Paulina, completely familiar with the plan, held Valentina’s White Snake and continued with the Schrodinger’s Step.

    Of course, the Schrodinger’s Step wouldn’t extend to the White Snake, so only one of the Paulinas could hold it in her hand.

    This Paulina would also be the one to approach the Anomaly.

    Just to be on the safer side, she hid the White Snake and approached the Anomaly, who remained motionless all the same.

    If danger arose, she could fling the small thread like White Snake and collapse herself into a Paulina of a different location.

    Everyone knew they only had a small window of time to operate.

    As soon as she was near, seeing that nothing happened, the multiple Paulinas around the Anomaly collapsed into the one who held the snake.

    Activating her ability to discern the vital points of the Anomaly, Paulina held the snake before her and aimed it at one of the points.

    Valentina, who was a little further back, copied the ability at the same exact time.

    This way extra time wouldn’t be spent on Paulina notifying her about where to hit. The plan was to hit the most important point.

    The White Snake in Paulina’s hand shot its offensive white beam at the same time as Valentina used White Snake’s ability through her Beast Tamer bond, both hitting the same point of weakness.

    Both Paulina and Valentina performed the same set of moves, albeit with a little variation, but the reason the former approached the Anomaly and the latter didn’t was naturally to set the base for the next phase.

    Paulina’s approach was necessary to gauge how the Anomaly would react upon being approached. Seeing that nothing happened, it was time for the next phase of the plan.

    Since Eryndor had to stay in front of the Anomaly with the intact hand sign, Drakarion approached it with the Anomaly containment box.

    Since Paulina had deemed it was safe to approach the Anomaly, all Drakarion focused on was speed while he moved towards it.

    The above procedure beginning from when Eryndor finished performing the hand sign to Drakarion approaching the Anomaly only took two to three seconds.

    Witnessing the Anomaly containment box, plus no sign of intruding mind control finally brought confusion and wariness in the Anomaly’s mind.

    It raised its hand to block the incoming anomaly containment box from which it felt a faint sense of threat, which had broken it out of the trance-like state.

    But it wasn’t of any use, as Drakarion, with the highest physical parameters, among them, opened the box and slammed it on the Anomaly’s head before it could block with its hands.

    The Anomaly would go after the four weaklings, believing them to be easy food, and then escape with all its might.

    But who knew the four newbies were so capable? Their cooperation was seamless, as if they had already decided on how to deal with the Anomaly.

    They knew about everything, even the newbies. They even knew about the Anomaly under my control and how to deal with it.

    Just where did everything go wrong?

    Rodrick couldn’t figure it out no matter how much he tried.

    When the last of the Anomaly was sucked into the box, all hope vanished from his eyes.

    The Anomaly of Misfortune and Fortune was completely sealed.

    The Hand of Destruction had fallen into an inactive state.

    The senior students had organized themselves, no longer causing ruckus, although occasional shouts could still be heard.

    The mysterious man who had cut off his permanent connection of mind control was still standing above the pit, having not moved an inch after he made his move.

    Professor Melissa still had plenty of energy of both kinds left; Qi and the energy which fueled innate abilities.

    He, on the other hand, had run out of energy to power his mind control, and was on the verge of running out of Mana.

    When he eventually ran out of the last of his Mana, the defensive spell shattered due to no longer receiving any input of Mana.

    The icicle launched by professor Melissa flew unhindered, no longer encountering any kind of resistance as it lodged itself deep into Rodrick’s thigh.

    Numb from everything, Rodrick kneeled where he stood as soon as the icicle hit his thigh.

    His hands dropped to the side, no longer holding the Mystical Artifact, which tumbled beside him.

    When professor Melissa approached him with a rope to tie him with, only a single sentence escaped his defeated self.

    "Where did I go wrong?"

    ******

    It’s end of arc 1, do read the Creator’s Thoughts of this one.