Choosing Genevieve to compete was understandable. After all, she had ranked in the top three of both the entrance exams and the Power Assessment Test, and was the only student besides Fly and 'Emperor' Valerius to have destroyed the test robot. Her participation in this Freshman Invitational was perfectly justified.

  But Jett...

  If he recalled correctly, Jett hadn't even broken into the top five in this Power Assessment Test.

  Although his Beast Totem was a Primal Species, the Spinosaurus wasn't considered a particularly strong one among them.

  "Our school should have other freshmen who are stronger than Jett, right?" 'Emperor' Valerius couldn't help but complain.

  "About that..." Dean Sterling hesitated.

  From a purely strength-based perspective, Jett indeed shouldn't be participating in this Freshman Invitational.

  But...

  "Jett's father has already agreed to be the advertising sponsor for this Freshman Invitational. The condition is that Jett must be on the team."

  "You understand. This was a decision from the city level; it's more or less set in stone. The sponsorship sum is massive, and all parties are very satisfied. Star City High also gets a cut from it, so..."

  "That's the situation. Jett will likely be the team's weak link," Dean Sterling said, his expression serious.

  On this team, Jett's combat power was the weakest, and he was the biggest variable. This meant that Fly, 'Emperor' Valerius, and Genevieve could not afford any slip-ups.

  It was a four-on-four, best-of-three-wins format. As long as the first three could win their matches and secure the victory, then Jett's loss wouldn't matter.

  But if even one of the top three had a problem, the outcome of this Freshman Invitational would become dangerously uncertain.

  "Also, our Star City High has held the first-place title in this competition for many years in a row," Dean Sterling added with a smile.

  "That damned Jett!"

  'Emperor' Valerius slammed his good left fist onto the desk.

  In 'Emperor' Valerius's eyes, winning the Freshman Invitational was the most important thing. This kind of backdoor dealing by Jett could seriously weaken the team. How could he not be furious?

  "Oh, right. Jett's father also said that if we need anything during the Freshman Invitational, just ask. Materials, money... he'll provide it all," Dean Sterling added.

  Fly's eyes immediately lit up. He sat up straight and said with the utmost seriousness, "Vic, leave Young Master Jett to me! I'll take good care of him!"

  'Emperor' Valerius: "???"

  He stared at Fly, completely baffled, a thousand question marks floating over his head.

  "'Mr. Fly, please, maintain some composure and dignity," 'Emperor' Valerius coughed lightly, reminding him curtly.

  "It's easy for you to talk when you're not the one paying the bills," Fly retorted, shooting Valerius a look.

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  "If you're so high and mighty, how about this: if we win, you can give me all your prize money," Fly said, his tone deliberately provocative.

  "In your dreams!" 'Emperor' Valerius glared at him, snarling.

  He hadn't been fooled by the taunt.

  Give my prize money to you? Hmph! That's not about money! That's about honor!

  'Emperor' Valerius certainly didn't care about the cash. In fact, from childhood, he had saved every cent of prize money he'd ever won, storing it away with his trophies and certificates, never spending a bit. In his view, prize money wasn't just cash; it was proof of his accolades.

  "So, when does the money from Jett's family arrive?" Fly asked, ignoring Valerius's murderous glare and turning directly to Dean Sterling.

  "Don't be so impatient. The competition hasn't even started. The sponsorship money won't arrive that quickly," Dean Sterling replied.

  He actually understood Fly's situation perfectly. The path of a Beast Warrior was paved with money. Sometimes, he also felt it was a pity that Fly, with all his talent, hadn't been born into a wealthy family.

  "Don't worry, Fly. The second the funds arrive, I'll be the first to let you know."

  With that, Dean Sterling took two forms from his desk drawer and handed them to Fly and 'Emperor' Valerius.

  "Fill these out. They're the contestant information forms for the Freshman Invitational."

  For inter-school invitationals, while weaker students weren't typically chosen, it wasn't uncommon for students like Jett—who had family resources but lacked the ranking—to appear.

  How did the school handle this?

  The school would distribute these information forms to the top-ranking students, collect data on potential contestants, and then have the school leadership "review" them.

  This way, even if a higher-ranking student was kicked off the team, the school had a ready-made excuse.

  'While your scores are high, so-and-so's (the one whose family paid up) Beast Totem is a better strategic fit for this competition. Based on team composition needs, we feel he is the more suitable choice.'

  Yes, team composition. Absolutely no backdoor deals.

  Absolutely... no backdoor deals!

  "Okay." Fly and 'Emperor' Valerius both took the forms and filled them out. After a few more simple instructions, Dean Sterling sent them on their way.

  Fly spent the rest of the morning in class. It was his first real day of classes since enrolling, and it was much like his previous life, just with the subjects swapped out for Martial Studies.

  At lunch, it was the same old story. Fans swarmed Fly, all fighting to get a glimpse of the school's star, taking videos to post on social media to boost their own followers.

  Leo was the most enthusiastic of all, always managing to squeeze his way to the front, almost like he was angling to be Fly's new sidekick, insisting on paying for his lunch.

  How could Fly refuse such a sincere offer? It was a perfect opportunity to save some money from his meager budget.

  While they ate, Fly also gave Leo some pointers on his martial cultivation. Leo nodded repeatedly, clearly finding the advice useful.

  Time passed, and afternoon arrived.

  Usually, the afternoons were scheduled for practical combat classes.

  Star City High's practicals were held with two classes at a time, and Class Two's partner was Class Five—'Emperor' Valerius's class.

  For new freshmen who had just become Beast Warriors, the practical combat class was highly anticipated.

  Fly was also curious about the format. Would they pair off and spar?

  However, perhaps because it was the first class, or for some other reason, the instructor began by lecturing on theory.

  "More theory!" some students complained. "We had enough theory in the classroom this morning."

  But most students still listened attentively, taking diligent notes.

  After twenty-odd minutes, the instructor finally told everyone to enter their Inner Realm and put the theory into practice.

  Just then, Dean Sterling approached from a distance, a smile on his face.

  "Hi, Fly! Saw you were in your practical class, so I came to check on your training progress," he said cheerfully.

  'Emperor' Valerius was right behind him, clearly there for the same reason.

  "What's going on? Count me in!" Leo saw the Dean and Valerius gathering around Fly and eagerly came over to join the fun.

  "Oh, nothing much. Dean Sterling and Mr. Valerius just want to see my latest training progress," Fly explained to Leo with a smile. "Want to 'tour' the demonstration, too?"

  The moment Fly used the word 'tour,' a mischievous smile flickered across Dean Sterling's face.

  "Yeah!" Leo nodded eagerly, his voice filled with excitement. As Fly's biggest fan, he wasn't going to miss a chance to observe him up close.

  Seeing this, Dean Sterling couldn't help but shake his head. This kid, Leo, he's walking right into the trap.

  "Of course, the 'tour' isn't free. I'll just charge you a fifty-credit ticket," Fly said, his lips curling into a miserly grin, the very picture of plucking a feather from a passing goose.

  Dean Sterling: "???"

  'Emperor' Valerius: "???"

  "Wait a minute, why does he only pay fifty when we had to pay five hundred?!" Dean Sterling couldn't help but protest.

  "Exactly! Why was it five hundred for us? This is robbery!" even the usually aloof 'Emperor' Valerius complained.

  "Do you really think Leo can just pull out five hundred credits like you two?" Fly said, pointing at Leo, his voice full of righteous indignation.

  Dean Sterling is a teacher at a top high school and does private tutoring for rich families like Jett's. He's definitely not short on cash.

  And 'Emperor' Valerius? The second young master of the Tarantino family? Is he going to miss 500 credits?

  Leo's from an ordinary family. A symbolic fee is enough.

  "Besides, Vic, my dear friend Valerius," Fly cleared his throat, "the Freshman Invitational is coming up. We're a team, aren't we? If I put on a dazzling show at the competition, you'll look good too, right?"

  "So, pay up," Fly said 'wickedly'.

  He took out his campus card, ready for them to transfer the money.

  "Urgh, fine, okay." Hearing Fly's 'irrefutable' logic, Dean Sterling shook his head, defeated.

  As Fly said, if he performed well at the Freshman Invitational, he, as the Dean of the year, would also share in the glory.

  The money was secondary.

  His performance metrics were what really mattered.

  And if his performance metrics were good, would he have to worry about money?

  With that thought, the Dean paid up readily.

  'Emperor' Valerius, though inwardly annoyed, was far too proud to haggle over 500 credits.

  He just shot Fly a murderous glare as he paid.

  Fly thought, shaking his head.

  Leo, though not fully grasping the situation, saw that both the Dean and 'Emperor' Valerius had paid, so he obediently paid his fee as well.

  Fly glanced at his campus card balance with satisfaction, then finally took out his Beast Totem card and invited them into his Inner Realm.

  The three of them took out their own cards and accepted. A faint light flashed, and the scenery around them blurred, then faded to black.

  When they opened their eyes again, they had arrived in Fly's Inner Realm.

  "This is your Inner Realm?"

  'Emperor' Valerius looked around the completely empty, void-like space and said with disgust.