Chapter 91: Training
Sebastian stood there, his expression grave.
He carried no tray nor drink. He simply arrived with his usual presence that always seemed to command attention.
Rowan and Ingrid both looked up immediately.
"Morning," he greeted as he sat.
"Morning," Wade replied.
Sebastian looked at each of them, his expression neutral. "I see you’ve already heard."
Rowan nodded slowly. "Hard not to."
Sebastian’s gaze hardened. "Then there’s no point in delaying. The guilds have confirmed it. There’s no longer any doubt."
He paused, the quiet cafeteria seeming to hush even further around them.
"The horde is real," he said at last. "And it’s heading for Hiving."
Silence filled the air for a few seconds, then Sebastian exhaled through his nose.
"News just reached me from the higher ups of our guild," he said. "In preparation for the coming battle, all lower-layer dungeons we own have been opened for free access."
Rowan’s head snapped up. "For free?"
"Yes." Sebastian nodded. "They’re calling it an emergency initiative. An opportunity for adventurers to strengthen themselves, settle old debts, and raise their survival odds."
"The guilds want as many people at full capacity as possible before we head to face the horde."
Wade leaned forward slightly, intrigued. Free dungeon access was unheard of. Normally, adventurers had to pay steep fees or surrender a cut of their loot to even enter a guild-regulated dungeon.
Sebastian continued, "The goal is twofold. First, to allow last-minute level-ups."
"And second, to give adventurers the chance to clear their outstanding loans to the guild before they march to war. If you die owing money, it’s the guilds that eat the loss, and they don’t like that."
"Sounds generous," Rowan said dryly. "But really, they’re just protecting their investment."
"Precisely," Sebastian replied, his tone neutral. "Still, a free dungeon is a free dungeon."
He looked around the table, expression serious. "I’ve already reserved a slot for our party. Tomorrow, we will enter Shattered Hall again."
Wade blinked. "Tomorrow?"
"Yes," Sebastian said. "Today, we’ll train. Lightly. Get our coordination back in sync. Tomorrow, we go all in."
Rowan grinned faintly. "You sure it’s just light training?"
Sebastian smirked, pushing back his chair. "That depends on how well you perform."
They all stood, trays forgotten, and followed Sebastian out of the cafeteria.
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Sebastian led them to an open section near the center of the training yard.
The morning sun hung high above, glinting off the glass windows of the surrounding towers.
He stopped and turned, planting his feet firmly. "Today’s training will be simple."
Wade, Rowan, and Ingrid all stood before him in a loose triangle, waiting for instructions.
Sebastian’s eyes gleamed faintly. "We’re dropping weapons, magic, and skills. Physical combat only."
Rowan blinked. "You mean..."
Sebastian nodded once. "Bare hands. Think of it as a fundamentals check."
Wade grimaced. "Fantastic."
"Gear off," Sebastian ordered.
They all sighed, opening their inventories and unequipping their armor.
Wade felt oddly exposed as his pauldrons, breastplate, and gauntlets disappeared.
Sebastian stretched his shoulders. "Here’s the rule. You work together to bring me down. You can use teamwork, grapples, feints, whatever you need. Your goal is to land a decisive hit or pin me down."
Rowan chuckled nervously. "That’s it? Sounds easy."
Sebastian’s mouth curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Try me."
For a moment, no one moved. Then, Rowan gave a yell and lunged forward first, throwing a quick right jab towards Sebastian’s ribs.
Sebastian caught it effortlessly, twisting Rowan’s wrist just enough to force him to stumble.
Before Rowan could recover, Wade charged in from the side, aiming a sweeping kick at Sebastian’s leg.
Sebastian pivoted, blocking the attack with his shin and shoving Wade back with one hand. His movements were smooth, almost casual, like he was swatting away flies.
Wade gritted his teeth, circling back.
Rowan growled, lunging again, but Sebastian parried, driving his elbow into Rowan’s chest and sending him sprawling into the sand.
"Too direct," Sebastian said evenly. "Predictable."
That was when Ingrid moved.
She was silent. There was no yelling or posturing.
She darted in low, slipping behind Sebastian with startling agility. Her foot swept out, catching the back of his knee.
Sebastian grunted as his leg buckled slightly. He shifted to regain his footing, but Ingrid didn’t give him the chance.
She leapt, climbing up his back in one fluid motion, her knee pressing into his shoulder blades.
Wade blinked, impressed. She was already going for the choke.
But Sebastian wasn’t out of tricks. He caught her arm, using his momentum to roll forward.
Ingrid tried to twist free, but he threw her over his shoulder, sending her tumbling into the sand a few feet away.
"Nice try," Sebastian said, straightening. "Again."
Wade exchanged a glance with Rowan, who was brushing dust off his shirt.
"Ready?" Wade muttered.
"Born ready," Rowan said, though the grimace on his face didn’t exactly sell his confidence.
They rushed together this time. Wade went high while Rowan went for a low sweep.
Sebastian sidestepped both, his movements deceptively minimal.
He caught Rowan by the shoulder and used him as leverage, shoving him into Wade’s path.
The two of them collided and hit the sand in a heap.
Ingrid was already there again, springing forward with a quick spin kick.
Sebastian blocked, but she followed up immediately, striking with her elbow.
This time, she connected.
Sebastian grunted as her elbow clipped his jaw, forcing him to retreat half a step.
Ingrid didn’t let up, striking in a blur. She moved, sending a punch to his ribs, keeping him off balance with a sweep of her foot, and another jab towards his collarbone.
Wade and Rowan scrambled to their feet, watching the exchange.
Sebastian blocked most of her attacks, but not all. She was just too fast.
Finally, she dropped low, sweeping his legs out again. This time, he hit the ground.
Ingrid pounced, twisting behind him before he could rise.
Her arm snaked around his neck, her legs locking around his torso in a tight chokehold.
Sebastian tried to pry her off, his muscles tensing, but she held firm, shifting her weight perfectly to keep him pinned.
After a long few seconds, he tapped her arm twice.
"Alright," he said between breaths. "That’s enough."
She released him and rolled back gracefully, landing in a crouch.
Wade exhaled a low whistle. "Remind me never to make you angry."
Rowan was grinning now, even with sand in his hair. "That was beautiful. I barely saw half of that."
Sebastian stood, brushing off his clothes. His usual composure had returned, though his jaw bore a faint red mark.
"Well done," he said, nodding toward Ingrid. "You exploited every weakness. Excellent awareness and accuracy."
"Thank you," Ingrid said quietly, giving a small nod.
Sebastian turned towards the rest of them. "And the two of you... your coordination could use work."
Rowan groaned. "We noticed."
Sebastian smiled faintly. "That’s why we train."
He cracked his neck, then stepped back to the center of the yard again. "But now, let’s change things up."
Wade blinked. "Change?"
"This time," Sebastian said, looking between them, "we’ll all be facing Ingrid."
Rowan’s grin dimmed. "Wait, what?"
Ingrid simply stood, silent and calm, dusting off her hands. Her expression didn’t change, but Wade could swear there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes.
Sebastian gestured towards the open ground. "You wanted light training, remember? Consider this warm-up, round two."
Wade sighed, bracing himself. "Oh, this is going to hurt."
Rowan chuckled weakly beside him. "Yeah... probably."
Ingrid raised a hand, beckoning them forward. "Whenever you’re ready."
Sebastian smiled faintly. "Begin."