To be perfectly candid, when Liam delivered his resounding proclamation to the hushed assembly in the training hall, there was a non-negligible element of impulsive bravado fueled by a bruised ego. However, deep within the cold, calculating machinery of his mind, he understood with absolute certainty that this was a mechanical necessity. Without such a staggering financial incentive and a public, ironclad guarantee of safety, no one in this meritocratic yet fearful organization would ever dare to touch him with genuine intent. He would remain trapped in a suffocating cycle of hollow praise and choreographed shadow-boxing that would leave his actual skills stagnant while the world around him grew increasingly dangerous.
Liam was consciously pushing himself toward a jagged precipice. The sh
