Chapter 163
The moment Caleb’s voice rang out, the courtyard plunged into silence.
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Raven glanced up at him on the stage, her expression calm as ever. But instead of rising, she leisurely popped the last piece of cake into her mouth, chewing with unhurried elegance.
Her gaze lingered on Caleb a moment longer, the faintest flicker of curiosity crossing her eyes.
When did he grow a spine?
And judging by how fired up he looked right now, maybe today’s training hadn’t been nearly tough enough.
Around them, murmurs began to swell through the gathered crowd. Dozens of eyes immediately turned toward Corey.
Just yesterday, Corey had still been one of the ruling generals of the Regalhold military zone–one of the rare few to hold the title of Grand General in all of Vyrdenia. Even the patriarchs of the Five Great Houses treated him with reverent respect.
And yet now, someone dared challenge his authority in public?
“Who the hell is that? Picking a fight with Corey? Are they tired of living?”
“Either crazy or clueless. Look at the guy on stage–he’s got real power. Whoever he’s calling out… they’re about to regret it.”
“No wonder he’s so strong. Corey trained him personally? That explains a lot.”
“He’s not just strong–he’s got character. That kind of backbone? The kid’s got a future.”
Corey listened to the whispers, his gaze locked on Caleb. The more he looked, the more pleased he seemed.
Then, almost without realizing it, he turned and looked toward Raven.
Only to find her still sitting there, finishing her dessert without a care in the world.
His satisfaction quickly curdled into cold disappointment.
In his eyes, there were only two possible explanations: either Raver hadn’t taken Caleb seriously… or she hadn’t even considered stepping onto that platform in the first place.
And frankly, either was enough to make him regret ever thinking she was worth his attention.
The next second, his gaze sharpened. He’d already decided–if he was going to be part of the Hundred–Man Unit’s recruitment and training process, then he needed to ensure only the best made it in. No pampered brats. No privileged parasites.
And Raven? She had just dropped to the bottom of his list.
The crowd, too, was starting to stir restlessly.
“Where is she? Why hasn’t she gone up yet?”
“Don’t tell me she’s scared. Hiding now?”
“If she had even a shred of pride, she wouldn’t be cowering like this.”
“Come on–get up already!”
“Stop pretending. Either accept the challenge or leave!”
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11:01 Tue, 22 Apr 6
Chapter 163
Caleb stood firm as the crowd’s support swelled. With every voice echoing his challenge, his confidence only grew.
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He swept his gaze slowly over the crowd, his tone colder than before. “Let me make this crystal clear. If you’ve got the guts, then step up and face me.”
The crowd responded with nods, their admiration for Caleb deepening. Normally, someone speaking with this kind of arrogance would be dismissed as brash. But not today.
Caleb had the skill to back it up–and the fire in his words struck a chord with everyone watching.
“I’ll count to three,” he said, voice ringing out across the courtyard. “If you’re still hiding when I’m done, I won’t be teaching you a lesson anymore. I’ll make sure you never forget who I am.”
“Three.”
“Two…”
Just as Caleb drew in breath for the final count, Raven finally stood up.
Her movement was smooth, unhurried, and when she spoke, her voice carried clearly across the now–silent courtyard.
“So now it takes ‘guts‘ to walk up there, huh?”
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