"Perfect Affinity?"
Inside the office of the Dean of Freshman Year at Star City High, the three teachersâDean Sterling, Mr. Ironside, and Mr. Carterâwere engaged in a heated discussion centered around Fly.
"Dean Sterling, are you saying that Fly has Perfect Affinity?!" Mr. Carter was visibly agitated, his excitement not only startling the Dean but also seemingly taking the perpetually gruff Mr. Ironside by surprise.
Theoretically, when a person absorbs the power of a Totem Beast and becomes a Beast Warrior, their body undergoes a brief "rejection period." Much like an organ transplant, the sudden infusion of foreign power agitates the body's immune system, causing a temporary state of discomfort.
Therefore, a warrior who has just absorbed a totem's power needs a period of time to adapt to this new energy. Depending on the warrior's innate talent, this could take anywhere from a few days to several months.
But a warrior with "Perfect Affinity" experiences no such rejection period at all. They can perfectly adapt to the power of their Beast Totem, and can even unlock its latent potential in an extremely short amount of time.
As far as Mr. Carter knew, a "Perfect Affinity" was a one-in-a-million trait among Beast Warriors. It was a gift one could only dream of encountering.
For Dean Sterling to say that Fly had Perfect Affinity was to say that Fly was a one-in-a-million genius Beast Warrior.
"My heavens!" Mr. Carter couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. Seven years had passed since he first started teaching at Star City High. As the city's top academy, it attracted the most gifted young prodigies every single year.
Even so, the number of "Perfect Affinity" warriors who had graduated from Star City High could be counted on one hand.
In the past, Mr. Carter had only ever read about warriors with Perfect Affinity in news reports or academic literature; he had never seen one in real life.
And now, not only had he met one in the flesh, but this person was his very own student. How could he not be ecstatic?
"Wait a minute, Dean. What makes you so sure that Fly has 'Perfect Affinity'?" Mr. Ironside, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up, his tone laced with disbelief and resentment.
If Fly were just an ordinary, slightly talented student, that would be one thing. After all, defeating Jett so quickly and touching Dean Sterling within the time limit of an hourglass was incredibly difficult, but not entirely impossible for a rare prodigyâespecially since the Dean had barely used any of his real power.
But once Fly was labeled with the "Perfect Affinity" tag, the situation changed entirely.
He would become the undisputed star of this year's class, a living achievement that would enrich the résumés of the school's leadership. Countless resources and attention would be poured into him. And as Fly's homeroom teacher, Mr. Carter would get to bask in the reflected glory, which meant he would once again have one-up on him.
It just went to show, even among the talented, there were levels to this game.
Hearing this, Dean Sterling just smiled faintly. "Mr. Ironside, please, think back carefully to Fly's battle today. Did he not utilize the cockroach's keen senses and incredible speed? And also..."
"Yes, so what aboutâ" Mr. Ironside stopped mid-sentence, a look of sudden realization dawning on his face. "You're talking about his final attack?"
"Precisely," Dean Sterling nodded slowly. "In that instant, his body seemed to have been 'flattened,' which is how he was able to slip through the barrier of my Voltaic Gaol and attack me directly."
"But..." Mr. Ironside opened his mouth as if to argue, but then simply clicked his tongue and shut it again.
Dean Sterling continued, "That move caught even me by surprise, let alone you two. It's almost unheard of for a first-year student, who has only had his Totem Beast for a few days, to possess such incredible adaptability."
He paused. "It's one of the cockroach's innate traitsâbody compression. A cockroach can compress its body to an extreme degree, sometimes down to just 1.5 millimeters, to squeeze through tiny crevices. It's one of the reasons they are so rampant. And this boy, Fly, mastered this trait only a few days after obtaining his cockroach totem. You must understand, the human skeleton is not like a cockroach's exoskeleton; it is extremely difficult to compress. An ordinary Beast Warrior would have to spend an untold amount of time practicing to master such a trait. For Fly to have grasped it so quickly... if he doesn't have 'Perfect Affinity,' is there any other explanation?"
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"Ah?" Mr. Ironside was stunned again. He opened his mouth to retort but couldn't find the words.
Although the Dean had already declared Fly a one-in-a-million talent, a small part of him had clung to a sliver of hope.
What if?
What if the Dean was mistaken?
But faced with that analysis, Mr. Ironside was left without a counterargument.
He was right. To be able to master so many of one's Beast Totem's traits in such a short time... aside from the legendary "Perfect Affinity," was there any other plausible explanation?
When you have eliminated all other possibilities, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
For a moment, none of the three teachers in the office could hide the excitement on their faces.
"GOOD!" Mr. Ironside suddenly roared, then turned and bolted out of the office without a second glance. If Fly had been there, he would have marveled:
That guy runs faster than Usain Bolt from my past life!
"What's... what's with him?" Mr. Carter stared after the departing teacher, completely baffled. Then, as if realizing something, he shouted, "Ironside, you scoundrel, don't you run! Wait for me!" and dashed out of the room as well.
Dean Sterling shook his head with a resigned sigh, rubbing his forehead. "Those two..." He then stood up and walked out of the office, heading in the same direction.
...
In the school infirmary, Fly was lying in bed, recuperating. His test against Dean Sterling had left him with some injuries. While the Dean had held back and they weren't severe, the school medic had advised him to stay and rest.
"FLYâ!" Accompanied by a booming voice that rang like a great bell, the door to his room was suddenly thrown open. Mr. Ironside stood panting in the doorway, his eyes locked on Fly, filled with an irrepressible excitement.
So, it begins.
Good.
Fly sat up, eyeing Mr. Ironside warily. "Mr. Ironside," he said coolly, "you've already seen my Skill. What brings you here now? The matter with Jett was a proper duel that he initiated. He lost because his skills were inferior. I suggest you advise him to train harder."
In the novels I used to read, this is how the protagonist always puts the antagonist in their place.
Then the antagonist would start mocking the protagonist, maybe even start a fight.
It's the classic routine: beat up the kid, and his big brother shows up.
But just as Fly braced for Mr. Ironside to lose his temper and attack, the man took three long strides to his bedside and grabbed his hand.
"Do you want to transfer to my class?"
"Huh?" Now it was Fly's turn to be stunned.
"I'll make you the class president!"
"Uhh..."
Before Fly could even think of a response, Mr. Ironside continued, "And I'll cover all of your living expenses from now on!"
"I...???" Fly's composure completely shattered.
My god, what happened to the 'big brother shows up for revenge' plotline?
This isn't how the script is supposed to go!
Where did all your arrogant bluster from before go?
BANG!
Just then, Mr. Carter arrived. He shoved Mr. Ironside aside and bellowed, "Ironside, you have no shame! What do you think you're doing, trying to poach my student?"
"You think you can steal a student from my class with an offer like that? Dream on!"
"Fly is in my class, and no one is taking him away!"
Then, Mr. Carter turned to Fly. "Fly, you just stay put in my class. You don't have to go anywhere. If you need anything, just ask me. I can give you anything he can!"
Shoved aside by the sudden arrival, Mr. Ironside was momentarily dazed. As he came to his senses, he immediately lunged back at Mr. Carter to argue.
"Carter, what gives you the right to call him your student? It's the first day of school, we haven't even had a single class yet!"
"He was assigned to my class, so he is my student! You can like it or lump it!"
"Why you...!"
And just like that, the two teachers started bickering, which quickly devolved into a full-blown scuffle.
A passing nurse finally had enough. "Gentlemen," she chided, "the infirmary is a place for quiet recovery. If you must fight, please take it outside. Do not disturb the patients!"
Hearing this, the two immediately separated.
Mr. Ironside, panting, said, "Carter, if you've got the guts, let's take this outside. We have a lot to discuss."
"You're on! You think I'm afraid of you? Let's settle all our scores, new and old!" Mr. Carter shot back, not yielding an inch.
The two men stormed out, still grabbing at each other and hurling insults. Fly, sitting on the bed, could only stare in stunned silence.
"After all these years, they're still so energetic."
Fly whipped his head around at the sound of the voice. Dean Sterling had appeared by his bedside at some point and was now watching the two departing teachers with a nostalgic look on his face.
Seeing Fly turn to him, the Dean smiled. "Did they startle you? How is your recovery coming along?"
"Much better, Dean Sterling."
"What's with the 'Dean Sterling'?" the Dean said with a playful tone of reproach. "Just call me Victor. There's no need for such formality between us."
Fly almost got goosebumps.
What is wrong with these teachers today?
"Alright... Victor," he quickly corrected himself. Dean Sterling was the head of his year; being on good terms with him would surely lead to more resources and benefits down the line.
"There we go," the Dean nodded in satisfaction.
"Fly, you must be wondering why Mr. Carter and Mr. Ironside were so desperately trying to recruit you, right?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "It's because the final class assignments haven't been confirmed yet."
"Not confirmed?"
"That's right. What we have now are just preliminary assignments. The official classes will be formed after the 'Power Assessment Test' next week. I can let you in on a little secret: this year, we plan to establish a 'Rocket Class.' We'll be gathering the most elite students from the entire year into a single class for small-group, intensive instruction."
A Rocket Class, huh? Looks like the Power Assessment Test is going to be a battlefield,
Fly thought.
"Keep up the good work, Fly. I have high hopes for you," Dean Sterling said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I will, Vic...tor," Fly replied, the name still feeling awkward on his tongue.
"Ah, 'Victor' still sounds a bit too formal," the Dean laughed. "Why don't you just call me Vic?"
"Uhh... V... Vic."