Robert Harris burst out laughing in exasperation when he heard what William Carter said: “Bro, you’re really putting on a show, huh? This is a strength tester, specifically for measuring strength. Even though it’s just a low-end version for high school use, with an upper limit of only 20, there aren’t many high schoolers who can max it out, let alone break it. Let me put it this way: if you really manage to break it, I’ll pay for it myself.”

“That’s true.” William Carter nodded, looking at the strength tester, which did seem pretty sturdy. It shouldn’t be that easy to break.

Without further hesitation, William Carter raised a fist. The skin on his fist gradually took on a metallic red sheen, as if it were coated in a layer of red metal.

“Vital Energy Technique… So William Carter has trained in a Vital Energy Technique too…” Robert Harris immediately felt a bit disappointed.

There was no doubt that with William Carter’s strength, as long as he had trained in a Vital Energy Technique, no matter how weak it was, the force he could unleash would definitely surpass Robert Harris’s. Robert Harris knew he was bound to lose.

Grace Bennett and David Thompson were also pleasantly surprised. With William Carter knowing a Vital Energy Technique, they felt even more confident about scoring high in the practical test.

Bang!

William Carter slammed his fist onto the pressure plate. The plate recoiled as if struck by a hammer, and the numbers on the screen lit up rapidly, instantly surpassing 11.

“I wonder what kind of numbers his Vital Energy Technique can ultimately produce.” Grace Bennett thought, but then saw the numbers lighting up too quickly—within the blink of an eye, all the indicator lights were on, and her expression changed slightly.

Splat!

Before anyone could react, a strange sound came from the strength tester. Somewhere in the back of the machine had split open, and pale yellow liquid sprayed out like a fountain.

Robert Harris and the others stood there with their mouths shaped like O’s, staring blankly at William Carter and the now-spraying strength tester, speechless for a long moment.

James White also widened his eyes, itching to rush over and confirm with his own hands whether the strength tester was really broken.

He didn’t actually want William Carter to pay for it; he just couldn’t believe that a high schooler’s Vital Energy Technique could be this powerful.

Robert Harris shivered at the thought of that punch. If he had really tested his strength against William Carter’s fist, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The strength tester’s upper limit was 20, but that didn’t mean it could only withstand a force of 20. In fact, to blow out the hydraulic chamber in the back, the force required was far more than 20.

Even if William Carter had a strength of 10, he’d probably need an eighth- or ninth-level Vital Energy Technique to achieve this.

If he hadn’t learned about William Carter’s background from the old principal, he would have suspected that William Carter had used a high-level Vital Energy Technique crystal—otherwise, it would be impossible to have such power.

But given William Carter’s background, it didn’t seem possible for him to possess such a high-level Vital Energy Technique crystal.

“If he really managed to train his Vital Energy Technique to this level on his own, that’s just terrifying!” At this moment, James White couldn’t help but recall the old principal’s comment about William Carter.

There are two kinds of geniuses in this world: one is called William Carter, and the other is everyone else.

“You said you’d pay if it broke. A man’s word is his bond, right?” William Carter paused, then looked at Robert Harris a bit helplessly.

He hadn’t expected the Herculean Fist to be so powerful—it really did break the strength tester.

He was dirt poor, and if the school really came after him for compensation, he honestly couldn’t afford it.

“I’ll pay, I’ll pay! Bro, if money can solve it, it’s not a problem. We’re old classmates, and we’re on the same team—leave it to me.” Robert Harris finally snapped out of it, grinning from ear to ear.

Robert Harris’s family was considered well-off in Guide Prefecture, so this amount of money was nothing to him. But a teammate like William Carter—in a small city like Guide Prefecture, he couldn’t find another one like him.

With William Carter joining, Robert Harris felt that maybe they could aim for more than just first place in the Guide Prefecture practical test—maybe they could set their sights even higher.

David Thompson and Grace Bennett were also in high spirits. With such a powerful teammate as William Carter, they were one step closer to their goals.

“This guy seems even more interesting than I thought.” Grace Bennett looked at William Carter, her eyes narrowing slightly.

William Carter officially joined the team, and the four of them submitted their application to participate in the practical test. The school leaders and many teachers were surprised to see William Carter’s name on the team list.

The teachers of Grace Bennett, David Thompson, and Robert Harris even called them in for private talks, hinting—sometimes outright saying—that they should pick other teammates and not let William Carter drag them down. But the three of them stubbornly refused to budge, insisting on teaming up with William Carter, much to their teachers’ frustration.

Only James White sat there calmly sipping tea. He knew very well that William Carter was actually the strongest of the four.

“Just wait. After the college entrance exam, you’ll see who’s really dragging the team down.” James White thought to himself as he drank his tea.

William Carter was his student, and hearing those teachers talk about William Carter behind his back naturally annoyed him.

Chapter 8 Edward Carter