Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 516: Chapter 516

This was the very pit where the national flags of those who quit the training had once been tossed in disgrace.
Without hesitation, Ryan kicked the poor guy straight in, sending him tumbling into the filth.
The guy doubled over, retching from the nauseating stench.
Many of the onlookers couldn't help but gag, their stomachs churning at the disgusting sight and smell.
Ryan barked, "What? Can't take it? Everyone, get in and soak for a full hour. No one comes out a second early! Move! Move! Move!"
At his command, the trainees had no choice but to plunge into the cesspool, faces twisted in disgust. The stench in there was revolting.
To make matters worse, they had only just finished dinner, and being forced into this ordeal caused many to instantly start vomiting.
Shawn shot Zoe a concerned look.
Zoe shook her head at him, though her expression remained deliberately woeful. She whined, "Shawn, I got dragged into this whole mess because of you. You're so gonna pay for this when we get back."
Shawn knew he had brought this trouble on himself. He replied, "If you want my life, it's yours."
Zoe shot him a sly look. She said, "As if I could bear to do that. But just wait, I'll be spending the next few days carefully plotting my sweet revenge on you."
Shawn chuckled. He enjoyed watching Zoe being so clever and mischievous.
The others were puking uncontrollably. The sight and smell triggered a chain reaction, and soon many more people started throwing up too.
Yet only Zoe and Shawn seemed utterly unaffected by the revolting stench. Some people couldn't help but shoot them strange, almost wary glances.
One whispered, "These two Clusians are absolute freaks of nature."
Another chimed in, "No kidding! How can anyone stay so composed in this hellhole?"
Someone said, "I would've cracked ages ago in their place."
A trainee said, "There goes my dinner. I puked it all up, and it was all for nothing."
Just then, a shadowy figure was inching closer to Zoe, step by cautious step.
Zoe felt a chill run down her spine and immediately dove into Shawn's arms, clinging to him. She said, "Shawn, I feel so awful."
As Shawn held Zoe close, he caught sight of someone approaching with a dagger, poised to strike. His eyes turned icy, and in an instant, he lashed out with a powerful punch at the attacker.
The man took a punch to the face and fell straight into the cesspool. If it weren't for someone pulling him out, he would have likely drowned in it.
The crowd was caught between wanting to laugh and being too stunned to crack a smile. The looks some people gave Zoe had noticeably changed.
One whispered, "That Clusian woman is so damn annoying."
Another said, "Why does a woman have to be this strong? It's like she's spitting on our manhood."
One suggested, "Kill her!"
Someone agreed, "Yeah, we've got to get rid of her."
Driven by bruised male egos, these men were determined to either expel or get rid of Zoe. They thought that without her as a point of comparison, their fragile egos and their pride could finally be preserved.
They wouldn't dare to touch Zoe in front of Ryan, but that didn't mean they wouldn't try when no one was around. They were waiting for the right moment.
An hour later, after everyone finally climbed out of the cesspool, Ryan permitted them to go take a shower.
The communal showers at the training camp had no private space for Zoe, the only woman there. So she just turned on the faucet and told Shawn to hose her down right then and there.
The men around burst out laughing at the sight.
One said, "Check out that woman! She's lost it!"
Someone said, "Training's over, and she's still playing with water hoses? What a nutjob!"
Another said, "Bet she's gonna crack any minute now!"
A man chimed in, "Yeah, no kidding! Heard plenty go psycho under this kinda pressure. She's definitely next."
Everyone was just waiting for the show.
After Zoe finished her shower, she glanced at Shawn and asked, "What about you? Need a rinse too?"
Shawn gave Zoe a nod.
Without hesitation, Zoe snatched up the hose and began blasting away the cesspool grime from Shawn's frame.
One onlooker said, "Let's get out of here. Those two are insane!"