The Edge Facility had been shrouded in secrecy for some time now, a deliberate effort to catch everyone off guard. While Kirin was aware of The Edge’s capabilities, others still dismissed it as the same old failure-a joke of an operation. After all, why bother studying something beneath notice?
To them, The Edge was like a failing student no genius would waste time on.
But when Raven Stormbringer revealed even a sliver of insider information, the leaders of other military groups were stunned into silence. His voice carried far, and even the special forces soldiers from other regions overheard him.
All eyes turned to The Edge’s team, filled with shock and disbelief. Some even looked at them with pity.
The other regions had pulled every string to bring in top-tier martial experts-at the very least, Great Grandmasters. But Shipmeda State Military Region? They had only managed to bring in a Semi Grandmaster.
What’s worse, this “expert” was a man under thirty-barely older than the soldiers he was supposed to train.
It seemed absurd, even laughable. If he had been an old master, at least he could claim decades of experience. But a young man? It felt more like a joke.
To the spectators, it was clear: of the thousand-plus participants here, at least three hundred could easily replace The Edge’s so-called head instructor.
Yet, the Kirin Special Forces remained silent.
Reginald Shaw, in particular, was red-faced with embarrassment. He had once shared the same arrogance, the same dismissive attitude. And then Flynn had crushed him. Not just beaten him, but utterly humiliated him-his face pressed into the dirt as Flynn spat on him.
His former instructor had almost been crippled, and if not for Flynn’s gift of a rare bone-healing prescription, they wouldn’t have even made it to West Haralu.
Adam Davies broke the silence with a calm remark: “There’s no rule that says the chief instructor has to be present. With Mr. Pearce leading the team, that’s enough.”
He continued, his tone indifferent: “Even if our chief instructor isn’t here, a few words of encouragement from him would make my soldiers fight like wolves, unstoppable and invincible.”
Adam had no intention of revealing anything about Flynn. Secrecy and surprise were key-masking their strength until the right moment.
Of course, given The Edge’s current abilities, there wasn’t much need for subterfuge. Flame Dragon’s team may have produced a Great Grandmaster, but the Shipmeda State Military Region wasn’t intimidated.
Still, this competition was critical, determining the fate of everyone in the region. Adam knew it was better to remain cautious, to project an air of invincibility without giving away too much.
Flynn himself had requested not to be listed in the military files, and Adam respected that decision.
But Adam’s evasive response only drew ridicule from the crowd.
“Afraid to bring your chief instructor because you’d lose face? Why bother making excuses?” someone sneered.
“Words of encouragement will make your team unbeatable? What do you think your instructor is, a god? Does every word he speaks magically make your soldiers stronger?”
The crowd laughed, fully aware of Adam’s strained relations with Talon Emberhart. It was common knowledge that The Edge couldn’t even secure a decent martial expert, and the situation reeked of desperation.
Raven Stormbringer of the Valor Legion shook his head and taunted, “Mr. Davies, does The Edge really need encouragement? Wouldn’t the outcome be the same, regardless?”
His meaning was clear: The Edge was hopeless. No amount of motivation could change that. This was a competition of strength, not blind passion.
Even a child could understand that no matter how inspired they were, they couldn’t pass a university exam with elementary school knowledge.
Adam’s refusal to accept Talon Emberhart’s offer of an alliance-or rather, marriage-had left him isolated. Now, it was clear that his defiance had cost him dearly.
Lyra frowned slightly, concerned for Adam.
Talon Emberhart and Adam’s superior, Maxwell Grey, had always been at odds. Talon had tried to draw Adam to his side through marriage, but Adam’s refusal had clearly offended him.
It was likely that after this competition, Talon would seize the opportunity to have Adam reassigned to Slatin-a downgrade in every sense. Perhaps he’d even ensure Adam retired with a tarnished record.
Adam’s expression darkened as he replied, “If I recall correctly, you also gave your soldiers a speech. Should I say the same thing? That no matter how much you encourage them, the outcome will still be the same-second place?”
His words stung, and the crowd’s expressions shifted. While harsh, Adam wasn’t wrong. For four consecutive years, Raven Stormbringer’s Havoc Strikeforce had been stuck in second place, always overshadowed by Flame Dragon.
Adam’s remark not only embarrassed Raven but also insulted Talon Emberhart, who had poured resources into the Havoc Strikeforce. Despite all of Talon’s efforts, they remained under Maxwell Grey’s Flame Dragon team.
Still, Raven didn’t lose his composure. He laughed confidently and said, “Mr. Davies, how could The Edge compare to my Havoc Strikeforce? A team that’s been in last place every year has no right to mock a second-place finisher.”
Adam’s face remained impassive as he responded, “Just wait and see how The Edge slays the dragon.”
“Slay the dragon?” Raven’s laughter grew louder. “Mr. Davies, let me be honest with you-this year, Havoc Strikeforce will take first place! Flame Dragon will be second!”
Thorne Callister of Flame Dragon smiled faintly. “And what gives you such confidence?”
For four years, Flame Dragon had been untouchable. This year, they had even produced another Great Grandmaster. What could Havoc Strikeforce possibly bring to the table?
Raven’s voice rose with pride as he declared, “Because this year, Havoc Strikeforce has two Great Grandmasters! Five peak Grandmasters and seventeen Grandmasters in total!”
The air seemed to explode with energy as Havoc Strikeforce unleashed its aura. Two powerful forces surged skyward, their momentum like roaring rivers. Five others followed, their presence shaking the earth.
The combined energy of Havoc Strikeforce rivaled that of a Lesser Sovereign, creating a sandstorm that blotted out the sky.
The entire crowd was stunned.
Havoc Strikeforce had truly produced two Great Grandmasters! When had they become this powerful?
Even Adam Davies couldn’t hide his shock. He hadn’t anticipated such hidden strength.
It seemed this would not be the straightforward victory he had hoped for.
As the sandstorm raged, Talon Emberhart’s smile deepened.
“Maxwell Grey,” he murmured to himself, “this year, I’ll see how you manage to stay on top.”
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