The Great Hall was silent as Erwin watched the Hogwarts team vanish into the Forbidden Forest. He conjured a magical chronometer; only three minutes had elapsed since the first group entered.
"Alright," Erwin said, turning to the Eastern delegation. "Your turn."
He raised his wand, and the same surge of suppressive magic washed over the Eastern contestants. It was a heavy, suffocating pressure that sealed their magical cores, forcing them to rely solely on their physical capabilities. Sunny Finch stared at Erwin, a bitter resignation in her eyes. The gap between them was widening into an unbridgeable chasm.
Once the suppression was complete, Sunny Finch wasted no time. She beckoned her teammates closer, her voice low and urgent.
"We need to discuss our strategy immediately," she said. "Hogwarts possesses the map. They'll secure the optimal resources within those first fifteen minutes. Based on what I understand of Charlotte, she won't simply gather supplies—she'll establish an ambush the moment she locates something valuable."
Erwin, listening from a distance, raised an eyebrow. How does she comprehend Charlotte so thoroughly? It was as if she had studied Charlotte's tactical patterns before they were even implemented.
The Kunlun students exchanged nervous glances. "If that's accurate, we're at a severe disadvantage," one muttered. "We're exposed, and they'll possess the element of surprise. With only fifteen minutes... who knows what Erwin has concealed in those woods? If they acquire a powerful artifact, we won't stand a chance."
Sunny Finch frowned, clearly troubled. "Agreed. It's a strategic deadlock. We can't simply advance as a unified group—that makes us an easy target. And since this depends on fortune, there's no guarantee we'll discover anything useful."
She paused, a sudden realization dawning on her face.
"Wait," she said, looking up at Erwin with a sharp glint in her eyes. "That's it. We don't need to locate the resources. We just need to ensure Hogwarts doesn't employ them against us."
She grabbed a handful of dirt from the forest floor, crushing it in her fist.
"We're the second group to enter. Which means we have a brief window before the 'safe period' expires. The Eastern strategy is simple: scatter. We ignore the resource points. Instead, we establish our own traps directly at the entrances of the three closest points Charlotte would target."
She looked at her team, her voice commanding. "If we cannot secure the advantage, we'll ensure they pay a substantial price for it. We'll transform their ambush into a hazard zone."
Erwin smiled faintly. Hmm. Not inadequate. A classic denial tactic. It was ruthless, but tactically sound.
"Very well," Erwin announced to the assembly. "The Eastern team will enter now."
With that, the Eastern contestants stepped across the threshold. As the dark trees enveloped them, they didn't run toward the resource points. Instead, they moved like shadows, dispersing into the underbrush to prepare their deadly countermeasures.
Outside, Erwin crossed his arms. The game had officially begun.