Apparently, some things can’t be changed just by steeling yourself for them.

For instance, that Omega didn’t even last three moves against Zoe Pierce before being eliminated.

She was no match for Zoe Pierce in strength, speed, or skill.

Her defeat was only natural.

As a result, the whole scene became rather bizarre.

Not a single one of the Alphas, who were supposed to be getting eliminated, had been taken out. Yet the Omegas, who were supposed to be sitting on the sidelines waiting for the results, had already finished their battles.

Of the four Omegas, not one remained.

The drone camera, as if it had discovered the secret to attracting views, fixed its lens on Zoe Pierce.

Zoe Pierce, clad in her Federation training uniform, stood atop a large rock. The wide shot captured her long legs and slender, graceful figure as she looked down from her high vantage point.

A light breeze stirred, sending her tied-back hair fluttering to one side. Zoe Pierce brushed a stray strand from her cheek. Her face was expressionless, but her clear, dark eyes still held a sharp glint.

Below the boulder, the Alphas who were still fighting all tilted their heads back to look up at her.

But then, her sharp, severe expression suddenly changed. Her eyes, now shimmering like a clear lake reflecting brilliant light, turned to look toward Miles Sherman and the others.

A smile touched her lips, instantly melting her proud, unapproachable look into one of ambrosial sweetness. The sudden shift in her aura sent a tremor through everyone watching.

The live chat exploded.

"Whoa, Zoe is a badass..." This was from someone who’d heard Erin Xavier’s earlier backhanded comment toward Zoe Pierce. Far from taking it as sarcasm, he was now cheering wildly for her.

"These Omegas sure are fragile. It’s only been a few minutes."

"AHHHH, you guys, I can’t even. So cool and so sweet at the same time. I’m dying..."

"Zoe is so cool! That takedown move just now took down my heart too. A guy can dream of dating her, right?"

"Keep dreaming, buddy! Pfft!"

"Does ANYONE have Zoe Pierce’s contact info?! I want to date her!"

The most eye-catching person in the entire joint examination was no longer any of the Alphas, but the Omega, Zoe Pierce. A glance at the screen showed nine out of ten live comments were about her.

Even Samuel King, who was monitoring the entire competition, turned to the person beside him and said, "Assign a dedicated drone camera to Zoe Pierce."

This meant that from now on, no matter what happened, Zoe Pierce’s every move would be captured for everyone to see.

A staff member who had been staring at the broadcast feed spoke up. "If Miles Sherman’s squad eliminates these last few teams from the First Military Academy, the whole joint examination will be over."

This was far beyond their expectations. A competition they had projected to last at least four or five days was now suddenly shortened to two.

In other words, even assigning a dedicated drone camera to Zoe Pierce now was a little too late.

Samuel King looked regretful. He tapped his fingertips together. "Get me a copy of Zoe Pierce’s file from the academy. We can do a feature story on her later, promote it before the friendly match with The Empire."

Just from the tips during the last two days of the live broadcast, the platform had already earned a fortune, to say nothing of the various sponsorship inquiries that were already flooding in.

The staff, already imagining how big their bonuses would be, readily agreed. No one was going to turn down more money.

The Federal Military Academy’s squad had become their golden goose, and Zoe Pierce was the most precious of all.

Their fondness for her certainly contained some admiration, but it was far more rooted in the potential for financial gain.

The viewers were simply marveling at Zoe Pierce’s coolness and charisma.

The instructors from both the First Military Academy and the Federal Military Academy, however, had already keenly sensed the future implications for the joint examinations.

In future tournaments, Omegas would no longer be relegated to the background.

In fact, they would inevitably have to arrange additional training.

The First Military Academy had been at a disadvantage more than once, and looking back, the other Omegas from the Federal Military Academy hadn’t fared much better either.

If things didn’t change, the outcome would be no different the next time they encountered an Omega like Zoe Pierce.

Some instructors from the First Military Academy were already cursing their Federal Military Academy counterparts, convinced it had all been a deliberate ploy—to secretly train Zoe Pierce and then unleash her during the joint examination.

The instructors at the Federal Military Academy were also divided into several factions. The ones who staunchly supported Zoe Pierce were mostly those who had watched her painstaking training, who had seen her struggle to finish multi-kilometer runs under the scorching sun, day after day without fail.

Another faction of instructors argued that this would overload the curriculum, pointing out that a large majority of Omegas would never go to the front lines in their lifetime and had no need for such training.

The remaining instructors were neutral. They agreed that the current state of the Omegas was indeed subpar, but they also felt it was unrealistic to expect every one of them to spontaneously train to Zoe Pierce’s level.

Zoe Pierce was oblivious to the chain reaction of events unfolding outside. Having completed her task, she just stood obediently to the side and watched Miles Sherman and his team.

Perhaps because she had already eliminated all the Omegas, Miles Sherman and his team stopped holding back, easily dispatching the other Alphas until only Brian Payne and Holden Hayes remained.

Although Brian Payne was an A-level Alpha, he had a special type of spiritual power. He relied almost entirely on wearing down his opponents until their spirit seas were on the verge of collapsing. His direct fighting ability wasn’t strong, but a single glance at his evasive maneuvers and combat positioning revealed he was well-practiced. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

He was like a slippery eel; the moment you laid a hand on him, your spirit sea would instantly become unsettled. And in that brief moment of distraction, he would escape.

After a few such exchanges, Erin Xavier was losing his patience.

Getting serious, he stopped holding back. Moving with explosive speed, he slammed Brian Payne against a tree, pressing his elbow into his neck.

The air was forced from Brian Payne’s lungs. The moment he tried to use his spiritual power, Erin Xavier applied even more pressure.

With his other hand, Erin Xavier slammed a fist into his chest, sending a sharp, stabbing pain through his internal organs.

Erin Xavier’s eyes were bloodshot and veins bulged at his temples. The repeated bursts of speed had made the pollution in his spirit sea build up several times faster than usual. Though he wasn’t yet at the point of collapse, his expression was no longer as composed as it had been.

It was reminiscent of when he faced Sheldon Xavier, tinged with a hint of madness.

Brian Payne felt as if Erin Xavier were stealing the very air from his lungs. Unable to breathe, his face swelled with color, and his eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets.

He raised a hand to fight back, but Erin Xavier seized the opportunity. He grabbed the wrist wearing the Intelligent Brain and slammed his thumb down on the device. The light of elimination flared, and it was all over.

Only then did Erin Xavier release his grip on Brian Payne.

Now, only Chase Shaw and Holden Hayes were left.

But Erin Xavier had already predicted the outcome. In a way, Chase Shaw was even crazier than he was.

He simply walked in the direction of the rock where Zoe Pierce stood, tilted his head back, and called out in his usual tone, "Zoe Pierce, come down. I need you to soothe me."

There was a considerable height difference between them. He opened his arms, completely unconcerned with what anyone else might think. "Jump down. I’ll catch you."