George coughed as he got back on his feet, brushing dust from his shredded cloak. His lips curled into that familiar grin, the kind only warriors wore when they were having genuine fun. "Heh. My affinity's simple," he said, cracking his neck. "Explosions. Raw. Unfiltered. Expansive. Think of it like volcanic eruptions in every direction. It ain't about finesse. It's about devastation."
Kaleb remained silent, arms folded. A soft golden light shimmered around him, his presence calm and collected in contrast to the battlefield's violence. Then he spoke. "Tier 8 Light," Kaleb said, his voice soft but sharp as a blade drawn from its sheath. "But I suppose you already knew that."
George chuckled. "We did. You're not subtle, golden boy."
Kaleb let out a sigh, brushing his hair back. "You're both impatient," he muttered and vanished. No blink. No flare. Just gone. And then—WHAM.
A radiant fist crashed upward into George's chin, launching him a foot into the air. "My," Kaleb said, his form already gone again. Another blow struck George's stomach, folding him forward. "SSS," Kaleb's voice came, distant and rapid. A third hit to the side. "Rank," he said. Each strike was delivered at impossible speed, slashes, punches, blinding bursts of light, as if Kaleb were fighting from every direction.
"Skill." George crashed to the ground, rolling in a heap of bruises and stunned silence. Kaleb stood a few paces away now, light fading from his limbs. "It lets me move at the speed of light." He exhaled.
Blair appeared almost instantly at her brother's side, crouching beside him. "George?" she asked.
"I'm good," he groaned. "Might've swallowed a tooth. But damn, that was art."
Kaleb raised both hands. "Surrender. Join us. I don't want more damage, and frankly, we could use your strength."
Blair looked at her brother. George gave her a thumbs-up from the ground. "I'll consider this a proposal," she said with a smirk. "We accept."
Kaleb turned slightly. "Team, assist them. Patch them up."
Golden fire surged across his body as faint wisps of phoenix-like flames began to mend his injuries.
{Deep underground}
Meanwhile, far beneath a mountainous ridge, in the hollow veins of the earth, a hidden camp flickered with eerie lamplight. Heavy-armored giants stood guard, each over eight feet tall. They wore obsidian plates etched with glowing red runes, faces hidden behind horned helms. The tunnel entrance behind them was pitch black. "It's genius," whispered one of the observing professors from afar, high on a surveillance perch built into a cliff. "Underground means no airstrikes, no flanks. One entrance. Defensible. Brutal."
The terrain itself was off-putting. Thick roots crept over the rocks, and the silence was unnatural. It felt watched. Above the trees, nestled in the canopy, someone was watching. A woman stood, half-merged into the bough of a tree. Her long green hair draped like moss, blending seamlessly into the leaves. Eyes the color of fresh spring shoots gazed down at the camp with detached curiosity.
Isabela Elvendor, the elven princess of Elvendor. She took a slender branch and drew it like a bow. The wood bent, and a string of pure green energy formed on its own. She pulled it once, a glowing arrow forming in the air. The arrow vanished on contact with a giant's armor.
Unmoved. Another arrow. Another harmless contact. The giants looked around, puzzled but unhurt. A game began. From tree to tree, she vanished and reappeared, releasing arrows that tapped, tagged, and teased. She struck at joints, eyes, backs, and knees.
Each attack was precise and lethal, which could have taken down anyone, but these giants stood invincible. The forest erupted with sound as the giants chased her, slamming trees apart with shocking speed. Their movements blurred. But they couldn't catch her. And then, she stood still. Leaning casually against a tree, cloak fluttering.
Her figure was graceful and athletic, but curved and strong. Her black bodysuit clung to every muscle and curve, sculpted as if to distract and disarm. Emerald patterns traced her arms and legs like tribal tattoos, glowing faintly. She wasn't armed. The giants charged. She took one breath.
The trees bent with her will. Wood flowed like water, twisting around the giants in a heartbeat. Their skin hardened, bark crawling over it. Before either could land a blow, they were locked mid-step, frozen in bark and root.
She stepped past them, into the cave. Everything shifted. Darkness swallowed her. The cave turned liquid, lightless. A massive figure, visible only by its white eyes and mouth, opened its maw. "Who are you?"
She didn't flinch. "Isabela Elvendor. I have come to join your team."
"Is that how elves greet their teammates? By attacking guards?"
She smiled. "Consider it a resume. If you can make two giants, you can make two hundred. If I couldn't handle a pair, I don't belong here."
Silence. Then, Reality snapped back. Trees, air, stone. And a voice. "Welcome to the team."
A figure sat casually atop the raised arm of one of the immobilized giants. Black hair, black eyes, and a coat that looked stitched from shadows themselves. His presence warped light, like the space around him bent to obey. He vanished into the shadows.
Isabela exhaled. "Dramatic." She walked into the cave.
Back Above Ground, the professors in the floating watchtower debated. "That's two powerhouses joining Kaleb's squad," muttered one. "If he gets a third, His group will be able to take on the princess's squad." The blindfolded professor with golden hair said nothing, his fingers twitching.
As the watchtower buzzed with analysis and predictions, Kaleb's team gathered around the recovering twins. Medics applied glowing salves and energy patches. Blair sat cross-legged, one eye swollen, yet smiling like she'd just had dessert. George, wrapped in bandages and holding an ice pack to his ribs, grinned at Kaleb. "You hit like a sledgehammer."
"Your explosions weren't gentle either," Kaleb replied dryly.
Meanwhile, Elara, Kaleb's second-in-command, approached him. "We've mapped the next objective. A challenge zone in the southern crater, I suggest we fight the neutral team since the princess alliance has more powerhouses than us, it is better if we could absorb the neutral team before fighting the princess alliance."
Kaleb nodded. "Then we get there first."
Back underground, Isabela walked deeper into the illuminated chamber. Strange crystals pulsed with green and violet light. Markings lined the stone walls, Runes, protective runes, and power inscriptions. A few people watched her silently from the shadows, clearly sizing her up. Back above, the blindfolded professor finally spoke. "They've stacked power. Shadows, Technology and Nature"
"Is it legal to allow that combination on one team?" another professor muttered.
"No rule prevents the formation of teams," the golden-haired man replied. "But one day, they'll regret putting lions in the same cage, and that day is coming very soon."
{Scean change}
Kaleb's team is marching southward. Overhead, the sun split through clouds, casting golden rays across the rocky plains. Kaleb led, his cloak flaring behind him. The world was watching now. Every step he took echoed louder. Every power added to his team tilted the balance. And this was only the beginning.