The enemy Fighter had been maneuvering around to intercept the guard, but he wasn’t yet close enough to be caught by a second bounce. Before he could turn his attention to Lucas, the Healer turned and clubbed him in the back of the head, sending him to the floor with a bewildered look on his face. Lucas finished casting his second Chain Lightning and zapped the Healer and the Fighter together, leaving him against the enemy Mage. The two stared at each other from opposite sides of the Force Shield, each waiting on the protective barrier to fade away.

Lucas took advantage of the time afforded to him and began charging up three bursts of Chain Lightning. The seconds dragged past, and then at the first flicker of the Force Shield, Lucas unleashed all three in succession. The spells arced through the air, turning the enemy caster into ash before he even got a chance to move.

The moment the final enemy died, the room changed again. This time, Lucas was standing with Xun Guan and his teacher. He glanced around and immediately saw that everything was back to the way it had been before: the charred corpses and all signs of the previous fight had disappeared.

“Nice fight,” Xun Guan said as she reappeared.

“But not good enough,” the teacher lectured. “Why are you threatening people? Don’t you understand what an Enchanter’s goal is supposed to be? While your intent must maintain its murderous edge, your words should drip honey, not vinegar. Your spells won’t be nearly as effective if you cannot convince both the opponent’s mind and soul.”

“So . . . I have to seduce my victim before I kill them?”

“Something like that. Try again. And this time, prove to me that you are capable of being called an Enchanter. Magic should not be your only means of controlling another’s mind. Every part of your being must convey confidence, certainty, and charisma. Now, go before I lose my patience with you.”

Lucas nodded and opened the menu again. This time, there was a greyed-out button marked as “Level 1” and a new option that was labeled “Level 2.”

“Just out of curiosity, Xun Guan, what level was Kegan?”

“He was Level 3,” she answered. “Hopefully, you become that skilled. But . . . I don’t know if you can even handle Level 2 yet. My dungeon is currently only Level 1, so don’t feel bad.”

“Level 1?” Lucas frowned. So, it’s going to be a pain to get a Level 10 dungeon. Ugh.

“Yeah. Anyway, go ahead and try Level 2. I know you’re going to do it anyway, so we might as well get it over with.”

“And remember to seduce, not insult! Play the part properly!” the Enchanter lectured, clearly unhappy with Lucas’s cringy opening line.

Lucas hit the button, placing himself once more in the throne room with only his three guards around him. Where the heck are my teacher and Xun Guan watching the simulation from? he wondered, but he but didn’t have time to look around before the event began.