Dawn had barely broken, casting pale light across the dense forest clearing. The squad moved cautiously, twenty-eight soldiers in tight formation, their breaths even, eyes scanning the shadows. Today was their ultimate test — the first time they would face a high-tier beast without Alaric or Alex directly intervening.
Ahead, the ground trembled subtly. A low hiss echoed through the trees, faint at first, then louder, resonating like a warning bell. Emerging from the mist was the beast — a massive serpent, four feet tall at its shoulder, scales black as obsidian with a subtle metallic sheen. Its eyes glowed with an eerie luminescence, shifting and warping to create illusions meant to confuse any who looked directly at it. Poison dripped from its fangs, sizzling when it touched the leaves.
I whispered to myself, though unseen by the squad: This is Xilithar, the Phantom Serpent. Dangerous, cunning, lethal.
The serpent coiled, its massive body undulating like a river of steel, and struck with blinding speed. Several soldiers barely raised shields in time; one was grazed by a fang, a searing burn spreading across his arm.
"Hold formation!" I had to remind them inwardly. This was a test of their growth, not ours. Alex and I stayed on the hill overlooking the clearing, observing every reaction, every decision.
Xilithar lunged again, fangs snapping, acid hissing against the rocks. The illusion eyes caused the soldiers to hesitate, some striking at phantom copies. Sweat and panic threatened to disrupt their rhythm.
It was then that something remarkable happened. The squad — working together, relying on instincts honed over months — began to draw on their latent potential. Gao Wei, the tall Eastern man, felt a surge within, his mana flowing faster and sharper. Liang Hao's focus sharpened, his instincts cutting through the illusions. Others followed, each soldier pushing beyond their ordinary limits.
Spear thrusts found gaps in Xilithar's armor-like scales. Mana-imbued blades pierced the thick hide, while fire bursts sizzled over the serpent's body, drawing its attention. The squad coordinated with fluidity that even I hadn't expected, anticipating each other's movements, creating openings, and pressuring the serpent from multiple angles.
Xilithar hissed, acid dripping onto the forest floor, burning the leaves and steam rising from contact. It lashed its tail, knocking over several soldiers, but they rolled, regained footing, and countered with precision. Its illusion eyes tried to disorient them, but Gao Wei, sensing the subtle shift in the serpent's breathing, directed the group's attacks toward the real body.
One by one, they pushed Xilithar back. Every bite, every lash, was met with a coordinated response. Spatial mana users warped distance, fire users scorched exposed flanks, and spearmen struck in unison, slowly wearing down the massive beast.
Finally, the squad executed a perfectly synchronized maneuver. Liang Hao and three others drew the serpent's attention to the center, while two others struck from the flanks with mana-charged swords. A well-timed fire burst ignited the clearing, forcing Xilithar to rear back.
Seeing the opening, the soldiers leapt as one. Blades and spears tore through the serpent's thick scales, acid sizzling on impact but no longer able to penetrate their coordinated assault. Xilithar let out a final, piercing hiss before collapsing, its massive body coiling lifelessly in the mist.
Silence fell. The forest seemed to exhale. Every soldier was battered, scratched, and burning from minor acid burns, but every single one of them stood. They had faced an advanced-tier beast — and survived. Not because Alaric or Alex had fought for them, but because they had grown, adapted, and discovered the true measure of their own power.
From the hill, I allowed myself a small smile. Alex mirrored it. We had trained them, guided them, and pushed them to their limits, but this… this was their moment.
As the adrenaline faded, the squad regrouped, tending to wounds and collecting the remaining mana cores from Xilithar's body. The look in their eyes was one of pride and disbelief — they had done what they never imagined possible.
Liang Hao stepped forward, voice steady but trembling with excitement. "We… we did it. All of us."
Gao Wei clapped him on the back. "We've come a long way. The brothers prepared us, yes, but this… this is ours."
I nodded silently. The lesson was clear: leadership could guide, but true growth came from facing insurmountable odds and discovering strength within.
Xilithar's corpse would later serve as a symbol, a warning to others in the forest, and a source of power for those who survived. But more importantly, it marked the moment when the squad had truly become warriors of the Qin Empire, ready to face whatever dangers the empire — or the wider world — could throw at them.