Arriving at the special zone, I could see that many teams had already gathered in the area. They had either been camping nearby or had started making their way here early, likely because they had lost hope in winning through conventional resource gathering.

Emmet and several other team members immediately wanted to charge forward and claim circles, but I held up my hand to stop them.

"Wait," I commanded firmly.

We were positioned at a distance that made it difficult for the other teams to clearly see us while still allowing us to observe the tactical situation.

"We're losing Crest Marks every minute we stand here!" one team member complained urgently. "We don't know how many they've already generated!"

"Yeah, we should move in now before all the good positions are taken," another added with obvious frustration.

I raised my hand to calm them down. "Relax. These Crest Marks aren't going to disappear. We need to be strategic about this."

Gesturing toward the chaotic scene unfolding in the special zone. "We shouldn't jump in blindly. Even if other teams accumulate Crest Marks from the circles, we can steal them afterward. The important part right now is identifying which individuals are holding the most valuable resources."

My teammates looked puzzled until I continued explaining my reasoning.

"By understanding who's carrying the accumulated Crest Marks, we can target them directly without even needing to control the circles ourselves. It's more efficient to let them do the work, then take everything at once."

The complaints immediately stopped as my team members realized the logic behind this approach. Sometimes patience and observation yielded better results than immediate action.

Elen nodded thoughtfully and added her own observation. "Besides, if we jump in now, Kyle's team would most likely unite with the other teams against us. We have the highest Crest Mark count after all - they would naturally focus their efforts on eliminating us first."

I nodded in agreement. This was exactly another crucial reason why charging in blindly would be tactically disastrous.

"Right now, we're the primary target," I confirmed. "Every other team has an incentive to work together against us because we represent their biggest obstacle to victory. If we enter that chaotic situation, we'll immediately face coordinated opposition from multiple directions."

The tactical landscape was clear once explained properly. Our current advantage would become a liability the moment we entered the contested zone without proper preparation.

"By staying back and observing, we can identify the optimal moment to strike," I continued. "Let them fight each other for position while generating Crest Marks. When the situation stabilizes or when teams start to separate, we can move in with maximum efficiency."

The patience required was difficult for some team members who preferred direct action, but the benefits were undeniable. Sometimes the best move was waiting for the right opportunity rather than forcing immediate confrontation.

Our superior numbers and accumulated resources gave us flexibility that other teams lacked. We could afford to be selective about when and how we engaged, while our competitors were forced into desperate gambits to catch up.

The battlefield quickly transformed as the lower-ranked classes made a tactical decision to gang up on Kyle's Elite team. Despite Kyle's individual strength and his team's superior power, they found themselves overwhelmed by sheer numbers from multiple classes.

Kyle was caught in a genuine predicament, forced to defend against attacks from several directions simultaneously while trying to maintain control of the valuable circle positions. His team was stretched thin, yet remarkably they had managed to secure approximately half of the available circles through superior positioning and combat effectiveness.

From our concealed observation point, I began analysing how the other teams were managing their accumulated Crest Marks. The pattern became clear relatively quickly - none of the non-Elite teams appeared to be concentrating their resources with a single individual.

"Look at how they're distributing their Crest Marks," I pointed out to my team members. "They've clearly adopted the 'don't put all your eggs in one basket' approach."

Elen followed my gaze and nodded in understanding. "Each team member is carrying a portion of their total collection. Smart defensive strategy against theft. Once a person is caught, they would only lose a small portion rather than the whole ration, minimises loss. But it's still not a good strategy."

"They're trying to use the same concealment strategy we employed," Marcus observed, "but they're failing at proper execution."

The other teams had managed to hide their distribution method from each other during the chaotic fighting, but from our position as outside observers, their patterns were easily readable. Their movements were too predictable, their protective formations too obvious, and their communication too visible.

"Watch how that team's formation shifts when someone approaches their apparent 'decoy' leader," I noted. "See how three specific members unconsciously move to create a protective triangle? Those are the real Crest Mark carriers."

Another team displayed even more obvious tells. Their designated leader made exaggerated gestures and loud proclamations about protecting their resources, while three quieter members consistently stayed at the formation's rear with subtle but noticeable defensive positioning.

"Their concealment works against teams actively engaged in combat," Elen analysed, "but anyone with time to observe can identify the patterns."

The tactical irony was striking. These teams had correctly identified the need for resource distribution but lacked the discipline and training necessary to execute the deception effectively. Their attempts at misdirection created new vulnerabilities that we could exploit.

"The green-banner team has their Crest Marks split between the archer, the girl with the staff, and the heavy fighter in the back," I catalogued systematically. "The red-banner team is using their scout, their apparent second-in-command, and someone they're pretending is injured."

My team members began following my example, identifying and tracking the actual resource carriers among the various competing groups. The intelligence gathering was proceeding smoothly while the other teams remained focused on their immediate tactical struggles.

"This observation phase is proving more valuable than immediate engagement," Marcus concluded. "We're mapping their entire resource structure without revealing our presence or capabilities."

The chaotic battle for circle control was providing perfect cover for our reconnaissance mission, setting us up for decisive action when the optimal moment arrived.

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