All forty-two cage doors swung open simultaneously with synchronized clicks that echoed through the warehouse like gunshots.
For a heartbeat, nothing moved.
The goblins crept forward cautiously, yellow eyes scanning the transformed humans. They moved differently than Luna expected—not mindlessly aggressive, but wary. Intelligent. Several sniffed the air, their flat noses twitching. One pointed at Luna and chattered something in that grinding-rock language. Another responded, gesturing toward the cluster of armored humans.
They were communicating. Planning. Assessing threats.
Luna felt her perception shift, focusing on the goblin that had pointed at her. Information bloomed in her vision, hovering above the creature like a name tag:
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 2]
The Identify ability had activated automatically, responding to her intent to know more. Luna's gaze swept across the other goblins, and more information appeared:
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 1]
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 1]
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 3]
Most were Level 1 or 2. A handful showed Level 3. And at the back, directing the others—
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 4]
The scarred commander. Higher level, probably stronger, definitely more experienced.
Luna glanced at Derek to test the ability on humans.
[Human Mercenary (Iron) - Level 1]
Then at Marcus:
[Human Knight (Iron) - Level 1]
Iron versus Bronze. Luna knew that iron weapons were considered better than bronze, and steel tramped both. This probably was the logic behind it.
"Oh god," Mia whispered beside Luna. "They're smart. Lu, they're actually smart."
Luna's grip tightened on her bow. She'd been hoping for mindless monsters. Something she could kill without guilt, without hesitation. But looking at the goblins' expressive faces, seeing the fear mixed with desperation in their eyes, watching them form rudimentary tactics—
These were living, thinking creatures.
And she was going to have to kill them anyway.
"Defensive formation!" Margaret called out, her voice cutting through the tension. "Melee fighters, form a circle! Protect the ranged attackers and healers!"
About fifteen people moved into position—those who'd selected warrior-type Classes. Derek with his battleaxe took point, a cruel grin spreading across his face. He also carried a short sword on his hip, and a crossbow attached to his back. His medium armor allowed for mobility while providing solid protection. It seemed that Mercenary was a Class of balance and variety.
Marcus, covered in his gleaming plate armor, raised his shield, face grim but resolute. Steven fumbled with his longsword but managed to get into position beside Marcus. A woman whose armor matched theirs exactly—another Knight—took position on Marcus's other side. The three of them in identical steel plate looked like they'd stepped out of the same armory.
Roger moved to the perimeter with fluid grace. He didn't take an obvious position but seemed to drift between gaps in the formation, ready to strike when the opportunity came.
Others joined the defensive line of the human groups—one led by Jorge, who donned the armor of a Mercenary and wielded a Warhammer—and more Knights and Mercenaries filled in the gaps, creating a rough perimeter.
Behind the barricade of the tables clustered the ranged fighters. Luna with her bow. Sam who turned out to be a wizard. A businessman in blue robes—Wizard with ice affinity.
And the healers: Mia in her white-gold robes, looking terrified but determined. Margaret stood by her side in almost identical robes. A young man who'd selected Cleric stood nearby, his robes simpler but still radiating soft holy light.
It was basic tactics, but it might work.
The goblins seemed to recognize the defensive formation immediately. They spread out, circling like wolves, looking for weaknesses. The Level 4 commander barked orders in its grinding language. The others responded with disturbing coordination.
"They have a commander," Roger observed from his position at the perimeter's edge. "Take him out and they might scatter."
The scarred goblin shrieked.
And forty two goblins charged as one.
Luna's new instincts screamed warnings. Time seemed to slow—not literally, but her perception sharpened to crystal clarity. She could see individual goblins, track their movements, predict their paths.
Her hand moved to her quiver. Fingers found an arrow. Drew and nocked it in one fluid motion, muscle memory a part of which was her own and another granted by the Class.
The nearest goblin was sprinting straight at her position ignoring everyone else, clawed hands reaching, yellow eyes locked on her with predatory focus.
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 2]
Luna drew the bowstring back to her cheek, anchor point perfect. The arrow seemed to hum with power—the Class Form weapon already infused with Mana, responding to her intent without conscious effort. Every piece of her equipment was manifested Mana given physical form. She just had to aim and release.
Luna exhaled and released.
The arrow flew true, trailing a soft green shimmer. It struck the goblin mid-leap—the Aether Shield flickered briefly, resisting, but the arrow punched through the invisible defense with only slight resistance.
The arrow buried itself in the goblin's head, dead center. Perfect bullseye.
The creature flew backwards from the impact, slamming into the concrete five feet away.
It didn't move again.
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 2 defeated]
Satisfaction bloomed in Luna's chest—pure, undiluted, primal. The perfect shot. Every archer's dream, executed flawlessly. Some distant part of her recognized she should feel guilty, should feel horror at taking a life.
But mostly she felt good. Like hitting a bullseye always felt good, except magnified a hundredfold because this target had been moving, leaping, trying to kill her.
The notification appeared in her peripheral vision, transparent enough not to obstruct her sight. She barely registered it. Her hands were already moving—draw, track, release.
A goblin was leaping toward Steven, who stood frozen despite his armor and sword. Luna's arrow took it through the throat mid-flight. The creature crashed down at his feet, choking.
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 1 defeated]
Another perfect shot. Another surge of satisfaction.
Two down in less than five seconds.
Around Luna, the battle exploded into chaos—and almost immediately, she realized this wasn't going to be the desperate struggle she'd feared.
The humans were winning pretty one-sidedly.
"It WORKS!" someone shouted. "The magic actually works!"
Derek's battleaxe swept at a goblin's neck. The blade connected, and the Aether Shield flared, stopping most of the force—but the Mana-enhanced weapon still cut partway through. The goblin shrieked and stumbled back. Derek followed up with another hit, hammering at the same goblin and this time the strike punched through completely, dropping the creature.
Derek laughed, wild and exhilarated. "Two hits! Way better than six shooters!" He spun toward another goblin. "We can actually fight these things!"
Marcus slammed his shield into an attacking goblin. The impact staggered the creature, its Aether Shield absorbing some of the force but not all. Marcus's mace came down on its shoulder—shield flared—another strike, and then another. The third strike to the head broke through and crushed skull. Three hits to kill.
"I'm strong!" Marcus's voice carried shock and wonder. "I'm actually strong enough to—" He blocked another goblin's claws with his shield, then bashed it backward. His mace fell thrice more and the goblin dropped. "This is insane!"
The woman Knight beside him fought with similar effectiveness, her sword hammering at goblin defenses. It took her three or four strikes per goblin just like to Marcus. Steven was slower, more awkward, but when a goblin lunged at him, his sword connected—once, twice, the shield giving way on the third hit. The goblin fell.
"I just killed it!" Steven's voice climbed with shock and wonder. "It took three hits but I actually—" Another goblin charged him. This time his strikes came faster, more confident. Four hits and it was down. "I can do this!"
But killing them wasn't effortless. Every goblin's Aether Shield required multiple strikes to break through. The battles were brief but intense—strike, shield flares, strike again, shield weakens, final strike punches through.
Only Luna's arrows seemed to bypass the shields with minimal resistance. Her Steel-rank weapon cut through Bronze-rank defences far more easily than the Iron-rank humans' attacks. And it seemed that a few levels some of the bigger goblins had on her didn't really matter that much.
Sam thrust his staff forward and a thin jet of purple lightning shot out—maybe seven feet long. It splashed against a goblin's Aether Shield, and the creature shrieked as it was electrocuted. It took several seconds of sustained lightning before the creature finally collapsed.
Sam's eyes went wide. "I have magic! It actually works!" Another goblin pounced at him. He thrust his staff again, pouring lightning onto it. The shield flickered under sustained magical assault, and after five seconds the goblin was a smoking corpse. After seeing that, the other goblins avoided the Wizard.
In the meantime, Luna kept shooting. A goblin charging Marcus—her arrow punched through its Aether Shield and skull. Another trying to flank Roger—arrow through the spine, then another at the head.
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 1 defeated]
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 2 defeated]
Around the battlefield, jubilation grew as people realized they were actually winning. Some were apprehensive over their murders, or avoided battle altogether, but those were an exception rather than the rule.
Roger appeared behind a goblin like a shadow given form. His first knife strike met resistance—the Aether Shield flaring. Second strike in the same spot broke through. Third strike opened the throat. The goblin dropped. Rogues like him moved with uncanny precision and ambushed goblins that were busy dealing with frontliners.
Six goblins broke from the main assault, trying to flank the formation. Luna spotted the maneuver immediately.
"Left flank!" she called out. "Six coming around!"
Her arrows flew. The first goblin—through the eye, shield resisting for a mere moment. Second goblin—through the throat, same result. Third goblin saw her shooting and raised its arms to protect its face—Luna's arrow punched through its chest instead, hurting it but not killing. It rushed at her as another arrow hit him in the heart.
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 1 defeated]
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 1 defeated]
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 2 defeated]
Roger materialized beside the remaining three flankers. His knives flashed—multiple strikes per target, battering through Aether Shields with speed and precision. Two went down. The third turned toward him—Luna's arrow appeared in the back of its skull.
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 3 defeated]
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[Level Up! You are now Level 2]
The power surge hit Luna mid-draw. She gasped as energy flooded her body—brief but intense. Her Mana reservoir slightly recovered and became marginally bigger. She didn't feel the physical difference yet, but something told her it was there.
The transformation lasted less than a second, but she emerged enhanced.
Then she heard the scream.
Luna's attention snapped toward the sound. On the far side of the warehouse, beyond the main battle, three goblins had cornered one of the Wizards—the businessman in blue robes who'd been hanging too far back. He was on the ground, staff knocked away, trying to crawl backward. But the goblins—who, Luna noted, were covered in a thin layer of frost—were already onto him. Without even thinking, she shot—even if they were relatively far, maybe a hundred feet, she still was sure to hit them easily. She steadied her breath, focused, and then released a perfectly aimed arrow.
Except, it didn't matter.
The arrow flew straight, hitting one of the goblins in the temple—but this time, the creature barely flinched. The Aether Shield absorbed the impact completely. The arrow bounced off harmlessly, clattering to the floor.
Luna blinked in surprise.
And then the three goblins swarmed the man, their six claws hitting his Aether Barrier at once—just like the six guns that had claimed one of their own before—shattering it with chilling ease before tearing into his flesh.
Luna's heart dropped as the understanding crystallized. Distance mattered. Her arrows still had kinetic energy at range—they could still injure or kill unarmored targets. But beyond a certain point, they lost something critical. The Mana connection, she guessed. It faded with distance until the arrows became little more than mundane projectiles against Aether Shields.
One hundred feet was far beyond her effective range.
Luna was already moving, sprinting towards the businessman even as the goblins descended on him. Fifty feet, forty-five, forty—
The man's screams cut off abruptly.
"NO!" Mia's voice cracked as she broke from the formation, running in the same direction, her staff glowing.
Luna reached forty feet from the scene—the distance she was sure would work—and drew mid-sprint. Her arrow flew true this time, the green shimmer strong and bright. It punched through the nearest goblin's skull, dropping it instantly.
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 2 defeated]
But she was too late.
The businessman lay in a spreading pool of blood, his blue robes torn and soaked crimson. His chest was a ruin of claw marks. His Class Form flickered weakly, then vanished entirely as his eyes went vacant.
The two remaining goblins turned toward Luna, chattering angrily. Luna's second arrow took one through the throat. The third caught the last goblin as it tried to flee, punching through its back and into its heart.
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 1 defeated]
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 2 defeated]
Luna knew better than to lament the death of a stranger when the battle wasn't over yet, but with Mia rushing towards the corpse she couldn't just leave her be. If anything, protecting her best friend was a priority, and the nearest goblin was outside of her now roughly estimated range. Besides, humans were winning spectacularly, now more than half of the goblins were gone—twelve of which claimed by herself. The battle was all but won.
Mia reached the body and fell to her knees beside it, her staff already glowing with healing light. "No, no, no—" Her voice cracked as the magic washed over the torn flesh, trying desperately to knit wounds that were far too severe.
Luna positioned herself between Mia and the ongoing battle, bow ready, scanning for threats within her effective range. Her friend needed these few seconds to accept the truth, even though Luna already knew it was hopeless.
"He's gone, Mia," Margaret's voice cut through as she appeared beside them, calm and clinical. The older woman knelt and gently closed the businessman's vacant eyes. "Healing doesn't work on the dead. Back to the formation. Someone else may need healing."
Luna pulled Mia to her feet. Her friend's face was streaked with tears, hands shaking. "I should have been faster—"
"You would have died too," Luna said quietly but firmly. "He was too far from protection. That's not your fault."
It's mine. Luna's dark thoughts were left unsaid. If she had known of her range limit beforehand, perhaps she'd have been fast enough. She also realized that she had a way to extend her effective range. Hunter's Mark. The System had already given the hints in this Skills' description. She just failed to figure it out.
Around them, the battle was ending. The goblins' coordinated assault had collapsed into chaos. Luna counted quickly—maybe fifteen goblins left across the entire warehouse, and humans outnumbered them by more than two times.
The Level 4 commander was still barking orders from the back, but fewer and fewer of its troops could respond. It stood approximately seventy feet away, safely beyond Luna's assumed effective range—she had usually shot targets at forty feet or so, no more than fifty—directing what remained of its forces.
She focused on the scarred goblin and willed one of her two Skills to activate.
Mana surged from her core—roughly a sixth of her total reserve flowing out in a rush that left her surprised by a new, unusual sensation. A visible green targeting mark appeared over the commander's head.
[Hunter's Mark applied to: Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 4]
[Effective range increased. Target location always known while Mark persists.]
Warmth spread through her bow. Seventy feet. Previously out of range for sure, but now...
Luna drew back and released.
The arrow flew true, trailing an especially bright green shimmer. It punched through the commander's Aether Shield—noticeably weakened—but still buried itself in the creature's shoulder. Luna frowned—the monster had moved in the last moment, avoiding a headshot.
The goblin shrieked in pain and anger, stumbling backward. It had likely thought itself safe at that distance.
As Luna focused on the Mark, somehow she realized that the Mark had extended her effective range by half—and ending at around seventy-feet. Which put her normal range to fifty. That definitely put a restriction on her Class. But perhaps it was only fair—if levels improved her physical strength, senses and coordination, she'd probably be able to hit targets from a thousand feet or more, making her unstoppable under the right circumstances.
The commander tried to pull back further, but Luna could track its exact position through the Mark. It was panicking now, realizing its allies were all but gone, and he had at most a few minutes left to his life.
She drew another arrow, channeling poison into it, which took maybe a twelfth of her total Mana. She wanted to try a combination of Hunter's Mark and Venomous Shot, even if the latter was unlikely to make a difference.
The arrow punched through the commander's Aether Shield with slight resistance before burying itself deep in its gut. The creature stumbled as the poison took immediate effect, its coordination failing.
Luna's next arrow—unpowered but perfectly aimed—took it through the throat at sixty feet.
The commander crashed to the concrete and didn't move.
[Wild Goblin (Bronze) - Level 4 defeated]
The remaining eight goblins saw their leader fall and broke completely. They scattered, trying to flee, but didn't make it far. Within thirty seconds, silence crashed over the warehouse.
Forty-two goblin corpses littered the floor. Blood pooled everywhere. The copper smell was overwhelming.
Luna counted the human casualties as her perception swept the space. The businessman. A Rogue woman from Jorge's group. Two other corpses she didn't recognize, for better or worse. These were real human beings, alive mere minutes ago. And yet...
And yet they'd won. Overwhelmingly.
Forty-six survivors stood in blood-spattered Class Forms, staring at the carnage with expressions ranging from shock to exhilaration.
"We did it!" Derek's voice carried that manic edge as he put a hand on Markus's shoulder. "Did you see how fast we cut through them? Those shields couldn't handle our weapons!"
Marcus pulled away from Derek's enthusiasm, looking pale. "We just were risking our lives."
"And killed fifty living, sapient beings," Mia added, not hiding her apprehension despite the fact that she'd seen those goblins tear into a human right in front of her eyes.
"Fifty things that were trying to kill us," Roger corrected. His tone was matter-of-fact. "And killed some others. We're heroes for slaying those little green fuckers."
Steven sat heavily against one of the steel tables, removing his helmet with shaking hands. Thin blood splatters covered it. "I killed four of them. My body just... knew what to do. Like I practiced swordsmanship since childhood." He laughed, slightly hysterical. "This is insane."
Sam stared at his staff's orb, where purple lightning still flickered faintly. "Magic is real. I made actual lightning. And we have levels... it means we can level-up. Like in games."
Luna lowered her bow slowly. Thirteen goblins. She'd killed thirteen of them—over a fifth of the total. Every perfect shot was addictive. Every release satisfying. And part of her wanted more of it.
What she felt was not guilt. Not horror. Just the pure satisfaction of hitting every mark, protecting her friends, executing her role flawlessly.
Mia approached slowly, her white-gold robes stained with the businessman's blood. "Lu, are you okay? You killed so many of them and you're just... calm."
"Archery training," Luna said simply. "You learn to stay focused. One shot at a time."
It wasn't the whole truth, but Mia seemed to accept it. Roger suppressed a snort at her reply, but only Luna seemed to notice.
Margaret was moving among the wounded with practiced efficiency, her healing light washing over injuries. Mia joined her, adding her own power despite her shaking hands. Luna wondered if healers could advance their levels like this or if they needed to participate in fights—the latter could make things quite complicated.
[FIRST TRIAL COMPLETE]
The System message appeared, cutting through the post-battle haze.
[Objective Completed: Eliminate all hostile entities (50/50)]
[Casualties: 4]
[Total Time: 21:34 (Including demonstration, Class selection, and combat)]
[Group Grade: B]
[Individual performances have been recorded. Top contributors recognized.]
[Rewards distributed based on individual contribution.]
[Luna Castellan - 14 eliminations, 6 assists, zero damage taken. Grade: A+. Bonus experience awarded. 500 Sanctum Points awarded.]
Luna felt another surge of power—not quite enough for Level 3, but significant progress. She wondered about the Sanctum Points, but the System didn't clarify.
[Congratulations to all survivors. You have taken your first steps toward adaptation.]
[Rest period: 10 minutes]
[Upon completion of rest period, you will be divided into groups of 10 or less and transported to separate Trial 2 locations.]
[Those within five feet of each other will be assigned into the same group. Otherwise, you'll be assigned randomly.]
[Additional Note: Your Class Form can be deactivated at will. Simply will it to dismiss. It will return on your command. Class Forms require Mana to sustain, thus slowing down Mana recovery.]
[Note: You'll have more time to recover after being transported to Trial 2 location.]
People began moving. Some searched corpses—most goblins yielded nothing, but the higher-level ones had small pouches with what looked like stone coins. Perhaps those could be useful later. With some reluctance, Luna searched the bodies of those she'd killed, getting thirty-two of the strange coins.
Then she tested, dismissing her Class Form. The armor and bow faded like morning mist, leaving her in her casual clothes. She felt vulnerable, diminished. Her thoughts and actions felt slower, her body weaker, even her senses dimmed.
She brought the Form back immediately and felt complete again.
"We should form a party," Sam said, approaching with Mia. It was maybe five minutes before the next Trial started. "The three of us, at least. We all know each other and I can trust you two with my life."
Roger and Steven joined them. "Five," Roger said. Luna didn't like him—which she suspected was mutual—but both men proved to be decently competent. And their group needed frontliners. "We need five more."
Margaret was obvious—calm, capable, healing ability. Six. She agreed without a second thought.
"Strong should stick to the strong," Derek declared as he and Marcus joined the group. He looked at Luna with appreciation and a hint of lust. She didn't like it. "If we join hands, this so-called Tutorial will be a piece of cake."
"Find another group," Luna said simply. "If all the strong gather together, the weaker groups will lack a backbone."
What she didn't say was that an unstable ally might be much worse than a weak one. Roger, at the very least, tried to act nice and was guided by rational self-interest. Derek seemed like the type to cause problems.
Derek's expression hardened. "You're making a mistake. In a place like this, you want the strongest with you."
"We have enough strength," Margaret interjected calmly. "What we need is reliability."
Before Derek could respond, two figures approached hesitantly—a man and woman in brown leather gear. Luna remembered them. They were the couple that both had chosen the Adventurer Class.
"Um, excuse me," the woman said quietly, her voice trembling slightly. She was maybe mid-twenties, with dark hair pulled back in a practical ponytail. "I'm Emma, and this is Clark. We were wondering if... if your group had room for two more?"
Derek barked out a laugh. "Are you serious? You two hid behind tables the whole fight. Didn't kill a single goblin. Now you want to leech off the actually capable people?"
Emma flinched, but Clark stepped slightly forward, his jaw set. He was tall, lean, with earnest brown eyes. "We're not leeches. The Adventurer Class has utility that matters for survival."
"Oh yeah?" Derek's grin was cruel. "What utility? Hiding efficiently?"
"Clean water," Clark said firmly, ignoring the mockery. "Our Water Spray Skill creates drinkable water. As long as we have Mana. And our backpacks are magical as well—we can carry supplies without being burdened by their weight. We have mental mapping that tracks explored areas. And yes, we can fight. Maybe not as well as Knights or Mercenaries, but we're not useless."
Roger's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Water creation is actually valuable. We don't know if the Trials ahead will have water sources."
Sam had a contemplative expression, as if considering some idea.
"Clark is also a certified Boy Scout," Emma added quietly with a hint of pride. "Foraging knowledge, direction sense, and basic survival. Even without a Class, he'd be helpful if we end up in the wilderness."
"A very big if," Derek countered. "Know what's more likely? When things get tough, you'll freeze up again and someone will die protecting you."
Luna studied the couple. They'd been terrified, yes. But they'd tried, from what she remembered. They'd summoned their Class Forms and stood with weapons at the ready even though fear had paralyzed them. No goblin had reached their little hideout, but that was because they were lucky and the other humans tried hard enough. And Clark's points about utility were valid—water alone could be critical.
"You froze during the first battle," Luna said, her tone neutral rather than accusatory. "That's a fact. Can you promise it won't happen again?"
Emma and Clark exchanged a glance. Then Emma straightened her shoulders. "We can't promise we won't be scared. But we promise to try. We won't hide while others fight. We'll—"
[5 seconds remaining]
"Wait, what?" Steven looked around wildly. "Already?"
[3 seconds]
People scrambled to get near their desired party members. Derek and Marcus were still standing close to Luna's group from their earlier conversation. Emma and Clark were right there, mid-plea.
[1 second]
"Damn it—" Roger started to move away from Derek, but it was too late.
[All parties confirmed]
[Initiating transfer to Trial 2 locations]
Luna felt the world lurch. Derek shot her a triumphant grin as the warehouse dissolved around them—he'd gotten into her group after all, simply by being nearby when the timer ran out. Marcus looked apologetic. Emma and Clark looked simultaneously relieved and terrified. Mia grabbed Luna's hand as reality twisted.
Trial 2 awaited.
