The laughter echoed across the academy arena.
Not whispers.
Not murmurs.
Loud. Cruel. Mocking.
I stood at the center of the stone platform, head lowered, blood dripping from my knuckles onto the cold floor.
Every student watching looked at me the same way—like trash that had somehow learned how to stand upright.
"Is this really the son of the Zhang family?"
"Disgraceful. He doesn't even deserve the family name."
"Imagine challenging a Ranked Elite while still a Mortal. What a clown."
I clenched my fists.
They weren't wrong.
At eighteen, I was still Rank: Mortal.
The lowest of the low.
No talent.
No backing.
No future.
And yet, ten minutes ago, I had been dragged here and forced to fight in front of everyone.
Because someone accused me of cheating during the cultivation exams.
Someone I trusted.
My so-called best friend stood among the crowd, arms crossed, a faint smile on his lips.
He didn't meet my eyes.
That smile told me everything.
The elder on the platform raised his hand.
"Zhang Wei," he said coldly, "evidence confirms you stole cultivation resources."
Gasps spread through the arena.
Before I could speak, another voice cut in—sharp and familiar.
"I cancel the engagement."
I looked up.
She stood there in white robes, beautiful and distant.
The woman I had loved for years.
The woman I had protected even when everyone mocked me.
Her eyes were filled with disgust.
"I refuse to be tied to a thief and a waste."
The crowd erupted.
Something inside my chest cracked.
"Any last words?" the elder asked.
I laughed.
Not loudly.
Not proudly.
Just bitterly.
"So this is how it ends," I muttered.
"Framed. Abandoned. Executed."
My best friend finally stepped forward.
He leaned close enough for only me to hear.
"Thanks for the resources," he whispered.
"Don't worry—I'll take good care of your fiancée."
Then he pushed me.
The platform collapsed.
My body fell.
Pain exploded through my bones.
Darkness swallowed everything.
I woke up gasping.
My chest heaved as unfamiliar memories flooded my mind.
Same world.
Same academy.
Same body.
But one day earlier.
My pupils shrank.
Then—
[DING!]
A mechanical voice echoed in my mind.
System detected.
Host has experienced Extreme Public Humiliation.
Condition met.
[DING!]
The Humiliation System has been successfully activated.
A translucent blue panel appeared before my eyes.
Name: Zhang Wei
Rank: Mortal
Power: 9
Status: Disgraced
Titles: Academy Joke
My lips trembled.
Another message appeared.
Hidden Reward Unlocked.
SSS-Rank Growth Talent: Infinite Ascension
Effect: Growth rate increases with every act of domination.
I stared at the panel.
Then I smiled.
"They mocked me," I whispered.
"They humiliated me."
My fists clenched.
"So I'll climb."
The panel pulsed.
New Objective:
Publicly dominate those who humiliated you
Reward: Rank Advancement
I raised my head.
"This time," I said quietly,
"everyone who laughed…"
A cold smile spread across my face.
"…will kneel."