Chapter 24: Her Hand, An Irritating Softness

Even Miles Sherman didn’t try to stop Erin Xavier.

Zoe Pierce fell silent, standing off to the side. She didn’t know what conflict lay between Erin Xavier and Sheldon Xavier, but she unconsciously found herself thinking of her and Damien Pierce.

’One day, will I treat Damien Pierce like this too?’

’Damien Pierce... what else did you do?’

She pressed her lips together, her gaze turning to Nathan Lockwood.

Her expression was so complex that not only Nathan Lockwood noticed, but also Miles Sherman, who had been secretly keeping an eye on her.

Her clear eyes were now looking at Nathan Lockwood, as if searching for some kind of answer.

But soon, her attention was drawn back to Erin Xavier and Sheldon Xavier.

Faced with Erin Xavier’s question, neither of the other two squad members dared to refuse. If he could treat his own brother like this, what else was he capable of?

They were afraid that instead of simply eliminating them, Erin Xavier would resort to some sick method of torture.

One of them squeezed his eyes shut, not daring to look at Sheldon Xavier’s expression, and meekly nodded. "Yes."

As the other person followed suit, Zoe Pierce clearly saw Sheldon Xavier’s whole expression twist. If she were in his shoes, she had no idea what her own expression would be.

It was as if Erin Xavier was stripping him bare, piece by piece, leaving him naked and humiliated.

"Ah... Erin Xavier, I’m going to kill you..." With that, Sheldon Xavier’s spiritual power erupted. In the blink of an eye, he flipped out from under Erin Xavier and sprang to his feet.

The scene changed in a flash. The next second, Erin Xavier was charging at Sheldon Xavier again. They were both moving so fast that without using spiritual power, you’d lose track of their movements in the blink of an eye.

Extreme speed, quick as lightning.

Erin Xavier once again gained the upper hand, clamping a hand around Sheldon Xavier’s neck and slamming him hard onto the ground.

Fallen leaves flew into the air from the impact—a display of pure, violent domination.

Sheldon Xavier’s face was already unrecognizable, a mess of black and purple bruises. Even his lips were split and bleeding.

Erin Xavier was clearly even more unhinged now. He shoved Sheldon Xavier’s head into the dirt and held it there. All that could be heard were the whimpering sounds from Sheldon’s throat as his body thrashed like a dying fish. And yet, Erin Xavier was still smiling, as if he truly intended to kill him.

Even watching Nathan Lockwood eliminate Xenobeasts hadn’t given Zoe Pierce such a shock.

’Is he really going to kill Sheldon Xavier right here?’

Zoe Pierce’s throat tightened. She watched as Miles Sherman hurried to Erin Xavier’s side, grabbing the fist he was about to bring down again. "Erin, that’s enough."

Erin Xavier’s head snapped up. Zoe Pierce didn’t know how to describe his eyes, but she could see the intense rage and hatred within them.

He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving erratically as he vented his fury. Even his boyish features were pulled taut.

Miles Sherman shook his head at him. Erin Xavier stared back for a few moments before managing to rein in his fury. Taking a few deep breaths, he stood up and got off Sheldon Xavier.

The smile was completely gone from his face. He walked off to the side alone, standing silently with his arms crossed.

Miles Sherman didn’t do anything more to Sheldon Xavier. He just rolled him over and pressed the elimination button.

The remaining two didn’t dare say another word. When Miles Sherman glanced their way, they quickly pressed their own elimination buttons. They were even trembling slightly, terrified that Erin Xavier would turn his attention to them.

They’d never heard Erin Xavier was such a maniac. All they knew was that his unique spiritual power had already caught the eye of a special department within The Military.

But today, they had seen the truth.

With the three of them eliminated in succession, Erin Xavier seemed to have calmed down. He took the initiative to ask Nathan Lockwood, "Nathan, which way to the others?"

Nathan Lockwood pointed in a direction. In an instant, Erin Xavier’s spiritual power surged, and with the speed of a thunderclap, he vanished.

Chase Shaw nudged Sheldon Xavier with his foot. "Leave him for the instructors?"

Erin Xavier had held back. He hadn’t used a spiritual power attack, merely suppressing Sheldon with it while beating him into this state purely with his fists.

He just looked awful, but the injuries weren’t actually that serious—nothing more than superficial wounds.

Chase Shaw figured Erin Xavier had shown some restraint. After all, if he had truly gone for the kill, it would have forced the Intelligent Brain to protect its host, and that would be difficult to explain to the instructors.

Miles Sherman nodded. "We’ll wait."

Zoe Pierce had been standing still the entire time. Miles Sherman, thinking she was frightened by Erin Xavier’s actions, offered some comfort. "Don’t worry. Erin isn’t someone who acts so indiscriminately."

It was just that the history between him and Sheldon Xavier couldn’t be explained in a few words.

This was Erin Xavier’s family business. Even though he could see Zoe Pierce’s confusion, Miles Sherman didn’t take it upon himself to elaborate.

Zoe Pierce could see it. Compared to the other two, only Sheldon Xavier had been beaten so badly. It was clearly a personal grudge.

Erin Xavier returned quickly, with two people trailing behind him.

They were the remaining Omega and Alpha from Sheldon Xavier’s team.

Compared to the bitter feud playing out here, the two newly eliminated members, though dejected, still had some life in them.

"What rotten luck. How did we run into Miles Sherman’s team so soon?"

"There’s no way we could have won..." The two’s grumbling came to a sudden halt when they saw the state Sheldon Xavier was in. They stared at Miles Sherman’s group in disbelief.

Looking around, they saw that only Sheldon Xavier had been beaten so severely. The other two members of his team were leaning against a tree, as quiet as mice.

They had already been eliminated; the lights on their Intelligent Brains had turned gray.

They crept cautiously over to the other two and asked in a low voice, "What happened?"

’We’re all from the same school, there’s no need to be so brutal, is there?’

The two men’s gazes fell on the recently returned Erin Xavier, and neither dared to open their mouths.

Erin Xavier stood next to Zoe Pierce. Noticing their stares, he gave a faint, mocking smile. He glanced at Zoe, raised his arm, and said flatly, "Soothe me."

Even now, every cell in Erin Xavier’s body was screaming, and he had to use every ounce of his willpower to suppress the urge to kill Sheldon Xavier.

Zoe Pierce’s spiritual power was an excellent way to get relief. He needed to calm down.

The young woman’s soft hand gently rested on the arm where he had rolled up his sleeve. Erin Xavier’s brows furrowed instantly. Even with such a small area of contact, the sensation from her touch was distinct.

’Annoyingly soft.’

But she really wasn’t loud. Erin Xavier had to admit Chase Shaw’s assessment was correct.

His hazel eyes glanced sideways at Zoe Pierce.

Even after he’d beaten Sheldon Xavier to a pulp right in front of her, she hadn’t cried out in alarm. The way she looked at him was no different from how it had been that morning.

A corner of his lip curled up. "Hey, Zoe Pierce. Aren’t you scared?"

’How can she be so calm?’

Zoe Pierce’s gaze lifted from his somewhat chaotic, but not overly complex, spirit sea. "I’m fine."

"Maybe it’s because I need to learn a thing or two myself."