Then the real challenge arrived.
The simulation's final wave consisted of three mutated wolves—each one as large as a bear, their teeth dripping with venomous saliva.
They circled us, their growls vibrating through the air.
My heart beat faster, but I didn't move.
I stayed rooted to the ground, ready for what was to come.
Tyler raised his spear, ready to charge, but I could see the hesitation in his eyes.
He wasn't ready for this.
He wasn't built for it.
Cassie barely flinched. She raised her hands, prepared to provide support—but I could see the fear in her eyes as she glanced at the mutated beasts.
They couldn't do it. Not on their own.
The wolves lunged.
Before anyone could react, I moved.
I didn't wait for them to attack me.
I took the fight to them.
My massive greatsword swung with brutal force, cleaving through the first wolf's side.
The impact sent it crashing to the ground, stunned.
I didn't stop.
I kept swinging—the weight of the sword a perfect fit for my body.
Every strike was a release of the rage I'd spent years building, every cut a reflection of the pain I carried.
The second wolf came at me with a roar, but I didn't hesitate.
I blocked its claws with the flat of my sword, then buried the blade deep into its neck.
It collapsed without a sound.
The third wolf charged, but I was already there—waiting.
My sword struck true, slashing across its stomach, spilling its insides onto the floor.
In a few short moments, the battle was over.
I stood over the bodies of the three wolves, my chest heaving.
But there was no satisfaction.
No sense of victory.
Tyler's voice broke the silence.
"That's—that's impossible." He looked at me with disbelief.
"I—I could've done that myself."
I ignored him.
Cassie, on the other hand, looked at me differently.
There was no fear in her eyes. Just—admiration.
She didn't say anything.
She didn't need to.
But I saw it.
She was impressed.
Later that day, after the trial was complete, the instructor took me aside.
"Kaelen!" he called sharply.
I froze and stepped closer.
Then he muttered under his breath.
"You were assigned to this group as the Tank," he said, "but you didn't tank. You were in the way.
You have the strength, but you didn't do what your role is meant to do."
They didn't see what I was stopping.
Just that I didn't do it their way.
I stood there in silence. My fists clenched.
The verdict was swift.
"You need to be more proactive, more responsive to the team.
It's not just about being big.
It's about being a team player.
If you can't do that, then you won't be useful to anyone."
It wasn't long before Tyler and Cassie had filed a complaint.
They didn't want to train with me anymore.
The next day, I was told that I would be given special permission to train solo in the Training Dungeons from now on.
A privilege.
A punishment.
A gift.
From that moment on, my path was clear.
That's when I stopped pretending to belong.