Liam was standing in front of Alisha. After the successful completion of the mission five days ago, it was the second time she summoned him. Ever since the elf's warning, he paid a lot of attention to his actions around her.

He expected a harsh reprimand for the detour he took during their mission. Liam considered the deviation an utter waste. The sharn stone was a bonus, but the lack of information disappointed him. Being kept in the dark wasn't a pleasant feeling.

Contrary to his expectations, Alisha awarded them for braving mortal danger in an effort to save the camp. She spread the message, making sure the soldiers heard their 'acts of valor.'

Liam did not know if he should laugh or cry. The news resulted in the soldiers dropping a lot of animosity directed towards him. Along with his actions during the corrupted villager's attack, he became famous. Lots of people, mostly women, came to hang out with him.

"I know you are about to evolve. It should happen in a day or two."

Liam gave up on figuring out how Alisha knew everything happening around her.

She rummaged through her desk and removed two books.

"These are basic spellbooks distributed among the evolved community. The fundamentals are recorded within them. You will know most of it, but going through the books will give you a systematic understanding of the magic system."

"Thank you."

"Five days later, you will be leaving on another task. Make sure you are prepared."

Acknowledging her command, he excused himself.

When he walked out of the tent, the bright afternoon sun blinded him. Soldiers going about their work waved their hands and greeted him. Liam responded in kind and moved towards his tent.

Jade lounged on the bed while Dunn sat on the chair, dozing off. His mouth hung wide open and he muttered some unintelligible words.

He woke up with a start when Liam kicked his seat. "I swear I never peeked at anyone! Big brother is the one who does it!"

It took him a moment to make sense of his surroundings.

"Can't you wake me up normally?" he grumbled.

Jade rolled on the bed with laughter. "And miss all the fun? No way! I can't wait to tell Ioriel you peeked at her."

Dunn leaped from his chair and covered her mouth.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed.

He surveyed the tent, making sure Ioriel wasn't there. It was dumb, and he knew it. But it didn't change the fear and respect he had for her.

"She will kill me before anyone can utter a single word and tell her it was a joke."

Liam joined Jade's laughter. "I will make sure she will give you the time to say sorry."

"Sorry for what?" He pointed at Jade. "Apart from being her friend, there is nothing I should be sorry about."

Rather than being offended by his statement, she howled in laughter.

After she stopped laughing, Liam showed them the books. "She gave us these spellbooks. I skimmed through them on the way back. They have some basic spells and magic theory."

"She knows we are going to evolve?" Jade asked.

"Yes. Are you surprised?"

"Not really."

When Liam was about to go through the books, Leo's voice entered the tent. "Can I come inside?"

All three of them collectively groaned. Ever since the incident in the forest, the men in Caleb's squad disliked Liam. They repeatedly badmouthed him or challenged him to pointless competitions.

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"Sure."

Leo had the sniper with him when he entered. Walking to the table, he placed a bullet on it. "I want to challenge you to a sniper battle."

"Why me?"

"I want to prove I am the best."

His logic was so warped Liam did not know where to begin. "I don't think challenging me would be helpful. You should choose someone who is considered better than you."

"I want to defeat everyone on my way to the top. You are my first target."

'How the fuck is someone who never touched a sniper your first target,' Liam thought.

The solemn look on Leo's face made the challenge appear comical.

"Fine." Escaping from it wasn't possible. The least he could do was stoke Leo's ego.

They moved towards a clearing where a group of people waited for them.

Finn explained the rules of the contest.

"Each of you will have three shots. The distance to the target is 800 yards (0.73 km), the farthest distance any sniper can reach. The one who hits closest to the center wins."

'That's it?' Liam thought. All the drama over hitting a stationary target placed some distance from them? With flaring nostrils, he snatched the sniper from the table, ready to be done with the farce.

After they got into positions, Liam inspected the weapon for the first time. The making was complicated, but operating it was simple. Loading the bullet, he fired the first shot, getting a feel of the weapon.

As he expected, the projectile went wide.

Gaining a basic understanding, he fired a second time and missed again.

His third shot hit the edge of the target. Getting up, he saw Leo was successful in all three of his attempts. While he didn't hit the dead center, one of the bullets made a mark on the edge of it.

Watching Leo win satisfied Blake, and an unstoppable smile spread on his face. It showed everyone the guy they tried to get close to was only a pretty face. He knew how to use it and curried people's favor.

Thrusting his chest out, Leo walked up to Liam. "I win."

After the victory, Ella would see the truth about Liam and stop praising him for being strong or brave.

Their reactions were so amusing, Liam had a hard time repressing his laughter.

"Good job!" He shook Leo's hand and left the area.

Nora stood nearby and beckoned him.

"Can I help you?"

"No, but you can help yourself."

"You mean the sniper competition? He won it fair and square."

"Your recent exploits made you famous in the camp. It's not just due to your looks, though it is a bonus" —she gave Liam a once over and admired what she saw— "but also for your strength and skill. If you lose, some people won't take into account your unfamiliarity with the weapon. They will assume Alisha made up your achievements."

He knew where the conversation was going and he didn't like it one bit.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing. Keep practicing with the sniper and come back in four hours. If you win, I will give you another spellbook."

Hearing her promise, Liam perked up. Knowledge never failed to excite him.

She took him to an isolated area where he practiced for the next four hours. After the time was up, he made his way back to the firing range. The scene in front of him left him rooted to the ground. About 14 people paced near the entrance with snipers clutched in their hands. Lots of soldiers arrived in the vicinity and surrounded the area.

Nora noticed his arrival. "Okay, the final participant is here. Let us begin."

"The rules are simple." She performed hand signs, summoning spheres of water around her. They spread out over a large area and moved erratically. Their speed directly correlated to their size. "I think you can understand the task. The person who hits the smallest one wins. You will have 5 chances each. Everyone's bullet is marked. When it hits a target, the water captures the bullet, allowing you to see your performance."

Staring at everyone's excited faces, Liam wondered how a challenge escalated into an event. There was no changing it and he could only go along with the flow.

"The prize is" —Nora paused, building up the anticipation. Everyone waited for her announcement with bated breath— "one of the commander's personal spells!"

There was one second of stunned silence before chaos erupted in the surroundings. The soldiers rushed towards the barracks to acquire a sniper. Even without knowing the spell's function, everyone wanted it.

"The ones standing inside the field are the best snipers, and only they are eligible."

Nora's words disheartened a lot of people.

The lucky participants tightly clutched their weapons, determined to win. Many of them cast unfriendly glances at each other. Getting a chance to win the commander's personal spell was once in a lifetime opportunity.

Liam was no different, and his breathing sped up in anticipation. Along with the other participants, he got into position and waited for Nora's signal.

"BEGIN!"

Five consecutive bangs immediately followed her command.

The participants continued tracking their targets and the soldiers kept cheering, unaware the battle ended.

"And we have a winner," Nora muttered, unable to believe her eyes. The sounds drowned her voice.

She created the contest to teach everyone hard work and talent went hand in hand. Liam's victory was within her expectations. Precision fighters had a high level of control over their bodies, and surviving in the Rift required superb instincts. Those were qualities of outstanding snipers, and Liam had both.

What she failed to take into account was the overwhelming way in which he achieved victory. One of the targets was a water drop a quarter of the size of the bullet. She created it for fun, not expecting someone to hit it. Now her decision was coming to bite her in the ass.

"WE HAVE A WINNER," she shouted. The battle was over before the other participants chose their first target.

For the first time, she regretted creating the high-profile competition and wondered how many egos the result would crush.