I walked beside Bren toward the Adventurer’s Guild, the anticipation thick in the air. Today was the day Solstice would take their Silver rank assessment.

  “Think they’ll pull it off?” Bren asked, her tone light, but her eyes sharp with interest.

  “No question. They’ve put in the work.”

  The moment we stepped inside, the guild’s usual energy surrounded us. Adventurers checking gear, trading stories, and striking last-minute agreements over missions. It was an atmosphere of controlled chaos, but for those who thrived in it, it was just another day.

  We wove through the crowd toward the assessment hall, where we found Todd standing against the wall, arms crossed, his expression calm yet focused. When he noticed us, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

  “Koa, Bren. Can’t say I don’t appreciate the support.”

  Bren grinned. “Like we’d miss this.”

  Devin was next to him. “Everything’s in place. We’ll clear this without issue.”

  Todd nodded. “This is just another step.”

  Ozzy strode up next, his sword resting against his shoulder. “No doubt. We’re taking that rank today.”

  Jane adjusted her grip on her spear and nodded to Ozzy.

  Kell stretched lazily. “And if things get too easy, I’ll add some flair. You know, for the audience.”

  I chuckled. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  Ozzy turned to his party. “Stick to the plan. We’ve trained for this, and we’ll walk out of here as Silver ranks.”

  “Damn right,” Todd added.

  A sharp voice cut through the air as Tyus Lark approached with a group of Expert-tiers behind him. His gaze swept over Solstice, and the hall quieted in his presence.

  “Solstice,” he called, nodding at the group. “Step forward.”

  They did without hesitation, their confidence unwavering.

  Tyus turned with a nod, motioning for us to follow. “Come on. We’ll begin shortly.”

  The group moved in step behind him, the hallway lined with banners displaying the Adventurer’s Guild ranks along the walls. The ranks from Gold through Tin were shown regressively with Tin seemingly at the end of our destination with Diamond noticeably missing. Assessments are where it all begins I suppose.

  As we walked, Tyus glanced over his shoulder, his sharp eyes landing on me and Bren. “I take it you two are here to watch?”

  “That’s right,” Bren said.

  I nodded as well.

  Tyus gave a satisfied nod. “A strong support system is important, even for seasoned adventurers.” After a pause, he added, “I also heard about your success in the Renhold Dungeon. A Silver and Gold Floor clear. That’s big for your first dungeon run with us. I take it you’re experienced with them?”

  “Actually, my first. It was a good experience for me.” I said.

  Tyus chuckled. “Dungeons tend to challenge our more elite members. Plenty of fulfillment wrapped up in risk taking.”

  I smiled as a caressed my blade’s hilt. “It definitely gave something to appreciate.”

  “You’ve earned it,” Tyus replied simply. “That dungeon must be taken seriously.”

  Todd looked over at me with an amused glance. “Guess that means you’ll be giving Renhold a few more visits.”

  I shrugged. “I’ll deal with that when the time comes.”

  Devin smirked. “There are other dungeons out there.”

  Todd added with a grin. “If we keep pushing forward at this pace, maybe Platinum won’t be as out of reach as people think.”

  Kell let out a short laugh. “That’s a hell of a jump. There are only five Platinums in all of Quara.”

  “One step at a time. Silver first.” Ozzy added.

  Tyus stopped at a set of reinforced doors and turned back to face us. “Beyond this point is the Assessment Party Hall. Once we step inside, the trial begins. You’ll be judged on how well you handle what’s in front of you.”

  As Tyus pushed open the reinforced doors, a wave of controlled mana pulsed from the chamber beyond. The room was massive, its stone walls lined with glowing runes that pulsed with latent energy. Elevated viewing platforms lined the perimeter, offering clear sightlines to the open arena in the center. The space felt… refined and tailored for structured trials rather than the straightforward duel I had gone through.

  Here, everything about the layout suggested something far more intricate. The air was charged with potential, like the arena itself was waiting to spring to life.

  I stepped in alongside Bren, my eyes scanning the space as the Solstice members moved forward. Whatever was coming, they stood to challenge.

  Bren leaned in slightly. “This place can simulate any battlefield,” she murmured. “Every test from Bronze to Gold happens here.”

  I watched as proctors finalized their preparations. Solstice stood poised, every one of them composed and alert, fully aware of what lay ahead.

  I watched Todd rest his hand over his bowstring with quiet certainty, Devin shift her stance with practiced ease, Ozzy exude the confidence of a leader, Jane grip her spear with controlled precision, and Kell smirk like he already knew the outcome.

  I felt filled with pride, confident that this was theirs to win.

  * * *

  Everything began as Solstice stepped into the conjured battlefield. From my vantage point beside Bren, I watched as they formed up in practiced precision. The moment the test began, the arena around them shifted, warped by layered enchantments, until it resembled a ruined fortress surrounded by crumbling stone walls and narrow corridors.

  This was the first phase of the trial.

  A low rumble echoed through the space as spectral constructs flickered into existence, forming humanoid warriors clad in dark plate armor. Their movements were unnervingly fluid, weapons raised in silent challenge. There were five in total, each meant to push Solstice’s teamwork to its limits.

  Ozzy moved first, his sword and shield a blur as he intercepted the nearest construct. His shield clashed against a massive greatsword, sending out a sharp ring of steel. The impact didn’t so much as budge him. If anything, it was the construct that recoiled slightly. Ozzy was built for the frontlines, and it showed.

  Jane was already on the move, her spear flashing like a streak of silver as she slipped in beside Ozzy. She struck fast, her weapon aimed at the gaps in the construct’s armor. The first thrust found its mark, driving deep into the hollow shell of its target. A pulse of light magic followed, destabilizing the construct further.

  “Left side, two incoming,” Todd called from his elevated position atop a broken pillar. His bowstring was already drawn back, an arrow charged with crackling energy. He released, and the shot tore through the air, striking one of the advancing constructs square in the chest. The impact sent a ripple of force through its body, slowing its advance.

  Devin seized the opening Todd created, darting between the constructs with a speed that left only afterimages in her wake. Her dagger flashed as she slashed across the knee joint of the wounded construct, forcing it to stagger. Without missing a beat, she switched her grip on her sword and drove it into the construct’s chest, its ethereal form flickering violently before dissipating.

  Kell, standing at the rear, lifted a hand. Lightning crackled to life at his fingertips before arcing forward in a concentrated bolt. The remaining constructs twitched violently as the electricity coursed through them, their movements thrown into disarray. A grin played on Kell’s lips as he lowered his hand.

  “Were the spars like this?” Bren asked beside me, arms crossed.

  “They might have held back a bit,” I quipped, watching as Ozzy and Jane dismantled the last construct with a combination of brute force and precise strikes. “Their off to a good start.”

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  The moment the final construct vanished, the arena shifted again, signaling their completion of this wave. They had taken down their opponents efficiently, proving their cohesion.

  Ozzy spoke up, adjusting the grip on his shield. “That was just the warm-up.”

  Jane nodded at his side. “The next wave won’t be so forgiving.”

  Devin wiped her blade clean before sheathing it. “Good. Would’ve been disappointing if it was that easy.”

  The team readied themselves for whatever was next.

  * * *

  The battleground changed once more, stone walls twisting and morphing into an expansive underground ruin. Pillars jutted from the cracked earth, some barely standing while others had collapsed into rubble. The dim light flickering from enchanted torches set into the walls barely cut through the thick, oppressive atmosphere.

  This seemed to be the tactical skirmish Ozzy had mentioned.

  Solstice barely had time to regroup before the rules of the challenge became clear. A shimmering barrier erupted between them, splitting the party into two groups. Ozzy, Todd, and Jane on one side. Devin and Kell on the other.

  Todd was already moving. He vaulted up a pile of debris, finding another vantage point atop a crumbling ledge. His fingers brushed his quiver, pulling an arrow and infusing it with mana. The tip pulsed with a faint glow.

  "Two constructs ahead, heavily armored," he called down. He nocked the arrow and released. The shot struck true, piercing the weak joint between the shoulder and breastplate of one of the looming spectral warriors. It staggered, its massive halberd lowering slightly.

  Ozzy took the opening. He rushed forward, shield raised. The moment he closed the gap, his blade cut in a powerful downward arc. The construct attempted to parry, but Ozzy’s raw strength overwhelmed it, the impact sending a ringing shockwave through the air. He stepped in close, empowering his shield with manner, the bash igniting with a concussive force that sent the enemy into a collapsed pillar.

  Jane followed behind him, her spear spinning in her grip before she threw it forward with precision. Her spear found the construct as it slid down the pillar, piercing the torso and delivering the final blow. Light magic pulsed from the tip, sending cracks of energy racing through its form before it shattered into nothingness. She raced after her spear to pull it out and readied her stance for the next opponent.

  Ozzy studied their surroundings, his focus shifting. “Jane, right flank. Todd, cover us—”

  He didn’t get to finish. The ground beneath him gave way, stone collapsing as an unseen trap activated. He barely caught himself, planting his sword into the earth to halt his fall.

  Jane reacted instantly. She reached out, gripping his forearm and pulling him back up before he could drop fully into the pit. A faint shimmer flickered in the air and another construct was materializing in the trap's wake.

  “Oz, Jane,” Todd called out, already drawing another arrow. “I’ll look to mark any other traps.”

  The construct lunged at Jane the moment she pulled Ozzy up. It was faster than the others, its form less bulky but more agile. Jane pivoted on her heel, using the momentum to bring her spear to redirect the strike. Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal, but Jane held spun off the force while Ozzy found his footing.

  With Ozzy back on his feet, he wasted no time. The construct raised its sword, preparing a follow up but Todd had already loosed his next shot. The arrow struck the ground just in front of the enemy, releasing a concussive blast that sent it off its feet.

  Ozzy seized the opening, driving his shield into its chest with brutal force. The construct shattered on impact as Mana discharged from his shield strike.

  Meanwhile, Devin and Kell faced their own obstacles. Their corridor was narrower, lined with shifting stone tiles and jagged spikes jutting from the floor at irregular intervals.

  Devin moved like a phantom. She barely made a sound as she weaved through the dangerous path, stepping lightly over the path with the grace of someone who had spent a lifetime avoiding detection.

  Kell, on the other hand, didn’t bother with caution. He stepped forward and raised a hand. Wind magic swirled around him before blasting forward, kicking up dust and debris. The force triggered several traps at once with arrows shooting from hidden slits in the walls, but the gust sent them flying off course.

  Devin looked at Kell. “That’s one way to handle it.”

  “Every advantage counts,” Kell shrugged, lightning already crackling at his fingertips. “Let’s move.”

  They didn’t get far before enemies manifested. Two spectral warriors stepped out of the shifting terrain, moving in synchronization.

  Devin was the first to engage. She closed the distance in an instant, her dagger flashing as she aimed for the exposed joints. Her first slash carved through the construct’s side. It reacted by swinging its massive blade at her head.

  She ducked, spinning low to avoid the strike. As she moved, she switched weapons, driving her sword into the construct’s gut. The blade slid in easily, disrupting its form but it wasn’t enough to fully destroy it.

  “Little help?” she called out.

  Kell acting to the signal, extended both hands. A crackling bolt of lightning leapt from his fingertips, arcing toward the second construct. The air hummed as the energy struck, sending sharp jolts through the enemy’s body. It convulsed, its movements stuttering violently.

  Devin took the chance to finish hers off. With a final twist of her sword, she severed the construct’s form entirely, reducing it to two flickering forms that dissolved into particles.

  Then the real challenge came.

  A shimmering light pulsed from the walls, and an announcement echoed through the chamber.

  "One of your allies has been downed."

  At that moment, an illusionary construct appeared beside them, striking Kell square in the chest with a wave of magic quicker than he could react. His body locked up as shimmering chains wrapped around him. He could no longer fight.

  Devin took a moment to consider.

  Their choices were to carry him forward, limiting maneuverability, or leave him behind and fight whatever was ahead alone.

  Across the barrier, Todd’s voice came through a glowing orb he held.

  “What’s your situation?”

  Devin pressed her fingers to one I took to be its counterpart. “Kell’s down. What about you?”

  “Clear so far,” Ozzy’s voice came through next. “We can meet you ahead, but you’ll have to push through on your own for now.”

  Devin glanced at Kell. He met her eyes, completely at ease despite being “incapacitated.”

  “You know I’d say leave me,” he said, deadpanning.

  Devin exhaled, glancing ahead. More constructs were forming in the corridor beyond them. They looked to be stronger than before.

  “Yeah,” she muttered. “That’s not happening.”

  She hoisted him up, slinging his body over her shoulder.

  Kell chuckled. “Would it help if I pretended to struggle?”

  Devin ignored him, steeling herself for the battle ahead.

  The first phase of the trial wasn’t over yet.

  The ruins continued to shift around them, the dungeon’s enchanted stone walls grinding into new formations as Solstice fought their way forward. Every step through the labyrinth came with new dangers. Traps that triggered with the slightest misstep, conjured enemies emerging from the dim recesses, and unstable ground that threatened to collapse under their feet.

  But despite it all, Solstice moved with honed precision. Devin notably took the brunt of the danger, having to lay Kell down before their next engagement.

  Ozzy kept a steady pace at the front of his group, shield up, sword angled low. Jane flanked him, her spear gripped tightly as she scanned the terrain ahead. Todd remained above, moving between vantage points, his bow already drawn as he searched for threats.

  Their urgency increased the moment Devin’s message came through.

  "We’re pushing forward," Devin’s voice echoed from her magical orb.

  Todd exhaled sharply, already preparing his next shot. “Then we move faster.”

  Ozzy nodded. “Jane, take the next opening. We’ll push the left flank hard.”

  Jane complied. She leaped onto a pile of broken stone, using it to vault forward. The moment she landed, her spear came down in a precise thrust, piercing through the glowing core of an emerging enemy before it could fully materialize.

  Ozzy followed behind, barreling into another construct with sheer force. His shield struck with a resounding impact, sending cracks racing through the enemy’s spectral form. He wasted no time finishing it off, sword cutting clean through its center with an upward swing that sent a mana slash screaming ahead into the next forming construct behind it.

  Todd stayed high, his sharp eyes locked onto the distant corridor where Devin and Kell were making their way through the shifting terrain. He spotted the problem before she did.

  A construct materialized behind her, about 10 meters off, massive blade raised and ready to charge at both her and the incapacitated Kell.

  His fingers moved, drawing an arrow and mana surging into the shaft as he infused it with raw energy. He loosed the shot.

  The arrow streaked through the air like a bolt of light, slamming into the construct’s raised sword with enough force to shatter it. The impact sent the enemy flying backward, buying Devin just enough time to twist and shift Kell’s weight, adjusting her grip.

  She exhaled, adjusting her stance. "Nice shot."

  "Probably more behind it" Todd called, already drawing his next shot.

  Devin kept her movements precise, every step calculated. Carrying Kell slowed her but not enough to hold her back from her goal.

  She alternated dropping Kell and timing her engagements to not get caught up with any rush of enemies. She relied on Todd’s cover and her own speed to best prepare against oncoming threats that materialized.

  Kell, despite his incapacitated state, still managed to stay involved. "I should make you carry me all the time. This is nice."

  "Yeah? Maybe I should leave you after all," Devin shot back.

  Kell grinned. "You wound me."

  "Not yet. But there’s still time."

  Another enemy materialized much quicker than the rest, and Devin shifted her hold, preparing to sidestep. Fortunately, she had made it to the group and Todd landed beside her in a crouch, driving a mana-infused arrow in his grip through the construct before it became a threat.

  "You're welcome," he said casually.

  Devin smiled. "Perfect timing."

  Todd returned her smile, helping her adjust Kell's weight. "Come on, let’s link up with the others."

  By the time they all regrouped, the shifting dungeon had funneled them into the southern part of the chamber. The only thing between them and their exit was a final wave of enemies.

  Six constructs. Heavily armored. Shields and polearms.

  Ozzy led the group as had become customary and charged forward, slamming into the first enemy with enough force to send it crashing back, creating a hole in their formation. His sword followed immediately after, striking at the construct to his left.

  Jane flanked him, moving to his right. She redirected a spear thrust upward, spinning her spear along the halberd shaft and following her rotation with a sweep of the enemy’s legs out from under it. Before it could rise, she drove her spear down, piercing through the enchanted metal and straight into the core.

  Todd stayed at the rear, picking off any construct that left itself open. His arrows were fast and sharp. Each one infused with enough power to puncture through their enchanted plating without disrupting the close combaters of his party.

  Devin moved carefully, this time, staying defensive as she carried Kell. She only struck when necessary with quick, calculated blows to stagger or slow enemies so the others could finish them off.

  Within moments, only one enemy remained. A towering construct, bulkier than the others. It raised its massive halberd, preparing a downward strike—

  A bolt of lightning surged through its body, locking it in place as blue-white arcs of energy crackled along its form.

  Kell sighed. "You’re all so dramatic. I was only downed for a minute."

  Devin rolled her eyes, finally letting go of him as the simulation’s restriction lifted. Kell stretched his arms with before finishing off the construct with a final burst of wind magic, sending its fragmented remains scattering across the chamber.

  The last construct fell, and a deep chime resonated through the chamber. The terrain shifted once more, revealing an upraised platform just ahead. A glowing sigil pulsed at its center, marking the end of Phase One.

  Without hesitation, the group made their way to it, stepping onto the platform together. The moment they did, a faint golden light enveloped them, signaling their success.

  The first phase was complete.