Angel's team isn't strong, but it's more than enough to deal with scattered groups. Besides, morale is unusually high.

Although Angel has never led troops into battle, and he doesn't even know what a battlefield looks like, street fights... now that's something he's experienced in.

Street fights, on the surface, may look similar to warfare — attacking opponents and claiming victory. However, in practice, they're vastly different.

When life and death aren't involved, morale becomes the decisive factor. Whoever has the determination to win at all costs will stand victorious in the end.

So, how can you achieve that unwavering will to win? Promise enough benefits. As long as you paint a big enough picture, cohesion will follow, and so will morale.

Among all the contenders, Angel was undoubtedly the most focused on painting that ambitious picture. Whether he can deliver on his promises... well, perhaps only heaven knows.

"Should we stop them?" Barnes' colleague asked.

"No, not yet." Barnes shook her head.

"Why not? Just let him mess things up?"

"Could things get any worse than they are now? No, they couldn't. Since that's the case, let them try it. Angel is right; execution is what truly matters. What we want is results, not the process." After finishing, Barnes added, "Besides, it's his own decision. We haven't granted him any authorization to act on our behalf. Even if things go wrong, it won't fall on us."

There's no doubt that Angel was making progress on the issue of "execution." And this progress was inspiring other contenders to follow suit.

"We'll do the same as they are! We have more people, so we can definitely outperform them!" With a loud shout, the contenders who had been lingering around the administrative building scattered. They began copying Angel, posting announcements and establishing control over areas.

Thus began a grand, sweeping movement.

With nine contenders in total, the Magic Academy now bore the semblance of a fragmented landscape ruled by various factions.

Meanwhile, complaints from ordinary magic apprentices started pouring in.

"Have these lunatics lost their minds? What gives them the right to force us to do or not do anything?"

"Exactly! Forget the New Vascular Council, they aren't even part of the Old Vascular Council!"

"Resist tyranny!"

The ordinary magic apprentices were outraged, and conflicts escalated rapidly.

Do you think they would flock to the areas controlled by Angel to oppose him?

No, no, no. Angel wasn't the most radical among the contenders. The title of most radical went to Div, the Battle Mage Group Leader. At least Angel gave warnings before acting, whereas Div acted immediately, unapologetically. After all, the Battle Mage Team had always been advocates of violence.

In truth, the magic apprentices didn't confront Div either. Instead, they targeted the zones controlled by the Silent Spellcasting Group, the Divine Wood Protection Association, the Law Society, and the Walking Herb Gathering Association.

Yes, that's just how opportunistic human nature is. Everyone knows to go after the easiest targets first, and these four groups were undoubtedly the softest.

Faced with the mounting fury, the Walking Herb Gathering Association completely fell apart, unable to orient themselves in the chaos. They were the first to announce their withdrawal from the competition.

The president of the Law Society, Daniel, was desperately trying to explain amidst the crowd.

"The campus is our shared home; it needs order..."

"But we don't need you!"

"We don't need you meddling in our affairs!"

"You just want to take the subsidies!"

"I hope everyone can calm down..."

"We don't want to calm down!"

"Boycott the Law Society! Boycott the Law Society! Boycott the Law Society!"

Amid the shouts, Daniel's mood sank to its lowest. Indeed, he hadn't resorted to violence. The Law Society members, dedicated to their principles, wouldn't allow him to use force. Moreover, they hadn't received any form of "enforcement authorization," meaning their actions were in direct contradiction to their core beliefs.

Slightly better than the Walking Herb Gathering Association, Daniel still held his ground, insisting on confronting and reasoning with the enraged magic apprentices.

Whether his efforts would bear fruit, though, heaven knows.

...

The situation evolved rapidly as Angel continued to fortify his base of operations, planning and waiting.

"We've divided the academy's map into a nine-square grid. Vertically labeled A, B, C; horizontally labeled 1, 2, 3. We're positioned right in the center, the B2 zone. A3 is the dormitory area, originally controlled by the Walking Herb Gathering Association."

"Why would they even think about controlling the dormitory area? Isn't that the toughest place to deal with?" Mosharili asked quietly.

"Because they were too slow to act — all the other zones had already been divided, and they were left with only A3." Angel replied, "Now that they've announced their withdrawal, the area is vacant."

"Should we move in and take over that zone? After all, we've already done a good job controlling this area."

"No, we can't. We don't have the capability to manage the dormitory area yet. Only when we're strong enough will it be feasible."

"When do you think that will be? We've posted recruitment notices, but no one is showing up."

Angel bit the tip of his pen, pondered for a moment, skipped that topic, and continued, "C3 is the easiest to control. It's an undeveloped area, and usually, no one goes there. The High Sect stationed there is probably already feeling lost."

...

Indeed, the High Sect was deeply confused.

The C3 zone, though part of the Magic Academy, remained undeveloped, preserving its original appearance.

Let's not forget, the Magic Academy was built atop the roots of the Divine Wood. So what does "original appearance" look like?

It's a place where massive tree roots coil, resembling mountains. There are no buildings — nothing at all. Usually, it's just a place for casual strolls within the campus.

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