The officials were recalled back into the situation room, and much to Seth’s and his team’s surprise, not once did President Cain speak about the hidden function of the world quest.
Instead, the president just went straight to assignments, designating generals and commanders to their respective strongholds.
Weapons, man‑made and origin items were designated. The whole process was quite monotone and boring, but Seth picked up subtle hints during the course of the meeting.
And he was sure he wasn’t the only one to have noticed — no new blood official had been assigned...
One could tell by the cocky grins the old coots had on that they had noticed this also, and they were pretty pleased.
But this didn’t bother Seth as much. Instead, he was more interested in the reason.
Neither his team nor the Alpha team at the very least had been put in charge of anything by the president.
That could only mean one thing...
Turning his head to his side and seeing the composure his teammates held, he could tell they arrived at the same conclusion.
His eyes flashed with expectation. It seemed the president had decided who would be in charge of eradicating races outside the spotlight...
Like they always say, to deceive your enemy you must first fool your friends.
Holding silent, Seth and co sat through the entire meeting, neither once objecting nor making any input.
It was obvious the president had a plan — they just had to let him sort things out.
And wait they did...
By the time the president was done designating roles and goals, he rounded up the meeting...
"Okay guys... that’s it. I hope that by the next time I see you brave warriors, I hope to see men of victorious valor!" The president’s voice rang, giving an encouraging farewell.
The military officials all rose to their feet, rendering a salute, satisfaction especially evident in the faces of the Ironbloods.
Even they didn’t expect the president to favor them this well. For the president to have not given any of the new blood roles — didn’t that mean the wannabe soldiers would be placed under their commands?
The satisfaction they felt from this thought was enough to make their faces flush ruddy red...
Over the past month the Ironbloods had been under constant suppression. The new bloods outclassed them in both raw talent, numbers, and power.
Though the Ironbloods still held significant influence in politics, in this new age that barely mattered, especially with the shadows of fearsome figures like Team Apex hanging over them.
They felt resentful at this sudden power shift, a heavy sense of dissatisfaction at these kids that just germinated from nowhere and began to dominate.
But now they had a chance. They could use the opportunity of this war to not only cull their numbers but also establish their authority over the new bloods.
The few leaders of the Ironbloods marched out of the conference room, exchanging venomous glances filled with malicious intent.
"Of course the president will pick valor and experience over those newborns that are still wet behind the ears..." Brigadier General Charles Holmes muttered on his way out, casting a lingering gaze on Seth.
The boy had humiliated him then. Now he was rendered speechless. This was true war, and kids had to leave the stage for the veterans!
On the other hand, the Alpha team, who had no clue why they had been left out of the designation list, were feeling both half fearful and disgruntled.
They didn’t want to be placed under those old fools’ commands. To them that was no different from a death sentence.
They weren’t the only ones holding this sentiment, because the Beta team, the Delta team, and all other new bloods reputable enough to get a seat in the situation room felt the same.
But even then they still didn’t voice out their complaints...
And there was only one reason for that... Team Apex hadn’t spoken up yet.
The truth was that no matter how much Seth and the others strived to stay neutral, their status wouldn’t permit it.
Team Alpha might have been playing the role of figurehead all this while, and the other teams might have followed their lead then.
But Team Apex would forever be the leaders in the eyes of the new bloods. It could be said that the president had done a good job in spreading enough propaganda about the Apex team.
And right now the five of them had been placed on a deified pedestal in the hearts of the other new bloods.
Heck, even a good cut of the Ironbloods felt reverence before Team Apex.
So it was a no‑brainer that when Team Apex was present, the role of leader of the new bloods would automatically be transitioned to them.
So even disgruntled and dissatisfied, they remained disciplined and awaited the moment Team Apex would object.
But that moment never came... now they had no choice but to leave the situation room bitter and hurt.
Seth led the group out, giving space for the president to commune with the government officials. They still had to sort the logistics and resources transportation routes after all.
During their journey down, Seth and the others remained silent all through. Even the other teams, though dissatisfied with their silence, still didn’t have the galls to speak out their grievances.
But in the end, they still couldn’t hold it in. Getting to the ground floor, Lara Stidum suddenly jumped before Seth.
Face wearing disappointment and eyes flashing with despair, she called him out, pointing to his nose. "Why didn’t you say anything?"
Seth blinked in silence, his teammates frowning at the display, but they still kept silent.
It wasn’t like they were blind. They could clearly understand why Lara and the others felt like this.
They didn’t have premium access to information the way they had, and if not for Seth exposing the hidden World Quest function to them, they would have carried the same disposition too.
The new bloods halted in their tracks, everyone turning towards the direction of the commotion, eyes echoing the Alpha team’s sentiment.
Others might not think much of this designation issue, but the new bloods were clearly aware of how the ruthless Ironblood bastards could be in their methods.
Those guys were overly conceited and could commit all sorts of atrocities against new bloods if given the chance, just to establish dominance.
So to the new bloods this wasn’t just some petty dispute — this was life and death...
The atmosphere went still, as everyone awaited Seth’s reaction, breaths held expecting an outburst of some kind.
But to their surprise, Seth’s stern expression eased. Letting out a low chuckle, he glanced at Lara and gave a single statement as reply.
"Things aren’t always as they seem... Just be patient, okay?"
Leaving those words hanging in the air, he walked around her and continued on his way, his teammates silently following behind.
While the new bloods were taking time to digest his words, a coarse voice barked from behind the groups.
"Not as it seems my ass! If you lot know what’s good for you, you take the chance while you still have one and grovel for favor..."
The source of the voice was none other than a middle‑aged military Major General, clearly a member of the Ironbloods.
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{Author’s Note:}
Hi, it’s me again! 👋 Just here to kindly ask for your votes and gifts to support this poor author. No matter how small, every bit helps — these are the fuel that keeps me motivated! For dear readers who have been showing support I can’t thank you enough it fill this author’s heart with joy to see engagements that show you enjoy my work.