“Students, the talent and cultivation assessment is over. I’ll now announce the results.”

In the classroom of High Martial Class Seven at Origin City’s Third Ancient Martial Academy, the homeroom teacher John Forrest held a sheet of paper and spoke slowly.

“Ethan Chavez, 2-star talent, Blood Qi Realm Level 2—pass.”

“Gavin Carter, 3-star talent, Blood Qi Realm Level 3—good.”

“Emma Brooks, 2-star talent, Blood Qi Realm Level 1—poor.”

……

“Ellwood Walker, 5-star talent, Blood Qi Realm Level 4—excellent.”

As soon as John Forrest said that, the room burst into whispers.

“As expected of our class leader—five-star talent and Level 4 in cultivation. He’s top tier even among the first-years.”

“No doubt. Even Lucas Reed from High Martial Class Two is also just five-star with Level 5 cultivation.”

“He’s too strong! Someone like me with just two stars can only stare from the bottom.”

“Two stars might be low, but still better than some real losers.”

“You mean David Turner?”

“Who else could it be? Haha…”

“Silence!” John Forrest cleared his throat on the podium.

At once, the class fell dead silent.

His eyes narrowed as he scanned the room, then locked onto a boy in the back row. The boy looked plain, a bit thin. John’s voice dropped a notch. “David Turner, 1-star talent. No breakthrough into Blood Qi Realm. Failed.”

A wave of mockery swept through the class.

“Haha! The Academy’s number one loser lives up to the name!”

“How does anyone with 1-star even have the guts to study here? That’s thick skin if I’ve ever seen it.”

“David, you should just drop out. It's shameful being in the same class as you.”

The buzzing whispers turned into sneers, eyes full of scorn aimed at David Turner.

David lowered his head, face flushed red.

The sharp words felt like knives digging into his chest—rage boiling, unwillingness burning inside him.

“I’m not trash. I will become a warrior!”

His fists clenched tight, a voice shouting in his mind.

Half a year ago, he had crossed over to Blue Star, waking up in the body of a 17-year-old boy with the same name.

Blue Star—a brutal world where the strong ruled, and the weak were crushed.

To survive here with dignity, he had to become a warrior.

But the David Turner of this world had terrible talent and a frail body. No matter how hard he trained, he never broke through to the Blood Qi Realm.

Half a year of training, and still no cultivation to show for it. Among all the students here, he stood alone as a total weakling.

A joke. A failure.

“David Turner,” John Forrest continued, raising his voice. “As per the Academy’s rules, you have one chance to enter the Beast-Sealing Tower. Do you accept or not?”

The Beast-Sealing Tower was a space-weapon artifact, containing its own dimension and countless savage beasts.

These beasts were invasive species—strong, feral, and quick to kill.

Blue Star was dangerous precisely because of them.

By Academy rules, those who failed to reach Blood Qi Realm after six months of training were faced with two choices: expulsion or braving the Beast-Sealing Tower for thirty minutes straight.

“David, don't go,” Ethan Chavez, his deskmate, whispered as he nudged David’s arm.

The Tower wasn’t fatal, but it wasn’t humane either. Everyone knew how vicious those beasts were.

Even a first-level warrior couldn’t last half an hour in there—let alone someone with no cultivation.