148 Battle of Wits Part 1 : Shin's Arrangements

.... Shin is staring at Charlotte while asking. "Can you teach me some trick about magic?" Charlotte stared at Shin blankly as she don't know what to say, or how to respond on his question. And when Shin saw her staring dazedly at him, he diverted his gaze to somewhere before explaining a little. "Ahmm... You know, my class is a swordsman related one, but I also had a few magical and elemental skills in my arsenal." "I already learned the trick on how to properly use the corresponding Elemental Mana in the surrounding to complement my skills that are magical or at least have some elemental properties. But I can't think of how to combine them, especially the two elements with opposing properties." At this point, Charlotte finally regained her composure and replied at him, and of course, with a cold tone. She still doesn't like Shin after all. "And why are you asking me that?" Then Shin answered her sheepishly. "Ahm.. Because you are an Elementalist who is sensitive regarding Elemental Mana. And I also saw you earlier combining two or more elements when using some of your skills.... So... I was thinking if you can teach me some tricks." Charlotte knitted her brows before saying. "That is not what I'm asking. Why are you asking me that, and why did you need to learn it?" Shin sighed helplessly in his heart when he saw her cold attitude. But since she is asking that maybe, just maybe, she is willing to help him. "Ahm... The thing is my Magic Affinity is sensitive to water, ice and fire elements because my class is somewhat related to them." "And given that, I can use the ice and fire Elemental Manas for my skills, but that is only separately, as I still have some skills that need to combine the two. But I can't seem to find a proper way on combining them." Charlotte raised one of her brows before sneering at Shin. "And why do you think that I'm going to share my secrets to you? And can't you just continue doing how you usually execute you skills?" 'Yeah, Why would she teach me her techniques? We are not even friends. But can she just reject me if she is not willing? And what's with those previous questions?' thought Shin to himself while releasing a helpless sigh. Then he nodded his head before saying. "Alright, thanks and sorry for bothering you." After that, he turned around and walked away for Charlotte. The latter, on the other hand, is starting blankly at Shin's back thinking to herself. 'What's wrong with that guy's head? Coming and going just like that? Can he just be a little more persistent if he want to learn something?' If Shin can hear her thoughts, then he might think to himself. –"What's wrong with women's head? Why are they too hard to spell them? Shifting moods with an unpredictable time."– "Tsk! At least these guys have some decent equipments that we can convert to money." said Lawless when he received the report of their harvest. "So what are we going to do now?" asked Hayden. "What else? Of course we are going to wait for them to send more while we are going to hunt them all, slaughter them down, and taking their equipments." answered by Lawless nonchalantly. "We don't have to worry about the random independent players anymore since they should have already learned their lessons for now. What should we concerning about are the independent Rankers' groups scattered around and the ones that are going to be sent by the powerful Guilds." said Morgan checking out his magic pistols. Faker nodded his head before adding. "The more time we spent here, the greater the numbers of our enemies. What's more, the range of our movements are going to shrink down as the time passes by." Then Shin suddenly chimed in. "We can utilize the mass teleportation of my Spirit to confused our enemies, but what I'm concerned about is when they discovered that we can't get out of this place and use it to predict our movements." Lawless looked at him and asked. "Do you have a plan?" Shin nodded his head slightly before giving his plan. "I have an idea on how should we move. First, it bound to say that they will discovered about our predicament, but they can't be sure on how large is the place that we were trapped in. But we already do." "So we can use this knowledge on our advantage. The area of the place that we have been trapped is 500 km² in maximum." Then Shin opened a virtual map and show it to the group. And before he managed to continue, Lawless suddenly interrupted him. "What!? Why do you have a map now? Aren't our maps are disabled when we entered this place?" Then he opened his map and show that it is blank. The others did the same, and just like Lawless, their maps are blank. Well, aside from Morgan. So his teammates looked at him with questioning gaze as if saying. –"Since when did you betrayed us?"– Seeing their gazes, Morgan scratched the back of his head before explaining himself. "Ahmm.... I got habit of drawing a map whenever I'm in a foreign place. It is one of the basics thought by my school." "So do I." said Shin while nodding his head. Then he continued. He lowered his virtual map so the others can have a bird-eye view. "It is still not a complete map since I don't have enough time to focus on the details, but the major terrains that we can use are already been here." Then Shin divided the map into two equal parts before dividing the divided halves into another halves equally in two different ways. The first half is divided into two squares while the other half is divided into two rectangular ones. After that, he pointed on one of the two square parts before saying. "First, we should focus on this area alone. We are going to lure all of our enemies on this place while enduring to repel them for as long as we can." "And when we give them a false impression that we can only operate on this area, we are going to escape using my Spirit's mass teleportation when can't hold them anymore." Then Shin pointed his index finger to another square-shaped area adjacent to the previous one. "With that, we can escape from our enemies' grasp and wasted our enemies' preparations to capture us on the previous location." "What's more, we can also expand our area of movements with these two areas combined. At the same time, we havr burned as much time as we can on our clock. Four birds with one stone." Then Faker suddenly chimed in. "But that move is only applicable once. Our enemies are not that idi*t to fall for the same trick twice." Shin nodded his head and agreed. Then he pointed at the other part of the map, the rectangular one that is adjacent to the previous two parts. "That is why we are going to expand this way. If they are not complete idi*ts, then they also should have an idea of creating their own map." With the last part part of his words, Shin felt that the others are looking at him while frowning their brows. He also felt that the temperature of the surroundings are falling rapidly. Shin smiled bitterly before ingnoring them and continued what he are saying. "....And when they saw how we expand our area of movements for the second time while looking at there maps, they will have another false impression that it is our last expansion." "Of course we also need make it look that way so that we can tricked them completely. And when we are on the end of our ropes. We are going to expand our area of operation once again." Faker fell on a deep thought after hearing the plan while Lawless and the others are looking at Shin with astounded gaze. Well, except for Morgan since he is already familiar with Shin and his planning skills. And while they it, Shin ignored their gazes and said. "Well, this plan is not yet perfect." This time, the group look at Shin with skeptical expression on their faces. It is as they are saying. –"Are you praising yourself?"– Shin ignored them once again and continued. "What I have on this map is only a basic layout on the entire area. It is not a detailed one yet." "If we have the exact terrain, then we can also use that in our advance. And it can also help us buy more time before we expand our of area of operation." Faker nodded his head once again and said. "As expected of someone who came from Military Family, you even consider that. We can use an even more effective guerrilla tactics that way." Lawless, on the other hand, clicked his tongue and commented. "Tsk! I really hate doing these kinds of tactical things. Can't we just slaughter them all until they get tired of sending more people? Anyway, our team is lacking a good strategist, do you want to apply, brother?" "I feel like you are transforming this whole battlefield into a chessboard or something." said Hayden. "So what are you planning now?" asked by Charlotte. And Morgan is the one that answered that. "Well, Young Mas–... I mean, he is suggesting to divide us into two groups temporarily. One is luring the enemies on the first area while the other is exploring the remaining areas to create a detailed map." Shin nodded his head while saying. "That is my point, more or less. But we didn't need to divide ourselves into two groups." "I am more done enough to do the job of creating the map. While you guys proceed to the first area. Morgan can also create a map of that area." Faker nodded his head, but he still suggested. "That is good plan, moving in lesser numbers so that others can't notice you. But isn't it better if I go with you. That way we can create a map more quickly. And it is also much safer. What's more the quest is going to fail if you die after all." But Shin rejected the idea. "But the other group will notice our disappearance. They already know that there are some agility-related class in our group." "If only one of us suddenly got missing, maybe it is still fine and unnoticeable. But if both of us disappeared so suddenly, then they are going to get suspicious without a doubt." "As for my safety, I can summon all of my Spirits when I'm not in a party play. I also have my clones and pets so I guess I can handle myself... Or should I say, we can handle ourselves." Then the group finally become convinced and agreed at Shin's arrangements. But before the parted ways, Lawless asked Shin. "How much time do you need to create a map?" Shin formed a smile with his lips under his mask before saying. "Don't worry, I have my Spirits to help me with that so I can finish it in 3 hours at the earliest and 4 hours at the latest. You guys can hold for that much time, right?" "Peice of cake!" said Lawless as he nodded his head before walking towards the first area of their operation together with the others. Meanwhile, Shin separated from the group of to explore the whole area. .... Meanwhile, in a temporary camp not far from the place where Shin and the others are trapped, five people are sitting around a round table and discussing about the current situation. They are the officers-in-charge of each of their respective First-Rate Guilds that were based on the Holy City. "Another of my group were wiped out by those guys. We can't let this continue, we should send our main forces now before it is too late. I heard that some of the powerhouse guilds are about to make their moves." said by a WolfKin Master Berserker. But the idea was immediately rejected by the Human Wizard that is sitting right across him. "We can't just blindly charge at them. We only send the previous batches to prove their strengths." "And now, we are finally sure that they are a group of some High Rankers at the very least. There might be even some Titled Ones in the mix. And isn't it the reason why we decided to collaborate on this special event." The Naga Master Spellcaster sitting beside the Human Wizard nodded his head and said. "I agree with that, we should send a team of Rankers first to further assess their strengths more clearly." Then the Blood Elf Master Archer sitting beside the WolfKin Master Berserker added. "Yeah, and from the looks of it, these guys are trapped in that place. Because if not, why are they still there despite knowing the whole City are coming after them." "So what do you suggest then?" asked by the Specter Master Assassin sitting in between the Human Wizard and the WolfKin Master Berserker. The Blood Elf Master Archer tapped his right-hand index finger on the table and said. "I guess it is better if we send two... No... three Ranker's group at a time. And we need them to move in three different locations entrapping our targets." "And when we finally got a hold on how wide is their area of movements, we are going to send more Ranker's group that spread on the whole area. Then they are going to shrink down the formation little by little." "That way we already cast a net to entrapped our targets further. And with that they have no way out from getting away from our grasp."The others nodded their heads and agreed. "That sounds a plausible plan, let us do it." said by the Naga Spellcaster."A good strategy indeed." said by the Human Wizard. "So who are the ones that are going to send the first three groups?" asked the WolfKin Master Berserker. Then the tent suddenly turned silent as they stopped talking. And it seems as if no one wants to volunteer. After a few moments of silence, the Specter Master Assassin release a helpless sigh and said. "Alright, let's do it the old way. Whoever have the most numbers of Rankers will be the first ones to send the group." "Followed by the second-highest and so on an so fort. And when the rotation is done, let's do it on the other way around to be fair." The other four nodded their heads before standing up from their seats to make some preparations. ....