The committee’s eyes glinted at the exceptional idea.The Great Armed Race was something sacred to the organization! The Insurgent Trifecta had always been falling short for years in the tournament’s rankings, and the streak had ultimately disfigured their reputation. If they could secure a decisive victory, though—if they could have an underdog’s comeback—just imagine how thrilling it would be!After a brief discussion, the committee had made the decision to send Zayn on the S-class mission.The man for the job himself was startled by his new task. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to pass such an important job to someone like me?”“On the contrary, it’s been decided that you’re our best bet at completing the mission,” Liam replied solemnly, patting him on the back. “With great power comes great responsibilities, Sergeant Larson. Please, accept it.”“When you put it that way, well…” Zayn began, coughing up a few awkward laughs. Admittedly, Liam deploying him on a mission out of the
Zayn knew things were off to a rough start, and just as he had expected, their arrival was quickly halted by the appearance of several towering, hulking foreigners who told them to stop in Esperanto.The ace of the Wolf’s Fang squad quickly explained their presence in proficient Esperanto. “We’re agents from the Insurgent Trifecta of Rheasia. We’re here to protect Miss Bell while she remains on Rheasian soil. Here, our official documents.”He produced the papers while Zayn and the other man showed their own, but their foreign counterparts were unamused, which was less than surprising when one noticed the contempt in their eyes.The Rheasian agents were petite and lacking in musculature, which inspired so little confidence that one of the foreign bodyguards—a foreigner with piercing green eyes who looked to be in his thirties—drawled, “You three are Rheasian agents who’re here to protect Miss Bell?”Hank Stone, the ace of The Wolf’s Fang Squad, answered, “That’s right. This is one o
Just as the two hot-blooded young men were about to launch into a heated debate with the foreigner in question, Zayn feigned a soft cough.“Don’t. There’s no need to play their game. Our mission remains the same: protect Marissa. There will be a time when we can prove ourselves,” he said flatly..Hank and Grant were not Zayn’s underlings, but neither dared to go against his expressed command regardless. Still, their displeasure and dissatisfaction weighed heavy on their chests. Shortly after, it morphed into a sneaking suspicion that Zayn was just too pacifistic. Had it been Dick Cheney who was in charge, he would have fought the arrogant foreigner and shown him who’s boss.They wondered if Zayn only put on airs when he was around his kind. There were people who liked lording over others like a bad*ss, only to cower like a pussycat when they were in the presence of outsiders. Could Zayn be guilty of doing something so shameful?Zayn could read the young men’s opinions of him, but h
She intended it as her last words before strutting back inside the Rolls-Royce, uninterested in giving Zayn any respect at all. Why would she, when that man was simply a nondescript, unremarkable agent who did not deserve a seat beside her?Plus, she did not believe he had the power to protect her at all. Her impression of Rheasians was that of a weak and feeble race that could not possibly produce agents of any noteworthy caliber.Zayn was about to follow her in when two beefed-up foreigners closed in behind her and blocked his way. They wore threatening glares of hostility. “Please step back, Rheasian,” they said in unison, their voice suggesting both a command and a deriding remark.Zayn frowned slightly. He could feel their two hidden enemies’ getting closer—it was obvious that Marissa was their target. Not being with her at all times, especially on the way to the hotel, would compromise the young woman’s safety far too much.“Look, there are two powerful assassins closing in o
It was also important to note that there was another 2S-class powerhouse among the bodyguards.Zayn had noticed them too—they posed as the young woman’s personal assistant to keep a close eye on her. A second-tier superior class fighter was definitely a clear ace, even if they were far from invincible and amazing…Whatever it was, if Marissa so doggedly insisted on sticking to her current arrangement, Zayn was not going to spend his time arguing about it. He still had to do his job of protecting her, so he directed his killing aura towards the two assassins hidden amongst the crowd as a warning shot.They felt it immediately. A ghastly look shadowed their faces, their heartbeats quickened, and they lowered their heads.Having achieved his intended effects, Zayn gave up on his offer and walked away before heading to his car. He was sure that those two assassins would put a brake on whatever they were planning to do after his warning, so there was no reason to create an impasse.A b
Grant could not take it anymore. He was flummoxed, utterly incapable of fathoming Zayn’s thought process. Why would someone so powerful happily concede to these foreign devils’ provocations? Why was he acting like a spineless turtle? It was embarrassing for Zayn—it was embarrassing for the Insurgent Trifecta!He was initially respectful of Zayn. Now, however, the man was nothing more than a disgrace. Zayn was a coward, and he did not deserve Grant’s undying respect. In fact, he was undeserving of being the representative of the Insurgent Trifecta. Did it really matter if Zayn was a powerful fighter? He was merciless around his own kind, but meek and wimpish around outsiders. He was a waste of space!Hank, too, shared his sentiment. Honestly, Zayn’s attitude had been nothing short of a disappointment.The foreign bodyguard turned his eyes to Grant and began appraising the young man’s aura. His heart skipped half a beat as he considered him, before finally letting out a haughty retort
He chuckled and said, “Why, do you think that I’m bringing shame to the Insurgent Trifecta?”Upon hearing Zayn’s question, they were stunned for a moment because they did not expect him to be so straightforward with his remark. They felt rather awkward all at once. Grant was still in an emotional state, so he nodded straightforwardly and said, “That’s right! Sergeant Larson, you’re a master fighter with outstanding capabilities, so you should be defending the reputation of the Insurgent Trifecta instead of remaining indifferent when the foreigners provoke us! They’re going to think of us as cowards and then despise our Insurgent Trifecta and perhaps even look down upon our entire country!”He spoke with strong emotions and his blood was boiling with righteousness. His statement enlightened the benighted. Zayn was not infuriated in the slightest bit. On the contrary, the smile on his face grew wider. He continued to speak, “So, in your professional opinion, how should I defend the
Marissa immediately furrowed her brows and said to the senior bodyguard next to her, “Horton, is the location that we’re traveling to tomorrow dangerous?”Horton let out a sneer in contempt. He saluted Marissa and said, “Our honorable Miss Marrisa, don’t you worry. You won’t be in danger regardless of where you go as long as our team is with you. We can ensure your safety 100%.”Marissa nodded. She immediately relaxed after hearing Horton’s reassurance. “If that’s the case, we shall follow the planned itinerary tomorrow then.”Zayn said, “Miss Marissa, it will be best for you to change your itinerary. If you insist on having your own way by traveling to the scenic location, the assassins will certainly launch into action there. They aren’t common people. Instead, they’re two highly-skilled master fighters who are very experienced in killing…”He had yet to finish his sentence before he was interrupted by Horton standing next to him. Horton said in an impolite tone, “I have enough o