These usually confident Aurors grew annoyed under Fang's sharp gaze, but with Director Andre backing Fang fully, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and endure. Despite the pressure and repetition, the intense training paid off quickly. After all, clearing a single environment like this wasn't too difficult for seasoned Aurors.
By the end of the night, everyone was able to secure the entire dormitory within five minutes. But the training didn't stop there. Next, Alex dedicated a significant amount of time to teaching them how to use various pieces of equipment, especially the Silver Wand mask.
However, Alex's version wasn't identical to the original faceless masks equipped with Silver Wand spells. He had spent a lot of effort creating two types of amulets and brewing potions, so these masks only provided protection against poison gas.
This addition was mainly to prevent the Aurors from accidentally harming themselves with their own hypnotic talismans. At the same time, Alex prepared some temporary dyes to paint all their wands pure white, matching the color of aspen wood. Since camouflage was essential, this finishing touch made the equipment much more effective.
Besides getting familiar with the equipment, the team needed special training to understand the behavior patterns of the Silver Wand. For instance, they weren't allowed to call each other by their real names during communication; instead, everyone had to use magical animal code names.
After completing this series of trainings, it was already morning the next day. Alex noticed that everyone was almost ready, so he let them eat and rest. When night fell and the group gathered again, everyone looked refreshed and ready to go.
"It seems like everyone has rested well. Are you all prepared?" Alex asked, looking at the energetic crowd.
"Don't worry," Andre said confidently from the front. "After a day of practice, everyone has not only grasped the tactics but also built a strong understanding among us."
"Alright," Alex said with a slight nod, "I officially announce that the 'Concentric Circle' operation is now underway.
You'll all stay in my suitcase for now, ready to move at a moment's notice when I call. Our investigation confirmed that Claremont himself will be in place today, so we'll use this chance to catch everyone involved."
"Yes, sir!" Despite only spending a day together, the team showed great trust and respect for Alex, especially since he was the operation's commander-in-chief.
Seeing this, Alex began changing clothes right in front of them, putting on a Silver Wand suit. "Tonight, my code name is 'Golden Snidget.' Make sure not to confuse me with anyone else."
Earlier, Alex had come from the suitcase to the outside world, then apparated to the top of the underground warehouse in Claremont. From there, he used Subterreo to tunnel underground and sneak directly into the warehouse. Instead of entering the place through the disappearing cabinet, Alex arrived at the fireplace first.
His plan was to modify the fireplace's Floo network system. After that, he summoned everyone, emptied the underground warehouse completely, and planned to transform it into a safe place for the wizards.
After a while, all that remained at the scene was the disappearing cabinet. Alex quickly placed the other end of the cabinet into his suitcase, so even when he was managing other places, he could use it to move around swiftly.
When he arrived again at the core hub of place around nine in the evening, he noticed that the others he had been carrying in his suitcase were now free. 'This is the center of the place?' he thought.
At that moment, over forty wizards dressed in Silver Wand uniforms appeared on the second floor of the core hub. Since the operation hadn't started yet, everyone looked around with keen interest.
Alex addressed them carefully, his tone firm but quiet. "From this point onward, everyone stay silent. Don't touch anything in this room, and definitely don't cast spells without permission. The floors and walls here are linked directly to the protective enchantments; stray magic could disrupt the outer shield, and fixing that would be a serious headache."
"We know, we know," grumbled a masked figure from near the back. "Merlin's beard, you're nagging worse than my mother."
Even without seeing his face, Alex immediately recognized the gruff voice. Before Alex could respond, another sharper voice, clearly Amelia's, shot back, "And exactly what's wrong with mothers, Moody?"
"Oh, leave him alone, Amelia," Andre cut in lazily. "If the old warthog wants to moan, let him. He's never happy unless he's grumbling."
Moody gave an irritated snort. "Mind yourself, Flobberworm, or you'll find yourself crawling slower than usual."
Andre replied. "Careful, Moody. With your reaction speed, I could disarm you three times before you even raised your wand."
Watching them bicker, Alex couldn't help but feel exasperated. What made it worse was the way they had come up with their nicknames.
Each wanted to adopt a cool or powerful magical creature's name, but many ended up choosing the same ones, three or four even wanted to be called "Unicorn." This left the real unicorn, Azalea, quite baffled.
Finding the argument pointless, Amelia finally suggested they settle the nicknames by drawing lots. Moody was lucky enough to get "Warthog," which Andre found hilarious and teased him about for quite some time.
Unfortunately, his luck wasn't great this time, and he ended up pulling out a Flobberworm. Ignoring the chatter from those around him, Alex realized they were just trying to ease the tension before the next move. So, he quietly took out his communication headset and tried to reach Shalltear inside.
Meanwhile, although Shalltear knew Alex was planning to attack the breeding place, she didn't know exactly when the action would begin. She was growing bored in the little Thunderbird's nest. But unlike usual, the little Thunderbird wasn't playing nearby; instead, it was pecking at Shalltear with its beak.
"Sol, what are you doing? Don't think you can boss me around just because you have a name!" Shalltear said impatiently, but then noticed something was off about the bird's expression.
Suddenly, it hit her, could Alex's operation be happening today? Her heart quickened at the thought. She quickly pulled out her communication headset, and sure enough, Alex's voice came through. "Shalltear, did you hear that?"
"I did, Master. You're sneaking into the place again? Is it happening tonight?"
"Exactly. The operation starts tonight. Head to the residential area and keep an eye on the staff dormitories. As soon as the lights go out completely, notify me immediately. Also, watch Claremont's movements to see if he's ready to leave," Alex instructed carefully.
"Understood, Master." Shalltear had been waiting for this day, growing almost restless after more than ten days of waiting. She couldn't even shift back to her human form to avoid drawing attention, so receiving Alex's orders was a relief, and a little exciting.