stakes - gambling with gods.

Next day:-

The next day, we were summoned for a meeting by the lieutenant. All the officers from different departments within the platoon, including me, Kane, and another assistant to the lieutenant, gathered around the table. The lieutenant seemed lost in thought as he sat in his designated seat, unaware of our presence for a moment. Eventually, he snapped out of his trance and looked at each of us intently.

After a prolonged silence, the lieutenant finally spoke. "We are facing a significant obstacle in this mission. According to the information we've gathered, Hancock has two tier-3 mages as his bodyguards, and his gang has grown considerably in size. Therefore, I have made the decision to personally participate in this mission."

The room erupted into chaos as soon as the lieutenant mentioned his involvement. Everyone started voicing their opinions and concerns, creating a cacophony of voices that made it difficult to decipher any specific arguments. The lieutenant raised his hand, signalling for everyone to quiet down.

"My orders are final, and I expect no further discussion on this matter. Is that clear?" Roger's commanding voice cut through the noise, bringing a sense of discipline back to the room.

"Now, in order for this mission to succeed, I will divide the platoon into three teams, each assigned to handle a specific part of Hancock's gang. The first team will consist of me, Kane, and Damion. Our objective will be to confront and defeat his bodyguards. The second team will be comprised of 300 warriors, including deck users and bloodliners, along with 300 mages and 30 archers. Clarke, given your extensive experience, I appoint you as their leader. Your task will be to engage the tier-2 counterparts of the enemy forces." (Author's Note:- Roger recruited few soldiers while he was gone and added up to 800.)

I couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise as I realized that Clarke, the same person who had taught me how to use a bow, was in charge of the entire archery unit. It was a revelation that had only recently come to my knowledge. As for Damion, he was the last remaining tier-3 mage in our platoon, but I knew very little about him beyond that.

"Now, the remaining part of Hancock's gang consists of their pet beasts. While most of them are still in tier-1, they should pose no significant threat to the remaining soldiers. The question then arises, who will lead this group? After careful consideration, I have decided that Zack, you will take on that responsibility," Roger announced, pointing directly at me.

A mixture of surprise and apprehension washed over me as all eyes turned towards me. It was an unexpected and challenging role to assume.

Roger's words cut through the air, emphasizing the weight of my new role. As his gaze met mine, "You joined us to be an officer, not just a soldier, correct? With that in mind, you must be prepared to take charge and lead," Roger reiterated, his voice firm and resolute.

His words struck a chord within me. Yes, I had joined the platoon with aspirations of becoming an officer, to rise above the rank and file and make a significant impact. This was the moment I had been training for, the opportunity to step up and showcase my leadership skills.

I straightened my posture and met Roger's gaze with determination in my eyes. "You're right, sir. I am ready to lead. I won't let you down," I replied, the conviction in my voice reflecting my commitment to the mission.

Roger nodded approvingly, acknowledging my readiness to embrace the challenges that lay ahead. The weight of responsibility settled upon my shoulders, but I was fuelled by a newfound sense of purpose and a desire to prove myself.

As the meeting progressed, plans were discussed, strategies were formulated, and preparations were made for the impending operation. The gravity of the situation hung heavy in the air.

As the meeting adjourned, we dispersed to our respective duties, each of us fully aware of the magnitude of the task ahead. It was time to put my training, skills, and leadership abilities to the test.

==================================================================================

Past,

Exercise:-

An hour had passed since the exercise had commenced, and what had initially seemed like a straightforward task had quickly turned into a challenging ordeal. Charlotte's initial display of skill, effortlessly dispatching opponents with a single shot, had given way to a more daunting scenario as the number of opponents increased beyond our capacity to handle.

Ayaan's card which was a guardian spirit renowned for its ability to withstand attacks from multiple tier-1 beasts simultaneously, it manifested in the form of a towering humanoid figure, standing at least nine feet tall. Its ethereal body radiated a faint, bluish-white glow, giving it an otherworldly appearance. The spirit's muscular physique was covered in shimmering, translucent armor that seemed to shift and change in response to its movements.

The armor, intricately adorned with intricate patterns and symbols, provided both protection and an aura of regality. The spirit's facial features were noble and serene, with piercing, luminous eyes that exuded wisdom and determination. Its hair, flowing in ethereal strands, seemed to be made of strands of light, gently swaying with each motion. A crown-like crest adorned its head, symbolizing its status as a guardian and protector.

Despite its awe-inspiring presence, the guardian spirit exhibited a sense of grace and fluidity in its movements, effortlessly gliding through the battlefield with a sense of purpose.

In order to overcome this overwhelming situation, I devised a strategy to control the battlefield. Ayaan's familiar, guardian spirit, took on the role of a focal point. By drawing the attention of these creatures, it created a bottleneck that limited their numbers and allowed us to concentrate our efforts more effectively. Haley's shields further reinforced our defensive line, providing additional protection and buying us valuable time.

With the chaotic swarm of beasts funnelled towards us, Claire, utilizing her combat expertise, skilfully engaged them one by one. Her precise strikes and swift movements allowed her to dispatch each opponent with efficiency, ensuring that they posed no further threat.

Meanwhile, Charlotte had a crucial role in maintaining control over any stray beasts that managed to evade the funnelling process. Utilizing the power of an infernal orb, a tier-1 spell at her disposal, she unleashed bursts of fiery energy to keep these creatures at bay. Her spell allowed her to swiftly neutralize any potential threats, preventing them from disrupting our carefully orchestrated tactics.

As we progressed further in the exercise, surpassing the initial twenty goblin opponents, we were met with a next level. Devon's voice confirmed our suspicions as he announced the arrival of the next adversary: Gremlinbane.

Gremlinbane, standing slightly taller than a goblin, measured around four feet in height. Its wiry frame was covered in rough, mottled green or brown skin, allowing it to blend seamlessly into forested surroundings. Its glowing yellow eyes exuded a sharpness, while its facial features combined goblinoid characteristics with more feral elements. The creature's body boasted a series of sharp, jagged spikes that adorned its spine, forearms, and lower legs, intensifying its menacing presence.

These Gremlinbane creatures were a hybrid of goblins and gremlins, inheriting the goblins' traits while exhibiting increased strength compared to their goblin counterparts. Although they lacked the full range of abilities possessed by gremlins, their raw power equated to that of a human in the tier-1 2-star category.

In the face of the Gremlinbane's unique battle style, utilizing their body's jagged spikes as weapons, I quickly devised a strategy to counter them. Recognizing their preference for close combat, I determined that employing long-range attacks while maintaining distance, a technique known as kiting, would be the most effective approach. To execute this plan, I requested Ayaan to recall his summoned spirit and activate his Obulsis arachniecto card.

Obulsis arachniecto conjured a net of electric bolts, capable of paralyzing the Gremlinbane creatures. Taking advantage of this momentary immobilization, Haley unleashed a barrage of water daggers, while Charlotte utilized her tier-1 water cannon spell. The combination of paralysis and focused water-based attacks proved to be a lethal combination, swiftly dispatching the Gremlinbane adversaries.

Unlike the goblins, who often wielded weapons such as spears, the Gremlinbane's reliance on their natural spikes made them more vulnerable to our devised method. With this strategy in place, we easily overcame this level of the exercise, reinforcing the effectiveness of our teamwork and tactical planning.

Over the next three levels, we encountered increasingly stronger beasts, each with their own weaknesses. However, we found that these weaknesses also provided us with exploitable opportunities, allowing us to steamroll through these challenges with a concerted effort. As we reached the final level, I instructed Ayaan to recall his guardian spirit, as Haley's reserves were depleted from the repeated use of her skills.

In the final level, we encountered a new variant of goblins known as goblin shamans. These shamans possessed the ability to cast spells, particularly fire blasts and rock boulders. However, unlike traditional spellcasting that involved creating magic circles, these shamans relied on reciting verses to unleash their attacks. This unique approach presented a notable weakness that we aimed to exploit.

Initially, when the number of goblin shamans was low, it was relatively easy for Charlotte to eliminate them with her own spells. However, as their numbers grew to more than ten, our response time became delayed, and one of the shamans managed to complete the recitation of their verse.

The spell unleashed by the fully recited verse was a powerful fire blast, far exceeding the potency of Charlotte's individual spellcasting. To shield ourselves from the devastating attack, I had already instructed Ayaan to position his summoned spirit as a shield in the path of the incoming spell. The impact of the fire blast was so formidable that even the guardian spirit's armor displayed visible cracks, signifying the immense power of the attack.

This perilous sequence repeated several times, with our team struggling to eliminate every shaman before they could complete their verses. Each time, one shaman would successfully unleash a spell, intensifying the challenge we faced. The increasing number of spells being cast pushed the guardian spirit to its limits until it could no longer withstand the onslaught and was automatically recalled.

As the guardian spirit was recalled due to the overwhelming onslaught of the goblin shamans' spells, we found ourselves in a precarious situation. It was clear that our previous strategy needed refinement to effectively neutralize this new threat.

In the midst of my contemplation on how to overcome the challenging situation, a sudden manifestation of a shield caught my attention. This shield, similar in appearance to the armor of the guardian spirit, materialized before us. However, it was apparent that the shield was not summoned by me or anyone on our team, as the guardian spirit had already been recalled. As I turned to see who had summoned the shield, I was met with the smiling face of Charlotte. It was then that I realized there were many aspects about her that I had yet to discover.

Charlotte's unexpected intervention brought a glimmer of hope and renewed determination to our team. With the added protection of the shield, we could now proceed with a modified strategy. I proposed splitting up to distract the goblin shamans, while Haley, Claire, and Charlotte would capitalize on the distraction to launch targeted attacks on the shamans one by one.

As we executed the plan, the shield provided us with a crucial advantage, deflecting and absorbing the powerful spells unleashed by the shamans. This allowed us to maintain our focus on neutralizing the shamans while minimizing the risk of being overwhelmed by their devastating magic.