Eastern Deposit Site - 10:00 AM
The crystalline outcropping towered before them, at least four meters tall and twice as wide. Blue luminescence pulsed through its structure like a slow heartbeat, each pulse sending ripples of light across the surrounding terrain. Up close, Kaelen could see the complexity—layers upon layers of crystallized aether, each formation unique, growing in patterns that seemed almost organic.
"It's beautiful," Mira whispered, approaching slowly.
"It's also radioactive," Oren said, his enhanced senses picking up details the others missed. "Not dangerously so, but the ambient aether concentration here is significantly higher than surrounding areas. Don't touch it directly without protection."
Kaelen set down the survey equipment case and opened it. Inside were specialized tools: handheld scanners, sample containers with aether-resistant seals, protective gloves, and documentation tablets.
"Standard procedure," Kaelen said, distributing equipment. "Davrin, Mateo—establish perimeter defense. Circle fifty meters out, mark any potential approach vectors. Oren, continuous monitoring. Kenji, shadow surveillance net, maximum coverage."
The four moved immediately, each understanding their role.
"Mira, Sofia, you're with me on sample collection," Kaelen continued. "Vyne..." He looked at her.
She was examining a glowing flower nearby, completely unconcerned with the mission.
"Vyne, just... stay alert."
"Always am," she said cheerfully, not looking up.
Kaelen activated the primary scanner, pointing it at the outcropping. The device hummed to life, its display showing real-time aether purity readings.
[Aether Purity Analysis]
[Sample Location: Eastern Deposit Site - Primary Outcropping]
[Initial Reading: 87.3%]
[Status: Stable]
That was excellent purity for an outer-zone deposit. The academy would be pleased.
Kaelen began the documentation process, recording baseline measurements while Mira and Sofia prepared sample collection tools. The work was organized —scan multiple points, document variations, collect physical samples from different sections.
Ten minutes into the survey, the readings started fluctuating.
[Purity Reading: 87.3% –> 91.2% –> 85.7% –> 93.1%]
Kaelen frowned, tapping the scanner. "That's not normal."
Mira looked over his shoulder. "Equipment malfunction?"
"No, the scanner's functioning properly. " Kaelen ran diagnostics. Everything checked out. "The deposit itself is unstable. Purity levels shouldn't fluctuate this much."
He activated his comm. "Instructor Mira, Team 3 reporting. We're detecting anomalous readings at the eastern site. Aether purity levels are fluctuating outside normal parameters."
Static crackled briefly, then Mira's voice came through clear and professional. "Acknowledged, Team 3. Document everything thoroughly. Collect samples from multiple points across the fluctuation range. Check for environmental disturbances or unusual Beast activity."
"Understood."
Kaelen turned to his team. "Change of plans. We need comprehensive sampling. Mira, Sofia, collect samples from six different points around the outcropping. I'll handle documentation and analysis."
They worked quickly but carefully. Each sample was sealed immediately, labeled with precise coordinates and timestamp. The scanner continued showing erratic readings, the numbers shifting in no discernible pattern.
Then Oren's voice cut through the focused work, sharp with warning.
"Kaelen. We have a problem."
Everyone stopped.
"Underground," Oren said, his eyes closed in concentration. "Something large. Fifty meters west and... descending. No, wait—it's circling. Moving in a spiral pattern beneath us."
Kaelen's blood ran cold. "Size estimate?"
"Big. Much larger than those wolves." Oren's expression tightened. "The vibrations are regular. Deliberate. Like it's hunting."
"Everyone, defensive positions," Kaelen ordered immediately. "Davrin, Mateo, to me. Don't bother about the equipment. We might need to move fast."
The team formed up quickly.
Kenji's shadows converged, forming a surveillance perimeter. "I can't see underground. Whatever it is, it's below my detection threshold."
The ground trembled slightly.
Then, from behind a rock fifty meters west, it emerged.
The creature was massive—easily six meters long, its body composed of segmented crystalline plates that caught and refracted light in disorienting patterns. It moved with serpentine fluidity despite its bulk, each segment articulating independently. Its head was triangular, eyeless, but with sensory pits along its jaw that glowed faint amber. The mouth, when it opened slightly, revealed rows of crystalline teeth that looked sharp enough to cut steel.
[Analytical Scan Lv. 2]
[–5 A.E.]
[Crystal Serpent]
[Rank: E]
[Threat Level:E–rank]
[Abilities: Armored hide, venomous bite, burrowing, tremor sense]
[Weakness: Joints between segments, vulnerable to sonic disruption]
"E-rank," Kaelen said, his voice steady despite the spike of adrenaline. "Crystal Serpent. Armored, venomous, and can burrow."
The serpent's head swiveled toward them, those sensory pits focusing. It had detected their vibrations.
"Defensive formation," Kaelen called. "Don't let it separate us. Davrin, front line. Mateo, disruption support. Sofia, sonic attacks on my mark."
The serpent hissed, a sound like grinding glass. Aether crackled along its crystalline body, building charge.
Then it struck.
The serpent moved faster than something that large had any right to. It closed the distance in seconds, targeting Davrin directly—the largest, most threatening member of the team.
Davrin braced, activating Kinetic Absorption at full power.
The impact was tremendous. The serpent's head slammed into Davrin like a battering ram, the force enough to crack stone. But Davrin's ability absorbed the kinetic energy completely, his body glowing orange as he stored the momentum.
The serpent recoiled, confused that its prey hadn't been obliterated.
Davrin released the stored energy immediately, his hands glowing bright as he discharged a concussive blast directly at the serpent's face.
BOOM
The blast sent the serpent's head snapping back, several crystalline plates cracking from the impact. But it recovered quickly, more agile than expected.
It coiled, attempting to flank around toward Mira and Sofia.
"Mateo, now!" Kaelen shouted.
Mateo struck the ground with Pulsebreak, maximum output. The shockwave rippled outward in expanding circles, destabilizing the serpent's positioning. Its body segments twisted awkwardly as the ground beneath it became unstable.
But it adapted, using its segmented body to distribute the shockwave's force. Within seconds, it had recovered balance.
Kaelen activated Temporal Drag, targeting the serpent's midsection.
[–15 A.E./sec]
The air around the creature thickened visibly, time slowing by twenty-five percent within the affected zone. The serpent's movements became sluggish, its reactions delayed.
"Sofia, disrupt!" Kaelen called.
Sofia stepped forward, took a deep breath, and released her Resonant Voice at maximum intensity.
The high-pitched sustained note cut through the air like a physical force. The serpent recoiled violently, its crystalline body resonating with the frequency. Several plates cracked further, unable to handle the vibration.
It was working.
"Mira!" Kaelen ordered.
Mira had already touched the crystalline outcropping, her skin taking on its properties. She moved to intercept as the serpent, disoriented by Sofia's attack, thrashed toward the team's support members.
Her crystal-hard body took the serpent's strike head-on, the impact sending shockwaves through both of them. But she held, giving the others time to reposition.
Kenji's shadows wrapped around the serpent's tail section, attempting to restrain its movement. The creature was too strong to hold completely, but the shadows slowed it, creating resistance.
Kaelen maintained Temporal Drag for three seconds before releasing it, his aether reserves dropping rapidly.
[A.E.: 380/425]
"Davrin, frontal assault!" Kaelen called, already moving himself.
Davrin charged forward, absorbed another strike from the serpent's tail, and released the kinetic energy as point-blank concussive force directly at the creature's head.
CRACK
A major fracture appeared in the serpent's frontal plate armor.
Kaelen activated Flash Step, repositioning to the serpent's side where Oren had indicated the joints between segments were vulnerable.
[–19 A.E.]
He appeared beside it, his gauntleted right fist already coated with dense aether from Aether Manipulation.
[–5 A.E./sec]
The serpent sensed him, tried to coil defensively, but Sofia's continued sonic disruption kept it disoriented.
Kaelen drove his enhanced fist into the joint between two segments with everything he had.
CRACK
The crystalline plating shattered. His gauntlet punched through, the 15% enhancement from the weapon combining with his own aether to create devastating force.
The serpent shrieked—a horrible grinding sound—and thrashed violently.
Kaelen barely managed to pull back before the tail whipped around, missing him by centimeters.
"It's wounded!" Mateo called. "But still dangerous!"
The serpent, now recognizing it was outmatched, made a decision.
It began burrowing.
The ground beneath it liquefied as it applied some ability, its body sinking rapidly into the earth.
"It's escaping!" Mira shouted.
Mateo didn't hesitate. He sprinted forward and struck the ground directly where the serpent was digging with maximum-output Pulsebreak.
The shockwave disrupted the liquefaction process, forcing the serpent back to the surface. But Mateo staggered after the attack, clearly exhausted from the massive energy expenditure.
The serpent emerged halfway, thrashing wildly. Its injury from Kaelen's strike was leaking some kind of luminescent fluid purple blood.
It was dying, but it wasn't dead.
And wounded Beasts were the most dangerous, as they got into a mode known as rage making them a little stronger.
The serpent's sensory pits glowed bright amber as it gathered aether for what was clearly a last-ditch attack. The crystalline plates along its body began resonating, building to some kind of explosive release.
"Everyone back!" Kaelen shouted. "It's going to detonate!"
But they were too close. The explosion would catch at least half the team.
Unless—
Kaelen made a split-second decision.
He activated Spatial Lock, targeting the space directly around the serpent's head and upper body.
[–20 A.E./sec]
A sphere of frozen space materialized, locking the serpent's upper section completely. The creature couldn't move, couldn't complete its attack sequence.
But Spatial Lock was expensive. Kaelen felt his aether draining rapidly.
[A.E.: 336/425]
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
"Davrin! Finish it!" Kaelen gasped, straining to maintain the lock.
Davrin didn't waste the opening. He released every ounce of stored kinetic energy he'd accumulated from the entire fight in a single devastating blast aimed at the serpent's exposed injury.
The concussive force tore through the wound, shattering internal structures. The serpent convulsed once, but kept moving.
Kaelen had to think fast, he activated [Spatial Lance Lv.1]
[–38A.E]
SHRIEEEK
It hit the beast point blank at the already exposed shattered internal structure exploding it. After some struggle, it finally went still.
Kaelen released Spatial Lock, nearly collapsing from the effort.
[A.E.: 238/425]
The serpent lay motionless, its crystalline body no longer glowing. It was dead.
For several seconds, nobody moved. Just heavy breathing and the fading echo of combat.
Then Davrin spoke. "Is everyone alright?"
Check-ins confirmed no serious injuries. Davrin had multiple bruises from absorbing impacts. Mira had scratches where the serpent's crystalline body had scraped against her own crystal mimicry. Mateo was exhausted from overusing Pulsebreak.
Kaelen had taken a glancing hit during repositioning.
[HP: 365/380]
But they were alive. And they'd won.
"That," Mira said shakily, "was terrifying."
"That was a good coordination," Davrin corrected, though his voice carried respect. "Good calls, Kaelen."
Oren approached the serpent's corpse cautiously. "E-rank Crystal Serpent. These things usually hunt alone but are territorial. There shouldn't be others nearby."
"Should we harvest it?" Sofia asked.
Kenji was already examining the body. "The crystal segments are valuable. And the core..." He carefully extracted a glowing orb from the serpent's chest cavity. It was the size of a fist, pulsing with concentrated aether. "E-rank crystal. This alone is worth several thousand credits."
Kaelen's System chimed.
[Killed Crystal Serpent (E-Rank) x1]
[+650 XP]
[Achievement Unlocked: Beast Slayer II (E-Rank)]
[Reward: +100 XP]
[Base Level: 8 –> 9] (80/2300 XP)
He'd leveled up. Base Level 9.
[HP:380/380]
[A.E:425/425]
The level-up had completely restored his reserves. That was... incredibly convenient timing. He didn't know this could happen but he has never leveled up in a fight before.
Vyne appeared beside him, somehow having stayed completely out of danger during the entire fight. "See? Told you things work out."
Kaelen wanted to argue, but she had a point. They'd won with no casualties, and he'd leveled up at the exact moment his resources were critically low.
Either luck, or something more.
"Harvest quickly," Kaelen said. "Then we finish the survey and get out of here. That fight made noise. Other things might be attracted."
The team moved with renewed efficiency. Kenji extracted the valuable materials—the E-rank core, several intact crystal plates, samples of the luminescent fluid. The entire process took less than ten minutes.
Meanwhile, Kaelen returned to the survey work. The anomalous readings had stabilized slightly after the serpent's death, though they still fluctuated.
He completed the documentation, collected the required samples, and sealed everything properly. Mission objective: completed.
Kaelen activated his comm. "Instructor Mira, Team 3 reporting. Eastern site survey complete. Samples collected, anomaly documented. We engaged one E-rank Crystal Serpent, no casualties."
Brief static, then Mira's voice: "Acknowledged. Excellent work, Team 3. Return to extraction point. You're ahead of schedule."
They packed up quickly, securing all equipment and harvested materials. The deposit site was left largely intact—academy policy required minimal environmental disruption.
As they prepared to leave, Kaelen took one last look at the crystalline outcropping. It pulsed with that steady blue lightt. It was still beautiful and strange.
Something about the anomalous readings bothered him. The fluctuations had been too regular, almost rhythmic. As if the deposit was responding to something.
But he had no way to investigate further. Not without specialized equipment and more time.
"Ready?" Davrin asked.
Kaelen nodded. "Let's head back."
...
The trek back was lighter in atmosphere despite everyone's exhaustion. They'd completed the mission successfully, fought an E-rank Beast and won, and collected valuable materials.
Conversations started naturally as the immediate danger faded.
"That serpent's armor was ridiculous," Mateo said. "My Pulsebreak barely phased it."
"Crystal Serpents are known for defensive capabilities," Oren replied. "You disrupted its movement, which was more important than direct damage."
"Sofia's sonic attack was crucial," Kaelen added. "That resonance disruption opened every vulnerability we exploited."
Sofia smiled slightly, clearly pleased with the acknowledgment.
Mira was practically bouncing despite her exhaustion. "We fought an E-rank Beast! And won! Do you know how rare that is for first-years?"
"It helped that we had a solid team leader," Davrin said, glancing at Kaelen. "You made the right calls under pressure. That Spatial Lock at the end probably saved half of us from that detonation."
Kaelen felt oddly proud. His first real leadership experience, and it had gone well. Not perfectly—he'd made some reactive decisions that could have been better planned, but well enough.
Vyne walked beside him, humming something cheerful. "Told you," she said quietly, so only he could hear.
"We worked for that," Kaelen replied. "It wasn't just luck."
"Wasn't it?" Her violet eyes glinted with that familiar mischief.
Kaelen didn't have a response to that.
They continued through the crystalline rock formations, retracing their path. The terrain seemed less threatening now, familiar rather than strange.
Twenty minutes from the landing zone, Oren stopped abruptly.
"Wait."
Everyone halted, immediately alert.
"Multiple signatures," Oren said, his enhanced senses scanning. "Large. Moving fast. Northwest, converging on our position."
"How many?" Kaelen asked, his hand already moving to his gauntlet.
"At least six. E-ranks based on heat signatures. They're hunting."
Kaelen's mind raced. Six E-rank Beasts? They'd barely survived one, and that was with full resources and preparation. Now they were partially depleted, carrying equipment, and twenty minutes from extraction.
Through the rock formations, shapes appeared—large canine-like creatures, but more aggressive and coordinated than the F-rank wolves. Their bodies were sleeker, more muscular, with glowing red eyes that indicated territorial aggression or hunger.
[Analytical Scan Lv. 2]
[–5 A.E.]
[Scourge Hound Pack]
[Rank: E]
[Count: 6]
[Threat Level: E ranks (pack tactics, coordinated hunting)]
[Abilities: Enhanced speed, pack coordination, aether-enhanced bite]
"Scourge Hounds," Kaelen said. "E-rank pack hunters. We can't fight six of these."
"Agreed," Davrin said immediately. "Retreat?"
Kaelen made the decision instantly. "Yes. Oren, fastest path to extraction point. Everyone else, fighting retreat formation. We're not trying to win, just survive until we reach the landing zone."
"On it," Oren said, his enhanced perception already mapping the terrain. "This way. Two hundred meters, then straight shot to the clearing."
The hounds emerged fully from the rock formations, spreading out in classic pack formation. They were coordinating, using the terrain, cutting off escape routes.
These weren't mindless Beasts. They were intelligent hunters.
"Move!" Kaelen ordered.
Team 3 moved quickly but controlled, not a panicked run but a strategic withdrawal. Mateo and Kenji created disruptions—shockwaves and shadow barriers that slowed the hounds without fully engaging them.
The hounds pursued aggressively, closing distance. One lunged at Davrin.
He absorbed the impact with Kinetic Absorption, released it as a blast that sent the hound flying, then kept moving. They weren't trying to kill the Beasts, just create enough resistance to reach safety.
Sofia used Resonant Voice in short bursts, disrupting pack coordination. Each time the hounds tried to organize a flanking maneuver, her sonic attacks broke their focus.
Kaelen used Spatial Warp strategically, creating false positioning that made the team appear farther away than they were, buying precious seconds.
[–24 A.E.]
"Landing zone, one hundred meters!" Oren called out.
Kaelen activated his emergency beacon with one hand while maintaining movement.
"Team 3 requesting emergency extraction. Multiple E-rank hostiles in pursuit."
Instructor Mira's voice came through immediately, sharp and professional. "Beacon received. Transport inbound, ETA three minutes. Hold position at landing zone."
"Understood."
They burst into the clearing, forming a defensive circle immediately. The hounds emerged moments later, surrounding them. Six against eight. But the students were exhausted, the hounds were fresh, and the pack had them cornered.
The largest hound—clearly the alpha—stepped forward. It was bigger than the others, more scarred, with intelligence gleaming in its red eyes. It assessed them, calculating.
"Three minutes," Davrin muttered. "We just need to hold for three minutes."
The alpha growled, a sound that carried command. The pack attacked in coordinated waves.
Two hounds from the front—Davrin and Mateo engaged, absorbing and disrupting. Two from the flanks—Mira and Sofia held, one with mimicked stone skin, the other with sonic pulses. Two tried to leap over—Kenji's shadows intercepted mid-air, tangling them.
Kaelen moved between positions, supporting wherever the line weakened. Flash Step to reposition, Temporal Drag to slow critical attacks, Aether Manipulation to form shields.
[A.E.: 342/425]
His resources were dropping steadily. He couldn't maintain this pace much longer.
The pack alpha prepared to join the fight directly. It was waiting for the perfect moment, when the students were most vulnerable.
Then, from above—the sound of engines.
The transport dropped into the clearing like a meteor, side door already open. The pilot's voice: "Everyone aboard! NOW!"
But the hounds blocked the path to the transport.
Kaelen assessed instantly. "Vyne, Mira, Sofia, Kenji—get to the transport NOW. Davrin, Mateo, Oren, with me. We clear the path."
The four support members sprinted for the transport. The hounds tried to intercept, but Kaelen, Davrin, Mateo, and Oren formed a wall between them.
Kaelen used everything he had left.
Flash Step for rapid positioning.
[–19 A.E.]
Aether Burst at reduced output to create openings.
[–18 A.E.]
Spatial Lock briefly to freeze one hound mid-leap.
[–20 A.E./sec for 1 second]
Davrin released ALL his stored kinetic energy in a massive blast that sent three hounds flying backward.
Mateo executed full-power Pulsebreak, cracking the ground and destabilizing the entire pack's positioning.
Oren amplified his aether signature to painful levels for the alpha's enhanced senses. The alpha recoiled, howling.
An opening appeared.
"GO!" Kaelen shouted.
All four sprinted for the transport. They piled through the door, the pilot not waiting, engines already lifting.
The hounds leaped after them but fell short. The pack alpha howled in fury as they escaped into the sky.
Kaelen collapsed against the transport wall, chest heaving.
[A.E.: 285/425]
Dangerously low. But they'd made it.
Everyone was breathing hard, some trembling from adrenaline crash. But no serious casualties.
"That," Mira said shakily, "was too close."
"Good calls," Davrin said, though his voice was exhausted. "Fast decisions saved us."
Kaelen checked his status:
[HP: 375/380]
[A.E.: 285/425]
They were alive. Mission complete. Team intact.
He'd take that as a win.
...
Academy grounds - 2:00 PM
The transport landed at the western hub. Medical staff were waiting—standard protocol for returning field teams.
Quick medical checks confirmed Team 3's status: minor injuries, exhaustion, but nothing serious. They were cleared after brief treatment.
Instructor Mira approached as they disembarked. "Report."
Kaelen gave a concise summary: survey completed successfully, anomalous readings documented and sampled, one E-rank serpent engagement handled, emergency extraction due to E-rank pack encounter.
Mira listened without interrupting, her amber eyes assessing.
"You used the beacon appropriately," she said finally. "No casualties. Survey data collected. Materials harvested." She paused. "Mission success."
Relief washed through the team.
"But," Mira continued, her tone growing more serious, "that pack shouldn't have been in that territory. Scourge Hounds don't typically hunt in secured outer zones. We'll be investigating."
Kaelen nodded. Something had been off about the whole mission—the anomalous readings, the territorial serpent, the aggressive pack.
"Rest today," Mira said. "Mission debrief is Monday. Dismissed."
The team dispersed gradually, exhaustion finally catching up.
Kaelen's System chimed as he walked back toward the dorms.
[Quest Complete: First Club Mission]
[Rewards: +300 XP (Base & System) | +5 Stat Points | +50 SP | Random E-Rank Item]
[Base Level: 9] (380/2300XP)
[System Level: 7] (1080/2100 XP)
[Stat Points: 11 –> 16]
[Shop Points: 50 –>100]
[Generating Random E-Rank Item...]
[Item Received: Aether Lens (E-Rank Accessory)]
[Function: Enhances Analytical Scan range by +5 meters and reveals one additional detail tier]
[Equip Location: Any (typically worn as eyepiece or embedded in equipment)]
Kaelen examined the notification. An accessory that enhanced his scanning ability? That was genuinely useful.
[Analytical Scan Lv. 2 Enhanced: Range 8m –> 13m | Can partially analyze D-rank targets]
He'd test it properly later.
A notification chimed on his wristband.
[RP Reward: +200 RP]
[Current RP: 1,687 → 1,887]
[Rank: Novice (Bronze Badge)]
Nearly 1,900 RP. He was getting close to the next rank threshold.
Kaelen reached his dorm and collapsed onto his bed, too tired to even remove his equipment properly. The gauntlet was still on his right hand, the Aether Chain on his left wrist, the emergency beacon still strapped on.
He stared at the ceiling, processing.
First mission outside the Enclave: Success.
Led team effectively: No casualties.
Fought real Beasts: Survived.
Made hard decisions under pressure: Team trusted him.
But he'd also learned critical lessons. Resource management was everything, he'd run dangerously low on A.E. multiple times. The Scourged Zones were unpredictable in ways training couldn't prepare for. And luck (or Vyne) had definitely played a role in their survival.
His wristband chimed. Group message from Team 3:
>Team celebration drinks, 8 PM tonight, common area. Mandatory attendance. - Davrin
Kaelen smiled despite exhaustion.
Tomorrow was Sunday.
Monday: Mission debrief.
Tuesday: Lord Cassian Pyrell meeting.
But tonight? Tonight, he'd earned this.
He dragged himself up, showered, changed into clean clothes, and headed to the common area.
Team 3 was already there when he arrived, laughing and recounting the day's chaos. Mira was dramatically reenacting the serpent fight. Mateo was arguing about the tactical value of different shockwave patterns. Even Oren had relaxed slightly, his usual calculative demeanor softened.
Vyne sat on the back of a couch, swinging her legs, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
When Kaelen entered, several of them cheered.
"The fearless leader arrives!" Mira announced.
"Barely fearless," Kaelen corrected, but he was smiling.
They handed him a drink—something non-alcoholic but sweet, academy-approved refreshment. He sat, and for the next few hours, the weight of everything else faded.
They were just students who'd survived their first real mission together.
And for tonight, that was enough.
Outside the windows, the academy's lights shimmered against the darkening sky.
Kaelen had proven something today.
He could lead. He could adapt. He could survive.
Tuesday would come soon enough. The Pyrell meeting, the politics, the pressure.
But tonight belonged to Team 3.
And as Vyne caught his eye from across the room, raising her drink with that knowing smile, Kaelen had the distinct feeling that luck—or fate, or whatever force guided probability—had decided he was worth keeping around.
At least for now.