After a few long seconds of waiting, Atticus's eyes flickered open. His gaze immediately landed on the familiar imposing terminal of the camp.
Atticus swept his gaze around the camp and saw that each of his division members was present.
Many of them were still not used to teleportation and were trying to get rid of the disorienting effects that Atticus had tagged as surreal. He was already well used to the process.
Atticus immediately manipulated the air element, causing it to wrap around his form.
Then, with a surge of power, Atticus launched himself skyward. The air beneath him quivered with the force of his ascent, propelling him upward with breathtaking speed.
In less than a heartbeat, Atticus reached a dizzying height, suspended among the clouds like a lone sentinel surveying the world below.
Atticus's gaze swept around the area, scrutinizing their current location.
The camp was situated on top of rough mountainous terrain. It was on a 500-meter earth that formed at the top edge of the mountain.
It was as though it had been formed just because of their camp as it perfectly fitted the camp to its last inches.
'The mountain is about 1 kilometer high, and it's filled with dangerous obstacles and even beasts,' just as Atticus was about to continue this line of thought,
SCREECH!
A loud resounding screech rocked the whole area, making the entire campgrounds tremble with intensity.
Atticus and the other division members turned their gazes to see the imposing forms of three massive bird like creatures swooping downwards and approaching the camp at supersonic speeds.
They each had 20-inch-long rainbow-colored beaks and furs, a wingspan of about 30 feet, and a torso half as large. Each of them radiated an unmistakable aura of an Advanced rank.
Every single youth in the area acted immediately as though it were programmed into their very beings.
The armored all channeled their mana into their bracelet-like artifacts on their wrists and immediately formed up their large imposing shields, the glows streaking around their armor intensifying.
They each simultaneously dropped down their shields with a resounding,
BAM!
The dealers also brought out their spears, with the archers equipping their weapons and getting ready to fire at the slightest signal.
The Ravenstein youths were already one step ahead of them. Aurora's form shot up through the skies heading towards the approaching beasts, with the other youths having already equipped their weapons and even gone as far as to deploy their elements.
After one long month, they were all ready to fight!
However, just as each of the division members were getting ready to do battle with Aurora's form not even halfway to the beasts yet, suddenly, three colorless vertical waves sliced through the air, emanating from Atticus's form.
Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, each of the beasts suddenly fragmented, their massive bodies cleaved in two by the unseen force.
The division members stood in stunned silence as the creatures' forms split apart, revealing the grotesque remains within.
A torrent of blood erupted from the gaping wounds, staining the sky with a crimson hue.
Before the deluge of blood could engulf the entire camp, Atticus sprang into action. With a gesture, he summoned a powerful gust of wind, sweeping away the shattered remains of the beasts away.
The division members didn't even need to turn to see who had done it. They were all too familiar with the white-haired monster.
Every single one of them and even the Ravenstein youths had seen the video of Atticus's brutality, and unlike what many would expect, neither one of them had been surprised by the scene.
They knew how brutal Atticus could get. The scene of him giving out a 'warning' was still fresh in their heads.
Atticus's expression maintained its neutral edge as his gaze once again swept through the area, checking to see if there would be any more attacks.
'It's different from the last time,' Atticus noted.
In the last battle they had fought, they didn't spot a single beast throughout the duration of the fight. The academy had even given them a mana dome to protect the whole camp while they learned the rules.
But now, they had been immediately attacked as soon as they were transported.
And gazing at the terrain and area below, Atticus could see an alarming number of beasts and dangerous paths that would most definitely result in a lot of people dying should an army choose to traverse them.
With a thought, Atticus's form descended towards the ground. Aurora had also landed a few seconds ago, and she immediately clicked her tongue as she saw Atticus land.
"You couldn't even leave just ONE for us," she said while continuously shaking her head. The rest of the Ravenstein youths also appeared slightly down as each of them returned their weapons into their space storage.
But amongst all of them, no one was as sad as Nate.
His gaze was still focused on the point where the beast had been split, his sword resting on the ground as he stared at that point absentmindedly.
"There, there, big guy. You'll get to fight very soon," Lucas reassured him with a few pats on his shoulder, but it did little to snap him out of his reverie.
Atticus flashed Aurora and the rest a wry smile. He had been the closest to the beasts, and it was plenty obvious they would've attacked him first. Was he supposed to let them attack him?
"So what now?" After a few seconds, Aurora suddenly asked, and the rest of the Ravenstein youths all turned to face him, waiting for his words.
But just as Atticus was about to answer, the terminal suddenly lit up in a low glow, and what happened in the last division battle repeated itself as the glow left the terminal and moved a few meters away from it.
Within seconds, a small, normal-looking building was formed.
But this time around, there was not a single AI that appeared to give instructions on what they should do next. Then again, neither of them needed to be told what to do next.
Atticus turned towards the others, and with a knowing nod, he started moving towards the building.
Lucas hit Nate on the back of his head and started dragging him along, and just like that, they all started moving towards the building, entering it in just a few seconds.
The other division members were left outside the building, waiting for further instructions.
As soon as they entered, Atticus and the others immediately came across the same identical small control-like room they had used the last time, the room being lit up by blue neon lights.
Atticus wasted no time and swiftly approached the obsidian table in the middle of the room and tapped on it.
The table suddenly lit up, displaying only one thing:
RULES.
The rest of the Ravenstein youths quickly gathered around the table, each of their gazes focused on Atticus as they waited for him to click on it.
Seeing that they were all ready, Atticus clicked, and immediately the light of the obsidian table intensified, and then a large holographic display immediately followed, displaying the rules of the battle for all of them to see.
MISSION FORMAT: Attack and Defense.
MISSION DESCRIPTION: Welcome to your second division battle, students! The format for this battle is Attack and Defense.
Both division camps are situated at different points as indicated on the map.
The whole area is filled with dangerous beasts and terrain, and your division has been tasked with launching a coordinated assault on the enemy's fortified position.
The defenders have entrenched themselves in a strategically advantageous location deep within the forest, surrounded by natural barriers and defensive fortifications.
Your division must plan and execute a decisive attack to breach their defenses and capture their territory within the designated timeframe.
RULES:
Attackers: As the attackers, your division is already at a major disadvantage. Recognizing this, the academy has decided to allow you to purchase ONLY any attacking artillery from the division store should you so choose. The attackers are allowed to use everything in their repertoire to capture the enemy's camp.
Defenders: The defending division is allowed to utilize the already established and newly established defensive fortifications around their camp, but each use comes at a significant cost of division points. The defenders would not be allowed to purchase anything from the store and are allowed to use anything in their repertoire to defend their location.
Time Limit: The mission must be completed within a timeframe of 6 hours. Failure to capture the enemy territory within the allotted time will result in mission failure.
Leader's Restrictions: Division leaders are responsible for coordinating the attack, and this must be done FROM the frontlines.
MISSION OBJECTIVES:
-Infiltrate the enemy's defensive perimeter and establish a foothold within their territory.
-Neutralize enemy defenses, including barricades, watchtowers, and patrols, to create openings for your forces to advance.
-Secure key strategic points within the enemy territory to establish control and prevent counterattacks.
-Maintain momentum and press the attack until the enemy's resistance is broken, and their territory is captured.
WINNING CONDITIONS:
-Successfully capture and hold the enemy territory for the duration of the mission.
-Eliminate or neutralize the defending forces and secure their surrender.
-Achieve the mission objectives within the designated timeframe.
Note: Completing any of these automatically declares you the winner.
REWARD & PUNISHMENT:
Winner's Reward: 250,000 Division Points and the acquisition of any building in the enemy's camp.
Loser's Punishment: The loser bears all costs incurred by the winner. If the losing division lacks the required division points, they accrue a debt to be settled at a later date.
