Provocation Before the Start

"What do you mean by that!"

Seeing Xu De act as if he couldn't be bothered to say more, the burly man's eyes narrowed in fury, even though he had already secured his spot.

His goal wasn't just to cut in line; it was to establish dominance, to kill the chicken to scare the monkey!

He had provoked Xu De specifically to cement his position in the Moebius selection and discourage others from challenging him.

He had assumed that bullying an outsider to make an example of him would be a piece of cake, but he hadn't expected this Xu De to be completely different from his previously cautious self.

Suddenly enraged by his own embarrassment, the burly man stepped forward.

The thick, twitching muscles on his arms were quite intimidating, causing Hans to take a step back.

As for the others, some were worried, while others were entirely dismissive, simply looking on to enjoy the show.

It had been less than sixty years since the end of the Reconstruction War, and as fellow council nations, there were far too many historical records of hostility between them due to various issues.

Coupled with the fact that the core theory of Blue Cosmos was essentially "someone-first" supremacy, it would be strange if there wasn't discrimination.

"If you want to fight, you had better get authorization. If not, please excuse yourself."

The tone of Xu De's voice did not change in the slightest; he spoke with the same indifference as before.

Meanwhile, Hans kept poking Xu De from behind, clearly urging him to back down.

But it was obvious that Xu De would never back down, especially not against someone from the Atlantic Federation.

Taking a step back would only invite further encroachment.

As the two confronted each other, more and more eyes began to turn toward them.

Quite a few people noticed the change in Xu De, but they didn't pay it any mind.

Heaven knows what had gotten into Xu De, but it was none of their business.

Even if Thomas couldn't act out right now, given his vengeful nature, Xu De was guaranteed to be thoroughly dealt with later.

Just as everyone was watching the spectacle, the instructor who had already reached the observation room upstairs noticed the situation as well.

However, this redneck only flashed a look of disdain, having no intention of stopping them.

They were God's chosen people; in his mind, guys like that were equivalent to the dregs of society, and it didn't matter if they died sooner or later.

"Who is that?"

Just as the redneck was grinning internally, looking forward to seeing the top-ranked recruit he had high hopes for crush this overconfident ant, the middle-aged man sitting in the center of the observation room—wearing a lieutenant colonel's uniform and looking rather slovenly—asked.

This lieutenant colonel, though just reaching middle age, was an experienced elite who commanded an entire flight wing, a captain of fifty MAs.

At this moment, the elite's eyes glinted as he looked in Xu De's direction.

The posture of that young man and the aura he projected were like a sheathed blade.

He was ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

That was common among elite pilots, but for a raw recruit, it was nothing short of a fantasy.

"Sir, that reserve is named Thomas, the top-ranked among my apprentices," the instructor reported, looking as if he took pride in the fact.

"I asked about the young man opposite him," Revil said with a faint smile, showing no regard for the other man's face.

But as a lieutenant colonel and the officer in charge of this assessment, he certainly had the qualifications to look down on the other party.

"...That one is named Xu De."

Hearing the words of the commander, the redneck choked, his mind filled with confusion.

He had no idea why this elite flight squadron commander under the Third Fleet was asking about Xu De instead of the top-ranked recruit.

It couldn't be that he had taken a liking to him, could it?

That frail-looking guy? How could that be?

Most likely, he just found it interesting that someone dared to provoke a powerhouse.

Uninterested in what the other man was thinking, Revil watched the young man on the screen with great interest.

If this Xu De had enough potential, he could be worth cultivating.

Just as Xu De had surmised, everyone here was an elite who needed to adapt to space combat to deal with future threats.

That was the reason for this entire exercise.

Unaware that he had already made a name for himself with Revil because of Thomas, Xu De continued to stand his ground against him.

"The test begins now. Please do not move about."

At the sound of the instructor's broadcast, the tense atmosphere that had been on the verge of snapping suddenly stalled.

After the voice on the broadcast repeated itself a second time, the top-ranked recruit glared fiercely at Xu De.

"Watch your back after we're dismissed."

"Thanks for the concern."

Although he said thanks, there wasn't the slightest change in Xu De's tone or expression.

If anything, it was even more infuriating.

"...Hmph."

Angered once again, Thomas clenched his sandbag-sized fist, but in the end, he held himself back.

"We'll see about that later."

This time, Xu De didn't bother replying, offering only a shrug in response.

"Are you crazy? Why provoke Thomas?"

Seeing the standoff finally come to an end, Hans hurriedly grabbed Xu De's shoulder and whispered into his ear.

"I didn't."

Xu De shook his head, then, considering the severity of the bullying here, offered Hans a word of comfort.

"Don't worry, it's fine."

"I'll head back on my own in a bit."

If they really wanted to pick a fight, he'd just fight back; what could possibly happen?

"How is this 'fine'..."

Yet, even as he said that, Hans recalled the aura Xu De had just displayed, which was completely different from before, along with his back, which was now as straight as a pine.

He felt a strange, uncanny sensation that Xu De truly didn't think being targeted by the Chief was a big deal.

On second thought, the frustration of having hidden behind Xu De earlier, not daring to say a word, welled up in his heart.

"You can't go back alone, we'll go together!"

Hearing this, Xu De, who had just been planning to observe the people in front of him flying the aircraft, paused, then gave Hans a genuine smile.

"Thanks."

This childhood friend from the same orphanage was truly a stand-up guy.

After all, given the memories he had integrated from the original owner, he knew exactly how terrifying it was to be targeted by the Chief.

This guy had said those words fully prepared to be beaten and humiliated right alongside him.

Of course, if Thomas struck first, he could simply defend himself.

As long as he took first place this time, someone would naturally protect him, and there would be a corresponding sense of fairness.

Strength and value determined everything; that was the rule here.

"We won't have any trouble."

As Xu De spoke, his gaze drifted past Thomas, who was still sneering at them from the front, and landed on the large screen in the center where the battle had already begun.

"That's true, we can always report him to the instructor!"

Hearing what Hans said, Xu De just smiled and didn't answer.

Given that redneck's attitude, it would be a miracle if he actually intervened.

However, the "no trouble" he referred to wasn't about that rookie Chief.

It was about the great battle one week from now.

Only with a fighter jet in his hands would he truly feel a sense of security.