Chapter 18: Seeds of Contention

In the meeting room, silence reigned. After a brief pause, a middle-aged man hesitantly spoke:

“So you’re saying there’s not even a sliver of hope for Mental Type?”

“There are hardly any SS-level seeds in our Battle Zone’s history. Isn’t it a waste to give up on one so soon…?”

Before he could finish, Tang Zhen glanced at him:

“It may be a pity, but that’s the truth.”

“On solo missions, Mental Type Awakeners are held back by other weak attributes— their combat power is inherently limited.”

“Even if we wager on Yenir’s exceptional combat potential, outfitting him with top-notch equipment and skills for the promotion task, what if he fails? Thousands have failed already; we can’t bet on something so uncertain.”

“Not to mention, beyond Stage Three there’s Stage Four. A Mental Type reaching Stage Three still lags far behind his peers. When the Stage Four promotion comes, his chances will only diminish further!”

“Everyone, understand this: we’re after seeds with a real shot at Stage Four—not just high innate talent. Talent only makes success more likely!”

After his declaration, the room fell into a stunned silence.

Indeed, while Mental Type Awakeners might hold their own against humans, their true adversaries are monsters.

Pouring resources into them yields little hope of success. The Huaxia Battle Zone cannot afford such losses.

With a sigh, a high-ranking officer overseeing the Tianfeng Security Zone, his expression complex, slowly spoke:

“Then are we to eliminate him? To neglect an SS-level talent in favor of an S-level candidate?”

“In this year’s tests, Yenir was probably our best performer, wasn’t he?”

At that, Tang Zhen smiled gently as if he had expected the remark:

“Not exactly, but his priority level will definitely be downgraded.”

“There’s no need to include him in the Seed Plan—just assign him to the subordinate district. Allocate some resources and let his growth depend on himself.”

“Resources are too precious; we can’t afford to waste even a single bit!”

A collective sigh arose. Glancing at Yenir’s name on the report, it felt like a celebration built on empty promises.

At the head of the table, the Commander of the Fourth Group Army nodded slightly. After one last look at the report, he set the tone:

“Then that’s settled.”

“Remove Yenir from the Fire Seed Plan; demote him to a standard tier. If the Tianfeng Security Zone wishes to train him, that’s their problem.”

“Also, there’s no need to report him to the Capital. An awakener destined to remain at Stage Two is meaningless to the overall battle effort.”

Having spoken, the Commander glanced at Tang Zhen:

“Given that, Commander Tang, select a seed from the remaining S-level Awakeners and submit the list to the Military Commission later.”

“Among these S-level candidates, do you have any promising seeds in mind?”

Seeing the question directed his way, Tang Zhen smiled as if he had been expecting it:

“Yes!”

“In fact, we’ve discovered another SS-level talent! This awakener was found during internal testing and hasn’t been reported yet!”

Really!?

At his words, everyone was astonished; the previously heavy atmosphere evaporated.

“Who is it!?”

“Another SS-level!?”

Without further ado, Tang Zhen chuckled and spoke:

“Everyone.”

“This awakener is none other than General Zhang’s son, Zhang Lin, who was tested just the day before yesterday! His talent is SS-level and his combat prowess is unmatched in the Dual-Type of Strength and Agility!”

“A progeny of an awakener who’s been rigorously trained from childhood—doesn’t that outclass an ordinary person?”

“In every aspect—talent and beyond—his value far surpasses Yenir’s. He is far more worthy of our training!”

“I propose that we position General Zhang’s son at the top of the Fire Seed Plan!”

……

Tianfeng Security Zone.

“Commander Xiao, news from the Superior Battle Zone has just arrived!”

Outside the lounge, an awakener clad in combat gear pushed the door open with a serious look and reported urgently:

“Oh, that fast?”

Raising his eyebrows, Xiao Hai lowered the combat knife he held, a smile of delight breaking through:

“So, will the Capital Military District be sending people over soon?”

“Haha, the reply came so quickly from above—it’s quite astonishing, isn’t it?”

“Our Tianfeng Security Zone can boast talents like Yenir—it’s our pride!”

While speaking, Xiao Hai paid no heed to the contact’s dismayed look. Suddenly, he sprang to his feet, overcome with emotion:

“Now, go alert Captain Huang to bring Yenir over immediately. Tell him the Capital is about to…”

Before Xiao Hai could finish, the intelligence officer’s face darkened, and he quietly interjected:

“Commander Xiao, the Capital has rejected his seed qualification.”

“Yenir… was not selected.”

Really!?

At the news, everyone froze.

“Not selected!? What kind of joke is this!? An SS-level talent can still be passed over!?”

“Surely you must have mixed up the reports!”

Furious, Xiao Hai glared coldly at the intelligence officer. His powerful aura caused the room’s temperature to drop noticeably.

Not daring to look up, the awakener delivering the news offered a rueful smile and handed over a report for Xiao Hai to review.

Minutes later.

Gripping the report tightly, Xiao Hai read through it, then sighed in silence and set it down.

“Mental Type… can’t reach Stage Three…”

“There’s little merit in training him; his potential is assessed at A-level or even lower…”

In a low tone, Xiao Hai recalled the white light from Yenir’s talent test, his eyes flashing for a moment.

His earlier excitement over Yenir was now doused like a bucket of cold water, leaving him utterly disappointed.

After a moment, a few high-ranking officials from the Security Zone who had arrived observed Xiao Hai’s grim expression and hesitantly inquired:

“Commander Xiao, what do we do next?”

“The Superior Military District has left the decision on whether to train Yenir up to us. As for the Capital… they clearly have no use for him.”

“Should we still honor his original benefits?”

After a brief silence, Xiao Hai snorted coldly:

“What else can we do!?”

“The Military Department has confirmed that Yenir lacks potential— at best, he’s a Stage Two awakener! His potential is severely diminished!”

Exhaling sharply, Xiao Hai returned to his usual demeanor and stated coldly:

“If that’s the case, cancel Yenir’s original benefits.”

“His priority level is downgraded from the highest to B-tier. For an awakener who can never reach Stage Three, no matter how great his talent, he holds no real value.”

Several high-ranking officials were taken aback.

“Downgraded to B-tier? That just means treating him as an ordinary awakener, right?”

“Commander Xiao, Yenir is SS-level at the very least… How can we just give up on him?”

Before his subordinate could finish, Xiao Hai raised his head, glared coldly, and waved dismissively:

“What is it?”

“An awakener who barely makes it to Stage Two—no matter how great his talent is, it means nothing!”

“The gap between Stage Three and Stage Two is like night and day!”

“If the higher-ups won’t waste resources on him, why should we?”

With a cold laugh, Xiao Hai tossed the report aside as he spoke:

“Inform Captain Huang and the others—there’s no need to protect him anymore.”

“If Yenir later wishes to join the Military, so be it; if not, it matters little.”