Chapter 54: The First Time Holding Hands with Miles

Zoe Pierce had even researched it: could an Omega eliminate an Alpha?

The rules for the joint exam only ever mentioned pressing the elimination button; they never specified the gender of the person being eliminated.

So, if she got the chance, Zoe Pierce wouldn’t hesitate to take out an Alpha.

The mechanical eyes circling the two teams recorded everything.

The already chaotic barrage of comments became even more rapid, one appearing right after another.

"Zoe Pierce... isn’t wrong... right...."

"I support her! I support her! It’s a battlefield. Who’s going to go easy on you when it counts?"

"But she’s got to be the first Omega to openly eliminate someone, right?"

"She’s clearly trained. Her technique is a bit unrefined, but against other Omegas, she’s probably in a league of her own."

"So, am I the only one who thinks Miles Sherman and Zoe Pierce look kind of good together?"

"OP, you’re not alone! OMG, what was that when they stood together and smiled at each other..."

"So cool, so cool! She was so dashing and heroic just now. Zoe Pierce is so cool..."

Even the teachers who had been watching the monitors couldn’t help themselves when they saw this somewhat familiar scene.

But with Director Quinn right there, they forcefully suppressed the urge to discuss it. Daring to talk about this in front of Director Quinn would be asking for a death wish.

To be honest, how did Zoe Pierce manage to look like a perfect match with everyone?

It was probably more about team camaraderie, but that youthful hormonal energy was so pervasive you couldn’t help but get completely swept up in it.

You couldn’t help but ship the two of them.

This time, Zoe Pierce and Miles Sherman didn’t stick around to wait for the teachers to pick up the two they had eliminated.

They still needed more points.

Under the constant surveillance, everyone learned just how ridiculously good Zoe Pierce’s senses were.

The words she used were mostly "I feel" and "maybe."

She couldn’t give specific numbers, but she could sense whether it was a human or a Xenobeast approaching.

But the direction was always undeniably correct; every time she pointed, it would turn out to be true.

With her leading the way and Miles Sherman reaping the rewards, they gained over a hundred points in just one morning.

This rate of progress was truly astonishing.

Meanwhile, people also checked in on Nathan Lockwood’s team of three Alphas. In contrast to Miles Sherman, their use of spiritual power in combat was even more popular with viewers.

Nathan Lockwood’s Perception was nearly omnipotent. Though it took him more time to use than Zoe Pierce’s, its accuracy and ability to quantify targets were far superior. Combined with Erin Xavier’s speed and Chase Shaw’s Gravity Control, they were invincible.

But their luck was clearly not as good as Miles Sherman’s team. Over the course of the day, they didn’t encounter any teams to plunder, nor did they find many Xenobeasts, ending up with only a few dozen points in total.

Now, everyone understood why they had split into two teams.

At this rate of hunting Xenobeasts alone, the joint tournament would probably be over in just three or four days.

Zoe Pierce’s contribution was entirely comparable to Nathan Lockwood’s.

How was this Omega an Omega at all? She was clearly an Alpha.

Especially when the live stream also showed what other Omegas were doing—most of them just followed silently behind, doing little more than providing comfort.

More and more people were tuning into the stream that featured Zoe Pierce.

Although Miles Sherman was very powerful, he was an Alpha—an S-Class Alpha at that—so everyone expected him to be strong.

In contrast, Zoe Pierce hadn’t been on anyone’s radar at the beginning.

But she had shattered their perceptions step by step.

It made you want to see what other unexpected things she could do.

This entire transformation happened in the span of a single day.

Zoe Pierce had redefined the image of an Omega on a team.

As time ticked by, the already humid and sticky weather grew even colder. As evening approached, it began to rain, and the entire sky turned dim and overcast.

The forest filled with the PATTER of raindrops hitting the ground and leaves, and all the Xenobeasts seemed to have hidden themselves away, with no trace to be found.

Miles Sherman and Zoe Pierce stood in a cave, taking shelter from the rain.

After checking the time, Miles Sherman glanced at the sky and said, "Let’s rest for a bit. We’ll head to the supply point once the rain lets up."

The environment became much more unpredictable after it started raining. Everything from movement speed to other factors was far more difficult than before.

Smaller Xenobeasts would also be hiding, making them a pain to find.

Zoe Pierce casually wiped her face with a towel and nodded at his words.

The school’s training uniform had a special design that clung to the skin, preventing water from seeping into the clothes. Her face and hands were another story, however, and Zoe Pierce’s hair was completely soaked.

On the Intelligent Brain, the team’s point total was still rising. Although the pace was slower, they could estimate that Nathan Lockwood’s group was still doing fairly well.

The two stood waiting at the mouth of the cave. After wiping her own face, Zoe Pierce noticed that Miles Sherman wasn’t paying any attention to the water on his. He had been staring out of the cave for at least five minutes.

As if sensing Zoe Pierce’s gaze, Miles Sherman turned to look at her. "This is a bit bad."

"The rain isn’t letting up; it’s actually getting heavier." And the sky would only get darker, reducing visibility even further. Using a light in this situation would be even more conspicuous than usual.

Zoe Pierce peeked out and saw that, sure enough, the rain was a little heavier than before.

She put the towel away and reached out, taking Miles Sherman’s fingers in her hand.

Even though he had experienced it in the Psionic Training Room, when she comforted him again, Miles Sherman’s lips still tightened into a thin line the moment Zoe Pierce took his fingers.

His downcast eyes hid the emotions within them. Only after Zoe Pierce let go did he look up.

"Your hand is cold. Are you okay?"

Zoe Pierce let out a small "ah" and waved her hand. "I’m fine. It’s from wringing out my hair just now."

But that was unavoidable.

Seeing that Miles Sherman’s spiritual power had been restored to its optimal state, Zoe Pierce said, "Let’s go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can meet up with them."

The main event today was the supply point.

Miles Sherman saw that Zoe Pierce’s expression showed no signs of strain, so he said, "Alright. Let’s go."

The moment they stepped out of the cave, rain poured down on them. Zoe Pierce’s face was instantly soaked again. Droplets ran from the top of her hair, down her training uniform, and vanished into the mud. Raindrops even clung to the lashes on her cheeks.

The two of them headed in the direction they had agreed upon earlier. The day’s rain had saturated the ground, and stepping on it produced a slick, sticky sensation that made walking more strenuous than usual.

The hem of their training uniforms and their shoes were now caked with mud.

Just as Miles Sherman had said, the rain showed no signs of letting up. In fact, it grew heavier, and the farther they walked, the harder it seemed to pour. The sky also darkened much faster than usual.

A small river, clearly swollen by the rain, now blocked their path.

"Give me your hand. I’ll get you across."

It took almost no effort for Miles Sherman to determine that Zoe Pierce wouldn’t be able to cross the now-swollen river on her own.

It was a little over two meters wide—not too far, but not close either. Before the rain, it was probably only calf-deep, but now it was visibly past their knees. Taking a detour would cost them at least an extra hour.