Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Shocked the Whole Audience

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"He wasn't lying... He really reached Level 20?"

Alexis Lane sat frozen in disbelief, her eyes wide as she stared at Lucas standing calmly on the stage. He looked so composed, even after doing something that had just blown the minds of everyone watching. It was like none of this was a big deal to him.

She couldn't help but whisper to herself, confused and frustrated.

Her mind rewound to yesterday afternoon, outside the North City Gate. She'd seen him fighting slimes, and his attacks had looked so weak—only dealing a little over a hundred points of damage. At the time, she'd scoffed at him and assumed he was still far behind her.

But now…

Was she wrong? Had she missed a zero? Was his real damage over a thousand?

The thought twisted uncomfortably inside her. How could a Level 20 job-transfer student only deal a hundred damage to a Level 1 slime? Something hadn't added up—but she'd been too proud to consider the alternative.

She had misjudged him. She had assumed he was weak. She had even believed Mason, his chubby teammate, was dragging him down.

But the truth? The one who was mistaken all along... was her.

He had told her he'd already reached Level 20.

And she hadn't believed him.

She'd laughed it off. And then proudly stood on stage earlier, trying to flaunt her Level 18 status.

Now, in hindsight, the memory made her cringe. The way she had looked down at him like a queen judging a peasant…

She wanted to go back in time and strangle herself.

The confident pride she'd always carried—her sense of superiority—had taken a huge hit.

It was Lucas who had told the truth. It was Lucas who had surpassed her all along.

---

Meanwhile, in the stands, Mason—Lucas's best friend—was on fire with excitement.

"Lucas is amazing! Lucas, you absolute beast!" he hollered, whistling and waving like a sports fan during the championship finals.

Class 1, Grade 3 joined in, clapping and cheering loudly for their classmate.

The entire training ground turned into a celebration.

Lucas's achievement was so outrageous, so absurd, that it sent ripples of awe through the whole audience. Level 20… within a month?

That was the stuff of legends.

---

But not everyone shared the joy.

Leon Graves stood still, trembling with a mix of rage and disbelief.

"Impossible! This is impossible!"

He had been watching Lucas closely all month. He knew that Lucas hadn't even leveled solo—he'd been paired with Mason, whose Talent rating was only B-rank.

They had been grinding together for ten days straight… yet Lucas still hit Level 20?

With a so-called "burden"?

Leon couldn't take it. His mind screamed denial, but the scoreboard didn't lie. Lucas had done it.

Of all people… why him?

Why did the one he hated most have to be the one who outshone him?

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

He wanted to turn around and leave. He wanted to get drunk and forget this whole day ever happened.

But no matter how hard he tried to escape it, the truth was unavoidable—

The real clown here… was himself.

---

And the shock didn't end there.

Even the teachers, deans, and education officials on the stage were left speechless. These were experienced veterans of the academic world—people who had trained generations of warriors. They had seen all kinds of talent.

But this?

This was unprecedented.

A Level 20 S-Rank combat student with a hidden class—within a month?

Never.

Not even the most gifted SS-Rank prodigies in past generations had climbed this fast.

"Could it be… that an S-Rank with a hidden class is actually as good as SS-Rank?" one instructor muttered in disbelief.

They whispered among themselves, trying to make sense of it.

What Talent skill did he awaken?

Was it some sort of experience multiplier? A hidden blessing that let him level faster?

The old principal—wise and measured—just sat silently, beard trembling in his fingers. Even he didn't have the words to explain what they were witnessing.

But beneath their disbelief was a growing sense of joy.

This was a miracle.

They had found a once-in-a-generation genius, right here in their school.

Universities across the country would go mad fighting over this one. His admission would trigger chaos in the selection system.

The only question now was—

Which university would Lucas choose?

---

The staff member from the Ministry of Education couldn't hold it in anymore. Pushing up his glasses, which were practically sliding off his nose, he turned to Lucas.

"Excuse me, Lucas… but could you share with us—how did you level up so quickly?"

Lucas blinked.

Then, with total sincerity, he replied:

"I just fought stronger monsters. Went all out. Before I knew it, I was Level 20."

The staff member nearly collapsed.

That's not an explanation! Everyone knows defeating stronger monsters gives better experience! He wanted to know how, not what!

He wanted to scream—but something on the Holy Recording Stone caught his eye.

His expression changed immediately.

He moved closer, operating the orb, double-checking the output—and then his hand started to tremble.

His mouth opened, but for a moment, nothing came out.

Then he pointed at Lucas with a shaky finger.

"Y-you've already completed your first class advancement?!"

---

The silence broke again.

Gasps swept through the stage.

Teachers stood up from their seats and gathered around the orb to see it for themselves.

"No way... He's already advanced?!"

One of the younger instructors couldn't help blurting out a curse. "Damn, it's true!"

The old principal, who had been pretending to be calm, nearly ripped his own beard out.

"Confirmed," another teacher said, pointing at the details. "Lucas has successfully completed his first advancement quest. It's all here on the sacred stone."

"Oh my god…"

Even the stoic dean looked like he might pass out from the shock.

The Ministry official stared at Lucas as if seeing a ghost.

---

It didn't take long for the whispers to spread across the entire campus.

The audience, once just impressed, was now in full uproar.

Cheering students, stunned teachers, even media trainees near the edges of the school—it felt like the entire city was about to hear this.

Level 20 was impressive.

But completing a class advancement within the first month?

That was flat-out insane.

At first, they had accepted it.

"Okay, two levels above Alexis isn't that crazy. Maybe he's just one of those SS-rank types in disguise," some whispered.

But now?

He had already cleared the Solo Advancement Dungeon.

This wasn't just about levels anymore. This was about guts. Courage. Precision.

Everyone knew the risks.

The dungeon only gave three chances.

Fail all three, and you'd be stuck at Level 20 forever.

Even rich kids with mountains of gear often hesitated to rush in. They'd spend weeks preparing—learning enemy patterns, gathering rare scrolls, practicing their combat skills.

But Lucas? He just… walked in and passed on the first try?!

It was madness.

"Who does that?!"

"Was he riding a rocket?!"

"This guy's got to have divine luck or something!"

---

And yet, Lucas just tilted his head innocently at the crowd and shrugged.

"What? Was it hard?"

He blinked, confused.

"After I hit Level 20, I thought I'd give the dungeon a shot. Passed it on the first try."

Everyone wanted to rush the stage and strangle him on the spot.

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