Although Concord High was a well-known Martial Academy in Star City, in Dean Sterling's eyes, it lacked both a strong faculty and sufficient cultivation resources.

  Not a single one of the top ten middle school graduates in Star City had chosen Concord High.

  While it was listed as one of the "Star City Big Four" and participated in the Freshman Invitational every year, like Merit Academy, it was mostly there to make up the numbers. They rarely achieved anything significant.

  In lucky years, they might draw Merit Academy in the pre-match lottery, allowing them to reach the finals and secure second place.

  But more often than not, Concord High and Merit Academy were just two peas in a pod of mediocrity.

  Watching Ironpeak Academy eliminate Concord High so effortlessly, Dean Sterling wasn't the least bit surprised.

  "Jett will go first, followed by Valerius, then Genevieve, and finally Fly."

  Dean Sterling arranged their order from weakest to strongest. This way, every freshman would have a chance to fight.

  Originally, based on ranking, 'Emperor' Valerius should have been stronger than Genevieve. However, his hand injury had not yet healed, so the Dean placed him after Jett, in the second position.

  'Emperor' Valerius already had a strong desire to perform on stage, so he naturally had no objections to this arrangement.

  Of course...

  In Dean Sterling's mind, this lineup wasn't just about giving everyone a chance to shine.

  More importantly, it was about accumulating practical combat experience for the team.

  The Freshman Invitational was just the beginning, not the end.

  Fly and the others would undoubtedly participate in various inter-school competitions throughout their high school years.

  Gathering as much practical experience as possible would certainly do them no harm.

  After all, the true measure of a Beast Warrior's strength was actual combat.

  A low-level Beast Warrior who trained hard and was battle-hardened might not necessarily lose to a high-level Beast Warrior who was pampered and slack. (Provided, of course, that the difference in their levels wasn't too extreme.)

  "Yes!" Hearing Dean Sterling's arrangement, Jett clenched his fist in excitement. He had been itching for a chance to show what he could do.

  Although he knew perfectly well that he was the weakest Beast Warrior on this team, he didn't care.

  Just having the opportunity to step onto the stage was enough to satisfy him.

  "Good luck. It's all on you," Fly said, patting Jett on the shoulder. Then, he went to the vending machine, bought a can of coffee, sat down on the sofa in the rest area, and turned his attention to the broadcast screen, ready to watch Jett's match.

  After a brief exchange with Dean Sterling and his teammates, Jett strode out of the competitor's rest area and onto the arena stage.

  The commentator, Jude, 's voice echoed over the broadcast system.

  "The first contestant for Star City High is... Jett!"

  "He ranked eleventh in the Star City High entrance exams."

  "His performance in the subsequent freshman Power Assessment Test was also quite impressive."

  "Moreover, with his robust build and tough appearance, he clearly has a solid foundation from years of martial arts training."

  "Furthermore, he passed a fierce internal competition to secure his spot representing Star City High in the Freshman Invitational. He is truly the elite of the elite!"

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  "I'm sure he will be a seeded candidate for one of The Tulip League's Eight Elite Universities in the future!"

  Jude introduced Jett with overflowing enthusiasm, quickly heating up the atmosphere in the stadium.

  The other commentator, Leah, picked up on the cue perfectly. "Let's look forward to Jett's performance! I wonder what kind of extraordinary strength he will display?"

  Hearing such fervent praise from the commentators, even Jett on the stage couldn't help but blush slightly.

  But he couldn't really blame the commentators. Jett's father was the biggest sponsor of this Freshman Invitational.

  In other words, he was the "sugar daddy" of the event. The organizers and staff, from top to bottom, had all benefited from Jett's father's generosity. It wasn't surprising that they would throw in a few extra compliments when Jett took the stage.

  On the other side of the arena, the first contestant from Ironpeak Academy walked out of the preparation tunnel and onto the stage.

  "The first contestant for Ironpeak Academy is Hank."

  "In the previous match against Concord High, he was also the first to fight. He single-handedly defeated the first two contestants from Concord High. His strength is truly remarkable!" Leah commented.

  "That's right!" Jude added. "And when facing Concord High's third contestant, Hank nearly secured a victory there as well."

  "Although he ultimately lost with regret, he successfully inflicted heavy damage on the third opponent, laying the foundation for his teammates' victory!"

  "I wonder what kind of sparks will fly when he faces Star City High's Jett this time?"

  On the stage.

  Following the instructions of the referee, Carlos, Hank walked to the center of the ring to shake hands with Jett.

  "So you're that Jett?" Hank smirked, a look of contempt on his face. "The trash who got taken out by Fly on the very first day of school?"

  "You bastard..." Jett clenched his fist, glaring fiercely at Hank.

  Jett was a proud person by nature. He was only polite and amiable with Fly and 'Emperor' Valerius because their strength had thoroughly convinced him. But deep in his bones, he was still the proud, fearless Jett.

  His attention had always been focused on those ranked above him. He had no memory of anyone named Hank.

  In other words, this Hank had never once ranked ahead of him.

  Jett thought.

  "You think you're worthy?" Jett reverted to his usual haughty demeanor.

  It was one thing to be humble before Fly and 'Emperor' Valerius, but a guy with this level of strength? What right did he have to show off in front of him?

  Hank hadn't expected this reaction from Jett, and his expression froze for a moment.

  But soon, he laughed again.

  "The Star City High of the past might have been the strongest Martial Academy in Star City, but this year is different!"

  "This year, our Ironpeak Academy has poured in massive amounts of funding and resources. Plus, we have a super-genius like Big Brother Gideon King holding down the fort..."

  "The title of 'Star City's Strongest Martial Academy' is about to change hands!"

  As Hank spoke, he manifested his Beast Totem.

  With a faint flash of light, the mirage of a massive white rhinoceros appeared behind him.

  But the horn of this white rhino wasn't the usual pure white or greyish-yellow. Instead, it was jet-black.

  Jett looked closer and saw that the black rhino horn even glinted with a subtle metallic sheen.

  "Artificially induced mutation... a Mythical Species?" Jett's expression changed slightly.

  If even an ordinary team member received such treatment, it seemed Ironpeak Academy had truly spared no expense for this competition.

  But Jett's surprise lasted only an instant. "You want to beat us? Go home and dream on! You can have anything in your dreams!"

  The moment his words fell, Jett immediately manifested his own Beast Totem.

  ROOOOAR!

  A deafening roar echoed through the entire stadium.

  With a flash of light, the mirage of a Spinosaurus appeared behind Jett.

  Although Hank's rhino mirage was a full two meters tall, it paled in comparison to the Spinosaurus mirage, which loomed like a small truck.

  "Heh heh, bring it on!" Seeing Jett reveal his Spinosaurus totem, Hank showed no fear. "Let's see just how much weight the 'gatekeeper' of Star City High really carries!"

  "Take this!"

  Hank let out a low growl and charged wildly at Jett.

  "Let me show you just how big the gap between us really is!"

  Faced with Hank's proactive attack, a smile appeared on Jett's lips.

  "Skill—Tailbone Hammer!"

  Jett spun around rapidly. A phantom tail covered in bone spikes materialized behind him. With a sound of tearing wind, it smashed ruthlessly towards Hank.

  BAM!

  "Argh!"

  With a dull thud and a miserable scream, Hank was sent flying heavily through the air. He crashed onto the ground and rolled over ten times before finally coming to a stop.

  "D-damn it..." Hank struggled to get up, but a trickle of blood flowed slowly from the corner of his mouth. Clearly, that single blow had caused him significant injury.

  Before Hank could stand again, Jett was already charging. A phantom dinosaur head had materialized, its bloody maw gaping wide. It aimed straight for Hank's shoulder and bit down viciously!

  "Skill: Furious Bite!"

  Seeing the terrifying dinosaur head closing in, Hank's pupils constricted. He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to dodge, but his injured body refused to obey his commands.

  Squelch!

  The sound of tearing muscle rang out. Under the terrifying bite force of the Spinosaurus, a chunk of flesh was ripped clean off Hank's shoulder, the wound deep enough to expose white bone.

  Blood sprayed into the air!

  A scream of shock erupted from the audience.

  It was a scream of pure, frenzied excitement!