Chapter 39: Challenging the Captain! Overestimating Oneself?

"He's here." When Sikong Xu arrived at the castle gates, Erwin nodded at him, with Allen and Levi following close behind.

Erwin coughed, casting a glance at the Special Operations Squad standing in a neat row before he addressed them. "I've gathered everyone here today because there's something I want to tell you."

"This man beside me, Sikong Xu, I've already introduced to you before." Erwin gestured toward Sikong Xu.

Sikong Xu took in the familiar faces from the original story, all perfectly lined up. He couldn't help but nod in admiration. The Special Operations Squad was indeed extraordinary. The members of the Survey Corps, constantly on the battlefield, were all at the peak of soldierly prowess. Even an ordinary member of the Survey Corps was considered an elite if placed in the Garrison Regiment.

As for the elites of the Survey Corps, the Special Operations Squad was even more formidable—likely the strongest team among humanity's soldiers. Each member had the ability to single-handedly take on three or four Titans, and together, not even a horde of dozens could easily stop them.

If not for the appearance of the deranged Female Titan in the original story, and the many unpredictable circumstances, these Special Operations Squad members would never have been sacrificed.

After sighing over the squad's strength, Sikong Xu focused on Erwin's words.

"I won't go into details about Sikong Xu. Suffice it to say, he is very strong—even Levi holds him in high regard," Erwin said, glancing at Levi.

"Tch..." The Captain, as expected, was a difficult character. He only snorted coldly and stood in place without a word, but his gaze was sharp enough to chill the soul.

Levi's reaction seemed normal to Sikong Xu, but to the Special Operations Squad, it was quite unusual. After all, Levi's personality might be a bit lacking, but for him to remain silent like this meant that he agreed with Erwin's words.

Who was Levi? He held the title of "humanity's strongest soldier" and was supremely confident in his own abilities. He rarely judged others, so who was this Sikong Xu to have earned such high praise from Levi?

For a moment, the squad members' hearts were all astir.

"Commander! Don't tell me you want Brother Sikong Xu to join our squad?" At this point, squad leader Hange Zoë was the first to speak up.

Sikong Xu had a vivid impression of this woman with her messy ponytail and unfashionable glasses. To him, she seemed rather unhinged, with a particular obsession for studying Titans. The two Titans captured alive in Trost District were handed over to her for research.

With Zoë's question, the other squad members all looked at Sikong Xu with curious eyes.

One member with a rather abrasive personality, Oluo Bozad, spoke up directly, "Commander, isn't this guy a rookie who just joined the Survey Corps? Aren't you afraid he'll die if you put him with us?"

Bozad was blunt, but most of the squad agreed with him. The Special Operations Squad operated independently from the main Survey Corps and faced even greater dangers. If each member weren't highly skilled and experienced, they'd have died off long ago.

Moreover, it was unprecedented for a new recruit to be placed directly into the squad. Allen was an exception—though nominally part of the team, his main role was to be monitored in case he transformed into a Titan and needed to be stopped.

But allowing a rookie like Sikong Xu to join? It wasn't that they were unwilling, but the facts of identity and experience couldn't be ignored. How much battlefield experience could a fresh graduate from training have? Not panicking before a Titan was already impressive. As for the high praise from the commander and captain, the squad wouldn't believe it without seeing it for themselves.

Sikong Xu could only shrug helplessly at this situation, casting a teasing glance at Erwin.

Erwin noticed the look but, ever serious, showed no expression. He simply said, "This is an order. As soldiers, your only duty is to obey."

"Tch—" Bozad snorted, and the other squad members' faces darkened as well.

Since the commander had spoken so decisively, Sikong Xu's joining was a foregone conclusion. The squad could do nothing but hope the rookie would survive for a while.

Still, even if the squad no longer minded Sikong Xu's status, Sikong Xu himself did. He didn't want to endanger the team on the battlefield due to poor cooperation. To truly be accepted, he needed to prove himself in combat.

Having made up his mind, Sikong Xu looked toward the silent Levi, his gaze flickering with unknown thoughts.

He stepped forward, speaking in a tone half-joking yet half-serious. "I'm grateful for the commander's trust in me, but it seems not everyone is convinced."

The squad all snorted. Wasn't that obvious?

Sikong Xu knew he was stating the obvious, so he cut straight to the point. "It looks like I'll need your approval before I can truly fit in. Otherwise, things could get tricky when facing Titans."

He smiled and turned to Erwin, who gave him a slight nod.

Erwin understood Sikong Xu's intention; he wanted to prove his strength. In fact, Erwin was also eager to see what Sikong Xu was truly capable of. Those with talent always had their quirks, which could be seen as unique character rather than flaws.

"Then, I will now prove whether I am truly up to the task." Sikong Xu spoke each word slowly, looking over several members of the squad.

Each member straightened their backs under his gaze, as if to say, "Just try picking me, and I'll teach you a lesson!"

Finally, Sikong Xu set his eyes on the captain.

"You then, Dead Fish Eyes," Sikong Xu said with a wicked grin. "Last time, I thought your skills were impressive and wanted to spar. But at the trial, you actually dared to strike Allen? If Armin and Mikasa hadn't held me back, I'd have rushed down to teach you a lesson myself."

"What—" When Sikong Xu chose the captain, everyone gasped, even Erwin's eyes widened.

Kid, are you out of your mind? You dare challenge "humanity's strongest"? Are you nuts?

"Overestimating yourself!" Bozad ridiculed him outright. To challenge the captain—after this, the boy would likely be scarred for life.

"Rookie, I think you'd better pick someone else," even Petra Ral, always gentle, tried to dissuade him.

"Xu, don't be rash. The captain had his reasons for hitting me at the meeting!" Even Allen came forward to stop him.

Sikong Xu ignored them all. The squad was also known as "Levi Squad." How could he not challenge the captain upon joining, especially with his "Infinite Martial Refinement" ability?

His gaze never left the captain, whose dark-circled eyes he had long wanted to face in combat.

So this is "humanity's strongest"? Let me see it for myself today!

At a height of one sixty, the captain faced Sikong Xu, his cold expression tinged with anticipation. From the first time he'd seen Sikong Xu, though the latter hadn't shown his full strength, the aura he exuded had already made the captain wary.

From that moment, the captain knew this opponent was anything but simple—perhaps even his equal.

"Soldier, I accept your challenge. How do you want to compete?" The captain stepped forward as well, a hint of excitement in his lifeless eyes. Sparring with a strong opponent was far better than killing those disgusting Titans.

"No weapons or equipment—let's go hand-to-hand. How about letting Commander Erwin be the referee?" Sikong Xu licked his dry lips, feeling his own excitement rise.

"Fine," the captain replied coolly.

No weapons suited Levi just fine. In close combat, he was even stronger. Before joining the Survey Corps, Levi had been a notorious thug in the capital's underground, perhaps even the king of thugs. His reputation had been earned with his own fists.