As Dean Sterling announced the start of the Power Assessment Test, all eyes quickly converged on the main stage.
On one side of the stage was a table, and upon it sat a dark, black crystal ball.
On the other side of the table stood an enormous robot.
The robot was perfectly round, its surface coated in green paint. At the end of its arms were two massive steel pincers that opened and closed, exuding a palpable sense of power.
Is... isn't that an Android?
Fly couldn't help but make a sarcastic comment in his head.
It looked far too similar to the Android mascot from his previous life. He wondered how much money the company had invested...
Dean Sterling continued, "The rules of the Power Assessment Test are simple. Starting with Class One, students will come up to the stage one by one, place a hand on the crystal ball, and channel their internal energy. The crystal ball will then display the student's Beast Totem and its species. After that, you will have a short match with our test robot. The longer you can last against it, the higher your score!"
"Isn't that a bit too simple?" After hearing the rules, Fly couldn't resist another snarky thought. "Sounds like a walk in the park."
His homeroom teacher, Mr. Carter, was taken aback when he heard this. He quickly leaned in and said, "What are you thinking? The test is never that simple. This is just the first step. But even this first step is enough to stump a great many students."
Of course, Mr. Carter knew how talented Fly was, but after hearing his remark, he felt compelled to offer a word of caution. "That test robot is no pushover. Whatever you do, don't underestimate it!"
"Oh."
Fly nodded and turned his attention back to the stage.
The students of Class One were already making their way up, and the large screens around the sports field promptly displayed a feed of the stage.
This was Ms. Reed's class.
Fly wasn't familiar with this teacher, and his previous inquiries had revealed no particularly outstanding students in Class One. Still, this was the first group to be tested. It would be wise to observe them carefully and gain some experience for his own turn.
Fly focused his full attention on the stage.
...
Elsewhere, in the ranks of Class Five, "Emperor" Valerius narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed solely on Fly.
"Fly Ansel..."
Over the past few days, the name Valerius had heard more than any other was Fly's.
"If I recall correctly, his entrance ranking was seventh, wasn't it? But how could he..."
As the second young master of the Tarantino family, "Emperor" Valerius had always possessed an immense sense of pride. Since childhood, no matter what he did, he had always been number one among his peers. The word "genius" felt mundane when applied to him.
One could say that the first fifteen years of his life had been a smooth and victorious journey.
Until...
Until he took the entrance exam for Star City High and was ranked a mere second.
What was worse, the person who had taken first place was a seemingly insignificant "nobody."
Silas Thorne? Who is that?
He had even used his family's connections to investigate the background of this top-ranked student, yet he had come up with nothing.
That was already frustrating enough.
But then, during the first week of school, he had been completely upstaged by another "nobody."
Among the freshmen of Star City High, the name on everyone's lips was Fly.
Stolen story; please report.
"Did you hear? That guy Fly..."
"Yeah, that Fly Ansel, he..."
"I have a feeling Fly is going to be the strongest in our year..."
...
Fly! Fly! Everywhere he went, it was Fly!
Having been the center of attention his entire life, "Emperor" Valerius had never been so slighted.
In his eyes, Fly was just an ordinary boy from an ordinary family. He couldn't afford private tutors or expensive physical enhancement supplements. How could he possibly possess such astonishing strength?
To get to the bottom of it, Valerius had even used his spare time to seek out and question Jett.
Of course, Jett hadn't passed up the opportunity and had immediately challenged "Emperor" Valerius to a duel.
The result, naturally... was that Jett was once again mercilessly beaten down.
The more Valerius learned about Fly, the more he came to realize just how formidable this commoner was.
In his heart, he had already marked Fly as his greatest rival in this Power Assessment Test.
...
Meanwhile, Fly paid no attention to Valerius's intense gaze. He remained focused on the Class One students taking their test on the stage.
After watching for a while, however, he started to feel bored.
So far, not a single student from Class One had managed to impress him.
Their chosen Beast Totems were almost all common, everyday animals.
Even more absurdly, a significant number of students hadn't even successfully absorbed their totem's power. They would place their hands on the crystal ball, and nothing would happen.
Worse still were those who, upon stepping onto the stage, would start trembling uncontrollably, curling up into a ball, and forfeiting before the test even began.
The number of students who actually made it to the test robot for a duel was pitifully small.
Some of them were so anxious they looked like they were on the verge of tears.
"The quality of these freshmen is just... awful," Fly muttered to himself.
As far as he was concerned, forget about getting a score; these students would be lucky to even remain at the school.
"It's only been a week. Absorbing and mastering the power of a Beast Totem is quite difficult," Mr. Carter explained in a serious tone from beside him. "Did you think everyone is a genius like you?"
In Mr. Carter's view, the performance of Class One was the norm for the average freshman.
As for Fly, he was, in no uncertain terms, a "monster."
Fortunately, the remaining students of Class One weren't discouraged by their peers' poor showings. A few of them managed to pass the crystal ball test and face the robot, and a handful even put up a commendable fight.
...
In the stands, the upperclassmen were buzzing with commentary.
"Looks like the quality of this year's freshmen isn't all that great."
"Yeah, their standards are pretty low. I remember when I took this test, I passed it with ease."
"I really don't know how these people even got into Star City High. Sigh! Each generation is worse than the last."
"Don't be so quick to judge. It's just the beginning. Maybe a 'monster' will show up later."
...
In the eyes of these senior students, the performance of Class One could only be described as a disaster.
About half an hour later, all the freshmen from Class One had finished. More than half of them had scored zero.
Standing on the sidelines, the homeroom teacher of Class One, Ms. Reed, had a face as dark as thunder.
Sigh! Why did my class get stuck with all the talentless students? At this rate, forget about becoming the Rocket Class teacher; she probably wouldn't even be nominated for Teacher of the Year.
"Next, will the students of Class Two please come forward for the test," Dean Sterling's voice announced over the speakers.
"Fly, that's our class. You go first, lead the way. Don't be nervous, just do your best!" Mr. Carter said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.
"Okay." Fly nodded, and with a calm and leisurely stride, he walked onto the stage. He placed his hand gently on the crystal ball and began to release the power of his Beast Totem.
The next moment...
A brilliant light flashed beside him, and the menacing mirage of a cockroach slowly materialized. On its rounded head, its mandibles clicked and gnashed. Its crimson wings were covered in starry spots, its limbs were thick and powerful, and the sharp barbs on its legs were rendered in perfect, terrifying detail.
But the most astonishing thing was the pale, golden lightning that crackled and danced around its body.
The freshmen below the stage couldn't help but gasp.
They all knew that Fly from Class Two was incredibly strong, but no one could have ever imagined that he was... that he was...!
"No, this isn't the same power he used against me..." Down in the crowd, Jett from Class Six stared at the screen, his face a mask of utter disbelief. "There's no mistake, absolutely no mistake! This aura... it's completely different from last time!"
On the first day of school, he had challenged Fly at the cafeteria entrance.
That battle had left an indelible mark on him.
Fly's clever strategy, his psychological warfare, and the terrifying attack that had shattered his 'Aegis of the Stegosaur' were all deeply seared into his memory. For several nights afterwards, he had been jolted awake by nightmares.
The aura Fly was emitting now was just as terrifying, but Jett was certain it wasn't the same one from their duel.
"Could it be...?"
Finally, the dim crystal ball erupted with a dazzling light, and a line of burning gold text appeared in the air above the stage.
ãTotem Beast: Thunder-Roach. Species: Mythical Species.ã
Mythical Species!
It's really a Mythical Species!
"Damn it..."
Jett almost unconsciously lowered his head.
Although he had lost to Fly before, he had convinced himself that there was a large element of chance involved. He believed the gap between them wasn't as large as it seemed, and that if he worked hard enough, he could still defeat him.
But now...
At this moment, an unprecedented feeling of despair washed over him. If he weren't in such a public place, he might have just crouched down and cried his heart out.
Jett finally understood. In this lifetime, he would probably never be able to catch up to Fly.
...
Elsewhere, "Emperor" Valerius from Class Five remained outwardly calm, but beneath the surface, he had clenched his fists.
Fly Ansel...!!!
In his heart, a blazing fighting spirit began to rage with ever-greater intensity.