"Adversity makes character. Most fops and douchebags are usually from rich or noble lineages, the sort who had their every whim catered to since birth. It is of little surprise that so many of them ended up rotten, spoiled filth." - Saying attributed to the Silver Maiden.

After a mere hour of rest, the gauntlet continued with a round of brutal spars, where the only thing held back on was straight up lethal damage. Ognar and Giselle were paired against one another and were told to go all out, while Grünhildr handled Willa herself as in a bare handed spar, none of her contemporaries were a good match for the half-therian girl.

Cal winced as she watched how Grünhildr tossed Willa over her shoulder and twisted her arms behind her back until her tendons tore and snapped. The young blood mage only whimpered a little despite the pain, which impressed her. A quick pass by Aideen had Willa's arms fixed in no time, after which she got up and eagerly went for another go with Grünhildr.

She nodded, quite satisfied that the young half-therian was in such good spirits even after the abuse, and saw that Giselle and Ognar also gave their all in their spar. Aideen flitted around to and fro and healed whoever was in need of some healing, which amusingly enough caused looks of despair to form on the face of a few guards. Injuries would not be a reason for rest today, it seemed.

Salicia took Leila on as her opponent since they were one person short because Grünhildr personally handled Willa. She had not held back one bit either, and more than once Cal saw eyes poked or gouged out, only for Aideen to have everything fixed as if nothing ever happened moments later.

The training they had subjected the students to in the past few months mostly focused on practical skills, as well as to have their bodies conditioned better. This training on the other hand, was meant to push them hard over their limits, and to temper their mental state. Whether they had it in them to make it through said training, still remained to be seen.

Half an hour into the spar they rotated partners, as Salicia swapped to Giselle and Grünhildr went to Ognar. Cal volunteered to handle Willa herself, while they called for a guardman from the fort to make up the numbers. Fatigue had shown on the faces of many of the guards, and quite a few of the grown men and women looked like they were about to cry.

Whenever one of the trainees did too well and started to beat up another one sidedly, they switched their partners out for more skilled ones. When even that failed, Salicia or Grünhildr went over to personally beat in a lesson in humility. Sometimes Aideen chimed in herself, and the way she effortlessly tore apart joints and twisted limbs really taught even Cal a thing or two.

Willa had given a really good effort for one her age and experience, even with the therian's superior physicality and instincts accounted for, but it was her attitude that pleased Cal the most. Her stubborn refusal to surrender and eagerness to have another try was to Cal's liking, though a lecture about not to bite more than she could chew would definitely be needed.

The girl was fond of risky tactics, since she relied heavily on brute force, her durability as a blood mage, and her heavy armor. The combination had indeed mitigated the risks she took to lower levels than most, especially with her new set of armor, but it would avail her poorly should she have attempted it against something truly out of her reach.

Cal relaxedly stepped aside from one of Willa's charges, and pushed the girl down even as she struck with her shin at the back of the girl's foot joint. The joint snapped and Willa fell on her face with a surprised yelp, but to her credit quickly flipped herself over and crouched on her hands and remaining foot before she launched herself again.

"Perseverance is really your best quality," Cal said as she calmly grabbed the girl's outstretched arm and violently threw her over her shoulder. She heard Willa's shoulder joint as it dislocated during the throw, and slammed her so hard against the ground she heard the noise made when at least some ribs cracked. For good measure, Cal stomped on Willa's opposite shoulder and broke that joint as well. The girl remained on the ground this time, and hadn't moved her legs, so she probably cracked her spine as well with that throw.

"You should definitely remember that discretion is the better part of valor when you're out there for real, however," Cal added as Aideen strolled by and fixed the girl in a couple of minutes. "Many things out there would have had you as a snack if you only knew how to charge at them. And while you likely would survive getting eaten and digested… I don't think you'd enjoy being excreted."

Willa made a disgusted face as she slowly got up and stretched her arms and legs, her face scrunched up as she digested the mental image before she spat to the side in disgust.

"Something along the scale of the shark you killed might be the most I'd advocate attempting that trick on," elaborated Cal "A creature too large, and chances are you wouldn't be able to get anywhere that would actually hurt it. Assuming you could even do a thing to it in the first place, that is."

"Noted, teacher," Willa said with a serious nod. "So when something's just too big to fight…"

"Run," Cal simply said. "No shame to live in order to fight another day when there was never any hope to win to begin with. Remember Ragiula?"

"First time I met her all I could think of was how to escape without attracting her attention," admitted Cal bluntly after Willa nodded. The half-therian girl's eyes bulged in some disbelief at that statement. "To be honest, I'm not sure there's anyone out there that could take on a creature of her caliber, unless maybe a void mage of the caliber that supposedly made the great gap pulled off the same kind of suicidal trick from inside her."

"People are far from the strongest thing in this world, girl, so keep that in mind for the future," she continued as the half-therian girl contemplated her words. "If you four stick together as a group, Leila or Giselle should be there to veto more impulsive ideas, but if you wish to strike out on your own later, it would be good to keep this in mind.

Somewhat chastised, Willa nodded as she also thought about the future. What indeed? The next few years would be in the institute still, where they had more time to train and grow. But what about after that? Would their little group of four stay together? Would they go their separate ways? Things with Ognar had also been a bit awkward since the fun night they had in the brothel a couple days ago, as the boy tended to blush when he ran into her or any of the unliving women.

"If you all intend to stick as a group," Cal continued on. "I would recommend trying to scout another member or two. As a team, you lack people who can track and are well versed with the wilderness. Another ranged combatant would also help balance things out."