After hearing Hale speak, Lan initially intended to stay out of the matter, knowing that a new recruit clashing with an admissions officer would likely end poorly for the newcomer. However, to his surprise, their admissions officer, Nora, also chimed in, expressing disbelief that Charles could possibly kill a Level 5 Beast Master with only Level 3 Beast Master strength.
Lan looked up at Nora, feeling emboldened. He spoke up, “Teacher Hale, who would believe that a Level 3 Beast Master could slay a Level 5 Beast Master?”
Hale ignored Lan, turning to Nora instead, his brow furrowing as he said, “Can you just take a break for a moment?”
Nora rolled her eyes and didn’t respond to Hale. Instead, she looked around and asked, “Where’s Charles? I’d really like to meet the student who could kill a Level 5 Beast Master.”
“Yeah, we’re all curious to see what kind of genius can cross two levels of Beast Master to defeat an opponent!” Lan added eagerly.
Charles stepped forward, first greeting Hale, then, without sparing a glance for anyone else, he led Catherine to the elevator, waiting for it to arrive.
Nora was well aware that Hale’s group consisted of four new recruits—two males and two females. Jace was already spotted, leaving only Charles unaccounted for.
She hadn’t expected Charles to greet only Hale and ignore her entirely, prompting her to sarcastically remark, “No wonder you’re a genius who can kill a Level 5 Beast Master; you’re so arrogant.”
Beside them, Lan quickly interjected, “Teacher Nora, I don’t think he’s arrogant; he’s just insecure, afraid that people will discover it’s all a lie!”
Not only Jace, but even Catherine felt uncomfortable and glared at Lan, asking, “Are you really that strong?”
“What a joke! I was the top scorer in the Riston assessment, with all three of my mystical beasts at Gold quality!” Lan couldn’t help but boast. In Riston, he was indeed the strongest Level 3 Beast Master!
At twenty years old, being a Level 3 Beast Master with three Gold-quality mystical beasts was enough to make anyone proud.
“You’re that strong? Care for a match?” Catherine said, revealing her four six-pointed star formations.
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“One, two, three, four—oh my gosh! Lan, she’s a Level 4 Beast Master!” exclaimed a tall, sturdy recruit, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
“A Level 4 Beast Master!” Lan gulped, his earlier bravado evaporating, replaced by retreat. He knew well that a Level 3 Beast Master stood no chance against a Level 4.
To defeat an opponent of a higher level required not just talent, but also superior combat skills and a resilient spirit. This was why he couldn’t believe that Charles could triumph over a Level 5 Beast Master with just Level 3 strength.
In Lan’s eyes, he wouldn’t even dare to dream of such a thing!
Nora, the admissions officer from Riston, wore a serious expression. As a Level 6 Beast Master, her judgment was sharper than that of the recruits. She could tell at a glance that Catherine was not just an ordinary Level 4 Beast Master but a peak Level 4, nearly reaching Level 5!
Initially, she believed that Hale was fiercely protecting the new recruits from a Level 6 Beast Master attack. She knew Hale’s strength; he was once hailed as the “Pride of the Wind,” not someone a typical Level 6 could contend with. When she heard Jace mention that Charles single-handedly killed three Level 5 Beast Masters, she instinctively thought he was exaggerating.
Now, it seemed somewhat credible, but Nora leaned more toward the idea that Catherine had held off one Level 5 Beast Master, buying time for Hale. As for the notion that Charles, at Level 3, could kill a Level 5, she dismissed it entirely.
“Let’s just forget it; it’s not like you killed a Level 5 Beast Master!” Lan thought for a moment; he had no desire to challenge a Level 4 Beast Master. If a fight were to happen, he would choose Charles, who was also a Level 3.
Lan continued to provoke, “What’s so impressive about letting a girl step in? Claiming to have killed a Level 5 Beast Master? To me, that just makes you a turtle hiding in its shell.”
Hearing someone insult Charles ignited fury in Catherine, and she almost charged at Lan to kick him.
Before Catherine could make a move, Charles, who had remained silent, reached out and gently held her back. His expression was calm as he spoke, “A weak person draws their blade against those weaker; a strong person draws their blade against the strong. A Beast Master who does not aspire to defeat opponents of higher rank will forever be a weakling.”
His words struck the entire group into silence, as if they were all deeply affected by this poignant statement.
After a moment, Hale and Catherine were the first to react. To them, this statement felt like a reflection of their own paths. For Catherine, the meaning of life lay in challenging the strong to become stronger herself.
“‘A weak person draws their blade against the weak; a strong person draws their blade against the strong!'” Jace repeated the phrase like a mantra, the desire to grow stronger burning brighter within him. He had once succumbed to fear and abandoned resistance in the face of three Level 5 Beast Masters.
After hearing these words, he vowed that if given another chance, he would never drop his weapon again.
“What’s with all this talk about strength and weakness? You’re just pretending to be profound! Spouting nonsense that no one understands—Charles, you’re just afraid of being exposed!” Lan couldn’t grasp the meaning of Charles’s statement and simply thought he was being mocked.
Nora’s gaze shifted, and the skepticism in her eyes lessened, replaced by a newfound respect for Charles.
To gain entry into Cyber Academy, candidates must reach Level 3 Beast Master status before the age of twenty, which is considered a sign of talent among the general populace. However, these requirements are just the basics.
Charles’s earlier statement perfectly encapsulated the academy’s deeper expectations: one must possess a heart that strives to become strong. Only then can they withstand challenges and progress further on the path of a Beast Master.
Nora thought of this while glancing at Lan, who was still provoking others, feeling a twinge of disappointment. Relying solely on talent meant that even if he entered Cyber Academy, he could easily be surpassed by others, ultimately leading to a breakdown and a mundane existence as a Beast Master.
She had initially believed that Lan’s top score in the Riston assessment indicated some strong mentality, but now it seemed otherwise.
“Does it really matter to you whether I killed a Level 5 Beast Master? What are you so afraid of?” Charles turned to face Lan, his gaze steady.
Lan, caught in Charles’s unwavering stare, instinctively looked away, but quickly realized that it made him seem weaker. Clenching his fists, he retorted, “Who’s afraid? I just can’t stand you lying!”
“No, you are afraid. Two Level 3 Beast Masters: one can slay a Beast Master while the other can only question others,” Charles replied slowly. “At the core, it’s fear of others being stronger than you, of being overshadowed.”
“That’s nonsense! You’re just talking nonsense!” Lan snapped, suddenly defensive as if Charles had struck a nerve.
Facing Catherine, a Level 4 Beast Master, Lan already felt vulnerable. All new recruits at Cyber Academy were under twenty, and even Catherine was still below that age, while he was twenty with only Level 3 status.
Before the other recruits arrived, Lan had basked in praise, his vanity swelling. Hearing about Charles’s supposed feat of slaying a Level 5 Beast Master, he couldn’t help but envision himself in that situation and concluded that he would have crumbled under pressure.
This is why Lan had been so sarcastic; he subconsciously tried to deceive himself, thinking, “If I can’t do it, then neither can anyone else! It must be a lie.”
“Jealousy and anxiety—if you don’t believe it, I’ll shatter all your illusions later,” Charles said flatly.
Catherine, remembering that Charles still needed to recuperate, quickly intervened, “Charles, teacher Hale said you need to rest; let’s not push it.”
Even Nora, the admissions officer from Riston, felt some concern—not for Charles, but for Lan. As one of her recruits, she didn’t want Lan to fall apart after a defeat.
Nora hadn’t even realized that, deep down, she had come to see Charles as a true genius.
“Here we go with the excuses again—claiming he’s still injured, just afraid!” Lan thought, feeling some hesitation from Charles’s earlier words. But upon hearing Catherine mention that Charles wasn’t fully recovered, his spirits lifted. In his view, this was just Charles’s excuse to avoid a fight.
Moreover, if Charles had truly fought a Level 5 Beast Master and was merely lucky to have survived, Lan saw an opportunity. He could defeat Charles while he was still weak and recovering! The idea that Charles could have taken down a Level 5 Beast Master never crossed his mind; if he couldn’t do it, then surely no one else could.
“Catherine, I’m fine. Are you worried he’ll hurt me?” Charles smiled lightly.
Catherine realized that even if Charles couldn’t fight at full strength, he was still not someone a Level 3 Beast Master could defeat.
“I accept your challenge,” Charles said, turning to Lan.
Lan’s expression lit up with excitement as he hurriedly said, “A Level 3 Beast Master…”
“No need to mention names; the name of the weak goes unnoticed,” Charles replied, turning to head toward the underground training ground.