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But trouble was brewing on the horizon...

The first signs of unrest came in hushed whispers and worried glances exchanged between senior officers. Milo noticed an increase in patrols along the wall, and training sessions became more intense, focusing on combat scenarios against Locus.

Milo caught fragments of conversation about a dissident group.

"Who's Cassandra?" he asked Nessa as they hurried to their assigned positions, their summons scampering alongside them.

She shook her head, her usually cheerful face now somber. "I don't know, but whatever's happening, it's bad." Her frog croaked softly, as if in agreement.

For days, the city teetered on the brink of disaster. Through it all, rumors swirled about Von Elio, the leader who had promised them so much, now struggling to maintain control.

Some rumors were so outlandish they bordered on the ridiculous, yet they persisted, spreading like wildfire through the ranks.

When the dust finally settled, the city had changed once again. The rebellion had been crushed, but at a terrible cost.

Many had died, and trust, once freely given, was now a precious commodity.

There would be no more free rabbits.

Milo learned the details bit by bit, piecing together the fragments of information that trickled down through the ranks.

Cassandra, a descendant of Fathoran, had attempted to seize control of the city. She had manipulated the people, sowing doubts about Von Elio's leadership and inciting chaos that nearly destroyed everything they had built.

The final resolution had been brutal.

Von Elio had personally captured Cassandra, and the outcome had been... shocking. Milo heard whispers about how Von Elio had executed Cassandra in front of the entire city, an act that left everyone stunned and fearful.

♢♢♢♢

The night before challenging level 3, as Milo prepared for sleep, his salamander curled up beside him, its warmth comforting. "Tomorrow's the big day, little one," Milo murmured, gently stroking the salamander's scales. "Together, we'll make it through."

As he drifted off to sleep, Milo couldn't help but think about everything that had changed in such a short time. The city, the army, himself... everything was different now. But one thing remained constant: his determination to make his family proud and contribute to the safety of the city he called home.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Milo sank into an uneasy sleep, mentally and physically preparing for the challenge that awaited him at dawn.

♢♢♢♢

Milo's heart pounded as he faced the rabbit in the level 3 challenge. After a week of intensive training, he expected an epic battle, a duel of speed and wit against the agile creature they all feared so much.

However, the reality was... disappointing.

The rabbit, that dreaded adversary they had spoken of so much, simply stood there. Spinning on its axis like some crazy kid, it didn't even attempt to dodge Milo and his salamander's attacks.

One, two, three, four, five fire hits. Direct hits, every single one.

He didn't even need to aim...

The rabbit absorbed the surrounding air, directing the attacks towards itself.

The rabbit disintegrated into a cloud of smoke, leaving Milo blinking in disbelief.

"Is that it?" he muttered, looking at his companion with perplexity. The salamander seemed equally confused, tilting its small head as if to say, "We prepared so much for this?!"

But he was level 3 now, that was what mattered.

Milo reviewed his new stats with joy and decided to exit the book. But he had no time to process his anticlimactic victory or celebrate it with his friends.

He had barely left the challenge chamber when the alarms began to sound erratically, filling the air with their strident call.

"Everyone to your posts!" shouted a nearby officer. "Locus invasion!"

Chaos erupted. Soldiers ran in all directions, summons appeared in flashes of light, and the air filled with shouts and orders.

Milo found himself running towards the wall's parapet, his salamander firmly clinging to his shoulder. Around him, he saw Kai and Nessa, their own summons ready for battle.

When they reached the top of the wall, the sight that greeted them was terrifying. An endless tide of Locus crashed against the barrier, their bodies writhing and colliding in a frenzy to reach the city.

"Get ready!" an officer shouted. "The barrier is failing!"

And then it happened. For a brief instant, half a second that seemed like an eternity, the barrier flickered. In that moment, a wave of Locus leapt towards the wall.

Milo acted on instinct. All his training, all those hours of practice he had considered excessive, suddenly made sense.

His summon launched a precise fireball, impacting a Locus directly on what appeared to be its head. The hit caused 8 points of magical damage.

Beside him, Kai and Nessa also sprang into action. Kai's frog, fueled with mana, delivered powerful blows that cut the Locus in several places. Each impact caused 13 points of magical damage.

Nessa, for her part, had also osed her frog.

Milo realized that the frog was more effective and switched his salamander for it as well.

The battle was intense but brief. In a matter of minutes, the soldiers had eliminated all the Locus that had managed to break through the barrier. But the cost had been high. Milo realized he had spent 10 of his 30 daily mana points in the combat.

As he caught his breath, Milo couldn't help but feel a deep concern. The barrier had only stopped for half a second. What would happen if it failed for longer? 5 seconds?

Or if it shut off forever?

The thought made him shudder. Without the barrier, they would be completely defenseless against the endless horde of Locus. All their training, all their power, seemed insignificant in the face of the magnitude of the threat surrounding them.

"That was intense," Nessa panted, leaning on the parapet. Her frog croaked in agreement, its bulbous eyes darting nervously towards the seething mass of Locus beyond the barrier.

Kai nodded silently, his usual stoicism cracked by an expression of concern. His frog mimicked its master's solemn nod, perched atop Kai's head like a bizarre living helmet.

"Do you think this happens often?" Milo asked, his salamander curling tighter around his neck, as if seeking reassurance.

"I hope not," Nessa replied, absently stroking her frog's back. "I don't know if we could keep up this pace every day... I won't be able to save any mana."

Kai frowned, his frog's expression mirroring his own. "We need to find a way to prevent the failures."

Milo nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. But how?"

Before they could delve deeper into the conversation, an officer approached them. The man's rabbit summon hopped alongside him, its ears twitching alertly.

"Soldier Elarian," he said, addressing Milo. "Your presence is required for an evaluation interview. As an applicant for the 20-year program, you have priority."

Milo exchanged surprised looks with his friends before following the officer. The interview was part of the process to determine if soldiers had the right intentions and were truly committed to the city's cause.

What Milo didn't expect was who would be interviewing him.