Just as Lucas was about to continue this line of thought, a sudden explosion brought him out of his thoughts.
Turning swiftly, Lucas saw a bright red light illuminating the western side of the forest.
Before he could fully process the first explosion, a symphony of blasts echoed from each side of the forest, creating a synchronized display of fiery lights above each side of the forest.
'The scouts… we're surrounded?' Lucas deduced. He had positioned the scouts at the edges of the forest so they could inform them of any approaching threats.
"Form up!" He commanded without hesitation as soon as he came to this conclusion.
The armored youths swiftly followed his orders, arranging themselves in a perfect circle around the terminal.
The intricate blue lines tracing across their armor lit up, glowing with intensity as each youth channeled mana into their bracelets on their wrists.
It was clear that the armors facilitated the smooth and rapid flow of mana.
Each of their bracelets suddenly let out a golden glow that increased in intensity by every millisecond.
And then, simultaneously, each of them bent their hands horizontally before them, a surge of energy pulsating through their veins.
The glow on the brackets intensified, casting an incandescent aura that illuminated the battlefield.
And then, the glow on the bracket erupted, transforming into a 3 meter ethereal shield before completely solidifying in to a crystalline shield.
It was ethereal, making the armored youth able to see the other side of the shield clearly through it.
As the collective heartbeat quickened, they struck their shields against the earth in unison.
BAM!
The resounding impact echoed like thunder, sending shockwaves across the battle ground.
They were ready for battle!
The dealers weren't far behind either. Each of them seamlessly drew their 10 inch poles with razor sharp tips from their waists.
With a flicker of mastery, each dealer channeled mana into their weapon, and the once diminutive poles surged with energy.
In an instant, the poles responded, elongating. The pointed tips transformed into deadly spears, each now standing tall at a formidable 2 meters.
The dealers, their faces etched with a stoic determination, each took an identical stance directly behind the armored youth.
Simultaneously, the rangers also reacted, their movements swift and deliberate. Weapons drawn, they locked their gazes on to the forest with predatory precision.
The rustling leaves and the whispering wind bore witness to the electrifying tension that enveloped the battle ground.
And then, with their gazes facing the direction of the forest, the armored youths detected a multitude of fiery projectiles hurtling toward them with ferocious speed.
"Incoming!" bellowed one of the front line youths, the urgency in their voice cutting through the charged atmosphere like a battle cry.
In response, the armored youths, in perfect synchronization, raised their shields high, creating an impenetrable wall of defense.
BAM BAM BAM
The impact was thunderous as the fiery onslaught struck their shields with relentless force.
Shockwaves rippled through the expanse, but the armored youths stood firm, an unyielding bulwark against the storm of projectiles.
Without pause, more attacks erupted from the depths of the forest, a relentless barrage aimed at breaching the defenses of the armored formation.
Yet, each projectile met an impenetrable barrier as the armored youths skillfully absorbed the blows, their shields absorbing the brunt of the assault easily.
From all directions, attacks were unleashed, the fiery onslaught raining down on the youths in the middle of the expanse.
However, the formidable defenses of the front line armored youths remained unbroken. Effortlessly, they repelled every projectile, each one of the attacks snuffed out effortlessly.
"Can you shoot them from here?" Lucas turned to one of the rangers at the back and asked.
"No, young master. They're all using the trees of the forest for cover. We can't get them like this," the youth immediately responded.
Hearing this, Lucas entered a contemplative state.
Atticus had meticulously planned for various scenarios before dispatching them from camp.
He had gone to the extent of equipping each group with rune mines to be strategically planted around their designated locations.
These were the same runes Lucas had employed during his intense battle with Aria back at the Raven camp during the combat challenges.
Lucas had, of course, instructed the youths to position these runes around the expanse as soon as they arrived.
However, for the plan to be effective, the opposing division members would need to step into the expanse, triggering the hidden runes.
'But why are the attacks so little?' Lucas pondered.
The attacks that were hurtling towards them were small, not the kind of feeble attacks you would expect from a division that consisted of more than a thousand youths.
It was evident the number of people attacking was scarce at best.
'Should we enter the forest to confront them?' He thought.
A fleeting urge tempted Lucas to assemble a small group and enter into the forest, attempting to locate and neutralize the youths launching the attacks.
But, he quickly dismissed the notion.
'It might be a trap,' he contemplated.
It was very possible that there would be an army of youths waiting for them to enter the forest, lying in ambush.
'Since the attacks aren't dangerous, we'll just maintain our position and wait for them to make their move,' Lucas decided.
Regardless of whatever their plan was, if they kept attacking them from a distance like this, the countdown timer would just keep reducing. If they didn't act and attack them directly, they would eventually lose.
'But it's odd,' Lucas couldn't help but have a lingering thought.
'It looks as if they're trying to… distract us.
...
All around the large forest where each terminal was located, the same thing that happened with Lucas's group also played out. With the opposing division attacking each of Atticus' division members from a distance.
And just like Lucas's group, every single one of the attacks was blocked easily by the armored youths.
But even though the attacks weren't doing any damage, each of them couldn't help but wonder,
What are they planning?