The issued graduation certificates will absolutely not miss anyone. What they are eager to receive is the government-distributed "bio-parasite," which every adult who is legally seventeen years old can obtain.

Special times call for special systems. The law defining seventeen as the age of adulthood is a measure taken out of necessity. In extraordinary times, when war could break out at any moment with an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, this change in traditional understanding is essential. Starting school at seven and completing ten years of compulsory education means a person can be responsible for their own actions—it's as simple as that.

As the department responsible for distributing bio-parasites, the school district, for management reasons, does not allow every student who turns seventeen to receive a bio-parasite individually. Instead, they are distributed collectively at graduation.

In a mere two thousand years, it is impossible for humanity to have undergone any significant evolution. In fact, humans today are essentially no different from those thousands of years ago, except for slight improvements in lifespan, physique, and health.

However, with technological development, it is possible to artificially enhance various human abilities. The "bio-parasite" was developed under these circumstances, referencing the physiological functions of creatures from the Celestial and Demon Realms, and utilizing technology acquired from the Future Realm to create a "universal human protection and life-support system."

The "bio-parasite" is a living organism with no cognitive ability and no fixed form of its own. Through proper procedures, once the outer protective layer is removed, it fuses with its human host, thereby granting powerful abilities to the host—humans. This makes human life more resilient and better suited to harsh environments.

"Let’s go, let’s go." The only girl among the four, Lily Harris, couldn’t help but speak up. "If we’re late, we’ll get the outdated old model bio-parasites. We’ll have to settle the score with William Carter."

Although William Carter looked upset, he had already prepared himself mentally and wasn’t too affected. Early romances in adolescence often end prematurely; it’s perfectly normal, and only a few last until the end. Seeing that everyone was eager to leave, William Carter didn’t want to hold them up any longer. He pulled himself together and said, "You idiots, what’s the rush? Aren’t I coming now?"

Whenever William Carter used his signature catchphrase, "You idiot," it meant he had returned to his normal mood.

When the group of four arrived at the large gymnasium, the graduation ceremony had already been going on for two hours and was still underway. It couldn’t really be called a waste of breath—after all, some things must be explained. Whether or not these little brats below were listening, the school leaders had to make everything clear, leaving no room for error.

"Now, everyone is a new member of adult society, with full citizenship, enjoying all the rights and bearing all the responsibilities of a citizen..."

"So long-winded."

"What can you do about it, throw rotten eggs? Can you even find any?"

"Who would bring that kind of thing?"

"But what about smelly socks?"

"......"

The increasingly impatient students began discussing some not-so-feasible plans.

It wasn’t until they heard the final, "The graduation ceremony is now over," that everyone’s emotions suddenly erupted.

"Yeah!" With cheers rising, the atmosphere became lively, and every student looked excited enough.

In District 416, the students of the 4118th graduating class of the education division had finally graduated and gained their ultimate freedom.

After the commotion, things returned to normal. When it came time to distribute the bio-parasites, everyone maintained a rare sense of discipline.

Although the school district leaders kept urging everyone to line up through the loudspeakers, it was clearly ineffective. In the surging crowd at the bio-parasite distribution, the physically stronger students had a clear advantage. Those who could grab the best spots naturally received theirs first. William Carter and the other three, who hadn’t arrived late, managed to get to the very front.

Although William Carter didn’t have the typical toughness of a boy, and people often joked that if he wore a dress and grew his hair out, he could compete with the top ten beauties of District 416, he still had the physical advantages of a male. While he couldn’t quite match John Thompson, nicknamed "Crane," who excelled in all sports, he was still an active participant in athletics within the district. Together with Brian Cooper, the three of them managed to pull the physically weaker Lily Harris along with them.

"Mr. Thompson!"

Seeing that it was their own class advisor, the four knew their luck had come.

Sure enough, recognizing his own students, the expressionless middle-aged teacher quickly entered their information into the bio-parasites at hand and handed them over ahead of the others.

In the modern era, where physical objects are rarely used, most documents and books are uploaded into the intelligence core implanted within the body.

The bio-parasite, essential for adults, also has this function, with a built-in controller for the "intelligence core."

The "intelligence core," "Heaven’s Eye," and "anti-gravity flyer" are the three basic implanted devices. These are the most fundamental external modules of the bio-parasite. To activate the bio-parasite, initial data must be entered to confirm the owner. Therefore, the graduation certificate from basic education is entered into the intelligence core of the bio-parasite distributed by the student’s school district. After fusion, it can also be backed up into the individual’s own intelligence core.