The Power Assessment Test was still ongoing.
After the dazzling, mind-blowing performances of Fly and Genevieve, the remaining freshmen couldn't help but seem a little lackluster in comparison. The crowd of onlookers, too, had long since fallen silent, their cheers exhausted.
Until...
Until the appearance of our supremely talented second young master of the Tarantino family.
BOOMâ With a tremendous crash, a tsunami of cheers once again erupted across the sports field.
In the Class Five testing area, the test robot lay in several shattered pieces on the ground, and our genius, "Emperor" Valerius, stood calmly to the side, a look of faint disdain in his eyes as he glanced at the robotic wreckage.
Seven seconds!
The timer on the display screen brazenly showed a time of seven seconds!
And on the other side, the line of burning gold text from the black crystal ball had not yet faded.
ãBeast Totem: Tyrannosaurus Rex. Species: Primal Species.ã
After a long moment, the golden words finally dissipated into the air, but the cheers from the surrounding freshmen roared on, unabated.
It was just too shocking!
Another freshman had successfully defeated the test robot!
This meant that within a single week, this year's class had produced three new students who had reached the strength of a level-two Beast Warrior or higher.
In the entire history of Star City High, looking back twenty, no, even thirty years, such a thing was absolutely unprecedented.
Unlike the jubilant freshmen, the senior students watching from the sidelines were utterly silent.
Every single one of them was dumbfounded.
As students who had gone through at least a year of Martial Studies, they knew exactly what it meant to defeat the test robot during the freshman Power Assessment Test.
"Hey, hey, are my eyes deceiving me? Another freshman just destroyed the test robot."
"I take back what I said earlier. This year's class is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons."
"This might just be the strongest cohort of freshmen in the history of Star City High."
...
Unlike the shock of the seniors and the elation of the freshmen, over in the judges' area, the School Director watched the live feed on the monitor and gave a slow, satisfied nod.
"I know of this boy from the Tarantino family. His strength is impressive; he has his father's spirit. Dean Sterling, your year has produced quite a few promising seedlings, you must cultivate them well," the Director said.
"Rest assured, Director!" Dean Sterling replied.
To have three freshmen with the strength of a level-two warrior or higher emerge at once had far exceeded his expectations. In his original estimation, only "Emperor" Valerius of the Tarantino family would have had that level of talent, and perhaps, at most, the local genius, Genevieve. Fly's emergence, however, had been a complete and utter surprise.
Yes, Dean Sterling had personally witnessed Fly's strength, and he had been deeply impressed by his talent and adaptability. But he had always viewed Fly as a high-potential asset, a diamond in the rough. He never imagined that Fly would realize that potential so quickly.
To be able to match, and even surpass, other geniuses who were propped up by immense resources, all without the backing of a major family and in just a single weekâFly's performance once again left Dean Sterling breathless with amazement.
What made him even more pleased were the looks of envy and jealousy from the deans of the other years.
Hmph, hmph. To have three geniuses all appear in my year... when they get into top Martial Academies in the future, it will all count towards my performance record. Promotions, bonuses, opportunities... how will any of you be able to compete with me then?
At this thought, Dean Sterling's smile grew even wider. He almost failed to maintain his usual elegant composure, the unbridled joy nearly bursting forth onto his face.
...
The first round of the Power Assessment Test lasted the entire day, and it was nearly evening by the time all the freshmen had completed their tests.
After "Emperor" Valerius, no other super-geniuses capable of destroying the test robot appeared.
This was hardly surprising.
Such talents were exceedingly rare finds; for three to appear in a single year was already a historic event. If a fourth had shown up, Dean Sterling himself would have probably started suspecting cheating.
At seven in the evening, after dinner, the scores for the first day of the test were fully tallied and released.
The freshmen all took out their phones and logged onto the campus network to check their results.
This year's class showed an extreme polarization; about thirty percent of the students had scored zero (having failed to even absorb their Totem Beast), but in stark contrast, at the very top of the rankings, in the S-Rank talent division, were the names of Fly, Genevieve, and "Emperor" Valerius.
S-Rank. This was a rating reserved for new students whose talent defied all convention. In other words, this rating wasn't even given out every year; normally, the highest possible talent rating a freshman could receive was A+.
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Many might not realize it now, but years later, this cohort of Star City High freshmen would come to be known as the "Golden Generation," or the "Generation of Monsters."
When checking his results, Fly took special notice of the fact that Jett's name was right below his in the A+ rating, ranked even higher than several of the original top-ten students.
That guy has really been working hard, Fly thought with a hint of admiration.
With the first day of testing concluded, the second day would be the event everyone was waiting for: the Martial Trials!
Unlike the "minor skirmishes" of the first day, this was the absolute main event that had everyone's attention.
After all, the first day's test only revealed a freshman's "theoretical" strength. While it did include a combat assessment against a robot, a rigid machine lacked the adaptability of a true Beast Warrior.
How could a mere robot possibly simulate the ever-changing tides of a real battlefield? No matter how strong a Beast Warrior was on paper, without the test of actual combat, it was all just empty talk. It was just like on the first day of school, when Fly's cockroach had flexibly used the terrain to achieve a victory of the "weak over the strong" against Jett's Spinosaurus.
Whether a Beast Warrior was truly strong or weak could only be determined through a fight.
And that very night, the lottery to decide the matchups for the next day's combat would begin...
...
Night.
Star City High was blanketed in silence, the only sound the chirping of summer cicadas in the woods.
Clickâ
The window of the Dean's office was gently pushed open. In the darkness, an agile figure slipped quietly inside.
The figure was dressed head to toe in black, their face covered by a mask, clearly unwilling to reveal their true identity.
They fumbled in the dark, finally locating the file they were looking for. They pulled open the drawer...
Click!
The lights in the office flashed on. The sudden, blinding glare made it impossible for the intruder to open their eyes.
As their vision slowly recovered, they saw an elegant figure leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching them with an amused expression.
"Well, well, I never thought my humble little office would be graced by the presence of a thief. I'm truly honored."
This elegant, confident figure was none other than the Dean of the freshman year, Dean Sterling.
Though he was smiling, his eyes were locked onto the intruder, ready to strike at any moment.
Seeing that they had been discovered, the intruder wasted no words. Their figure flickered, and they shot towards the window they had just entered, seeking a quick escape.
They were fast, but Dean Sterling was faster.
With a flash, the Dean's body blurred, and he instantly appeared between the shadow and the window.
"Since you're already here, why not stay for a cup of tea? I have some of the finest leaves," he offered with a calm smile.
The dark figure didn't answer, instead lashing out with a fist aimed straight for the Dean's face. The punch whistled through the air, revealing the attacker to be a formidable warrior.
Dean Sterling raised a hand to block, his own aura exploding outwards. As fist met palm, the dark figure gained no advantage, and was instead thrown backwards.
Seeing this, Dean Sterling stopped speaking. Lightning crackled around his body as he pressed his advantage, launching a flurry of attacks, giving the shadow no room to breathe.
Faced with the Dean's assault, the figure hastily raised their arms to defend. Though they managed to hold on for the moment, they were clearly struggling.
Suddenly, Dean Sterling found an opening. With a soft pop, he struck the intruder's chest with his palm, then swiped a hand upwards, tearing the mask from their face.
The moment the mask was removed, the intruder's eyes widened in horror. They tried to cover their face, but it was too late.
"Dean Cromwell, is that you?" Seeing the intruder's face, Dean Sterling was genuinely surprised. Although he and Cromwell didn't get along, he never thought the man would resort to such petty thievery.
"Why were you sneaking into my office?" he demanded.
"I..." Faced with the question, Cromwell knew he was in the wrong. He tried to offer an excuse but was at a loss for words.
Just then, another figure appeared at the office door.
"I sent him."
Dean Sterling looked towards the sound of the voice and saw it was the Vice-Principal, Mr. Taurus.
"I sent him. I had a document for you regarding tomorrow's competition, but I couldn't find you, so I asked Dean Cromwell to deliver it on my behalf," Vice-Principal Taurus said, walking into the office with the help of a cane.
"Yes! Yes!" Cromwell, as if grasping a lifeline, nodded vigorously, scrambled to his feet, and quickly scurried to the Vice-Principal's side.
Hearing this explanation, Dean Sterling's brow furrowed, but it quickly smoothed out again.
"Well, if it was on the Vice-Principal's orders, then I won't say any more. However, Dean Cromwell, next time, please use the door. You wouldn't want to fall while climbing through the window, would you?" he said with a smile.
"Hmph..." Hearing the taunt, Cromwell snorted and turned his head away.
Vice-Principal Taurus tapped his cane lightly on the floor. "Since it was all a misunderstanding, let's just leave it at that. Dean Sterling, you must be tired after presiding over the test all day. You should get some rest. We'll be going."
With that, he looked at Cromwell and gestured towards the door with his chin, then started to walk out.
As he passed by Dean Sterling, he discreetly pressed a small, crumpled ball of paper into his hand and whispered in a voice barely audible, "Dean Sterling, you're a reasonable man. I hope you know what's best for you."
Then, he walked out without a backward glance.
Cromwell hesitated for a moment, then followed him out.
Dean Sterling accepted the paper ball and stood in silence for a moment. He then raised his head and called out towards the empty doorway, "Vice-Principal, Dean Cromwell, I'll see you out. It's a cool night, be careful not to catch a cold on your way."
After they were long gone, Dean Sterling's smile vanished, replaced by a grim expression. He quickly checked the files Cromwell had been looking through and found that it was the matchup schedule for the next day's tournament. The font on the document was subtly different from what he remembered; there were faint signs of alteration.
Then, he opened the note from the Vice-Principal. It read: Dean Sterling, this matter concerns the school's relationship with the Tarantino family. I trust you will consider the bigger picture...
Hmph! What school, what bigger picture? It's clear you've just taken the Tarantino family's money to do their bidding, he thought bitterly.
Wait, the Tarantino family... could it be...?
An idea struck him. He immediately grabbed the altered schedule and flipped to the page for "Emperor" Valerius.
The opponent for the Tarantino family's boy, "Emperor" Valerius, for tomorrow was...
...
The night grew deeper.
Fly was sitting on top of the school's water tower, gazing at the clear, bright moon.
He couldn't sleep.
It had been over a month since he had arrived in this world. He had gone from initial anxiety and disorientation to acceptance and understanding; it had been a long process.
He was gradually discovering that this world wasn't so bad after all.
He had incredible talent, a built-in system, a teacher who looked out for him... Fly felt as if he had been given the treatment of a novel's protagonist.
He stared at the clear, moonlit sky, becoming lost in thought.
"Fly." A soft voice came from behind him.
He turned his head to see the weary figure of Dean Sterling standing quietly behind him.
"Vic?" Fly said.
Dean Sterling smiled faintly and nodded. "Still not asleep at this hour?"
"Yeah. Just wanted to watch the moon for a bit," Fly replied.
"Your opponent for tomorrow's tournament has been decided. It's 'Emperor' Valerius," the Dean said, walking to his side and placing a hand on his shoulder, his tone serious.
"Is it him? What a coincidence," Fly murmured, his eyes still on the moon, as if talking to himself.
"It's no coincidence. It's..." Dean Sterling suddenly paused, then forced a smile. "There are some things I can't explain in detail, but... in any case, be very careful in your match tomorrow."
"Mm, I understand," Fly replied.
Seeing his nonchalant attitude, the Dean's tone grew heavier. "Fly, you don't understand. 'Emperor' Valerius didn't show his full strength today. He's a 'Twin-souled' Beast Warrior. His other Beast Totem is..."
What Dean Sterling said next made the expression on Fly's face change dramatically.