The battle between Fly and Jett quickly became the hottest topic of discussion among the students of Star City High. Countless onlookers had pulled out their phones to record the event, and it didnât take long for related threads to shoot to the top of the campus networkâs trending list.
As soon as Fly's homeroom teacher, Mr. Carter, heard the news, he immediately dropped what he was doing and strode towards the cafeteria entrance with purposeful urgency.
He never would have expected Jett to challenge Fly. It was, after all, only the first day of school. The new students had just received their Totem Beasts and had a million other things to worry about. Typically, freshmen wouldn't be challenging each other at this stage.
What shocked Mr. Carter even more was that Fly had actually accepted the challenge.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, he thought.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, he thought.
Mr. Carter knew of Jett. The boy had trained in martial arts since he was young and had even received a rare Primal Species Totem Beast from his parents. His entrance ranking of eleventh wasn't a true reflection of his combat prowess; rather, it was his academic scores that had dragged him down.
Mr. Carter had always felt a pang of regret that such a gifted student hadn't been assigned to his class.
So, when he learned that Fly had accepted Jett's challenge, he had nearly jumped out of his skin. While Flyâs own entrance score put him at seventh in the year, he had chosen a cockroach as his Totem Beast. A cockroach versus a dinosaur... Mr. Carter could already vividly picture Fly getting mercilessly beaten to a pulp.
Even though Fly had only just been assigned to his class, he was still one of his students. The thought of his student being thrashed by someone from another class made Mr. Carter feel a little protective.
But maybe this is for the best, he mused. Perhaps this will force Fly to recognize the shortcomings of insect-type Totem Beasts. He might give up on the cockroach and choose something fiercer, something more powerful.
It was still early. A realization like this now could be course-corrected. If he waited too long, it would become a deeply ingrained habit, and changing his path would be nearly impossible.
As a top-ten student, Fly was guaranteed a bright future as long as he chose a normal Totem Beast and nurtured it properly. When he eventually got into a top-tier martial arts university, he, as his teacher, would also share in the glory.
A wide grin spread across Mr. Carter's face at the thought.
But a few minutes later, the result of the duel left him completely flabbergasted.
His boy, Fly, had actually won.
And it had been a complete and utter victory.
Theoretically, a cockroach Totem Beast, after only one day, shouldn't be this powerful, right?
Does this kid have some kind of secret?
No, as his homeroom teacher, I have to get to the bottom of this!
With that thought, Mr. Carter quickened his pace, continuing his rush towards the cafeteria.
"Flyâ! Where is Flyâ?!"
The moment he entered the cafeteria, Mr. Carter's roar boomed across the hall.
As a martial artist himself, his vocal power was on another level, easily overpowering the noisy chatter of the students.
The cafeteria instantly fell silent.
Students exchanged bewildered glances before their gazes collectively shifted towards a single corner.
Mr. Carter followed their line of sight and saw Fly, sitting in the corner, eating. Hearing the commotion, Fly quickly looked up, his mouth still half-full of rice, his eyes meeting Mr. Carter's.
Well, would you look at that, Mr. Carter thought. The kid's a school celebrity already. Everyone knows who he is.
"Mh... Mister Carter!"
Fly, not yet understanding what was happening, managed a muffled greeting through a mouthful of food upon seeing his teacher.
Mr. Carter crossed the distance in a few long strides and grabbed Fly by the wrist. "Come with me!"
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"Mr. Carter, what are you doing? I haven't even finished my meal!" Fly complained with an annoyed look.
He had been training his Skills all day, followed by a battle with Jett; he was so hungry he felt like his stomach was stuck to his back. And now his homeroom teacher was interrupting him. Couldn't a guy just eat in peace?
But a teacher was a teacher, and Fly had no intention of being labeled a troublemaker on his very first day.
He followed Mr. Carter to the homeroom teacher's office.
"Fly, what was all that about?" The moment they sat down, Mr. Carter put on a stern face. "How could you be so reckless as to accept Jett's challenge?"
"Sigh!" Fly feigned a look of distress. "I'd been training all day and my stomach was rumbling. I was just trying to get some food at the cafeteria, but then Jett cornered me and insisted on a duel. I was already annoyed that my meal was being delayed, and he was being so aggressive... so, we fought!"
He finished with a sigh, putting on an act of someone who had been reluctantly forced into a corner.
"Besides, was I supposed to be afraid of him?"
"The school encourages sparring among students. If I had avoided the fight, it would have been a small blow to my own reputation, but what if students from other classes started saying that your class, Mr. Carter, is full of cowards? What then?"
"And anyway... didn't I win?"
Mr. Carter was taken aback for a moment. He actually has a point. But he quickly regained his stern demeanor. "Be that as it may, you can't be so reckless next time. Your Totem Beast is a cockroach, which puts you at a disadvantage in a duel. I don't want to see my students getting hurt."
"Yes, sir!" Fly agreed readily, thinking to himself, This teacher seems a bit rough around the edges, but he actually cares about his students.
"Alright, let's put that aside for now," Mr. Carter sighed. "First, tell me, how did you defeat Jett?"
"Huh?" Fly's eyes widened, confused as to why his teacher would ask such a question.
"I'm not interrogating you, I'm just... puzzled," Mr. Carter explained. "You saw Jett's Skill, 'Aegis of the Stegosaur.' That's an extremely powerful defensive ability. Logically, even if you managed to trap him, you shouldn't have been able to break through his defense so easily. What did you..."
BANG!
Just then, the office door was violently shoved open, and two men walked in from outside.
One was built like an iron tower, with dark skin and slightly bulging templesâclearly a seasoned martial artist.
The other was of average height, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and appearing quite scholarly, but his slow, even breathing revealed that he was also a formidable individual.
"Mr. Ironside, Dean Sterling, what brings you here?" Mr. Carter's brow furrowed, his tone turning icy.
While there was a hint of respect when he addressed Dean Sterling, his voice dropped to a low growl when he said the name "Mr. Ironside." It was obvious the two of them did not get along.
Seeing this, Fly almost burst out laughing.
He had seen this "Mr. Ironside's" name in the Star City High admissions brochure before he had even enrolled. He had found it amusing back then, wondering who would have such a strange name.
Now, seeing the man in person, Fly couldn't help but marvel. A man true to his name! This 'Mr. Ironside' really is a black iron tower!
As for the Dean, Fly knew of him as well.
His full name was Dean Sterling. In his own student days, he had been a prodigy at Star City High, graduating with honors and enrolling in a top martial arts university. Now, as the esteemed Dean of the freshman year, his power was a cut above the other homeroom teachers.
Mr. Ironside, however, ignored Mr. Carter's cold greeting. He stormed over to the desk, slammed his hand down, and bellowed, "Carter, you let your student publicly humiliate mine! Don't you think you've gone too far? You'd better give me an explanation, today!"
It was only then that Mr. Ironside noticed the student standing beside Mr. Carter.
He turned his head, squinting as he looked Fly up and down with malicious intent. "So, you're the Fly who injured my student, Jett?"
"I..." Fly was about to speak when Mr. Carter pulled him back.
An extraordinary aura erupted from Mr. Carter. Though he was still seated, his presence was in no way weaker than the aggressive, vein-popping Mr. Ironside who loomed over him.
"Sparring among students is permitted by the school. Furthermore, it was your student, Jett, who initiated this. He was defeated because his skills were inferior. What more is there to say!"
Then, Mr. Carter turned his gaze to Dean Sterling. "Dean Sterling, are you also here to condemn my student? Fly and Jett are both under your charge. Why would you favor one over the other? Is it because of Jett's family background?"
Fly watched the scene unfold, marveling inwardly. I never thought Mr. Carter was so protective. He's willing to offend the Dean for his own student.
But he's also a cunning old fox, Fly noted. With one sentence, he dragged the Dean into the conflict, so he can't just stand by and watch the show. Not only that, he set a trap for him, pre-emptively accusing him of favoritism based on family status. Now, even if the Dean came here to punish me, he can't say so directly.
An accusation like that, if mishandled, could turn into a public relations nightmare.
"You misunderstand, Mr. Carter," Dean Sterling pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I'm simply here to see young Fly."
The Dean continued, "Jett's family once hired me as his private tutor, so I have a fairly good understanding of his abilities."
"Which is why I'm so curious as to what method Fly's 'cockroach' used to break through the defense of Jett's 'Spinosaurus' and its 'Aegis of the Stegosaur' Skill."
"You must be Fly, correct?" Dean Sterling turned his attention to him. "Hello. I am Dean Sterling, your freshman year dean. Would you be willing to show me the Skill you used to break Jett's defense? Don't worry, you can use it directly on me. Think of it as a small test."
Mr. Carter's brows immediately knitted together. He never would have imagined the Dean would make such a request.
This was tantamount to a direct duel with Fly!
How could a first-year student who had just received his Totem Beast possibly be a match for the highly experienced Dean?
But Dean Sterling was, after all, Fly's dean. A blunt refusal could negatively impact Fly's future academic career.
If it were just a light spar, facing a stronger opponent could be highly beneficial for a freshman.
But... what if the Dean used this as an excuse to get back at him for Jett, to intentionally suppress Fly?
After all, the Dean had once been Jett's private tutor.
Should he agree to this request, or not?
Mr. Carter's mind was a battlefield of indecision.