MY LEVEL SYSTEM, WHO IS THE WEAK ONE NOW?

The entire academy erupted in laughter when Theo Vale failed to produce even a spark of martial energy.

“Another failure! Someone should tell him that the assessment ended three years ago, and he has been wasting everyone’s time ever since.”

“Three years? He has been here for three years, and he still cannot circulate a single strand of energy. Even a farmhand would make a better martial artist!”

Theo stood on the assessment platform with his fists clenched while hundreds of students watched him from the surrounding stands. Their mocking voices followed him from every direction, and although he had grown accustomed to their cruelty, each word still found a way to hurt.

Before him, the assessment examiner examined the crystal embedded in the stone pedestal, then shook his head with obvious disgust.

“Martial energy circulation failed. Your veins remain incapable of sustaining even the most basic technique.”

He marked something on his tablet before looking up at Theo.

“Next student.”

Theo did not move immediately because he had spent the previous night practicing the same circulation technique until his fingers cramped, hoping that today might finally be different. However, the result remained unchanged, and the crystal before him had not even flickered.

“Did you not hear me?” the examiner demanded. “Get off the platform!”

Theo swallowed his frustration and stepped away.

He had barely reached the stairs when a voice rang out behind him.

“Wait a moment, Instructor. I believe we should reconsider allowing him to participate in these assessments.”

Theo stopped because he recognized that voice immediately.

Cassian Draven approached the platform with the easy confidence of someone who had never been denied anything worth having. His black training uniform bore the silver insignia of the Draven family, one of the most influential martial families in the Azure Empire, while the students around him straightened eagerly, hoping to attract his attention.

Cassian was eighteen, a second-stage Martial Adept, and the academy’s most celebrated student. His name appeared on every ranking board, his achievements were discussed by instructors, and his family supplied the academy with resources that most students could never afford.

In Cassian’s eyes, Theo was an insult to everything he represented.

“Why should someone who cannot circulate martial energy be allowed to occupy a training position?” Cassian asked, addressing the examiner while looking directly at Theo. “The academy has limited resources, yet we continue wasting them on someone who has demonstrated no improvement whatsoever.”

Several students immediately voiced their agreement.

“Exactly! My cousin was rejected because there were no available positions, but this useless fellow gets to stay?”

“Perhaps his mother paid someone to keep him here.”

Theo’s jaw tightened at the mention of his mother, but he forced himself to remain silent because he knew Cassian was waiting for an excuse to humiliate him further.

The examiner cleared his throat. “The academy has already approved his enrollment, so his status is not something we need to discuss during an assessment.”

“Of course, Instructor,” Cassian replied with a smile. “Then perhaps you will allow me to demonstrate a basic technique and show everyone why martial training requires talent as well as determination.”

He stepped onto the platform, and the examiner immediately moved aside.

Cassian raised his right hand as a thin stream of blue energy gathered around his fingers. The energy flowed smoothly from his wrist to his palm before condensing into a small, spinning sphere.

A few students applauded, while others watched with admiration.

“This is the difference between someone who possesses genuine martial talent and someone who refuses to accept reality,” Cassian announced. “Observe carefully, because you may never see such a clear example again.”

Theo knew he should leave, but Cassian turned toward him before he could descend the stairs.

“Vale, come here.”

Theo stared at him. “Why?”

“Because I would like to demonstrate something.”

“I have already completed my assessment.”

“And failed, as usual.” Cassian chuckled. “Surely you can spare a few seconds to help your fellow students learn.”

The crowd laughed again.

Theo looked toward the examiner, hoping the man would intervene, but the instructor merely folded his arms as though the situation had nothing to do with him.

“I am not interested in your demonstration,” Theo said.

Cassian’s smile disappeared for a moment before returning, colder than before.

“Are you refusing a direct request from a ranked student?”

“I am refusing to be your entertainment.”

The words had barely left Theo’s mouth when Cassian moved.

His foot struck the ground, and his body crossed the distance between them in a blur. Before Theo could react, Cassian drove his palm into his chest, releasing a burst of martial energy that lifted him off his feet.

Theo crashed against the edge of the platform and rolled across the stone floor before stopping near the stairs.

Pain exploded through his ribs, and he struggled to draw breath as blood filled his mouth.

The crowd fell silent for a heartbeat before laughter erupted again.

He was fucked

“Did you see that? Cassian barely used any strength!”

“Look at him! He cannot even withstand a basic palm strike!”

Cassian lowered his hand and glanced at the examiner.

“I apologize for the disturbance, Instructor. I merely wanted to demonstrate the importance of proper martial conditioning.”

The examiner frowned at Theo rather than Cassian.

“Vale, this is an assessment ground, not a place for you to create unnecessary disturbances. If you cannot conduct yourself properly, you may lose your privilege to attend future assessments.”

Theo stared at him in disbelief.

Cassian had attacked him in front of hundreds of witnesses, yet somehow Theo was the one being threatened with punishment.

He wanted to shout, to demand an explanation, and to ask whether anyone in the academy possessed even a shred of fairness, but he knew exactly what would happen if he did. They would laugh harder, and Cassian would find another reason to hurt him.

So Theo planted his hands against the ground and forced himself upright.

His ribs screamed in protest, and his knees nearly buckled, but he refused to remain on the floor while Cassian watched.

He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and met his tormentor’s gaze.

“Are you finished?”

Cassian’s expression darkened.

“What did you say?”

“You wanted to demonstrate something, and you have done it. Are you finished now?”

For a moment, the crowd became quiet again because nobody expected Theo to answer back.

Cassian stepped closer, and the energy around his fingers began to gather once more.

“Perhaps I should teach you what happens when a defective piece of trash forgets its place.”

“Enough!”

The examiner’s sharp command stopped him.

“Cassian, return to your position. We will not waste any more time on this matter.”

Cassian held Theo’s gaze for another second before turning away.

“Consider yourself fortunate, Vale. The next time we meet, there may be nobody around to save you.”

Theo watched him return to the other students, and the familiar weight of helplessness settled over his chest.

He hated Cassian, but he hated the weakness that made such treatment possible even more.

One day, he promised himself, he would make them regret every word they had spoken, but for now he was still fucked