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Silverwing had nothing to lose going into the evaluation—his reputation was already intact. Don was certain that Silverwing had only agreed to participate in the android challenge on the condition that he saw a clear path to victory.

After watching Thunderclap\'s one-sided defeat, it was clear that Silverwing made a calculated decision to back out.

By claiming he couldn\'t defeat the android but could at least hold it off, Silverwing painted himself as capable but humble, aware of his limits. And then, with the promise to donate 20 million credits of his own funds, he made himself appear even more generous.

In short, he managed to withdraw from the fight without losing any of his public favor. In fact, Silverwing might have even bettered his image in the eyes of his fans.

\'It was a masterclass in damage control,\'

Don thought, watching Silverwing with a mixture of respect and wariness.

\'He\'s cunning, that\'s for sure.\'

But now, Silverwing\'s move had placed the spotlight firmly on Starboy—and not the kind of spotlight Starboy would have wanted.

As Dr. Gadget nodded at Silverwing\'s request, acknowledging his decision to withdraw, Starboy stood frozen.

He was at a crossroads.

His reputation had already taken a hit earlier, and now he was being forced to make a decision that could either save or ruin his public image even further.

If he withdrew, it would make him seem weak, especially after his earlier confident declarations. But if he fought and lost, the damage to his reputation could be catastrophic.

Starboy carefully pondered the situation quickly.

\'If I win, I\'ll recover from the earlier humiliation, maybe even surpass where I was before. But if I lose, I\'ll be remembered as the guy who made bold claims and failed—twice.\'

He could feel the weight of every gaze on him. The crowd, the other candidates, the commentators—all were waiting for him to make his choice.

Starboy clenched his fists and hardened his expression. He was about to step forward and accept the challenge when, to his utter shock, Don moved first.

"I\'d like to give it a try," Don said casually, walking past Starboy.

Starboy\'s anxiety over the fight with Apex was instantly replaced with a surge of anger. He turned to glare at Don, his eyes burning with resentment.

\'Of course, he would do this. Of course, he\'d want to take this moment from me,\'

Starboy fumed, his fists still tightly clenched.

He wanted to snap at Don, to demand that he should go first, but the pressure of the situation kept him quiet.

Dr. Gadget, standing above the field on his floating platform, sighed at Don\'s request. "If that\'s what you wish," he said, his voice still sounding a bit weary.

Dr. Gadget then paused for a moment, looking between Don and Starboy before addressing them both. "So then… which of you would like to go first?" he asked.

Starboy opened his mouth, ready to assert that he would go first, but something stopped him. In the split second before he could speak, a new calculation ran through his mind.

\'If I let him go first and he loses, I can fight just one round and back out gracefully. But if he wins… well, there\'s no helping it.\'

As much as Starboy hated the idea of Don overshadowing him again, the odds weren\'t in his favor. And losing after declaring himself the main attraction would be far worse than letting Don have the first go.

He bit his tongue, swallowing his pride as he glanced over at Don with a scowl.

\'Fine,\'

Starboy thought bitterly.

\'Let him take the risk.\'

Don, noticing Starboy\'s reluctance to answer, gave him a knowing smile before turning his gaze back to Dr. Gadget. "I\'ll start," he said confidently.

Dr. Gadget nodded once, though his expression remained impassive. "Very well. Prepare yourself," he said, gesturing toward the center of the field where Apex waited.

Don\'s decision to step forward and volunteer first caused a wave of excitement to spread through the stadium.

Within the crowd, people reacted in different ways—some eager to see what the unknown candidate had to offer, while others were simply excited to witness Apex in action again. The murmur of voices rose higher, as anticipation settled across the stands.

"Well, would you look at that, ladies and gentlemen?" the first commentator\'s voice boomed, sounding just as excited as the fans. "Today is just full of surprises!"

His co-host quickly chimed in, "Indeed it is! And I can\'t lie, I\'m quite excited to see what this candidate can do. We don\'t even know what his powers are yet."

The first commentator chuckled in response. "Well, if getting a crowd hyped up is a superpower, then he definitely has that in A Class!"

Up in the VIP viewing box, Mr. Xiao wore a wide smile, his eyes fixed on the scene below. Without shifting his gaze, he spoke to Miss Claire, his voice warm. "It seems your client has finally taken interest in the challenge. This should be very interesting to see."

Miss Claire\'s gaze remained steady, locked on the field. "It should be," she replied, her voice calm. But a flicker of something crossed her eyes—something subtle, hidden beneath her composure.

———

Meanwhile, back in conference room, Samantha sat with her eyes glued to the large screen projecting the live feed of the evaluation.

Her heart clenched with worry as she watched Don step onto the field. The very thought of him facing Apex—the same android that had so easily dispatched Thunderclap—made her stomach turn.

She wasn\'t the type of person who found any excitement in combat or violence. To her, this was not a demonstration of power but a reminder of how dangerous the world of heroes could be.

With a deep frown, she muttered to herself, her voice full concern. "What kind of despicable challenge is this? Making children fight something that strong for money?"

The men in the conference room exchanged awkward glances. Though many of them secretly enjoyed the spectacle, none of them were brave enough to contradict a worried mother. They nodded in silence, offering nothing more than vague gestures of agreement.

Mr. Thomas, who was seated near Samantha, saw an opportunity to score points. Leaning forward, he adopted a tone of solidarity. "I absolutely agree, Samantha. I\'ll make sure our company publicly states that we don\'t condone such challenges."

Samantha gave him a warm smile, grateful for his support. But her smile quickly faded as her attention returned to the screen, where Don was now approaching Apex.

———

Back on the field, Don came to a stop just a few feet away from the Apex android. He could feel the crowd\'s gazes on him, but none of that mattered.

His focus was locked on the machine in front of him, analyzing its every detail—the subtle shifts in its stance, the eerie stillness of its body, the way its glowing smiley face never wavered.

Under his breath, Don muttered a single word, "Beastshift."

Immediately, his muscles tensed, and a surge of raw energy flowed through his veins. His senses sharpened, his body felt lighter—his connection to the shift was instantaneous, but there was always that familiar strangeness that accompanied it.

It was as though he was stepping into a version of himself that was both foreign and yet deeply ingrained.

\'This still feels strange,\'

Don thought, clenching and unclenching his fists.

\'But at the same time… it feels a little familiar.\'

He adjusted his stance, feeling the primal strength coursing through his limbs. His already superhuman senses expanded, allowing him to detect every minor movement, every subtle shift in the environment within a ten-meter radius of Apex.

Hovering above, Dr. Gadget gave the same instructions to Apex. "Apex, engage in controlled combat against the candidate."

Apex\'s robotic voice responded without hesitation. "Command received. Engaging in 3… 2…."

Don\'s eyes never left Apex as the countdown began. His entire body was coiled like a spring, ready to react to the slightest movement.

He could feel the subtle shifts in the air and the quiet hum of energy radiating from the android as it locked onto him. Every hair on his body stood on end, his instincts on full alert.