Besides, the ones trying to seize the supply point now might not necessarily be from the Federal Military Academy.

Each supply point had a different countdown, which meant they opened at different times. Everyone could schedule their team’s resupply based on these timers.

Miles Sherman chose to hunt Xenobeasts during the day and fight for that supply point at night.

With any luck, their daytime activities would clear out a good number of people.

Similar things were happening to other squads. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to any of them, a collective livestream was launched.

[For the Honor of the Federation: Will the Federal Military Academy Emerge Victorious, or Will the First Military Academy Reign Supreme?]

The broadcast shot to the front page of the Federation’s largest streaming platform with lightning speed.

Many people were taken aback when they first saw the title.

They had no idea about the joint exam between the Federal Military Academy and the First Military Academy, so the grand title of the stream naturally left them completely bewildered.

Fortunately, as soon as they clicked on it, a woman’s voice chimed in.

"Greetings, fellow citizens."

"On the tenth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Federation and the Empire, we are launching a special friendly military academy competition. The Federal Military Academy and the First Military Academy are the two most elite military academies in the Federation."

"The two academies will conduct a practical assessment, and the winner will earn the qualification to participate in the friendly competition."

"A decade of honing, a moment to draw the sword."

"The team chosen to represent the Federation will be the one with the people’s support. Every citizen has the right to vote once per day for their favorite academy squad. The deadline is the conclusion of the joint exam between the Federal Military Academy and the First Military Academy. Thank you for your participation and viewership."

As the voice faded, nearly a hundred livestream feeds, projected from mechanical eyes, popped up on the screen.

The public, listening from the outside, was in an uproar.

Without this broadcast, even if people had heard that the Federation and the Empire were holding a friendly match, they wouldn’t have given it much thought, treating it as just another piece of news.

But now, a squad was being chosen to represent the Federation right before their very eyes.

They all knew of the Federal Military Academy and the First Military Academy, but those institutions were far removed from their daily lives, completely out of reach. Even for Alphas, not everyone could get into a military academy.

In the livestream feeds that had just appeared, although they didn’t know the location, they could clearly see a dense forest with towering trees, a babbling brook winding through the mountains, and a white mist drifting in mid-air.

Everything pointed to this being an untamed mountain range.

There were no traces of human civilization.

"I don’t even know which squads from the Federal Military Academy or the First Military Academy are famous." An enthusiastic young man, who had excitedly embraced the livestream, quickly found himself clueless and turned to the person next to him.

The person next to him was already swiping rapidly through their Intelligent Brain. "I’m looking it up now. The school forums must have introductions, right?"

Others who overheard them also began unconsciously searching for information about the two academies.

This virtual national event shot to the top of the search engine rankings. The number one trending topic was now this competition where anyone could vote.

The second and third spots were an alternating mix of the two academies.

Traffic to the academy forums surged. Soon enough, you could see eliminated squad members wailing, "If I’d known this was going to happen, I would have been more careful and tried to survive longer!"

Even just getting a chance for some screen time would have been worth it.

But now they were just cannon fodder whose names would never even be mentioned.

Others, noticing the influx of new visitors, realized people wanted to learn about the squads and quickly started posting explainers.

[The Federal Military Academy Squad With the Best Chance of Winning This Year Is—]

[Get to Know the Squad Members.]

[The S-Class Squad Will Claim Final Victory]

...

The titles varied, but when clicked, everyone saw the same thing: the team that appeared most frequently was the current S-Class Alpha squad.

The top squad from the Federal Military Academy, a team that was leagues ahead of the competition.

Although the public wasn’t familiar with them, just seeing their class was persuasive enough.

Someone had even compiled the grades of Miles Sherman and his teammates in all their subjects, along with their stellar scores in other practical courses.

Instantly, all eyes were on Miles Sherman’s squad.

When it came time to choose a livestream perspective, they unhesitatingly chose to watch Zoe Pierce and the others.

They hadn’t noticed before, but once they started watching, they immediately realized that every Alpha in the squad was ridiculously good-looking, each with their own distinct appeal.

Erin Xavier had a refined, boyish look, with round eyes crinkled in a smile and the corners of his mouth turned up, radiating good cheer.

Chase Shaw was unusually tall, with the deep-set features of someone with mixed heritage, giving him a wild, untamed air. A single, casual glance from him was enough to make hearts flutter.

Then there was Nathan Lockwood, the very picture of a refined young master. He had fair skin and upturned "peach blossom eyes" that held a hint of flirtatiousness, yet his graceful bearing and quiet nature tempered it completely.

And as for the captain, Miles Sherman, his features were even more striking. A sharp jawline, a straight nose, and sword-like brows that slanted towards his temples—he was the very definition of handsome, with not a single flaw in his features.

But upon seeing him, one would quickly be drawn to his presence—a calm steadiness that still held a sharp edge, as poised and alert as a career soldier.

Finally, there was the only Omega on the team.

Zoe Pierce.

The young woman’s features were as delicate as a painting. Standing next to Miles Sherman, she only came up to his neck. Her thick, dark hair was tied up securely, revealing a slender nape.

Her fair skin had a healthy, pinkish glow. Dressed in a training uniform, she had a serious look in her eyes as she spoke to Miles Sherman, her cherry-pink lips parting and closing.

"So, is the first requirement to get into an S-Class squad based on looks?"

"What is this, a squad where the average member is a supermodel?"

"Aren’t they here to fight? What right do they have to be this good-looking?"

"Help... I’m about to faint from how hot they are... WAHHHH... If only I were ten years younger..."

"Is no one going to talk about how Zoe Pierce is on another level of beautiful? That’s her bare face! She looks like that with no makeup! A goddess!"

"Please, I need all of their contact info!!!!"

"..."

After seeing the squad’s faces, the public’s interest, which had been a seven out of ten, shot through the roof, completely out of control.

「In a quiet residence.」

Heavily armed guards stood watch on all sides, while robotic sentinels patrolled back and forth with dutiful dedication.

"Heh, leave it to Samuel King to come up with a scheme like this."

Inside a spacious study, the livestream was paused on an image of Miles Sherman and Zoe Pierce.

The speaker, an affable-looking middle-aged man, sat in a plush armchair, shaking his head as he spoke.

Standing beside him was a Beta who looked like a secretary. "The higher-ups have already made their decision. Naturally, they want to cash in. Based on the current hype, opening this livestream is estimated to generate over a hundred million in economic value."

"They want to create some new, outstanding young role models." The man’s expression was neutral; he showed no particular reaction even when looking at the faces of Miles Sherman and Zoe Pierce. "The military has had a gap in its public-facing image. We don’t have figures like Vincent Gale anymore, do we?"

Whether from the First Military Academy or the Federal Military Academy, every single student is one of the chosen few.

This is a chance to let everyone see the most outstanding young people of this generation, all without any extra effort.

They will all become the successors and spokespeople for the future of the military.