Inside the enemy stronghold, everything shifted rapidly. Patrol units retreated. Tower guards fell back. The supply area sealed shut.
Makeshift barricades were hastily erected around the command core. The entire camp transitioned into a full defensive state, and even the enemy's patrol rhythms became faster, tighter.
Ryan narrowed his eyes, fingers sliding across the command panel. Without hesitation, he issued a new round of orders.
"Engage Phase Two configuration. Triple-lane assault."
"Doran maintains frontal pressure. Keep enemy eyes forward. Force the towers to commit their firepower."
"Vye, move through the southeast ruins. Use stealth to slip behind their formation. Priority targets—healers and archers. Break their support chain first."
"Tika, ascend the left-side ruins. Secure the high ground and suppress the right tower's line of sight."
"Kellan, monitor the whole squad. Focus support on Doran. Predict the damage zones. Preload healing paths."
"Lynn, suspend minor fire casts. Begin charging Tier 3 Flame Vortex. Release on my signal."
The squad responded like clockwork, moving with trained cohesion. Their formation shifted from a focused pressure line to a multi-directional cutting maneuver. Ryan stood atop the tactical platform, gaze calm and calculating. The battlefield below unfolded exactly as he envisioned it—like a war simulation playing out in real time.
As expected, the towers locked onto Doran. Several enemy soldiers misjudged his forward push as the primary threat. Reinforcements were pulled to the front line, inadvertently exposing gaps on the flanks.
Vye slipped through collapsed walls, never triggering a single trap. Exploiting the patrol blind spots, he infiltrated the inner compound. One swift strike took out the healer. In the chaos, he eliminated a secondary archer as well.
With the support link severed, the towers' response lagged. Tika used the opening to pin down the remaining defenders, her arrows sealing off the approach routes and forcing them to cluster near the center.
Ryan spoke softly.
"Release."
Lynn completed her charge. A blazing Flame Vortex descended from the sky, striking the tower's base and engulfing the clustered enemies in fire. For ten full seconds, flames raged, forcing the defenders to scatter and leaving their formation fractured.
[Progress: 76%]
Then came the roar. The enemy commander stepped out—clad in full armor, wielding a massive battle axe. He activated a charge skill and lunged straight toward the front line.
Ryan's voice remained steady.
"Doran, taunt him. Anchor the threat."
"Kellan, deploy the healing barrier. Position it between their collision path."
"Vye, flank from behind. Slash the right leg. Disrupt his charge and footwork."
"Tika, hold high ground. Deny support."
"Lynn, switch to precision casting. Lock onto vital points."
In less than ten seconds, the enemy commander was completely isolated. His rune armor broke under focused strikes. With all five teammates working in perfect harmony, his health dropped to zero.
[Enemy Commander Defeated]
[Progress: 100%]
[Siege Trial Complete]
A beam of white light enveloped Ryan and his squad. The system recovered them from the simulation and transported them to the central platform. Above them, the sky flickered with holographic projections as data synchronized in real time.
[Scoring Calculated]
Casualty Management: 97
Time Efficiency: 96
Tactical Execution: 100
Real-time Adaptation: 100
First Completion Bonus: +300
Total: 693
At the Federation proctor's platform, silence lingered.
Eldric Moonspell let out a quiet sigh.
"Not a single wasted movement. Every command landed on optimal timing."
Harker Graves nodded slowly.
"No hesitation. No delay. Even when the enemy AI scaled up its pressure response, he adjusted instantly. That level of command isn't memory—it's internalized reaction."
PrincipalHope, watching the screen, offered a calm nod.
"You're looking at the core of his strength. His class may be summoner, but that's just a label. In truth—he's a born commander."
Eldric frowned slightly.
"Individuals like him are incredibly rare in military circles."
Principal Hope replied softly.
"He's been through more battlefields than most soldiers. His demons have died before his eyes, again and again. They've also won with him. His decisions aren't guesses. They're muscle memory formed from loss and experience."
On the central platform, Ryan stood calmly in the fading glow of the transfer light.
He didn't look at the audience. Didn't scan the crowd. His eyes were locked on the sky.
On the leaderboard.
[Rankings – Updated]
Ryan Blackwood – 1393
Silvia Flare – 1090
Arwen Leize – 1070
Silvia Flare, the long-range tactics genius of the Scarlet Dawn Sector, had taken second place after this round, overtaking Arwen Leize by a slim margin.
Ryan slowly exhaled.
One trial remained.
And he had no intention of surrendering a single first place.