As Phaistos and his group were the first to follow the instructor, they were also the first to notice a detail that shocked them deeply.
"It's impossible... How can he cover such a distance in a single stride?!" exclaimed Zara, her gaze fixed on the instructor's silhouette. With each step, he seemed to cover an unreal distance, crossing ten meters effortlessly and with fluid movement. The physical power he exuded was absolutely terrifying.
Sensing the urgency of the situation, Freya reacted immediately. "If we don't do something, he'll abandon us in an instant! Hurry up!" Without hesitation, she quickened her pace, determined not to be left behind.
As they followed the instructor across the vast golden plains of Helios, the heat became increasingly unbearable. Each step required extra effort, and the air glistened faintly around them, as if imbued with an invisible energy. Yet, despite their acceleration, the distance separating them from the instructor remained unchanged. He moved without the slightest sign of effort, gliding over the ground with almost supernatural ease.
As they pursued him, an invisible weight seemed to anchor them to the ground. It wasn't just fatigue, it was something more oppressive, intensifying with every step.
Freya struggled to her feet, her jaw clenched. "Something's pulling us down... It can't just be a test of endurance."
Miki tried to lengthen his stride, but his movement was abruptly interrupted, as if the air itself had thickened around him. "It's a force weighing down on us! The further we go, the heavier it becomes."
Phaistos, struggling with each breath, grimaced. "It's not natural... This field is crushing us like an invisible hand."
Kibi let out a grunt of frustration, forcing his muscles to move. "Anyway, we're not stopping here. We need to find a solution."
Freya watched her companions. Their breathing was shallow, their movements slow. They were all prisoners of this invisible pressure, and soon they would be completely immobilized if they didn't act fast. She took a deep breath, focusing her energy on the surrounding air.
A cool breeze blew, enveloping the group in a refreshing gust that gave them a brief sensation of lightness. The cold didn't completely dissipate the oppressive force, but it soothed their muscles, offering a brief respite.
Fortunately, it would seem that restricting their magical power didn't prevent them from interacting with their element in the air. The process was just a lot harder.
Zara shivered before nodding. "It helps us breathe... Not enough to free us completely, but at least we can keep moving without collapsing."
Phaistos assessed the situation. "If we keep fighting this pressure, we'll burn out too quickly. We need to change the way we move: bending our bodies, lightening our steps and managing the force rather than resisting it outright."
With this new approach, the group adopted a more fluid and measured rhythm, saving every ounce of energy. They advanced slowly, bending their bodies to adapt to variations in the force field, concentrating their efforts on adaptation rather than brute resistance.
Meanwhile, other groups of students, scattered across the plain, struggled in their own way against the invisible force:
A tall young man with short black hair, accustomed to physical hardship, tried to crawl to reduce the pressure on his limbs. "If we stand still, this thing will crush us!" he growled.
A thin, pale-haired student moved with unusual fluidity, almost like a dance, barely touching the ground without ever fully anchoring his weight to it. "If the ground wants to hold me, then I must escape like a shadow...", he murmured
A sturdy apprentice, his face scarred by fatigue, leaned on his companions, sharing the burden between them as they moved forward. "If we support each other, no one will fall too quickly.
A stocky boy, looking concentrated, studied the fluctuations of the force field, adjusting each step to his rhythm. "This invisible weight is not constant... It moves. We need to understand its cycle so that we can move forward without wasting energy."
In this way, each apprentice found their own method of surviving the relentless pressure, all knowing that they had to endure if they hoped to achieve their goal.
The instructor, however, continued his progress without a word, observing the students carefully. The test had only just begun. He knew that this test was not just about strength, but revealed something deeper. He had just identified the first lesson: the ability to react to an unknown situation.
But just as they seemed to have mastered a delicate balance, the pressure suddenly intensified, as if the plains themselves were putting them to the test...
As the violence intensified, a wave of panic swept through several groups of students. Those who had regained some semblance of stability wobbled under the crushing impact of this invisible force, which seemed determined to pin them to the ground.
Phaistos felt his breath quicken, his body grow heavy as if his muscles refused to obey. 'No... It's getting stronger...' he muttered through clenched teeth.
Freya, who had begun cooling their bodies to relieve the tension, was struggling to maintain her power. 'I can't strengthen it any more... If we keep this up, it'll wear us out completely!'
Meanwhile, the other groups were fighting as best they could.
The tall young man with the short hair, who had been crawling, finally stopped, his arms trembling under the pressure. 'It's not enough... We're pinned down...' he said.
The fair-haired student tried to adapt, but even his slight movements were no longer enough. Their fluidity seemed to be disrupted by a force he couldn't fully grasp. He exhaled sharply, his gaze troubled. 'The pressure is changing... It's becoming more irregular.'
The rugged apprentice and his team, who had been relying on each other for support, saw their strategy crumble. 'We won't survive if the situation keeps getting worse... We have to find another solution...'
The stocky boy, studying the fluctuations in strength, concentrated even harder. He noticed something no-one else had. 'There are moments when the pressure drops... They're brief, but we can take advantage of them!'
Phaistos raised his head at this. 'Where? Show me where it weakens!'
The stocky boy scanned his surroundings and pointed to an area a little further on, where some of the apprentices seemed to be making easier progress. "That's it! We need to move at the same pace..."
Freya clenched her fists, 'Then we'll follow that pace... We can't just stand here and wait to be crushed!'
With this new tactic, the students began to follow the cycles of the force field, waiting for moments when the pressure would ease, then moving quickly before it intensified again.
The instructor, still silent, squinted slightly as he observed their adaptation. "This group has understood more quickly than last year that war is also a question of collaboration and leadership. The real question now is: who among them will manage to take command in a place like this?"
As the invisible force continued to oppress them, a new challenge arose: a burning wind suddenly rose up, sweeping across the plains with almost supernatural brutality.
Freya, who was already struggling to maintain her cooling breeze to relieve her companions, winced as the scorching air stifled her efforts. Within moments, her magic was completely neutralised. 'I can't use my power for several minutes... We need to find another solution!'
Phaistos gritted his teeth, scanning his surroundings. Several students, already exhausted by the gravitational pressure, were forced to stop, their breath taken away by the suffocating heat.
The light-haired student, who was moving with remarkable agility, wobbled under the thermal shock and had to slow down considerably. 'This heat... It exhausts us even faster than the weight of the ground.'
The sturdy young man, who was relying on the support of the group, felt his teammates falter. 'We can't hold out much longer... It's no longer just a question of strength, it's a question of mental endurance.'
As the scorching wind continued to blow across the plain, threatening to deplete the apprentices' last reserves, Zara, ever attentive, noticed that some students were much more exposed than others. The force of the wind was not uniform: it hit more violently those who were standing alone, while those in groups seemed to resist better.
She took a deep breath and raised her voice despite the storm. "Listen to me! If we stay scattered, we'll burn out too quickly. We need to regroup and form a human chain!"
Miki, who was already struggling to move forward, turned his head towards her. "A chain? What do you mean?"
"If we huddle together, those at the front will absorb most of the wind, while the others can recover a little energy. Then, after a while, we'll alternate positions so that no one gets exhausted too quickly!" explained Zara with determination.
Phaistos immediately understood the logic of this strategy. 'Instead of fighting alone, we protect each other... It makes sense.'
To make the chain as effective as possible, the group quickly informed the other students. Many of them quickly joined in, and Kibi volunteered to lead the group.
They began to move slowly. Several students decided to channel their magical energy towards Kibi. He was soon enveloped in multiple layers of energy, protecting him from the impact of the wind. However, they had clearly overestimated themselves: they were only apprentices of rank 1 or 2. Within moments, their magical reserves were completely exhausted.
Phaistos, third in line, shouted: "Stop! If we go all out, we'll only exhaust ourselves. Give Kibi just a fraction of your energy!"
The instructor, still making steady progress, took a particular interest in Zara and Phaistos. He was impressed by the speed with which they adapted to the new challenge. But they weren't the only ones to attract his attention: the tall, dark-haired young man, the light-haired student, the robust apprentice with the tired expression and the stocky, focused boy had all shown remarkable adaptability.