Brent stood beneath the flickering blue flame of the team assignment pillar, arms crossed as names began to appear in shimmering light across the courtyard.
Dozens of students whispered around him, buzzing with excitement and dread. This was it. The Week of Wilds. One week of brutal survival in the Verdant Hollow, where even "low-tier" monsters were deadly in swarms.
He barely heard the first name that appeared under his team heading.
[Team 27]
– Brent Alder
– Rae Ellanor
His breath caught.
Rae.
Of course it was her.
She appeared beside him a few moments later—hair braided back, sleek leather armor fitted tight to her frame, sword sheathed at her hip. Her expression was unreadable.
"Looks like we're teammates," she said coolly.
Brent nodded. "I won't let you down."
She raised an eyebrow. "We'll see."
Then, a new name flickered into view.
– Kalen Maeron
Brent froze.
"…No," he muttered.
Kalen swaggered across the courtyard like nothing had ever happened. No mention of the arm Brent nearly destroyed. No mention of the terror on his face when he'd been beaten and spared.
"What a lucky coincidence," Kalen said, sneering. "The healer, the girl, and me. Almost feels like fate."
Rae glanced between them, her jaw tightening.
Brent said nothing.
Not yet.
Let the Wilds decide what fate meant.
Day 1: The Hollow Greets You
Their drop point was a mossy plateau overlooking a waterfall, mist curling through the trees. The atmosphere shimmered with lingering mana—sweet, yet sharp.
And from the moment they touched down, the Hollow tested them.
Brent led without hesitation—scouting paths, managing resources, protecting his team while keeping his growing power hidden from Kalen's bitter gaze.
That night, Rae watched him build their camp defenses with sigils of light stitched into the soil.
"You weren't like this before," she said quietly.
"I wasn't awake before," Brent answered.
Day 2-3: Bleeding Wood
Carnivorous trees tried to impale them in their sleep.
Brent created a Radiant Pulse Net using an upgraded formation, shocking the trees into stillness long enough to escape.
[New Formation Mastery Unlocked – Lightfield Grid]
Combine sigils into overlapping protective arrays. Temporary effects include stun, resistance, and burst damage.
They were hunted by nightbeasts the next day.
Brent took them on headfirst, his new ability Solar Fist burning trails of light through the air.
Challenge: Ember Spirit Awakening – Defeat 50 enemies with Solar-based melee without using healing
Completed in two nights. His fists bled. He passed out once.
But the system rewarded him:
[Sacred Art Upgrade – Solar Fist II: Supernova Impact Unlocked]
Upon successive hits, stored energy detonates in a chain reaction.
Day 4: Trust Tested
Rain poured for twelve hours straight.
Food ran low.
Rae developed a fever. Kalen refused to help.
Brent used Beacon of Hope, channeling all of his light reserve into healing her.
It almost killed him.
But when Rae woke up, and her hand rested on his shoulder, he didn't feel pain.
Only purpose.
Kalen scoffed in the background. "Playing paladin again, huh?"
Brent didn't even look at him.
He didn't need to.
Day 5: The Cliff Trial
A massive ravine separated them from the extraction point. The bridge had long since collapsed.
Worse, a pack of armored burrowbacks—spiked tunnel-beasts—emerged beneath their feet.
Brent activated Valorheart Mode, turning himself into a mobile defense beacon, keeping Rae and Kalen shielded while they crossed the makeshift ledge path.
He stood alone on the cliff, taking hits until the last burrowback launched at his chest.
He didn't dodge.
He countered.
"SOLAR FIST: SUPERNOVA IMPACT!"
The beast exploded into light and ash, leaving the mountain trembling.
[Level Up – Luminaris Rank 9 Achieved!]
New Ability: Judgment Step – Dash imbued with purifying flame. Disengages corruption and leaves a radiant trail that burns foes or heals allies based on alignment.
New Title: Shield of the Unshaken – You have endured through pain, betrayal, and weakness to become a force of light others can rely on.
Day 6: The Storm Gate
A magical thunderstorm engulfed the Hollow. Lightning beasts roamed, hunting anything warm-blooded.
The system offered Brent one final brutal challenge before the last day:
[Ascension Trial – Lightwalker's Path]
Survive three hours in the storm unshielded. No healing. No magic use. Only movement and pure combat instincts.
Reward: Solar Step – Divine footwork technique that allows temporary phasing through attacks and traps.
Brent accepted.
He left the team in a sealed cave and walked into the storm.
"What are you doing?" Jalen exclaimed while shaking his head. Lightning burned across his body. He moved on instinct alone—dodging, weaving, punching, rolling through mud and stone as beasts lunged with bladed horns and static fangs.
He didn't scream.
He learned.
When the timer hit zero, he collapsed in the mud, smoking and burned but alive.
The Flame inside him glowed not with fury—but with clarity.
[Challenge Complete –
Flame Resonance: 42%-44%
Solar Step Unlocked]
Grants enhanced agility and movement bursts. Can be chained with Judgment Step for combat teleportation.
Footwork Tree Initiated: 1/10 Mastery.
On the sixth night, Brent returned to camp just as Rae and Kalen were preparing to search for him.
He was steaming, scarred, and silent.
Rae stared. Kalen said nothing.
But that night, no monsters came close.
Because the Hollow knew.
Brent Alder was no longer prey.
He was light incarnate.
And the final day had yet to come.