The Valkyrie Returns and Slays (Raven) novel Chapter 171

Chapter 171 Not Afraid

The moment Raven stepped forward, a flicker of surprise crossed the faces of many family heads.

Jedidiah stiffened, just briefly.

Then his eyes slowly swept toward her, a mocking smile curling across his lips.

But Raven said nothing. She simply walked up to Caleb, knelt down beside his battered body, and calmly fed him a pill.

Caleb, barely conscious, instinctively opened his mouth and swallowed.

As the medicine melted into a warm liquid and slid down his throat, its effects spread quickly through his body.

He forced his eyes open–and the first thing he saw was Raven’s face, close, calm, expressionless.

He struggled to speak, voice hoarse and breath faint. “Boss… sorry… I embarrassed

you…”

Raven looked at him, her tone flat, almost indifferent. “Train harder when we get back.”

“Yes,” Caleb croaked immediately. His voice was fragile, but there was a clear steel in it -unshakable, resolute.

Raven’s lips quirked, ever so slightly.

Then she rose to her feet, eyes shifting toward the leader of the Sunset Empire standing beside Benson.

A silent pressure unfurled from her like a rising tide–cold, commanding, suffocating.

Everyone around instinctively held their breath.

A ripple of whispers broke out from the watching crowd.

“Lieutenant General Valor… she’s something else. Not a hint of fear, even standing in front of Mr. Macy and the Sunset Empire’s leader.”

“She’s not even twenty–five, right? You think she stands a chance against Jedidiah?”

“I doubt it. If she really could take him, she wouldn’t have waited this long while Caleb got beaten to a pulp.”

“Exactly. Jedidiah’s definitely an Elite Warrior. Even if she is too, she’s still a woman- and like it or not, men just have the upper hand when it comes to raw combat strength.”

As murmurs spread, the Sunset Empire’s leader felt the weight of Raven’s unapologetic stare. His expression soured.

But before he could speak, Jedidiah let out a short, mocking laugh. His gaze slithered across Raven like a snake, condescending and cold.

Chapter 171 Not Afraid

“What’s this?” he sneered. “A woman, stepping in for the men of her nation? How very…

Vyrdenian of you.”

In the Sunset Empire, women held little value. For generations, they had been considered little more than vessels for childbirth, and military service was strictly off- limits for them–it was considered a defilement of something sacred.

But Raven didn’t so much as glance at him.

Her eyes remained locked on the leader of Sunset Empire as she spoke, her voice clear, calm, and firm. “Ten days.”

The man frowned. “What ten days?”

Raven lifted a brow, the barest hint of a smirk flickering across her face. “Ten days from now, Vyrdenia’s newly formed Hundred–Man Unit will face off against the elite troupe you’ve brought for this ‘cultural exchange.”

A subtle shift in her tone–mocking, razor–sharp–slid under the skin. “Unless you’re afraid to accept?”

The moment her words landed, a wave of audible gasps rippled across the courtyard.

Dozens of family heads stared at her like she’d lost her mind.

“She’s crazy. The Hundred–Man Unit hasn’t even officially formed yet! And she wants to challenge the Sunset Empire’s elite in just ten days?”

“Forget ten days–even ten months wouldn’t be enough. Our young generation can’t

match them.”

“It’s not about patriotism–Sunset Empire’s warriors are simply more talented across the board. Why would she set us up to fail like this?”

They weren’t trying to sell Vyrdenia short. It was just a fact.

The number of Elite Warriors in Vyrdenia wasn’t even a fifth of what the Sunset Empire

had.

And when it came to top–tier warriors, the gap was even wider.

If not for Vyrdenia’s overwhelming population advantage, which allowed them to compensate with sheer numbers, the nation would’ve fallen long ago.

Back in the courtyard, as murmurs of doubt swirled around them, the Sunset Empire’s leader narrowed his eyes.

His stare pierced straight through Raven. “If there’s to be a challenge issued to my country’s elite, someone like Mr. Macy should be the one to deliver it,” he said coldly.” Who are you to speak? Who gave you that right?”