I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 1256: Combat Drill

The five candidates chosen as group leaders were the same five who had stood beside Adrien and Billy when the storm being’s avatar descended upon this world.

They had already felt what real Magic combat meant long before the rest were ready to face it.

That encounter had not been a test or a drill, it had been survival. Thankfully, they were not actually fighting the being head-on but Adrien and Billy took the burden for them.

Facing an avatar of an ancient storm god had given them a scale few could imagine, showing them just how vast, violent, and unforgiving the world truly was once Magic stepped beyond theory of this facility.

That experience changed them. It stripped away any lingering illusion that Magic was something to play with or show off. Power carried weight, and mistakes carried death.

The memory of lightning tearing the sky apart and pressure crushing the air remained sharp in their minds, pushing them harder than any command ever could.

After that encounter, they trained with a singular focus, driven by a simple and brutally honest reason. They did not want to die the next time they faced a real enemy.

The first was Roland Hale, a broad-shouldered man whose Magic hardened his skin into layered metal, turning his body into a living shield. In his practices, blows that would shatter bone rang against him like steel on steel, and he learned to stand at the front without hesitation.

Beside him stood Mira Kel, a short-haired woman whose Magic amplified speed to terrifying levels. She could moved in blurs and sharp bursts, her control born from knowing how easily one misstep could mean instant death.

The third was Cody Vorn, who had become a pale man with an unsettling calm now. His Magic disrupted and unraveled other Magic, weakening spells, distorting flows, and turning enemy techniques unreliable at the worst possible moments.

He had seen how overwhelming power could be, and he chose to become the one who broke it.

The fourth was Selene Ward, a woman whose control over living matter allowed her to heal wounds, reinforce bodies, and stabilize others in the midst of chaos.

She trained relentlessly because she knew how thin the line was between saving someone and losing them forever.

The last was Kade Ryan, a man who had Magic manifested as a compressed force that he could release in violent shockwaves that cracked ground and shattered air.

He had felt how small a human was before a godlike presence, and it taught him restraint as much as power. Just like the others.

Together, they carried more than strength. They carried memory, fear, and understanding from facing a real enemy.

Now, when the combat test approached, they stood ready.

Erend, Adrien, Billy, Jessica, Thomas, and Conrad stood on the elevated platform overlooking the arena, positioned high enough to see every movement below with absolute clarity.

From there, the five group leaders stood apart from the others, calm and grounded amid the tension that filled the space.

None of them doubted the decision that had been made.

Each of the five had proven themselves already. Even those whose abilities leaned toward support rather than direct offense still possessed enough physical strength, endurance, and situational awareness to survive close combat.

Magic had changed their bodies as much as their minds. They were no longer fragile.

Below them, the remaining candidates were divided evenly. Twenty in total. Each group leader would face four opponents in succession. This drill was not focused to crush them, but to test their control, adaptability, and ability to function under pressure.

Adrien’s gaze settled on the arena floor as the first match was prepared.

Roland Hale stepped forward.

The first candidate assigned to face him entered from the opposite side.

They recognized each other immediately. They had trained together, struggled together, and watched each other grow.

A brief smile passed between them.

The arena sealed.

Adrien raised his hand slightly. "Start."

The moment the word left his mouth, the fight began.

Roland advanced without hesitation. His skin hardened instantly, layers of metallic sheen spreading across his arms and shoulders as the opposing candidate moved to strike.

The first hit landed solidly against Roland’s chest and rang out like iron slammed by a hammer. Roland did not retreat. He stepped in, closed the distance, and answered with a heavy swing that forced his opponent back.

Magic light flared. The air vibrated with impact and strain as the exchange intensified.

Roland absorbed hits that would have shattered mundane human bones, using his body as a moving wall while pressing forward relentlessly.

His opponent adapted quickly, changing angles and striking joints, testing his power rather than just attacking with brute force.

From above, Erend watched closely, noting Roland’s footwork and timing. Billy leaned forward slightly. His eyes tracking every impact.

Jessica’s expression remained composed, though her focus never wavered.

Thomas muttered observations under his breath, already analyzing output stability for the next stage for both of them, while Conrad studied the stress patterns forming in the arena floor beneath Roland’s feet.

Below them, the battle continued.

Neither fought recklessly. It was controlled, measured, and real combat.

The candidate facing Roland suddenly changed his stance and drew in a steady breath, abandoning pure physical exchange.

Magic gathered around his arms, condensing into a dull blue glow that pulsed in short, rhythmic bursts.

His ability manifested as kinetic amplification, allowing him to stack force into each strike and release it on impact.

When he lunged again, his fist carried more than muscle.

BOOM!

The blow detonated against Roland’s chest with a sharp concussive crack, sending a ripple through the metallic layers of Roland’s skin and forcing him half a step back.

Roland felt the weight behind it immediately. That was no ordinary hit. Roland smirked.

He responded by grounding himself, his feet digging into the reinforced floor as his metal body thickened further, plates overlapping more tightly along his shoulders and spine.

The next amplified strike landed on him but this time Roland caught the candidate’s arm. The kinetic force discharged outward, shaking the air, yet Roland held firm.

He twisted and using his mass to throw the opponent off balance, then drove a hardened elbow into the man’s ribs.

The candidate rolled away. But he recovered quickly and launched a rapid sequence of empowered blows that cracked the floor where Roland had stood moments before.

Roland advanced through it all, enduring the impacts, reading the rhythm. When he finally struck back, it was not with speed, but with certainty.

One heavy blow slammed into the candidate’s guard and sent him skidding across the arena.

Then the fight’s direction was decided in that single exchange.

"Argh, shit. You’re strong," the candidate said with a wide smile. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Yeah. You’re weak. Hahaha!" Roland laughed out loud.

The other candidates also laughed with him.

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