Chapter 938: Slim chance Chapter 938: Slim chance Federation Headquarters: Ben stood with a firm resolve, the weight of his words already pressing on his mind as he turned to face the two figures in the room.
He cleared his throat before addressing them.
“Lord, I have something to tell you.” The atmosphere shifted slightly as Clinton and Sally turned their attention towards him, their expressions neutral but expectant.
“What is it?” Clinton asked, his deep voice cutting through the silence.
Ben took a measured breath.
“I have a candidate in mind.
His name is Zack Lockwood.
He’s reached the Peak Stage of SS-ELITE, and I’ve already recommended his name once before.” A flicker of recognition passed through Clinton’s eyes, but he remained silent as Ben continued.
“The officials had shown interest in him previously, asking me to keep an eye on his progress.” As Ben finished speaking, a sudden wave of anxiety gripped him.
His heart began to race, each beat louder than the last as he awaited their response.
Would they take his suggestion seriously?
He could only hope that this moment would be the turning point for Zack.
Clinton raised his eyebrows thoughtfully, his gaze growing distant as if searching the corridors of his memory.
He seemed to recall something-faint, but just out of reach.
Zack Lockwood…
yes, the name had come up once before.
Back at the university, perhaps?
Yet the specifics eluded him.
Before he could dig deeper into the memory, Sally spoke, her voice sharp with curiosity.
“Is that the kid who’s a lightning warrior?” Her question hung in the air, laced with intrigue.
The mention of lightning warriors was always met with attention.
Such warriors, born with the rare and coveted lightning element, were few and far between, even in the Tier-4 regions.
Sally’s eyes gleamed as she pieced together her recollection.
Of course, Zack Lockwood would be memorable for that reason alone.
“That’s right,” Clinton said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
The fog in his mind lifted as everything came rushing back.
“Someone did mention him to me as well.” Now the pieces were falling into place.
Both Clinton and Sally were aware of Zack’s potential, and it was no coincidence that they had kept tabs on him.
After all, the Federation was always on the lookout for promising young warriors, especially those with rare elemental affinities like Zack’s.
The future of the Federation depended on such talents, and Zack Lockwood might very well be one of those who would shape that future.
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Federation Head Ben felt an immense weight lift from his shoulders.
He had been anxious, anticipating resistance or doubt, but never had he expected that Clinton and Sally, two of the most powerful warriors in the Federation, were already familiar with Zack Lockwood.
He couldn’t help but think it was all thanks to Zack’s rare lightning element.
The uniqueness of that power was enough to make anyone stand out.
A smile spread across Ben’s face, a quiet sense of pride swelling within him.
Clinton and Sally exchanged a brief, knowing look.
It was clear that they were silently coming to some sort of decision, weighing the potential against the risks.
“That kid has potential,” Sally began, her voice steady but somber.
“But his current strength is far too low.
Even an average SSS-ELITE Rank warrior would be nothing more than cannon fodder in those trials.” Ben’s smile faltered slightly as her words settled in.
Sally’s expression was stern, the weight of her experiences behind each word.
She had seen too many promising warriors fall to dismiss the danger lightly.
“She’s right,” Clinton agreed, his tone grave.
“Even if we select him, he’ll have to face the trials.
And frankly, the chances of his survival are slim.” Ben felt a cold chill run down his spine at Clinton’s words.
He knew the trials were brutal, but hearing it confirmed by someone like Clinton made it feel all the more real.
Clinton, a warrior who had seen countless battles and risen through the ranks, knew exactly how dangerous those trials were.
Clinton sighed inwardly, his face hardening with a mixture of resignation and concern.
He knew the horrors that awaited any participant.
The trials were unforgiving, designed to break even the strongest.
No warrior below the SSS-ELITE Rank had ever survived them.
In fact, not even the finest SS-ELITE warriors from their Tier-4 region dared to enter.
The trials demanded not just raw strength, but skill, cunning, and an ability to fight across ranks-a feat few could manage.
The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of their discussion pressing down on all three of them.
Ben’s earlier relief had been replaced with apprehension.
He wanted to believe in Zack’s potential, but the harsh reality of the trials loomed large.
Even Clinton and Sally, with all their power, knew better than to underestimate the challenge.
The quiet stretched on, each of them contemplating whether Zack Lockwood, with all his promise, could truly survive what lay ahead.
Federation Head Ben’s heart skipped a beat, a rush of unease flooding his chest.
Everything had seemed to be going well, but the harsh reality of the trials’ criteria hit him like a cold wave.
The rules were unbending-no warrior below the SSS-ELITE Rank could participate, and those rules could only be altered by someone with authority from Star University.
And that, Ben knew, was no small feat.
A dark premonition settled in his gut as he glanced nervously at Clinton and Sally.
Both of their expressions had hardened.
Time was running out, and he had to make them see that Zack wasn’t just some ordinary SS-ELITE warrior.
In a moment of desperation, Ben spoke, his voice betraying the tension rising in him.
“Zack is on the verge of breaking through.
I believe he’ll reach the SSS-ELITE Rank before the trials.” Clinton’s frown deepened, his gaze sharp and skeptical.
He crossed his arms over his chest, clearly not convinced.
To him, Ben’s words felt like an empty promise, a desperate attempt to push Zack through the system.
He understood the value of a lightning warrior-few could rival such raw elemental power-but rules were rules.
No warrior, no matter their potential, was exempt from the rigorous standards set by the Federation.
“You’re asking us to gamble on a breakthrough,” Clinton said, his tone steady but firm.
“But we can’t rely on a ‘maybe’ when lives are at stake.” Sally, however, was more blunt.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she cut in.
“It’s impossible to change the rules, Ben.
We can’t admit warriors below the SSS-ELITE Rank.
The trials are too dangerous.
Allowing anyone weaker would be a death sentence.” Her words felt like a hammer striking down, final and resolute.
Tud!
The sound seemed to echo in Ben’s chest as her words landed.
He felt a crushing weight settle over his heart, as if a heavy stone had been dropped onto him.
All the optimism he had harbored earlier was crumbling under the cold reality Sally had laid out.
Ben knew the risks, but hearing them so starkly-and knowing there was no room for negotiation-made the situation feel insurmountable.
Zack Lockwood, with all his potential, might not even get the chance to prove himself.
And in this world, opportunities like this were rare-almost impossible to come by twice.
Ben stood there, frozen, the weight of failure looming larger with every passing second.
Sally could see through Ben’s troubled expression, reading the silent plea behind his words.
She understood his frustration-Zack Lockwood was an exceptional talent, and to let such potential go unrecognized would indeed be a tragedy.
Worse still, Zack wasn’t just any warrior; he was a rare lightning warrior, a breed so scarce that even in the most elite circles, they were spoken of with reverence.
To deny him a chance at greatness now, when he was on the cusp of something more, felt almost criminal to her.
Her sharp mind quickly processed the current state of affairs.
This wasn’t an ordinary time for the Tier-4 region.
With tensions rising and older warriors falling out of favor, the need for fresh talent had never been greater.
Every major force was scrambling to secure the next generation of warriors, and universities were relaxing their strict standards, quietly desperate to replenish their ranks.
The trials, while still dangerous, were being slightly softened to accommodate this influx.
This was Zack’s moment, his window of opportunity.
If it had been during a period of peace, when the Federation wasn’t so starved for new talent, the chances of Zack even being considered would have been slim.
Sally knew that under normal circumstances, the university would have trimmed down the trial candidates from hundreds to mere dozens-perhaps only the top 50 out of the 300 would have stood a chance.
But now, with every faction needing new blood, even someone on the verge of a breakthrough, like Zack, could be considered.
“This is the right time,” Sally thought to herself, her mind calculating the possibilities.
While the rules were rigid, the political landscape was shifting, and that shift created gaps-gaps where someone like Zack might just slip through.
She glanced at Ben again, softening her earlier stance.
She, too, knew the weight of responsibility that came with nurturing the next generation.
Denying someone like Zack the chance to fight would not only be a loss for him but also for the Federation as a whole.
Still, the trials would be brutal, and no amount of talent could change that.
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