Commander Lyra shifted her attention fully to Nox.

"You," she said calmly, "have actually been preparing for this training since the first day."

Nox blinked.

"…Wait, seriously?"

Lyra nodded.

"The weights. The obstacle courses. The pressure training."

Nox frowned slightly as she listened.

She honestly thought all those drills were simply meant to improve her speed and stamina overall.

But now that Lyra brought it up like this…

It suddenly felt intentional.

"The attacks from Selene forced you to react under pressure," Lyra continued. "And when Arthur joined the training, your instincts sharpened even more."

Nox immediately clicked her tongue.

"That guy attacks like he's trying to collect debt."

Arthur raised a brow from Mel's side of the hall.

"I heard that."

"You were supposed to."

Torren snorted nearby while Arthur just shook his head with a helpless smile.

Lyra ignored them and continued.

"Your body has already adapted to movement under pressure. What's left now is getting your mana to follow the same rhythm."

Nox's expression slowly became more serious.

Lyra stepped closer.

"Mana isn't just for reinforcement. It has to respond naturally to your intent."

She pointed toward Nox's legs.

"You survive through movement. Through quick reactions. So your mana should support that instinct."

Nox nodded slowly.

That part made sense to her.

Lyra finally stopped talking and folded her arms.

"Enough explanation. You'll understand faster by doing it."

That sounded more like the commander they knew.

Nox rolled her shoulders lightly before focusing.

"Alright then."

Lyra instructed her carefully this time.

"Condense mana into the parts of your body that help your movement most. Feet. Calves. Shoulders. Arms."

Nox followed immediately.

Mana slowly gathered around those areas.

Not spread randomly.

Focused.

Controlled.

At least… that was the goal.

"Keep it flowing constantly," Lyra added. "And move while maintaining it."

Nox already knew this wouldn't be easy.

The moment she tried taking her first step, the mana around one shoulder scattered immediately.

"Tch."

"Again," Lyra said calmly.

Nox took another breath.

This time she stabilized the flow better before moving again.

Then Lyra handed her the weighted gear.

Nox stared at it for a second.

Normally she would complain.

Probably loudly.

But today she simply wore it without a word.

The state of emergency still lingered heavily in everyone's minds.

None of them could really afford to waste time anymore.

Soon, Nox stepped toward the obstacle course again.

At first glance, it looked like her normal training.

Running.

Jumping.

Sliding past barriers.

Avoiding swinging targets.

But now there was something extra layered into it.

Mana control.

And that changed everything.

The moment she focused too much on movement, the mana broke apart.

When she focused too much on the mana, her footwork slowed.

"Balance both," Lyra called out.

Nox gritted her teeth and adjusted again.

Her body already understood the obstacle course naturally after repeating it for days.

That part wasn't difficult anymore.

The real struggle came from keeping the mana stable while moving.

She jumped over a low barrier…

The mana around her left leg dispersed.

She almost stumbled during landing.

"Don't force it," Lyra corrected immediately. "Guide it."

Nox inhaled sharply and tried again.

Slowly…

Very slowly…

The flow became smoother.

Not perfect.

Far from it.

But enough to show improvement.

Arthur watched briefly from afar while Mel circled another obstacle nearby.

He could already see where this training was heading.

Lyra wasn't just teaching them random tricks.

She was building habits into their bodies.

Making their mana react naturally to the role they played in battle.

Honestly…

It was impressive.

Even Mel seemed curious as she watched Nox crash into a wooden post after losing concentration again.

The cub tilted her head.

Arthur laughed.

"Don't judge her too hard. Yours wasn't easy either."

Mel barked proudly anyway.

Nox heard that and pointed accusingly.

"Your wolf just mocked me."

Arthur shrugged.

"She believes in you."

"That's not what that bark sounded like."

Torren burst into laughter this time.

Even Lyra's lips twitched slightly before she hid it quickly.

Still, the atmosphere loosened a little after that.

Nox resumed training again, this time adapting faster after understanding the basic principle.

Once Lyra confirmed she was steadily improving, she finally left her to continue practicing alone.

Then she returned to Torren.

And unlike before…

Torren had clearly improved.

The mana around his shield arm no longer dispersed instantly.

It still shook sometimes, but it stayed condensed longer now.

Even his stance looked sturdier.

Lyra crouched slightly to observe better.

"Again."

Torren tightened his grip on the shield.

Mana condensed around his arm.

Then into his shoulder.

Even his feet now carried some of the pressure as he planted himself firmly into the floor.

Arthur noticed it too.

Torren looked heavier somehow.

More rooted.

Like trying to push him back would feel annoying now.

Still, it wasn't perfect.

Sometimes the mana flickered.

Sometimes it spread too wide again.

The process honestly looked repetitive.

Turn it on.

Fail.

Reset.

Repeat.

Again and again.

The boring side of mana training had finally arrived.

But Torren didn't stop.

Because every successful attempt felt different.

Better.

More solid.

His body slowly started remembering the process.

The mana pathways adapted little by little each time.

And Lyra could see it clearly.

She nodded once in approval.

"You understand it now."

Torren exhaled tiredly.

"Barely."

"That's enough for the next step."

His eyes sharpened immediately.

Even Nox slowed her training slightly just to listen.

Lyra crossed her arms.

"There wouldn't normally be this much rush," she admitted. "But the situation outside doesn't give us that luxury."

The hall quieted slightly after those words.

He understood what she meant.

Things were changing.

Fast.

So Lyra continued anyway.

"But I won't move you forward unless your foundation can handle it."

Torren straightened instinctively.

He could tell this next part mattered.

Lyra stepped back a little.

"Take your defensive stance."

Torren obeyed immediately.

Shield forward.

Feet grounded.

Body lowered slightly.

Lyra walked closer until she stood directly before him.

"Earlier, you condensed mana into your body."

She raised a finger toward his shield.

"Now you're going to learn how to receive impact properly."