Chapter 986 Fear and Defiance Still Had a Place in The World

The atmosphere in the conference hall was thick with tension and silence.

The reports coming in from the mystic realm war games left every commander-in-chief of the participating teams in shock.

Dragon Soul Special Forces had once again defied all expectations, pulling off another impossible feat.

In the pitch-black, hostile environment of Area Four, they had wiped out two of the top-tier first-sequence teams in a mere five minutes.

They were a force to be reckoned with an unstoppable, terrifying power!

At that moment, every team started to reevaluate the events that never should have unfolded in the first place.

Throughout the competition, the constant provocations aimed at Dragon Soul Special Forces pointed to something deeper. What did it all reveal?

It exposed the darker side of human nature-bullying the weak, making life difficult on purpose, and conspiring against others in cruel ways.

Those who were kind and compassionate were trampled, while the malicious and deceitful were celebrated.

This was humanity's true nature. This was the behavior of the teams. And this was the conduct of those who thought themselves the elite! This behavior led to suffering, conflict, and endless battles.

Disaster and disgrace didn't come from the masses-they were the vile outcomes of those who believed they were above everyone else.

Those who cloaked themselves in false brilliance, seeking to prove their superiority, paraded their power and cruelty, turning a once beautiful world into an eternal nightmare.

To challenge such people, only the strongest force could make them understand that fear and defiance still had a place in the world! Only then would they realize that using overwhelming power and strategies for selfish purposes would only lead to their own ruin. Those who trampled on the rights of others would face the consequences-no matter how irreversible they were.

Pierre was the first to break the thick silence in the hall.

"On a personal level, I have the utmost respect for Commander-in-chief Ramsey. As a team, he is the opponent I hold in the highest regard.

"At this moment, I must say that any team attempting to take shortcuts in this competition will only disgrace themselves.

"This mystic realm international military skills competition, organized by the Thalrex Order, is designed to unite us against the unpredictable extraterrestrial threats of the future. "It is not a platform for petty squabbles or selfish ambitions.

"If you lack the strength, then have the courage to step away from this competition.

"That would be taking responsibility for both yourselves and the world.

"If dishonest and underhanded teams find ways to sneak into the finals, not only will it be disastrous for your team, but it will harm the entire world.

"Being at the front isn't just about glory. As Commander-in-chief Ramsey said, it's about responsibility!

"If you only seek the honor of standing at the front without the capacity to carry the weight of that responsibility, then what's the point of reaching the peak of glory?

"I respect every strong opponent because wearing this uniform represents duty and a mission-not to oppress the weak, but to bring peace to the world.

"Those who deliberately stir up chaos are the true enemies of this great planet!

"Ced, Paul, I won't directly comment on your actions.

"However, when it comes to this bet, I expect you to honor it like true warriors!"

With that, Pierre fell silent.

All the commanders-in-chief turned their attention to Ced and Paul, the leaders of Kangaroo and Maple Special Forces.

Ced from Maple Special Forces flushed bright red, standing still, unable to find the words.

Meanwhile, Paul awkwardly shrugged. "Captain Pierre, Commander-in-chief Ramsey, what I mean is ... Could we reconsider how we fulfill the bet?"

Robin smirked coldly, "Don't you think it's shameful for a man to say something like that?"

Ced quickly added, "Commander-in-chief Ramsey, you understand how important the commander's saber is to a general. Can we substitute money for the bet?" "Sure," Robin raised an eyebrow.

The commanders, who had been eagerly awaiting Ced and Paul to make fools of themselves, froze in disbelief.

Then, their looks turned to Robin, filled with disdain.

Each of their gazes carried a mixture of shock and contempt.

No matter how powerful someone was, once they traded their dignity for money, they had already fallen from grace.

No one could have predicted that the determined and stubborn commander of Dragon Soul Special Forces would actually agree to let Ced and Paul swap the general's battle sword for money.

As everyone in the room exchanged glances of disbelief and amusement, Robin added, "But don't even think about offering anything less than ten trillion dollars.

"If you want to go with money, then you each need to hand over ten trillion dollars immediately. Only then will I reluctantly accept your proposal." The room erupted in astonished murmurs.

Ten trillion dollars-enough to fund the creation of 2,500 aircraft carrier battle groups!

Ten trillion dollars per person-won't that be enough to buy the entire world?

Clearly, Robin was not willing to let them change the terms of the wager so easily.

Ced and Paul turned bright red. "How could we possibly have that kind of money? Commander-in-chief Ramsey, you're just mocking us!"

Robin raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smug smile. "If you don't have the money, then what are you even pretending for?"

Alexander let out a dark chuckle. "Ced, Paul, if you're planning on backing down today, I won't let you! Commander-in-chief Ramsey is my ally!"

Ced and Paul stood frozen, too stunned to reply to Alexander's words.

They awkwardly lingered in the center of the room, unsure of how to respond, glancing helplessly at Cyril.

Cyril shrugged nonchalantly. "You two are in the wrong. Everyone else is right-if this is a bet, then you should step up and honor it like men and warriors! "Even if this bet has no legal weight, in a place like this, if you go back on your word, it would be completely unethical!

"How could the Thalrex Order allow a team with no integrity to continue in this competition?"

Paul sighed heavily. "Fine.

"Ced, they're right. We have to go through with the most humiliating decision, but this is our own doing."

Under the scrutinizing gazes of everyone in the room, Ced and Paul had no choice but to fulfill their earlier bet.

...

Meanwhile, the competition in the mystic realm Area Four was coming to a close.

Out of the 35 teams that entered Area Four, 27 had made it through without issue, while the remaining eight had been eliminated along the way.

After a short break, the 27 teams that had survived were preparing for the final challenge.

The task: retrieve the qualifying token hidden deep within the jungle, located 300 feet ahead.

The first 20 teams to secure a qualifying token would move on to the next round of the L1 Mystic Realm Semifinals.

The committee headquarters would

evaluate the teams' behaviornoveldrama

throughout the process to determine which commanders-in-chief and vice-commanders-in-chief would advance.

Five minutes later, the teams stood together, ready, and charged forward toward the jungle to claim their tokens.