Heads snapped around, eyes hunting for the source.

Mai recognized him instantly—Kai Benjamin. From the Sidekick show. The one who caught her when a boss's rock knocked her out and sent her falling from a tree.

The crowd erupted in murmurs.

"Who the hell is that?" someone asked.

Another answered quickly, "It's Kai Benjamin. He's a combat genius, they call him the Unbeaten Raiser!"

A third voice butted in, stunned. "Stronger than the F4?"

The second hesitated. "They've never fought head-on. Kai's title is only within the academy faction. Against the clan heirs like F4… no one knows who'd come out on top."

Kai stepped forward with a bright smile, extending his hand to Mai. "I'm afraid I'm not well-off. That's about all the savings I can spare."

Toward her benefactor, Mai could do nothing but feel a quiet gloom. She shook his hand, her voice sincere. "Thank you—for saving me that time. I never had the chance to say it to your face."

Kai felt her grip a little firmer than expected, but thought nothing of it and laughed warmly, waving her off. "You've thanked me a dozen times over text already! I just got back to the city—been away on missions nonstop."

Mai's smile deepened. "Then let me buy you a meal sometime. Consider it repayment."

A spark lit in Kai's eyes. "Oh? Could I request a home-cooked one?" he said, licking his lips, recalling the instant noodle and quail soup Mai had made during the show.

The two of them fell into easy conversation, natural and relaxed, as if the crowd had faded into the background.

Mai and Kai weren't exactly close—on the Sidekick show, they had barely exchanged a few words. But Mai carried gratitude toward him for saving her, and Kai was drawn to her combat prowess.

So they talked, unaware—or simply uncaring—of the curious eyes fixed on them.

A small, unassuming girl with quiet confidence, standing beside a radiant young man brimming with strength and charisma—they looked, to the crowd, like a picture-perfect couple.

Whispers rose. A few even sighed aloud, "They look so good together!"

Right beside them, Magnus let out another annoyed snort. This woman—smiling, laughing, even arranging a meal with another man. When would she finally remember she already had a fiancé?

At that moment, the loudspeaker blared, drowning everything out:

"All examinees, prepare for your aptitude test! Please proceed to the testing area!"

The announcement snapped the hall awake. The crowd stirred, scattering quickly.

Mai and Kai broke off their talk.

Magnus, still simmering with unspoken frustration, turned on his heel and left with his three companions.

---

"Yo, what's up stream!"

Alex flashed a radiant smile, waving at the camera. "Finally, we've reached the aptitude test before the big exam—things are heating up! Remember to donate and follow to keep me alive out here, don't ditch me for TV, okay? They don't have a commentator this cute. Plus, I can snag all the side drama for you guys. So—has it been fun so far?" She winked.

[Hahaha straight up feels like a Wuttpad romance ??]

[Magnus: "I'll 'take care' of you!" – Mai: "Ok bet 100k then." Bro that twist snapped my spine ???]

[Kai just entered like the ML, dropped 10k on Mai, then asked her out for home dinner??? Ship sailing]

[No wayyy pretty girl pulled out something bigger n longer than mine ??? I mean, her bank balance ??]

[She look broke af but then flexed six digits ??? crying in the club bathroom ?]

[That's the Goldvale heiress y'all ?✨]

[Goldvale heiress but dressing like she borrowed PE pants from school ??]

[Jacket so washed it turned vintage ??]

[Tee looks like a 3-for-5$ Walmart pack, I got the same ones ???]

[She on that fake "rich girl pretending to be poor" arc ?️??]

[Girl everyone knows your face already, stop the undercover cosplay ??]

[Alex drop the bet QR code rn, lemme place one too ??]

The camera jolted as Alex shoved through the noisy crowd, viewers catching glimpses of hands waving and heads bobbing. After a few bumps, the lens steadied on Shou Maru.

Alex panted lightly, laughing. "Whew—made it, chat! Finally close enough!"

Shou spotted the camera, grinned wide, winked directly at the stream, and raised his phone high with the betting QR code glowing bright. "Yo, what's up everyone watching!"

His voice boomed over the chatter. "Place your bets, join the fun—Magnus the Great Bear versus our Sniper Queen, Mai! Just remember—it's all for fun, don't lose your shirt on me!"

Alex chuckled, zooming in until the QR code filled the frame. "There you go, chat! Scan if you dare. Drop a hundred on Mai and if she pulls off a miracle, that's a whole grand in your pocket! Hahaha!"

[Obviously Magnus lol, free lunch money ??. Betting Mai is basically charity ?]

[How y'all not noticing Magnus blushing hard rn ??]

[Lmaoo he lowkey crushing on Mai ??]

The lens lingered on Magnus's tightening jaw, the twitch at his temple, his eyes blazing.

"Alright folks, be honest—does that look like love to you?" Alex teased.

[C'mon that ain't a blush, that's rage red ?]

[Hate-to-love ship sank ages ago ?? even NobleRoad writers bailed ?]

[Readers gonna slap you with 2 stars and scream 'tropeeeee' till it echoes ?⭐️⭐️]

[No author would dare make Magnus ML ??. If anything it'd be Caelan ??]

Alex swung the camera over to catch Caelan. "Bruh, what is this—trying to pull the whole sister-in-law x brother-in-law arc now? Mods gonna insta-ban us."

[Bro!!! I mean hate-to-love trope, not that ship ??? dude looks ready to murder her]

[Why F4 acting allergic to Mai tho ??]

[Bet it's cuz she engaged to Thalion Ashbourne but still thirsting for Solstice ???]

[Fr tho? She actually looks decent ?]

[I watched the Sidekick show, Mai had zero sparks with Solstice. Bro just kept snorting at her through his nose, pissed me off ngl ?]

[On cam you gotta act, who knows what happens off cam ??]

[So it's just rumors then? ?]

[But like… no smoke without fire ??]

Alex waved at the lens, turning it toward the stage. "Alright chat, drop the rumors. No proof, no talk. Anyway, check this out—we're heading into the 'health check zone.'"

She gestured toward the raised platform in the middle of the hall, where a device like a punching bag was linked to a massive screen overhead, glowing bright.

"We'll get called up one by one to throw a strike at the bag. The system will measure each candidate's level and striking power."

[Lmao it's basically a flex machine—abuse it and boom, your stats go public ?]

[Wait, isn't all that info already in the system? What's the point of this then lol ?]

[Not everyone registers the moment they level up—those records only show their last check-in.]

[Clout check, bro. Gotta let the whole city see who's cracked and who's mid ??]

[It's also to stop cheaters, duh. Can't just say "trust me bro, I'm level 9, not 10 yet" ?]

[Honestly just free content for the masses ??]

[Ad revenue >>> hero pride ??]

[Can't lie tho… kinda hype seeing the numbers go brrr on the big screen ?]

"Candidate Ben Walker, please step onto the platform."

The announcement echoed through the hall, signaling it was his turn to strike the testing bag.

A broad-shouldered Black student strode onto the platform after his name was called. He steadied himself, fists clenched, took a deep breath, then drove his punch forward. Thud!

The display flared bright:

Alex turned her back to the stands, flipping the camera so it caught her from the front, her head popping into the corner of the screen as she pointed at the big letter N glowing on the display.
"Alright chat, N stands for Newton—that's the unit of force, basically how hard you hit."

She shifted her finger toward the Level column.
"Now, the full physics explanation is way too long, so let's keep it simple: take a level and multiply it by a thousand. That's the average strike force for someone at that level."

Her hand moved back and forth between the Level and Strike Force rows.
"For example, he's Level 4, and his punch landed at just over 4k. Pretty much what you'd expect from someone who trains seriously."

Then Alex swung the camera toward the next contestant stepping onto the platform.
"And if they've been grinding like crazy, or have special martial arts techniques, it's totally possible to go a few thousand higher than the average. Bottom line—by looking at the gap, you can tell if someone's diligent or lazy, or if they've got special techniques up their sleeve."

[Don't reg ppl punch 5k?? ? Raisers weak af ngl ?]

[Bruh stop cappin ? 5k = PEAK human ? no normie hits that fr]

[Ppl train their WHOLE life to touch 5k, these kids just 16 fyi ?]

The crowd roared as more names were called, each contestant stepping up—until finally, Alex's name rang out

[500 over average? ? damn Alex grinding fr ??]

[She lowkey sweatin' harder than the contestants ??]

[Bro training arc when?? ??]

Alex grabbed her phone back from the contestant she'd asked to hold it while she went up.

Leaning back toward the mic, her voice bubbled with excitement. "Hah! You guys kidding me? Of course I train—I gotta keep up or y'all will roast me alive on stream!"

The camera shifted toward a slim figure stepping up onto the platform. "Guys, usually, they group the strong ones together to spike the ratings. And there we go—the first rep from the Seven Houses! Keep your eyes peeled, chat!"

Selene Evermarch stepped onto the platform with a frosty grace, golden hair cascading like spun silk, deep sapphire eyes gleaming with the stillness of an ancient forest.

Unlike the others who gathered their strength to punch or kick, she moved with fluid elegance, her hands flowing in a graceful arc.

Her palms opened, drew back, then pressed forward in what looked like nothing more than a soft push.

The bag barely shifted—yet the instant her palm touched, a low, thunderous rumble burst from within. The numbers on the screen shot upward—

The hall erupted, the roar almost shaking the rafters, as Selene's score flashed—two thousand above the average for her level.

Alex's voice cracked with excitement.

"Selene Evermarch! Level 7! And nine thousand! Damn! That was House Evermarch's famous technique—Concealed Force, chat!"

The camera jolted, swinging just enough to catch Mai's startled face.

[Lmao she out here tai chi-ing the punching bag ??]

[Wait… that tap looked weak af but the numbers going brrr 7k 8k 9k ? how tf??]

[No cap, Selene just stole the whole damn show ??]

The screen panned toward the staircase as the loudspeaker called Rowan Crowmere to the stage.

Tall, broad-shouldered, he strode up with confident ease. His sleek black hair was combed to perfection, dark brown eyes glinting with mischief. A black cloak trimmed in red trailed behind him, the crest of Crowmere gleaming proudly on his chest.

Rowan waved to his cheering supporters before sinking into his stance—then drove a clean, straightforward kick at the bag.

[Ugh… after Selene's 9k, lvl 8 hitting 9k feels mid ??]

[That kick looked basic ngl ?]

[Only slightly higher than Selene tho… sus ?]

Alex wagged her finger with a grin. "Don't be fooled, chat—Rowan scoring only a bit higher than Selene even though he's a whole level above, still means he's a full thousand over the average. Not every House has secret techniques like Evermarch."

The next to step onto the stage was a girl with silver hair tied into a high ponytail, shimmering like sunlight on water. Her outfit was pure white, crisp and sharp, while her emerald eyes gleamed like polished gems.

She stepped up lightly, drew a calm breath, then thrust her fist forward in a smooth, flowing strike. No heavy stomp, no wild swing—just a clean motion, precise and controlled. The bag snapped back with a sharp jolt, thudding deep as if the force had sunk straight through its core.

Alex clutched her chest with mock drama. "Look at her, chat—so gorgeous! Goddess Grace of House Brightmoor herself! Don't be shocked though, Brightmoor's all about healing arts, not combat!"

[Ooo silver hair ponytail, she looking elegant af ?]

[White outfit, green eyes?? Straight up healer vibes ?✨]

[Grace Brightmoor!!! Let's gooo ?]

[Fr tho, Brightmoor House always on that medic arc, not fighters ?‍♂️]

[She still pretty tho, waifu points +100 ?]

[Respect healers chat, they keep squads alive ?]

[Healers been outmeta ngl, Cure Kits running the game ???]

[Numbers all over the place… same level but huge gaps ?]

[Like normies who train vs. couch potatoes, nothing weird. It's like leveling up but not skilling properly ?]

The next contestant hopped on stage and the hall erupted in laughter. He was decked out in a loud floral shirt with cranes and cherry blossoms, like he'd just walked out of a summer festival. Black hair messy, grin wide.

Then, suddenly, his face turned solemn. He bent his knees, cupped both hands to one side, and slowly drew them back, fingers trembling.

The crowd gasped as light began to gather in his palms.

The air grew hushed; everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the glow swelling brighter and brighter between his hands.

Veins bulged along his neck as he growled the chant:

"KAMEE…" The light flared brighter.

"KAMEEE…" Veins popped along his arms, the hall dead silent.

"HAAAAAA!!!" With a sudden roar, he thrust both palms forward.

THUD!

A blunt crack of impact as his palms smacked into the bag—no earth-shaking explosion, no thunderous blast, nothing like what everyone had been expecting.

Alex doubled over, laughing like crazy into the mic. "Shou Maru, heir of House Maru, on stage! Level 5, clocking in at exactly 5000 Newtons—clean number, kinda mid, but style? That's a solid Level 10 in drip, boys! Hahaha!"

[Bruh I almost died holding my breath ???]

[He led me on harder than walking a cow fr ??]

[Thought man was gonna shoot a beam fr, then just thud ?]

[Bro that emptiness hit harder than post-nut clarity ??]

[Certified weeb moment WEEBU WEEBU ??]

[WIBU ALERT ??]

[Finally… a true weeb hero has arrived ?‍♂️✨ Shou-senpai we follow you!!]

[Forget the weeb stuff, look at that level and score ?]

[MID MID MID ???]

[Not just any mid, bro—that's perfect mid ??]

[Maybe bro ain't mid… that's a perfect number on purpose ?]

[This is some 'secret prodigy' anime trope vibes ngl ?⚡]

[But the level doesn't lie. Compared to lvl 7s and 8s from other Houses, bro really mid lol]

Shou Maru waved as he stepped down, met with boos and a few empty bottles from the stands. The next to ascend was a familiar figure.

Alex practically screamed into the mic "It's KAI BENJAMIN, chat!!! Aside from the F4, he's the only Level 9 in this entire exam! The champion of the common folk! No House, no Clan, no golden cradle—just a genius born from the streets, the pride of the academy! Hype it up for my idol, let's gooo!!!"

[Wait… why are we done with the Seven Houses already? Shouldn't there be seven reps? ?]

[Not every House got kids at the right age, bro. They ain't pumping out supers like rabbits ??]

[So you're saying the Four Clans are the rabbit farms huh ??]

[Heard Lilith Goldvale got scouted straight into Highcrest—no need for this test ??]

[Hold up… if direct recruits exist, then why do Clans & Houses even bother with this exam?? ?]

[Bro… publicity stunt. It's basically a flex-off ?? gotta prove their heirs aren't trash]

[And why send their kids to the academy at all? Wouldn't private training at home be better? ?]

[Yeah, Isn't the noble faction always bragging they're way better than the academy faction anyway?]

[Bruh morning at school, night at home—nobody's stopping them. Knowledge ain't gonna run out ??]

[Faction stuff's just kids splitting into groups anyway, not some official divide ?]

[LET'S GOOO KAI ?⚡ show 'em what common folk can do!!]

[Go go Kai!!! Crush those arrogant F4 snobs ??]

Kai Benjamin stepped up. He sank into stance, drew a deep breath, one foot gliding forward as his torso twisted. In one seamless arc, his fist shot out—smooth and precise, like a movement from a dance.

A thunderous crack boomed. The bag shuddered violently, almost splitting apart. The display numbers skyrocketed—

The hall exploded in cheers.

The camera shook violently as Alex screamed Kai Benjamin's name into the mic, her voice nearly drowned out by the roar of the crowd around her.

[HOLYYYY 12k+ WTF ???]

[KAI KAI KAI ???]

[COMMON FOLK W ??]

[Our champ hit 12k LET'S GOOOO ??]

[Bro just carried the whole academy faction ??]

[Kai just broke the damn sound barrier ??]

[12089??? 3k Over average line BAYBEE ???]

[Rowan 1k, Selena 2k… Kai just yeeted past both ?]

[Bro not even from a big family and still clapping cheeks like this ?]

[He really said "equal rights, equal fights" ✊?]

[This is why they call him the undefeated genius ??]

[Imagine being a House rep and getting cooked by a dude from the streets ?]

[Bro literally solo'd the crowd with one punch lmao ?? drop]

[F4 shaking rn ???]

The cheers for Kai Benjamin shifted into chants for the F4 as Magnus, Lucian, Damian, and Caelan entered the waiting area.

As Kai stepped down, Magnus shot him a frown, then leaned toward Lucian to mutter something under his breath, but Lucian only shrugged and shook his head.