As soon as they were below the pit, Eryndor witnessed Rodrick holding something like a doll.

    It was approximately the length of an arm and resembled a human. It was the kind of plushie you’d find in every kid’s store if it didn’t have a few glaring issues.

    One of its eyes was simply a button, while there was a star shaped embroidery where the other eye was supposed to be.

    Half of its hair was white while the other half was black. In place of its mouth was what seemed like scribbling done by a kid with a red pen. The crimson lines of its mouth stretched all the way to the ears.

    As for the clothes, Eryndor could distinctly make out that they were made of multiple layers of dried skin.

    Eryndor knew it was the Mystical Artifact as the information he got from Sander included a picture of it along with the description of its powers.

    It was simple really, the Mystical Artifact worked as a range extender and an amplifier. It had a considerably broad domain of things it could amplify.

    A few examples included attacks which could be physical, elemental, mental, sound type, or even karmic.

    For example if you wanted to target a potato, you could instead target the Mystical Artifact with the intent to target the potato.

    The Mystical artifact would recognise your intent, and forward your attack to the potato with amplified damage or whatever parameter it was that you wanted to enhance.

    Eryndor felt tension as he approached professor Melissa.

    Is he targeting me? No right? I should not be a threat in his eyes. A rational person such as Rodrick wouldn’t target me.

    Eryndor put that thought behind him, and following the plan they had in mind, he ran towards professor Melissa.

    He couldn’t use Telekinesis nor Cognitive Scrying in this situation even if he had gotten a preliminary hang of using them with his body being active. It was too high stakes of a situation to risk even the slightest mistake.

    He was approaching professor Melissa to know what was the hand signal Rodrick used before controlling the Anomaly.

    Eryndor couldn’t shout his intentions from afar, as chances were, Rodrick might sabotage their plan even if he didn’t know the exact details.

    In the meanwhile, Rodrick held the Mystical Artifact and activated one of his offensive spells.

    No one knew who he had targeted until he did, and it was surprising.

    Fuck you Rodrick.

    She could see the situation above where the Anomaly had already begun dividing itself.

    Melissa knew she needed to quickly organise her students in order for them to stand a chance against the attacks from mini-Anomalies which would soon rain down on them.

    While she began organizing them with the help of a few who had figured themselves out earlier than others, she also simultaneously battled Rodrick.

    It would have been much more difficult if he had the Mystical Artifact to help him.

    But then again, his energy wouldn’t have lasted long enough to run away from her, awakening the Hand of Destruction was indeed the most efficient choice he could have made.

    *****

    As soon as Eryndor made a run for professor Melissa, Drakarion, Valentina and Paulina ran towards the Anomaly of Misfortune and Fortune.

    Their job was to contain the Anomaly at least for a timeframe of a few seconds in which Eryndor would return with the hand signals.

    Drakarion tripped over empty ground suddenly in the middle of his run.

    "This damn misfortune."

    He cursed, while getting up.

    Martial Artists were people who cultivated their physique. With the amount of control they had over their body, their power system was among the one with least chances to trip over like this.

    With a little more presence of mind with regard to control over his body, Drakarion resumed heading towards the Anomaly.

    Even the power of misfortune wouldn’t work, or would need greater energy consumption from the Anomaly to trip him over if he had greater control over himself.

    Finally, the three of them stood before the Anomaly of Misfortune and Fortune, ready to stall it for a few seconds.

    Each one of them knew it was in the Stable realm, which was the second level of Anomalies.

    In comparison, they themselves were at the lowest stage of the first level of their respective power systems.

    Regardless, none of them were afraid, or felt like they would lose.

    With the plan they had, it would be difficult for things to go wrong.