Chapter 34: I Am Your Captain

However, as the captain had yet to appear, their speculation remained unconfirmed, and they could only continue waiting.

Shakda found a spot under a tree to sit, keeping a distance from Belit and the others. Knowing his temperament, they left him alone and started discussing the mission, eventually diverging into a comparison of their training progress, which inevitably led to a spirited exchange of jibes.

From a distance, Shakda watched the lively group with a frown, thinking to himself, "Do these guys not grasp the importance of this mission at all? Hmph, I hope whoever ends up as our captain is competent!"

Forming squads for missions was a common practice among Saiyans, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of task completion. As warriors aged, intermediate fighters would form specific teams before reaching adulthood. Once established, these teams would rarely disband and would stay together for a long time. Naturally, Shakda hoped his squad would not be weak.

Shaking his head privately, Shakda pushed these thoughts aside, exhaled softly, and lay down with his head on a cracked rock, gazing leisurely at the sky.

The sky was a deep crimson, smooth and unblemished, with clouds tinged red stretching across, drifting gently with the breeze and morphing shapes. As the wind blew, the clouds rolled, casting irregular shadows on the ground.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Shakda spotted two dark dots on the distant horizon. With a powerful push from his arms, he sprang up elegantly, standing tall. Atasya, Belit, and the others also noticed something was amiss.

"Hey, someone's coming," Atasya's pleasant voice chimed in.

"Could it be the captain?"

Jelin murmured, a hint of anticipation in her tone.

Shakda ignored the voices around him, squinting towards the approaching figures. As they drew closer, he realized they were two young Saiyans, a boy and a girl, clearly younger than the group.

"How come there are two kids? Could they also be part of our squad?" Rida exclaimed in surprise, his face showing disbelief.

"That seems unlikely, the mission control wouldn't be that reckless," Belit was uncertain.

"But look, they're definitely heading this way..."

"Really, they are!"

Finally, amidst incredulous stares, Xavier and Celine landed not far in front of them, and all signs indicated... these two were indeed members of their squad.

Is the mission control joking? They sent two kids over here.

At this moment, Xavier's lips curved into a faint smile, his gaze sharply capturing everyone's expressions. He stepped forward, his voice deep as he called out:

"Shakda, 12 years old, battle power 925!"

"Atasya, 12 years old, battle power 840!"

"Rida, 12 years old, battle power 750!"

"Jelin, 12 years old, battle power 788!"

"Belit, 12 years old, battle power 738!"

Xavier recited each member's name and battle power, a privilege reserved for the team captain. So he was the captain!

The Saiyans were all incredulous!

Especially Shakda, whose face turned sour instantly, his icy eyes gleaming coldly. Furious, the notion that these two obviously younger individuals were their leaders clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his body trembling slightly with anger.

His voice was cold and stiff: "You are our captain? Just so you know, I won't acknowledge a weakling as our leader."

Atasya glanced at Shakda. Though she didn't say it outright, her eyes flickered similarly, clearly sharing the sentiment. She might not be the top of their age group, but she wasn't about to subordinate herself to someone so much younger.

Seeing Shakda and Atasya adopt such a stance, the others nodded in agreement as well.

To be their captain, one had to be a strong leader!

Xavier's smile slightly faded, knowing the Saiyan temperament well enough not to find their reaction strange. On the contrary, if they had accepted him without him demonstrating his strength, that would have been surprising. But still, being underestimated was annoying!

Indeed, to have these Saiyans peacefully accept him as their leader, he knew he needed to show them something convincing. His smile broadened again.

Beside him, Celine watched quietly, her smile appearing as Xavier's expression changed, though hers was somewhat eerie.

"Indeed, I am your captain..."

With a calm voice, Xavier walked towards Shakda with his hands behind his back. When he reached Shakda, he lifted his head, his demeanor overwhelmingly assertive.

Shakda's mouth opened in shock, instinctively sensing trouble just as he was about to retort. Suddenly, a massive force struck him in the abdomen. He looked down in disbelief at the fist embedded in his stomach, followed by a gut-wrenching pain. His body was catapulted like a cannonball, flying hundreds of meters away.

Thud, thud, thud—Shakda's body continued to fly backward, breaking through several bushes before smashing into a rock ledge, which cracked open upon impact, embedding him deep into the stone.

The scene unfolded so abruptly that everyone was stunned. Shakda... he had been ambushed...

With a roar, Shakda extricated himself from the rock, his energy bursting forth in a surge, shattering the entire rock ledge to bits.

Finally snapping out of his daze, he was furious, unimaginably so. His hair tousled and eyes bloodshot, he glared and dove straight at Xavier.

Celine shook her head slightly and chuckled, "Ignorance is bliss. To think he dares to challenge Xavier with such meager power; truly courting death!"

"Let's teach him a proper lesson!" Xavier thought to himself as Shakda's image grew larger in his pupils.

After all, Shakda was still a member of his squad, so it wouldn't do to go too far.

Clang, summoning the energy within, a bright energy ball materialized in his palm. The crystalline energy sparkled, its water-blue hue making it look almost charming. But the hissing sound it made as it disturbed the air and the slight distortion it caused in the surrounding light revealed that this was no ordinary energy ball. Xavier sneered and hurled the energy ball towards Shakda.

Instinctively sensing danger as the beautiful energy orb was about to land, Shakda quickly dodged to the side.

Boooooooooooom!

The energy ball exploded near Shakda, creating a spectacle unforgettable in a lifetime. The water-blue sphere burst open, and orange flames erupted like a newborn sun, scorching the earth. The explosion's blast wave flung Shakda away, sparing him from the most dangerous zone.

Boooooooooooom!

The ground cracked open, sending sand flying everywhere.

As the bright light and deafening roar faded, the landscape looked as if it had been hit by hundreds of small nuclear bombs, transformed beyond recognition. The ground broke open, terrifying rings of force spread underground, creating concentric fault lines on the surface.

Just when it seemed everything had settled—

Boom! Without warning, the entire area collapsed downward.

Plumes of steam and bubbling hot bubbles rose from the molten lava.

"So powerful... incredibly strong!"

"Terrifying..."

Everyone stared, dumbfounded at the spectacle before them, their looks towards Xavier filled with awe. No one had expected that this seemingly small figure could unleash such a fierce and sharp attack in an instant—it was utterly astounding.

"Is this guy a monster?"

This thought involuntarily surfaced in everyone's minds.

Especially for Shakda, who had narrowly escaped death, he stood dazed, not yet recovered, facing the hot blasts nearby, still replaying the harrowing moment in his mind, sweat dripping down his face.