Hiss, that spear was lightning-fast!
Such a swift thrust—like a bolt of lightning!
His attack speed rivals a wind-type Awakener, but isn't he supposed to be a lightning-type?
…
Watching the black-clad figure on the projection blast the Shadowcat beast apart in a flash of lightning, the teachers in the stands were stunned.
Fast. Precise. Ruthless.
That was their first impression of Astret.
Chen Fan, the homeroom teacher of Class 5, stared wide-eyed.
The school ran practical-combat classes, so he knew the fighting strength of most students.
Yet in those lessons Astret had been merely mediocre—nowhere near this level!
Damn, you hid it from me this long?
With spear-work like that, why not show it earlier? Had to wait for the college entrance exam to shock everyone.
But with that spear-play, even an E-rank ability can snag a decent score.
Chen Fan nodded. Looks like persuading him to skip the Martial Arts college entrance exam was unnecessary.
Strong Physique and superb spear technique, huh.
Principal Zhao Yao of No. 2 High School exhaled and shook his head. "What a pity."
"Yes, a real shame."
Zhang Wenshan, the education-bureau chief, was equally disappointed.
A powerful body and weapon skill were great advantages at the Awakener stage.
But as ranks climbed higher, those edges would shrink.
After all, Ability Users rely on abilities.
Abilities are what decide battles.
If he had a C-rank ability, paired with this body and spear-work, Jingcheng's top spot would be his.
Unfortunately, he only possesses an E-rank ability.
Zhang Wenshan sighed again.
Compared with the principal and bureau chief, homeroom teacher Chen Fan took it in stride.
A top-ten ranking in Jingcheng, maintained till the exam ended, guaranteed entry into a respectable Awakener University.
Even if Astret stopped hunting beasts now, his current score would still secure admission—just not to the best schools.
Still, compared with the failure or death he'd feared, this outcome was infinitely better.
'First-order Shadowcat slain; ability points +9.'
Inside the ruined town, Astret listened to the prompt in his mind, delighted.
The central zone held far more beasts than he'd expected.
Barely an hour in, he'd killed over twenty lower first-order beasts and more than ten peak zero-order ones.
His system panel now showed 312 ability points.
Not bad—hunting in the central zone really is efficient.
He nodded, then heard the whir of rotor blades.
A drone flew over, circling dozens of metres above.
A tracking camera drone? I've broken into the top ten?
He glanced at his smartwatch:
Rank 9: Astret, 607 points (Jingcheng No. 2 High).
Sure enough, top ten.
He smiled.
The drone meant every fight from now on would be broadcast.
Using his ability would expose his S-rank Violet Heaven Divine Lightning.
The current manifestation was too extraordinary to pass off as E-rank Weak Current.
He had no intention of hiding anyway.
The Martial Arts college entrance exam tests strength and potential; higher scores mean more choices.
Only an idiot would hide his ability and lose points.
He focused and opened his system panel:
Name: Astret
Rank: Awakener
Ability: Violet Heaven Divine Lightning (S)
Physique: 141 vitality (+)
Spirit: 160 hertz (+)
Skills: Spear Art (Advanced), Lightning Gale Break (Beginner+)
ability points: 312
Over three hundred points and still can't level up?
He frowned at the missing plus sign beside Rank.
Two possibilities: either the jump from Awakener to Ability User cost far more, or some condition hadn't been met.
To become an Ability User, one must first learn an ability cultivation method.
Without it, even the system couldn't force a breakthrough.
An ability cultivation method was the basic requirement.
Even the cheapest manual cost over a million.
He couldn't afford one.
He'd hoped the system might bypass that, but clearly not.
Still, my current strength rivals a true Ability User's.
I'll wait till after the exam, enter Awakener University, and then advance.
He dismissed the thought; the real question was how to spend the 312 points.
Right now I can only raise base stats or Combat Techniques, and the latter isn't urgent.
After a moment's thought, he poured all points into Physique and Spirit—200 into Physique, 112 into Spirit.
Physique: 141 → 181 vitality
Spirit: 160 → 182 hertz
Power flooded his body; his mind sharpened.
Fatigue from travel and combat vanished.
Excellent!
He laughed, spinning the Black Obsidian Spear in a crisp flourish.
His thrusts were faster and stronger than before.
With this Physique and Advanced Spear Art, even mid first-order beasts in the core zone will fall without my ability.
Confidence surged.
The core zone holds stronger, denser beasts.
Since I've grown stronger, no point lingering—straight to the core!
He flicked the spear, flinging off crimson blood, slung it across his back, checked the map, and sprinted toward the core.
His enhanced body now moved even faster than Zhou Mingyang boosted by wind.
Above him, the camera drone followed like a stubborn shadow.