anything subject to magic can become an extension of a mage’s will. Walls, floors, trees, nay, even the air itself.”

Isaac sighed. “Damn. How are we supposed to keep track of all that?”

Kelmithus stroked his beard. “As it happens, I may have just the thing. Should you wish to learn of such tactics, I could arrange for you to observe training sessions at the Eldralore Academy. We’ve a forthcoming competition that may interest you and your researchers.”

Henry raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”

The Archmage explained, “There, students of diverse disciplines vie, and you’ll see quite the array of spells and techniques. As I shall be busy for the next few weeks, this would provide an excellent opportunity to study various spell types, their tells, and countermeasures. Furthermore, you’d have the chance to observe mages of varying proficiency. It is one matter to face a seasoned Archmage,” he said, pausing, “but quite another to contend with the unpredictability of a novice.”

Ron nodded. “Mhmm. Can’t know what the enemy is thinking if the enemy doesn’t know what he’s thinking.”

“Aptly said,” Kelmithus laughed. “In addition to spectating the competition, I could also arrange for you to sit in on some theoretical classes. Understanding the principles underlying spell construction won’t be very useful without magic, but they may prove insightful nevertheless.”

“Sounds like a solid opportunity.” Henry looked to his team. Everyone seemed interested, excited, or both. “I bet Owens here is already creaming at the thought of it. Say, what does this competition entail anyway?”