The waitresses were placing the food on the table one by one. Vera was still glaring at Ellia from time to time.

Maxwell and Christopher were staring at Tommi with a strange gaze. On the other hand, Ruka seemed to be searching for something in her bag.

The same was happening on the other side. Arina took out a handkerchief, asking, "Need it, Eric?"

"I’m fine." Eric looked calm, but everyone couldn’t help but wonder what had happened.

When they left the airport together, the three boys seemed to get along. So, they wondered what had happened after they had gone around the city.

Eric and Tommi were covered in bruises.

"Did you have a conflict with a local gang?" Ellia asked. "If so, we need to take care of it first before handling the mission."

"No!" Both Tommi and Eric answered at the same time.

"So, what happened?" Ellia asked.

"That’s..." Tommi and Eric looked away.

...

Two hours ago.

Tommi and Eric were already lying down on the ground. Auric stood in front of them with a smile on his face. "What’s wrong? I haven’t even gotten started yet. Why have you guys given up already?"

...

Unfortunately, that was the only thing they could say. How could they admit that Auric had actually defeated them simultaneously? Tommi thought he had gotten stronger, while Eric had confidence because Auric had been meddling with the gathering techniques.

It turned out they were still nowhere near Auric. At first, Eric and Tommi were sparring normally, but it escalated to the point where they challenged Auric. Auric even allowed them to attack him together.

And they still lost. This defeat was too embarrassing for them to talk about.

After all, they hadn’t managed to land a hit on Auric.

Ellia turned to Auric, who had gone with the two of them, hoping to learn more about the situation. "What’s going on?"

Auric was placing food onto his plate as if nothing concerned him. When Ellia asked, Auric simply said, "They got too excited during the sparring. Well, boys will be boys. Just ask them if they can get along, and they will say they can. So, there’s nothing to worry about."

Eric and Tommi nodded together. "We’re fine. We’re friends anyway."

Tommi added, "At least I know the other party’s strength now. I will adjust."

Of course, there was also something he only said in his heart. "Just you guys wait. You are going to get shocked like me as well."

Eric agreed with Tommi. "Yes. If you want us to get along, you don’t have to. We already get along well. We were just trying to know who was stronger earlier and got a bit too excited."

Eric could still remember Auric using elemental fusion.

In his mind, Auric was laughing at him while saying, "Thank you, guys. You two helped me experience this power."

"You can even fuse your elements?"

"If you have multiple elements but don’t even intend to fuse them, isn’t that wasteful? Just think about it." Auric shrugged.

Eric couldn’t really refute his words, so he chose to remain silent about this matter. He wanted them to get as surprised as he had during the sparring.

Auric didn’t mind showing them a bit of his power. Although they were rivals, they were also people he could trust. At the very least, they wouldn’t be revealing his power to others.

Even if they did, the element fusion was something that everyone should expect from someone with multiple elements. So, it wasn’t really a big secret.

Of course, he didn’t show other elements besides the three elements he had shown to the public.

So, being able to use them in a fight before their mission was definitely a good experience for Auric.

"Is that so?" Ellia wasn’t entirely convinced, but since the three of them were in agreement, she didn’t pursue it further. "Anyway, let’s eat first. We’ll talk about the rest later."

...

Thirty minutes later.

"I’m full." Tommi patted his stomach.

"I guess we can now talk about the plan." Vera stood up. "In that case, we’ll start. Your team will lure the enemy outside the building, and we will ambush them. It’s a pretty simple plan."

Ellia shook her head. "I don’t think that’s a good plan."

"It’s a good plan. We are from Kallarnos University. Our firepower is higher than your team’s, so it’s better for you to lure them and finish this mission easily."

Ellia waved her hand. "Scavenger subjugation like this is simple. We have to fight them in a complex area, so there are a lot of buildings around it. First, eliminate their eyes. We kill their scouts and lower their numbers.

"Then, we will launch a surprise attack on the building they’re in. If possible, we will completely destroy the building entirely. Set up some traps at the entrance so that when they come out, more will die.

"Then, we will hit the remaining people with everything we’ve got. That’s the most reasonable plan. This way, both of our teams can contribute equally."

Vera wanted to refute her words, but Tommi suddenly said, "I don’t think that’s a bad idea."

"You..." Vera didn’t expect Tommi would speak up for the other team.

Tommi simply said, "The reason I said that is that I have seen their capabilities. It may only be these two guys, but I know their level. I believe that they can do it."

"Kh..." Vera gritted her teeth.

"I don’t think it’s a bad idea either. If their group is truly as Tommi claims it is, then there’s no reason not to do it." Maxwell nodded. "In that case, I will go to the rooftop here. As a sniper, I will provide you with some cover. Tommi, you should also take your position. Anyone else?"

Tommi thought for a moment. "I want to fight on the front..."

"Not now. Your firepower is necessary to lower their numbers. Once they’re reduced to a certain number, it’s fine for you to go. But before that, you should focus on your team. This is a team mission, not a solo mission after all."

Tommi scratched the back of his head. "I understand."

"Good." Maxwell turned to Ruka. "Christopher, you are good at sneak attacks, so kill them one by one. Ruka will support the captain as the captain goes on a rampage on the front line."

"Understood." Ruka nodded while Christopher gave him a thumbs up.

"Let’s not make this even worse, shall we?" Maxwell turned to Vera.

Vera gritted her teeth. She ultimately looked away and harrumphed.

Maxwell turned to Ellia. "So, are you still going to be on the vanguard, Ellia? I’ve heard of your achievements in the past, so let’s confirm everyone’s position first."

"Yeah. Eric will also be a vanguard, but his position is slightly behind. This way, I..." Ellia glanced at Vera. "...we can stop most enemies first, and Eric will focus on stopping those who have passed. I hope Christopher can help Eric."

"You want me to assassinate anything that he can’t handle?"

"Yes. This is a joint operation, so let’s focus on everyone’s survival first, okay?" Ellia asked.

"I agree." Maxwell nodded with a smile.

"In that case, Milinda and Arina will be stationed with your Ruka. They will mess with the enemy’s ranks and allow us to have an easier time."

"So, your Auric will also help us with his firepower?" Maxwell crossed his arms.

"Indeed."

"That’s good then." Maxwell opened the map. "The enemy’s location is here. It’s a mall, so it’s going to be hard to pinpoint their exact location.

"I, Tommi, and Auric will find our own positions, most likely among these buildings." Maxwell circled an area next to the mall. "We will engage them around here, but we have to be prepared for their escape as well. Once we push them back, some will run away.

"They’re dangerous because they know this area better than us, so it’s going to be hard to find them. I don’t like guerrilla warfare because they can hide everywhere and attack us."

"I will support Eric, but I will focus on those scavengers once they begin to escape. How’s that?" Christopher asked.

"Sure. That works as well." Ellia and Maxwell agreed.

Ellia then said, "So, how about the route?"

"There are still plenty of beasts not only in this area but also on the route. Still, taking down the beasts in the area will just alert those scavs. We will only take down the beasts on our way."

"The operation itself shouldn’t take long. I guess we’ll head there early in the morning." Ellia crossed her arms. "I don’t like fighting in the dark, especially when I have to take care of other people."

"I have to agree. We will exit this city at 3 in the morning. We should be able to get there in twelve hours if we take into account training and rest. Once we take them down, we will find a place to stay for the night and return the next day."

"Sure." Ellia had no objections.

"In that case, we have an agreement. Let’s meet at the south gate tomorrow. Go back to your room and get plenty of rest right away. If you want to go sightseeing, do it after we are done with the mission."

Ellia then stood up and said, "In that case, let’s meet again in eight hours."

Ellia was the first to leave while observing the team sent by Kallarnos University.

Milinda couldn’t help but ask, "Who exactly is that woman? She is so annoying!"

"Ruka is a child from a rival family of mine. She has excellent swordsmanship, and I have to say that her skills are undeniable.

"However, from what I have heard, she has been brainwashed by her family, turning our competition into something unhealthy. You know, gaslighting and other things to make her think that I am an archenemy she has to defeat or something."

"So, am I supposed to sympathize with her or something?" Milinda rolled her eyes.

"No. I don’t think all her outbursts are genuine. The first one at the airport might be genuine, but this time... I’m not so sure." Ellia shook her head. "She backed down too easily and even let Maxwell take over. There might be something going on."

"What is the purpose then?" Auric asked.

"I can only think of two possibilities. The first one is to see our reaction, especially with that obvious provocation in the plan she mentioned. I don’t know why, so don’t ask me. If she wants to show her superiority, she will present an eligible plan that I have no way to refuse while putting our team at a disadvantage. So, I know something was going on with her outburst earlier."

Auric thought for a moment. If only he squinted his eyes to check the movement of their energy, he might be able to figure out what was going on.

After all, their energies wouldn’t lie.

He should really get used to the timing of using his eyes.

’I guess I should learn when to use it. I don’t like using it at all times, but when it’s something important, I should use it,’ Auric thought.

...

A few hours later.

Auric tied his boots and saw Eric coming out of his room fully equipped. "You got your armor?"

"Of course. There’s a difference between a match on campus and a life-and-death battle like this. I don’t plan to play around with my own life." Eric snorted. "You too."

Eric was taking a jab at him, reminding him of the elemental fusion. If Auric kept hiding it, Eric would think Auric thought his secret was more important than his life.

"No worries. I don’t like to play around either, but I do like surprises." Auric smiled. "Be careful. You are much closer to them after all."

"Hmph." Eric snorted.

"Good morning." Milinda yawned. She snapped her fingers, and a coat appeared. "It’s cold here. If you guys need gloves or something to keep you warm, just tell me about it. As long as it’s nothing big, I can do it for you guys."

"I’m ready." Arina walked to the living room, carrying two drones in her hands. "Ellia, put them in your storage please."

"Okay." Ellia nodded. "It looks like everyone is ready. Let’s show the students from Kallarnos University that we’re not weaker than them, shall we? But don’t forget that our priority is safety. Keep a calm mind and maintain a wide field of vision. We’ll do just fine."