The team members exchanged bewildered glances, uncertain of what to expect. Several of the younger wizards suddenly remembered something.
"Do you recall Mr. Erwin's Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson?"
"You mean the Forbidden Forest survival exercise?"
"Now that you mention it... reflecting back, that was a truly harrowing memory!"
"But what's the purpose of repeating it? Even the least experienced Beauxbatons student wouldn't struggle with the Forbidden Forest now, let alone a team from Hogwarts or Kunlun."
The Hogwarts contestants were thinking identically. They all shared the same question: why repeat a challenge they had already mastered? But Erwin had no intention of explaining.
If they were going to compete, it wouldn't be a simple exercise. Erwin had prepared something far more engaging for them.
The Hogwarts participants didn't return to their dormitories; instead, they gathered in the competitors' lounge. Under the expectant gaze of their teammates, Charlotte retrieved the puzzle fragments.
"Shall we assemble it now?" Cedric asked.
Charlotte nodded. "Yes, the Master said we should work together. It'll be useful tomorrow!"
"Then let's proceed," Penelope said, stifling a yawn. "We can rest after we complete this. I haven't slept properly lately, I'm absolutely exhausted."
The others agreed, and Charlotte placed the thirty pieces on the floor. They formed a circle around the scattered fragments, rapidly assembling them into a cohesive image.
"It's a map of the Forbidden Forest!" Charlotte realized, examining the finished picture.
Penelope pointed to several markings on the map. "What are these symbols?"
"I don't know," Charlotte admitted, "but I believe these are the things the Master mentioned—the resources that can assist us."
They studied the map extensively but couldn't decipher the specific markings. Frustrated, they finally dispersed, agreeing to wait for Erwin's announcement the following day.
The night passed uneventfully.
Amidst the bubbling curiosity of the young wizards and contestants, dawn arrived. The winter sun was sluggish, yet a considerable number of people had already assembled outside the Forbidden Forest. There were spectators and contestants from the four schools. Erwin had been explicit: being late meant forfeiture. No one dared to be tardy.
At exactly seven o'clock, a streak of purple smoke flashed past the treeline. Erwin materialized precisely at the entrance to the Forbidden Forest.
The hushed crowd immediately fell silent. Erwin scanned the assembly.
"Now," he began, his voice carrying effortlessly, "let me announce the regulations for this round. Everyone is familiar with the Forbidden Forest Survival Challenge. The test today shares many similarities with that exercise, but it is also fundamentally different. This time, you cannot use conventional spells. You cannot employ magic wands. And absolutely, you cannot cast magic."
A collective shock rippled through the crowd.
Erwin flicked his wrist, and forty robes bearing the emblems of the four schools materialized in a pile before them. "These are your team uniforms for this round. Their primary purpose is simple: to track your scores. However, they possess another function."
He gestured to the robes. "The elders of Kunlun personally integrated formations into these garments. The robes worn by the Kunlun team will weaken your physical strength and defensive capabilities. Conversely, the robes worn by the other three schools will enhance them. In other words, the moment you don these uniforms, your physical capabilities are equalized for fairer competition."
Erwin continued, "Secondly, within the Forbidden Forest, there are supply crates containing items inscribed with magical formations and specialized enchantments. These items are your only means of offense. When you strike other competitors with them, your uniforms will register the impact and add to your score. The victor is determined by the final accumulated points."
"To increase the entertainment value," Erwin's lips curled into a slight smile, "I've added some engaging complications."
He snapped his fingers. Instantly, a ten-person squad of operatives in black robes appeared at the entrance to the Forbidden Forest, wearing the Cavendish family crest.
"They are all from the Cavendish family," Erwin explained. "This competition spans three days. Starting tomorrow, they will enter the Forest. Their sole duty is to eliminate you. They also carry enhanced equipment. If you defeat them, their inventory becomes yours—and it is far more powerful than anything you'll discover in standard crates. I call them 'airdrops.' Charlotte, the map."
Charlotte retrieved the map from her pocket and unfolded it.
"All the marked points on this map represent supply locations," Erwin explained. "The potency of these items is variable; it depends on your fortune. As the victors of the previous round, you enter the Forest first. Kunlun enters in fifteen minutes, followed by Beauxbatons and Durmstrang another fifteen minutes thereafter."
Erwin's tone turned serious. "You are forbidden to remove your team uniforms after the competition commences. Doing so results in automatic disqualification. Oh, and one additional detail: each uniform contains a distress beacon. Activating it eliminates you from competition. You can trigger it to summon assistance, or attempt to strike the distress beacon location of others to eliminate them forcibly. Now, approach and collect your uniforms."
The contestants advanced without hesitation, retrieving their robes and donning them.
On the Kunlun side, Sunny Finch felt a heavy suppressive force the instant she wore her uniform. She frowned, recognizing the sensation immediately. In Kunlun, this formation was typically employed by disciples who had reached a bottleneck in their physical cultivation.