Gazing at the rules displayed in front of them, for the first time in a while, Atticus's lips curled up into a wide, unsettling grin that sent shivers down the spines of the Ravenstein youths present.
"What's got you so happy?" Aurora asked, her face showing confusion as she didn't understand why he was reacting this way.
But instead of a response, the hearts of the youths skipped a beat as they suddenly heard Atticus chuckling.
It sounded weird, incredibly weird. It was so out of place that the youths couldn't help but give each other a stare, wondering what was going on.
Chubby, who was currently blocked by the massive figure of Nate, turned around and triple-checked if his form was completely blocked first before gesturing to Elijah, who also had a slight confused look on his face.
He raised his hand to his head while moving it in a circular motion, mouthing the word 'mad' as though indicating that Atticus had gone mad.
As soon as Elijah saw this, he swiftly took his gaze away from Chubby, ignoring him as though he wasn't there.
Before Chubby could wonder what was going on, he suddenly noticed that the room had gotten quiet.
'Please, no, please no,' Chubby pleaded to no one in particular as he reluctantly shifted his gaze to the side where the massive figure of Nate was supposed to be blocking him.
Instead, he was met with a piercing blue-eyed gaze that was locked onto his figure.
Chubby's form froze.
It was as though his brain had short-circuited as he couldn't even move an inch from his position.
To Chubby, Atticus was like the boogeyman, and he had just been caught calling him mad. Only one thing came to Chubby's head in that moment,
'I'm screwed.'
The other Ravenstein youths who saw this scene all started subtly chuckling, even Elijah, who he had been talking to, was no exception.
Atticus simply stared at Chubby for a few seconds that felt like an eternity for the latter, and unlike what Chubby thought, Atticus simply chuckled and took his gaze away.
Before the others could wonder what was going on, Atticus tapped on the obsidian table, and with a few clicks, the map of the whole area was suddenly displayed.
With another few rapid clicks, Atticus linked the location to his artifact, and then suddenly turned and started walking outside the small control room.
"What's the plan?" It was Lucas who asked this question, his large eyes gazing at Atticus in confusion. Aurora and the rest also focused their gazes on him.
It was weird that he hadn't even made any plans of action that they were going to take. He didn't even give them any roles.
This wasn't the Atticus they knew. The Atticus they knew would make plans upon plans for anything they wanted to do. But now, he was basically saying that they would brute force it.
Atticus's steps didn't once pause as he replied, his words making the blood of those who heard them boil with intensity,
"The plan is simple, we attack."
The others looked at each other first before turning their gazes to Aurora. She was the closest to Atticus; she understood him best.
Aurora simply shrugged her shoulders. "You heard the man, we attack," she said as she too started walking out of the control room.
After Aurora left, they each turned towards Lucas next who also, like Aurora, shrugged his shoulders before he started walking out.
Just as they were about to do the same for Nate, they each suddenly remembered his personality and paused.
Nate's form was currently trembling hard, a wild, intense, and exciting grin on his face.
He didn't even care about the rest of the Ravenstein youths and immediately bolted out of the control room, not intending on missing out on anything.
Seeing that there was no one else to turn to, with a large sigh, they all started streaming out of the room.
Seeing Atticus come out of the control room, the rest of the division members immediately stood at attention, the sounds of their heavy and light armor hitting the ground sounding simultaneously.
Aurora, Lucas, and the rest of the Ravenstein youths had already come out of the control room and stood behind Atticus, who was facing the army of students.
They all waited for him to speak.
And Atticus didn't disappoint. He manipulated the air element to make his voice travel through the ears of everyone present as he spoke,
"The theme for our second division battle is Attack and Defense. Our division has been tasked with attacking and capturing the enemy camp, and this is exactly what we are going to be doing: Attacking,"
Atticus spoke succinctly and went straight to the point without adding any unnecessary jargons.
Seeing that they were following, Atticus continued,
"Form up at the South Gate," he swiftly pivoted and started moving towards the South Gate of the camp. The Ravenstein youths immediately followed behind him.
The rest of the division members still didn't understand what was going on, but they each still listened. To them, Atticus's words were law.
In just under a minute, they each got to the requested location to meet Atticus and the other white-haired youths already standing in front of the wide-opened South Gate, seemingly waiting for them.
They all silently formed up behind them.
Atticus gazed down below, and he was met with a path that many would deem treacherous.
The towering mountains around him cast a shadow, their peaks obscured by swirling clouds whipped into a frenzy by the relentless winds.
Amidst this tumultuous landscape, an array of imposing creatures roamed, some with wings stretched wide, others prowling the rocky terrain with silent menace.
Yet, it was not only the presence of these beadts that made the path perilous. Below, the landscape seemed to conspire against any who dared to tread upon it.
In addition to the fierce winds, there were gaping chasms that yawned open like hungry maws, their depths obscured by swirling mists.
Molten rivers of lava snaked their way through the rugged terrain, their fiery glow casting an ominous light upon the jagged rocks and craggy cliffs. The air crackled with the heat of these infernal pits, and the acrid scent of sulfur hung heavy upon the wind.
Beyond the lava pits, other hazards awaited. Geysers of scalding steam erupted sporadically from the earth, their hissing plumes a warning to any who ventured too close.
Crumbling ledges threatened to give way beneath the weight of even the most cautious footfall, while hidden crevasses lay in wait to ensnare the unwary.
Many of them couldn't help but gulp as they saw this scene. There was simply no way, if they all intended on marching through that, many would die, even if not to beasts, then to the dangerous terrain.
They all couldn't help but wonder what Atticus's plan was.
But Atticus remained silent even after a few seconds had passed.
And then suddenly, a tremor rippled through the ground beneath their feet.
