#703 - Save the Princess (ask for monthly ticket recommendation)

After everyone had gathered, Percy led the group of young wizards along the training grounds, though he wasn't actually sure where the so-called Field 4 was.

Anduin had built a total of seven or eight enclosed training fields of various sizes in this area, with Fields 1, 5, and 6 being the comprehensive training hall, the footwork and parrying training hall, and the shooting range, respectively.

There were also many buildings whose purpose remained a mystery to everyone, but fortunately, all the fields were labeled with numbers, making them easy to find.

Before long, the group of twenty arrived at the entrance of Field 4. Percy tentatively touched the doorknob and found that the door was unlocked. Seeing this, he didn't hesitate and pushed the door open.

As they stepped inside, they were immediately stunned by the scene before them.

Before them lay a dilapidated streetscape that stretched as far as the eye could see, resembling a section of a Muggle neighborhood.

However, the roadsides were lined with the ruins of buildings. Along the street, extending into the distance, were buildings of varying heights, the shortest being five or six stories tall, and the taller ones approaching ten stories.

At the far end was a large building resembling a super mall, but it too appeared to be abandoned.

The magnificent sight before them startled everyone and left them puzzled. The dilapidated residential area was exceptionally vast, at least ten times larger than the largest Field 1 they had seen before, second only to Anduin's pasture space.

So why use an Undetectable Extension Charm to create such an abandoned housing area? It seemed utterly inexplicable to the young wizards.

"You're here! Come over here quickly!"

As everyone stood dumbfounded, observing the scene before them, Anduin's voice suddenly rang out. Turning their heads, they realized that a military tent stood near the entrance, on the outskirts of the ruins.

Anduin stood at the tent entrance, dressed in full tactical gear, casually waving at them.

"Professor, what exactly is going on here?" Percy and the others asked, their eyes still fixed on the ruins not far away.

"Ah… I recently obtained a good thing, so I accidentally made the place a bit bigger," Anduin said with a nonchalant smile, as if the large housing area beside him wasn't worth mentioning.

"Accidentally?" Everyone looked at Anduin speechlessly. The area was almost as large as Hogwarts. It couldn't have been built casually.

"Let's not talk about this now. You probably haven't eaten yet. Today isn't the official gathering time, so everyone can just make do with something in the command post. Later, I'll explain why I called you all here," Anduin said, pointing towards the tent before leading them inside.

Command post?

Hearing Anduin's description of the tent, they felt even more confused, but they obediently followed him inside.

The interior of the tent was simpler than the magnificent scene outside. Although it had been expanded with an Undetectable Extension Charm, the layout was very simple.

A long table, a sand table, a few cabinets, two partitions made of canvas, and nothing else of particular note.

On the long table, Anduin had prepared simple, easily preserved foods like canned goods for everyone. Under his direction, they quickly filled their stomachs and then stared blankly at Anduin.

"You must be wondering why I created such a large, strange ruin and called you all here, right?" Seeing that everyone was ready, Anduin didn't beat around the bush.

The young wizards nodded, having long been puzzled by Anduin's intentions.

"Here's the thing: this is a battlefield environment simulation area, which I call Test Zone 0. What you need to do next is to go inside and use everything you've learned to complete the tasks I assign you," Anduin said, pointing to the ruins in the distance.

"Complete the tasks?"

"Test Zone 0?"

Most of the young wizards were drawn in by the tasks Anduin mentioned, but Harry and the others brightened up when they heard 'Zone 0.' They had previously stumbled into the forbidden area known as Zone 1.

Could there be a connection between the two? Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, feeling the most interested in this.

"That's right," Anduin nodded. "This is partly to test what you've learned and partly to help me test some things."

"Also, this operation won't be for nothing. To increase your initiative, I promise that anyone who successfully passes the test and completes the final goal will receive a prize I've prepared."

"A prize?" Hearing this, everyone was immediately wide awake. They were already curious about the ruins, and now there was a prize for completing the task? It was like a double blessing!

"What's the mission? Let's get started!" Malfoy asked excitedly, guessing whether the prize would be a legendary item.

"Don't rush, let me explain the mission objective first," Anduin said, pointing to the magical sand table next to him, which then lit up with a three-dimensional image. "This area is a long-abandoned town."

"A large number of undead creatures roam this town, and several humans have been kidnapped and trapped within, including a kingdom princess."

"What you need to do is use any means possible to penetrate the town and rescue the hostages, especially the princess."

"Currently, the five high-rise buildings in the area and the large department store at the far end are the main search areas."

"Remember, your core mission is to rescue the innocent. Each hostage rescued is worth 1 point, and rescuing the princess is worth 5 points."

Anduin pointed at the three-dimensional image on the sand table, explaining the details to everyone.

Hearing Anduin's explanation, everyone discussed it with interest. Rescuing a princess was a plot that only appeared in fairy tales.

They never thought they'd have the chance to play the role of a hero. Ron, in particular, whispered excitedly to Harry, "What kind of monster do you think is guarding the princess? Could it be a dragon like in the storybooks?"

"How is that possible?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Didn't the professor say that this practical simulation is to test our level? If they really created a dragon, who could complete the mission? Besides, the professor said that the monsters roaming the town are mainly undead creatures."

"That makes sense. Maybe the monsters are the same ones we encountered in the pasture," Harry nodded in agreement. Then he suddenly exclaimed, "Hermione, do you think the obstacle course training the professor has been giving us lately was for this?"

"Very likely!" Hermione's eyes lit up as well. "And haven't you noticed? The training is for all the students. It's possible that this place will be open to everyone in the future."

"Then we're getting a head start, and we'll get a reward for completing the mission!" Ron said excitedly, almost jumping up and down.

Faced with Anduin's special simulation exercise, the young wizards were very excited. They were mostly children with a strong desire to play. This kind of practical content was much more interesting than cross-country training.

While most people were immersed in the story Anduin had made up, the more pragmatic Percy asked what he was more interested in: "Professor, do you have information on the distribution, number, and strength of the monsters in this area? Also, what are the physical characteristics of the hostages? How will we be able to identify them when the time comes?"

Percy had seen this kind of magic sand table in previous training courses, so he didn't show much surprise. Instead, he professionally inquired about relevant information.

"Everything is unknown," Anduin said with a smile. "You'll need to identify and judge everything yourselves. I'll only be acting as a referee in this mission."

"Understood," Percy nodded knowingly. "Do we have any support or assistance? How should we arrange the personnel? Are we just supposed to rush in all together?"

"Good question!" Anduin gave Percy an approving look. "This practical exercise is naturally not that simple."

"First, I'll divide you into five combat teams, with five people in each team. I'll consider the strength distribution, so you don't have to worry too much about an imbalance in combat power."

"Also, to carry out this mission, you'll need to equip a set of special tactical gear. With it, you can ensure your personal safety," Anduin said, a hint of playfulness in his eyes. "You know, the monsters in these ruins won't show you any mercy."

With that, Anduin snapped his fingers, and 20 sets of equipment immediately appeared on the long table, including a pair of stylish goggles.

A vest similar to a tactical vest, but thinner than tactical equipment, similar to a formal vest, that could be hidden directly inside clothing.

"These two pieces of equipment are tactical goggles and transmission vests," Anduin said, pointing to the two items.

"The tactical goggles can protect your head from fatal injuries and have other magical functions, but you'll need to figure them out for yourselves when using them."

"The function of the transmission vest is simpler. It doesn't have any protective capabilities. Its only function is to teleport you out in time if the wearer suffers a fatal injury."

"Of course, once this function is triggered, it means the mission has failed and you have been killed."

"Fatal injury?" Hearing this, everyone's hearts skipped a beat. What did the professor mean? Was there a risk of death in this environmental simulation?

"But what if we don't suffer a fatal injury?" Malfoy asked anxiously.

"If it's just a minor injury, the transmission vest won't be activated. At that point, you can freely choose whether to continue the mission or abandon it. If you decide to give up, just activate the crest on the chest of the vest," Anduin explained impartially.

He didn't expect these children to be as fearless as well-trained soldiers from the start, so he wouldn't mind if they chose to run away.

"I won't run away. Only cowards would use this function, right?" Ron said, looking provocatively at Malfoy.

"Who are you calling a coward? I dare say I'll complete this mission before you!" Malfoy retorted angrily upon hearing Ron's words.

"Hmph, we'll see!" Ron thought to himself, laughing. They had seen many of Anduin's constructs before. He guessed that the so-called monsters in the ruins were probably these things.

Malfoy glared back, equally unwilling to admit defeat, not noticing the cunning look in Ron's eyes.

"Alright, let's start assigning teams now, and then everyone can go prepare," Anduin said, taking out a clipboard and reading softly, "First team, Penelope will lead the team, members: Susan, Mandy, Ron, Draco!"

"Huh?"

Malfoy and Ron were both taken aback. They hadn't expected Anduin to put them together. Then they glared at each other, as if warning each other not to mess things up.

"Second team, leader Wood, members: Hannah, Ernie, Neville, Terry!"

"Third team, leader Percy, members: Harry, Pansy, Daphne, Cho!"

"Fourth team, leader Cedric, members: George, Fred, Terence, Hermione!"

After listening to Anduin's team assignments, everyone roughly understood the current team formation rules. The teams led by the three 5th-year students were mostly composed of rookies from the 1st and 2nd years.

The fourth team, on the other hand, brought together the three 3rd-year students to balance combat power, so everyone had no objections after hearing the arrangement.

However, the Harry quartet seemed a little disappointed. They wondered if Anduin had deliberately split them up, making them feel uncomfortable.

And not only them, but the team assignments also basically dispersed the people from each house. The team members weren't the familiar friends they usually had, so they would have to re-familiarize themselves with their teammates during the subsequent missions.

Of course, this didn't include the Weasley twins. Due to the need to balance strength, Anduin could only put the two in one team. At the same time, Cedric was their neighbor, Hermione was also familiar with them, and Terence, though a Slytherin, was the most even-tempered.

So the fourth team had the best atmosphere after its formation, and they even started chattering about their tactics during the equipment change.