Some might imagine soldiers to be immensely disciplined and virtuous.
And the truth was that they were, when it came to facing the enemy, giving their lives for a cause, they were the bravest souls on the planet.
But the truth remained that they were still humans. They fell prey to conceit even more easily than others.
Put in the position of power, they developed a form of superiority complex. It gave them the impression that they stood above the masses.
And while that was fine, in a situation like now where the position of power was open to all who were able...
This mindset of theirs became a mental demon of sorts. Seeing people who they believed hadn’t sacrificed as much as they had, who hadn’t put in a quarter of the effort, yet began to rise above them, birthed an intense sense of resentment within their hearts.
And in their eyes the new bloods had to be put in their place, and fortunately they finally had a chance to do so.
The Major General walked forward, head raised as he scanned the group of new bloods with a disdainful glare.
"Tch, acting so high and mighty all this while, yet when it comes to it it’s still us men that have to shelter greenhorns like you..." he scoffed, provoking a wave of laughter from the group of Ironbloods behind him.
Fists clenched as the new bloods’ jaws tightened at the taunt. They couldn’t argue, they couldn’t reply.
At this point they didn’t want to worsen the situation. The Ironbloods were already going to give them a tough time, no question.
No one wanted to give a remark that might lead to them being the target of the Ironblood commanders.
Seeing the new bloods suffer in silence, and the all‑oh‑so‑mighty Alpha team with bulging veins but still swallowing their pride to remain silent...
The Ironbloods grew bolder, as a lieutenant in his forties scoffed, feeling satisfied.
All this while he had felt so small before these twats. Now the sight before him felt so refreshing. "Tsk, no reply?" He taunted, cupping his ears in an exaggerated manner.
Then scoffed, "That’s what I thought — pussies."
But it was at that moment the atmosphere went still. The Ironbloods shivered at the sudden drop in temperature in the surroundings.
It wasn’t physical, but at that instant they could feel it — the eyes of a predator rested upon them. The lieutenant went stiff, and the Major General shuddered.
In slow craning motion their heads turned to the source... and met Seth’s glowing gaze.
Their breaths ceased and their butts clenched, as his silhouette seemed to tower over them from their view. Those royal purple glows from his eyes sank into their psyche, almost instantly unraveling their wills.
Visceral fear flooded their veins, as their hearts beat quickened, but their muscles remained locked.
They couldn’t move, they couldn’t escape. At that moment they felt it — if Seth wanted them dead, they had no choice. Nothing... nothing could save them from that fate if he so decided it!
And then they realized... even if they were given authority over such a monster, did they dare take the reins?
Their faces turned blue, as sweat pooled down their necks, matting their backs...
But what seemed to last for a lifetime was barely a moment, as Seth turned around and continued moving.
The group finally collapsed to the floor — some on their knees, some on all fours — their limbs trembling, their chests rising and falling heavily as they hyperventilated. Some even soiled themselves, releasing bodily fluids as their muscles slackened out of their control.
The new bloods were stunned. In their perspective, one moment the group of Ironbloods were cocky, the next they were like this.
Only some caught a clue and glanced back at Seth’s disappearing silhouette, eyes flashing with gratitude.
And it made them ponder more on his previous words: things weren’t always as they seemed... could it be that they were mistaken? Eyes flashed as this thought resonated across their minds.
And in the end, their composure steeled. With what just happened they decided to believe in Seth. They couldn’t just believe someone like him would agree to work for another.
Heads raised high, they departed... they were currently on standby.
Because while leaders had been chosen, teams had yet to be fully assigned. Most of them still didn’t know where they would be serving.
And besides, with Seth’s display it got them thinking...
So what if an Ironblood was their commander? If they were more powerful, why should they be the ones to be terrified?
Echoing similar sentiments, the group dispersed, leaving the shaken Ironbloods to sit in puddles of their own mess...
Meanwhile, high above, holding onto the railing over a mezzanine overlook, a figure stood, speculating on everything that happened below.
"Well now, that didn’t go according to the plan..." a voice came chuckling from behind...
The man standing over the mezzanine remained silent for a moment before speaking, his voice deep and sharp. "I merely sent those bunch as a probe... but I still got the information I needed."
The voice from behind echoed with a curious tone. "Oh? Would you share?"
The figure’s eyes flashed as he observed Seth’s receding back, and he pondered on the certainty that Seth saw through his ploy but still bit the bait anyway.
"It doesn’t make sense for the president to put the new bloods under us. If anything it will lower our chances of winning this war... and now I’ve just confirmed it... they won’t be under us." The man explained patiently, his gaze lingering at the doorway where Seth and his team vanished into.
"I see... so what’s the plan now?" The voice from behind asked after taking a brief moment of silence to ponder.
The man shrugged. "The plan remains the same... We win the war."
The voice from behind became noticeably agitated. "But... but what about—" he was cut off mid‑sentence...
As the man waved his hand to command silence. "Seeking out the source of the Apex strength will wait. You mustn’t forget, the kids also have backers, from both within the government and out."
With that, silence lingered in the air. The man cast a side glance at his men who sat still shaken in pools of their own making. A hint of disappointment flashed in his gaze, and he turned around and walked away...
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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.