“Remember,” Yang warned as the assistants selected which Stone Lurker they would face, “they are ambush creatures. Don’t let their apparent passivity fool you until the end.”
The team entered the designated area, their footsteps echoing in the sudden silence that had fallen over the training field.
Students pressed forward to watch, eager to learn from either success or failure.
The chosen Stone Lurker was released, immediately melting into its surroundings like just another rock.
“Begin!”
Han took the initiative, his spider’s hexagonal patterns rippling across his skin as he moved forward with his spear held at the ready. Sora followed close behind with her shield. Jun covered the flank, his monkey’s markings shifting nervously as he gripped his sword.
“Maintain formation,” Lin suggested from the sidelines. Her experienced eye could already see the gaps in their coordination, the subtle signs of uncertainty in their movements.
The Stone Lurker suddenly sprang to life, rising on its suction-cup feet with shocking speed upon detecting that Jun was smaller than itself.
Its mouth opened impossibly wide, revealing rows of crushing teeth designed to pulverize both stone and bone. The grinding sound of its jaw expanding sent shivers through the watching crowd.
Jun screamed and stumbled backward, his sword shaking violently in his grip.
His monkey’s patterns distorted chaotically with panic, the usual brown markings becoming a jumbled mess that reflected his terror.
The maintained formation shattered like glass.
“Don’t separate!” Han shouted, his spear moving to intercept the Stone Lurker with spider-enhanced precision.
But it was already too late, Jun had retreated too far, breaking the defensive line.
Sora, equally frightened by the creature’s sudden animation, had moved in the opposite direction with her shield, leaving a fatal gap in their defenses.
The Stone Lurker, displaying the predatory intelligence that made its species so dangerous, instantly exploited the separation. It launched itself toward Jun with surprising agility, its stone-covered body somehow fluid in motion.
The boy barely managed to raise his sword, the blade trembling as he faced the incoming mass of animated rock.
Yang intervened with lightning speed, his Behemoth manifesting fully as he caught the Stone Lurker mid-leap. The creature writhed in his grasp, its rock armor grinding against itself, but it was useless against the teacher’s overwhelming strength.
“Enough,” he declared while returning the creature to its cage, its struggles diminishing as it recognized defeat.
“What went wrong?”
“They broke formation at the first scare,” Lin answered. “Only Han maintained his composure, but a team isn’t just one competent member.”
The three students withdrew from the area, their failure weighing heavily on them.
Jun still trembled, his monkey’s markings faded and distorted. Sora stared at the ground, her deer’s manifestation barely visible in her shame.
Only Han maintained his composure, though frustration radiated from his rigid posture.
♢♢♢♢
“Next team!” Yang called out, his voice carrying across the training field. “Jin, Kai, and Cass.”
Jin stepped forward with a predatory smile, his tiger markings gleaming with an almost electric intensity.
Kai flexed his arms, scales catching the morning light like polished jade.
Cass stretched her red eagle wings, the feathers spreading in an impressive display.
‘This group will be different,’ Ren thought while observing from his position. The mushrooms in his hair pulsed as he studied their movements. ‘Jin might be an idiot who falls for traps, but he’s no fool in combat.’
“Choose your weapons,” Lin indicated as Jin’s group approached the arsenal. The variety of training weapons gleamed in the morning light, each designed for different combat styles.
Jin studied the options before selecting a pair of battle caestus, metal-reinforced gloves designed for close combat. His tiger markings flared as he adjusted them, testing their fit with practiced movements.
“No swords, eh?” Kai murmured, selecting a war hammer. His scales reflected light in complex patterns as he tested the weapon’s weight, finding its balance point.
Cass, surprising several observers, took up a shield. “Someone has to keep you alive,” she declared as her red eagle feathers manifested, creating intricate defensive patterns across her arms.
The mushrooms in Ren’s hair pulsed as he observed their formation.
Unlike the previous group, they moved with clear purpose, each understanding their role in the team. Working together, even if just as bullies, had given them an unexpected advantage in coordination.
The assistants released one of the Stone Lurkers.
The creature immediately camouflaged itself, its suction cups gripping the ground as it waited for the perfect moment to strike. Its stillness was almost perfect, only the slightest movement betraying its breathing.
“Begin!” Yang commanded.
Jin and Kai advanced with Cass between them, her shield ready and her eagle’s enhanced vision scanning for any hint of movement.
The Stone Lurker remained motionless, patiently waiting for an opening.
“Keep your eyes open,” Cass murmured.
The Stone Lurker attacked suddenly, its suction cups releasing with a soft pop as it launched itself toward Kai. Its jaws gaped wide, revealing again those rows of grinding teeth designed to crush stone.
But Cass had already anticipated the attack. Her shield intercepted the Stone Lurker mid-leap, her eagle feathers glowing as she absorbed the impact with ease.
“Now!” she shouted while holding the creature against her shield, her enhanced strength keeping it pinned.
Jin and Kai struck from both sides. Jin’s caestus connected with tiger-enhanced force, while Kai’s hammer descended with the full power of his beast behind it.
The Stone Lurker’s outer layer, still not fully hardened due to its youth, began to crack under their coordinated strikes.
The creature attempted to bite, but Cass maintained her shield firmly in place. “Don’t let it breathe!”
Jin and Kai doubled down on their assault. Each impact stripped away fragments of the Stone Lurker’s mineral covering, gradually exposing the vulnerable flesh beneath.
“The edges!” Yang shouted from outside. “Focus your strikes where the stones meet!”
Jin activated his skill, his caestus glowing as he found the weak joints between the mineral plates.
Kai followed suit, his hammer now moving faster as he systematically destroyed the connections with brutal precision.
The Stone Lurker shrieked. It attempted one final desperate attack, its jaws seeking Jin’s leg.
“I don’t think so!” Cass rotated her shield, deflecting the creature into a combined strike from her teammates.
The simultaneous impact of caestus and hammer shattered the Stone Lurker’s remaining defenses.
The creature collapsed, its camouflage dissolving as its body relaxed in death.
“Enough,” Yang declared, though it was unnecessary at this point. “An… effective execution, if somewhat messy.”
“The coordination was decent,” Lin added as assistants removed the body. “But you relied too heavily on brute force. Against an adult Stone Lurker, that strategy would be far less effective.”
Jin shrugged while removing his caestus, but his smile remained fierce. Kai rested his hammer on his shoulder, clearly satisfied, while Cass maintained her mock professional expression despite their success.
‘Brutal but effective,’ Ren thought as his mushrooms pulsed, analyzing the combat. ‘Though teacher Lin is right, that strategy only worked because it was a juvenile. It’s better to target the internal parts.’
“Next team!” Yang called out.