Gavin raised his hand, signaling to the referee that he was surrendering and forfeiting the match.

  Seeing this, the referee, Carlos, strode quickly to the center of the stage. Through the microphone hooked over his ear, he announced the result to the entire stadium.

  "Star City High versus Merit Academy, Round One: Fly wins!"

  The stadium instantly erupted into an uproar.

  The audience had expected to see an exciting duel. Both contestants were top freshmen in Star City. Even if Gavin wasn't as strong as Fly, in the eyes of many spectators, he should have at least been able to last a few rounds, giving them a bit of a show and some visual excitement.

  But who could have guessed? The match was decided in a single exchange. Faced with the immense gap in strength, Gavin had chosen to surrender voluntarily.

  The commentator, Jude, gave an awkward laugh, trying to defend Gavin. "Injuries, and even lasting side effects, are common occurrences in Beast Warrior matches. Although medical technology is advanced enough to heal many injuries, the process consumes a vast amount of financial resources."

  "While the school will cover part of the costs for injured students, the remaining medical bills can be a significant burden for a student from an ordinary family like Gavin."

  "That single strike just now clearly showed him the gap between himself and Fly. Choosing to forfeit when he knows he's outmatched can be seen as a rational decision."

  "After all, this is just a friendly exchange match for freshmen, not a life-or-death battle."

  Jude, the commentator speaking, had also attended a Martial Academy high school in his youth. He, too, had once aspired to walk the path of a Beast Warrior. But later, after witnessing the insurmountable gap between himself and those students who possessed both talent and wealth, he began to understand that this world was not built for ordinary people like him.

  So, seeing Gavin knocked down in one hit and forced to forfeit, he couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy.

  "I have to say, this Fly student is truly a rare genius," the other commentator, Leah, chimed in.

  Upon seeing Fly's exceptional good looks and outstanding talent, she couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart. She only regretted being born in the wrong time.

  If she had been born a dozen years later, maybe she could have attended the same high school as Fly.

  Who knows what kind of sparks might have flown between them?

  "Indeed."

  "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, it would be hard to believe that a freshman who just became a Beast Warrior could unleash such tyrannical power."

  Jude nodded in agreement. "Yes, reality is often far more exciting than short videos. With AI being so advanced these days, there are plenty of fake videos out there. People have basically become immune to exaggerated clips. Before this, everyone might have known Fly was strong, but I doubt anyone expected him to be this strong. As the saying goes, 'Seeing is believing'!"

  He paused for a moment, then continued, "I'd even go so far as to say that if we put Fly directly into the senior year, his strength would likely still be among the top ranks."

  "It seems Star City High has given birth to another 'Lysander Thorne'!"

  As a genius Beast Warrior who had come out of Star City, Lysander Thorne was naturally a household name locally.

  In Fly, Jude even saw the shadow of Lysander Thorne.

  Jude shook his head slightly.

  It was hard to say.

  But as a veteran commentator who had witnessed both geniuses, in Jude's heart, Fly's monstrous talent was likely no less than Lysander Thorne's.

  "It seems that apart from Gideon King of Ironpeak Academy, there might be no one else in this Freshman Invitational who can match Fly," Jude took a deep breath and said slowly.

  Could Gideon King suppress Fly's momentum? Jude didn't know. But as things stood, Gideon King was the only contestant with a possibility.

  "Alright, let's turn our attention back to the arena. It seems there's a bit of an issue on the field."

  Leah noticed that the freshmen from Merit Academy seemed to be negotiating with the referee.

  A few minutes later, Carlos walked to the center of the stage and announced the result of the discussion to the audience.

  The next two freshmen scheduled to compete for Merit Academy had both announced their forfeiture.

  "Ah, this..." Hearing this result, Leah sucked in a cold breath.

  While she could understand the feelings of the Merit Academy freshmen—facing a monster like Fly, anyone would likely suffer—this was, after all, the Freshman Invitational, open to the public. Surrendering before the fight had even begun didn't look good.

  Sure enough, the already buzzing audience grew even louder. Spectators began shouting curses, venting their dissatisfaction.

  "What is this?! Surrendering before you even step out? Are you even Beast Warriors?"

  "Yeah! Do you have any dignity left as Beast Warriors?"

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "Do you know how much we paid for these tickets? Is this how you repay us?"

  "Refund! Refund!"

  ...

  Even the city government officials watching from the sidelines shook their heads gently.

  "It seems this year's freshmen from Merit Academy aren't quite up to par," one official remarked.

  Admitting defeat because you can't win is one thing; forfeiting without even fighting is another.

  The spirit of a warrior lies in the courage to fight, the necessity to fight, and the belief that

  Surrendering before the battle, even if the gap in strength was immense and the fear understandable, showed a lack of a heart that dared to be first.

  State of mind was key to a Beast Warrior's improvement. As one's level increased, the gap in mindset would become increasingly apparent.

  If a warrior had a heart that was content with the status quo, their strength might stagnate forever; those high-level warriors, however, always possessed a heart that dared to strive for the top.

  In the end, without a heart that desired to become stronger, one would never obtain powerful strength.

  "It looks like Merit Academy has chosen to throw in the towel..." Leah said listlessly. As a commentator, she naturally hoped to witness an exciting match; clearly, the actions of the Merit Academy freshmen had left her somewhat dissatisfied as well.

  "Wait," Jude interjected, " Merit Academy hasn't given up yet!"

  Leah turned to look at the broadcast screen and saw a freshman walking with determined steps from the rest area, slowly making his way onto the stage.

  "That's the captain of the Merit Academy team, Hugh!"

  "Truly, the anthem of humanity is the anthem of courage!"

  "Even after witnessing Fly's terrifying power, he still chooses to challenge him!"

  "Knowing it's impossible but doing it anyway; though thousands oppose me, I will go! This is the warrior spirit! This is the demeanor of a Beast Warrior!"

  "At this moment, victory or defeat is no longer important. Even if he loses the match, student Hugh's courage commands our respect!"

  Jude didn't mock Hugh for overestimating himself by choosing to fight at this time.

  On the contrary, in his eyes, Hugh at least had plenty of courage.

  That spirit alone put him far ahead of the others.

  Seeing Hugh choose to fight, a thunderous round of applause erupted from the audience.

  "Not bad. I didn't misjudge you," Fly nodded approvingly.

  He had thought that after he displayed his strength, the freshmen of Merit Academy would surrender collectively. He hadn't expected that Hugh, as the captain, would still dare to challenge him at a time like this.

  "Don't misunderstand..." Hugh shook his head gently. "To be honest, I really don't want to fight a 'monster' like you."

  "But, I have no choice... As the captain of Merit Academy, if I surrendered too, then our school... would lose too shamefully," Hugh sighed, smiling bitterly.

  He knew very well that although Merit Academy was listed as one of the "Star City Big Four," its hard power was far inferior to Star City High and Ironpeak Academy.

  If they surrendered without a fight in this highly publicized Freshman Invitational, losing so disgracefully, Merit Academy's reputation would likely suffer a major blow.

  Imagine, countless parents sent their children to Merit Academy hoping they would become outstanding Beast Warriors and make something of themselves!

  What would they think of the team's surrender?

  The four freshmen competing in the Freshman Invitational were the elite of Merit Academy. If even they were this cowardly and weak, it would reflect poorly on the entire school's culture...

  From then on, many parents would likely refuse to let their children choose Merit Academy. This would be a significant blow to the school's enrollment.

  Furthermore, the funding for each Martial Academy high school, apart from alumni donations, came largely from the city government's education grants.

  What would the city leaders think after seeing the Merit Academy freshmen surrender en masse?

  It was foreseeable that in the future, education grants for Merit Academy would visibly decrease.

  And in this world, cultivating outstanding Beast Warriors absolutely required the input of resources. With its funding cut, Merit Academy would likely never recover...

  As the captain of the Merit Academy team, Hugh absolutely did not want to see this happen.

  Besides that, Hugh also had a bit of his own selfish motivation...

  He knew very well that as a second-tier Martial Academy in Star City, Merit Academy was often looked down upon by students and parents from Star City High and Ironpeak Academy.

  Even his former middle school classmates had teased him at gatherings, asking why he went to a second-rate school like Merit Academy, calling it a waste of his talent!

  With his strength, he should have been fully capable of entering Ironpeak Academy or even Star City High.

  However, Hugh had his own calculations.

  If he had gone to Ironpeak Academy or Star City High, with his not-particularly-outstanding grades and talent, he would likely have just been an ordinary, unremarkable student.

  Coupled with his ordinary background and lack of family resources, once he entered the upper grades, the gap between him and his wealthy classmates would likely widen. In the end, he would only be able to enter an ordinary university.

  After graduating university, unable to enter The Martial Sanctum, he would have to find a regular job like an ordinary person and live out a mediocre life.

  But although Merit Academy wasn't as good as Star City High or Ironpeak Academy, the school administration had promised that once he enrolled, they would invest a large amount of resources to cultivate him carefully.

  Hugh had made his choice. He didn't regret it. On the contrary, he was grateful for Merit Academy's dedicated cultivation.

  Based on all these factors, even after witnessing Fly's power, even knowing he would lose, Hugh still chose to stand up resolutely and defend the dignity of Merit Academy!

  "A top genius like you must think my reasoning is laughable, right?"

  "Hahahaha..."

  After a burst of wild laughter, Hugh revealed his Beast Totem.

  With a flash of faint light, the mirage of a colossal saltwater crocodile appeared behind him.

  The crocodile mirage was fully six meters long, with a robust body, sharp claws, and a tail that looked thicker than Fly's waist.

  Most striking was its snout. It was long and slender, but the tip was bulbous, like a spoon. The teeth in its mouth weren't the sharp, conical teeth of a normal crocodile, but thick, massive cones.

  "A Sarcosuchus? A Primal Species?" Fly narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly.

  To become an excellent Beast Warrior, one naturally had to study the characteristics of various creatures.

  Fly recognized that the peculiar snout of this crocodile mirage belonged to the extinct prehistoric creature, the Sarcosuchus (SuperCroc), but its body wasn't as massive as a Sarcosuchus; it looked more like a modern saltwater crocodile.

  Fly thought to himself.

  He had read about similar cases in books.

  Primal Species and Mythical Species Beast Totems weren't always naturally occurring; some were the result of mutation.

  And these mutations could be natural or artificially induced.

  Mutations were often unpredictable; they could make the totem stronger or weaker. It was all about luck and character.

  The previously mentioned case of a Golden Seraph Dragon mutating into a big yellow dog was the prime example of a mutation weakening a totem.

  Artificially induced mutations, however, could to some extent select the direction of the mutation, achieving a degree of control.

  But this was still dangerous. Like surgery, even the most mature procedure carried risks. Therefore, Beast Warriors from great families rarely chose the path of mutation; it was a path for those with insufficient financial resources.

  As the saying goes:

  But Hugh's crocodile totem hadn't mutated completely. Only artificially induced mutations would leave such obvious patchwork marks.

  At this thought, Fly raised a sharp eyebrow.

  "Interesting."