The Hidden Fourth Dummy – A True Challenge

Ed barely had a moment to catch his breath before a low, mechanical whir echoed through the training hall.

His instincts screamed at him.

He turned just in time to see it—the fourth dummy, rising from a hidden compartment beneath the floor.

Unlike the previous ones, this one was different.

Sleek, reinforced limbs. Darker wood reinforced with mana-infused metal.

And then—it moved.

Fast.

A sharp whoosh cut through the air.

Ed barely managed to throw himself to the side as a brutal strike shot toward his ribs.

The air shuddered with the force of the missed attack, a stark contrast to the previous dummies.

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

Another Strike

His mind reeled.

'This one isn't following a pattern,' he realized.

The others had been predictable. Calculated.

But this dummy… it was fighting like a real warrior.

Arianna smirked from the platform above, arms crossed.