The moment it was confirmed that Lucas had reached Level 20 and successfully completed his first class advancement, a shockwave rippled through the entire school.
Everyone was stunned.
No one could deny it now—Lucas had not only outleveled Alexis Lane, another S-Rank Talent with a hidden combat profession, but had done something much more terrifying.
He had crossed the threshold.
He had advanced.
Even though the difference in level between him and Alexis was only two, the difference in power and prestige was massive.
Lucas stood completely transcendent, untouchable—on a tier of his own.
---
"Could he be a true prodigy? A born job-changer? Someone born for combat?"
Whispers circulated wildly.
No one could believe that he had crossed the advancement threshold just one month after awakening.
That kind of speed was unheard of.
Not even students with SS-Rank Talents—the absolute pinnacle of potential—had managed to advance that quickly. And yet, here was Lucas, calm and collected, as though he'd just completed a casual training session.
It was outrageous.
Was his S-Rank Talent combined with a hidden combat class enough to rival even SS-Rank potential?
Or... was he something even greater?
Though no one dared to say it out loud, the question hovered in every mind.
---
Still, facts were facts, and no amount of disbelief could change what was written in cold data.
Lucas was now the top student in the country.
There was no dispute. No argument.
If nothing unexpected occurred, he would be the national top scorer this year.
---
After a long bout of uproar, the atmosphere on the training field slowly returned to order.
The Ministry of Education officials were professionals, after all. After some effort, they managed to gather themselves and resume the assessment for the remaining students.
Yet… few people truly paid attention.
Even though a few more new students with high potential came forward to be evaluated, all eyes, ears, and minds remained fixated on Lucas.
Conversations buzzed beneath hushed breaths. The crowd couldn't stop talking about what they had witnessed.
It wasn't just a test result.
It felt like they'd been part of a historical moment.
The teachers were no better. Even the most composed instructors and deans kept stealing glances at Lucas, sitting quietly with the rest of Class 1, Grade 3, as though he hadn't just turned the entire school upside down.
---
The happiest person of all, however, was Lucas's homeroom teacher.
He didn't even try to hide it. His grin stretched from ear to ear, so wide he looked like he could swallow a watermelon whole.
After all, his student had just become a national legend.
Though he hadn't done much personally to assist Lucas, he would reap the rewards nonetheless.
His salary was bound to increase.
He could expect a shiny promotion.
And of course, bonuses would come pouring in.
Lucas noticed the gleeful teacher and couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He understood exactly what that grin meant.
"One man reaches enlightenment, and even the chickens and dogs ascend to heaven," he thought with amusement.
It was fair. The man just happened to be in the right place at the right time. He might as well enjoy his good fortune.
---
About an hour later, the final student finished their evaluation.
The assessment officially concluded.
A quick review of the results showed a predictable distribution across different Talent levels.
F, E, and D-Level students hovered around Levels 10 to 13, with very few managing to reach 13.
C, B, and A-Level students performed slightly better, falling between Level 13 and 15, with a few A-Level students stretching to Level 16.
Alexis Lane, the star of the school until today, stood tall at Level 18—the highest among all students besides Lucas.
But then there was Lucas…
Level 20. First advancement completed.
His results weren't just ahead—they were from a different realm entirely.
The moment those final numbers were entered, the old principal practically burst with pride.
He beamed at the Ministry of Education officials like a grandfather showing off his golden grandchild.
For the principal, this was a career-defining moment. He felt twenty years younger, his back straight, his chest puffed.
His school had produced a monster.
---
The assessment ended successfully.
Students were dismissed and told to go home and rest.
But before they left, the head teachers reminded everyone: they had three days to submit their university preferences online.
"Good luck to all of you," one teacher said with a smile. "May you get into the university of your dreams."
Thanks to a well-optimized system, results would be available almost immediately. No more waiting for weeks, like back in Lucas's old world.
Every student's assessment data—Talent grade, combat class, and level—would be uploaded to the Ministry's national database.
Once submitted, the system would match students with university cutoffs and issue admission notifications within a week.
And after that?
Only seven days of rest remained before reporting to their respective universities.
---
Some students planned to sleep and recover from a month of intense grinding. Others were already organizing parties to blow off steam.
But Lucas had no time to rest.
After submitting his university application—Kyoto University, of course—he returned immediately to his grind.
Every day, he continued to enter dungeons and clear wild monster zones in the nearby jungle.
Why?
Because he was broke.
The Pale Blade dagger had eaten up nearly all his gold.
He didn't even have enough for a teleportation fee to another major city.
Sure, he had the school's reward: a Level 1 purple-quality novice gear set sitting in his storage.
It consisted of five pieces of armor, though it lacked a matching weapon or dagger. Despite being "novice" gear, it was incredibly valuable, with stats nearly equal to whiteboard Level 20 gear.
Why?
Because it was usable at Level 1—making it perfect for fresh job-changers who wanted a powerful head start.
Naturally, that kind of equipment fetched a high price.
Hundreds of thousands of yuan, easily.
And yet, Lucas refused to sell it.
He loved the way it looked.
To him, it wasn't just equipment. It was a souvenir of his first triumph.
So rather than pawn it, he kept it close—and chose to hustle harder.
No asking his parents for help.
No shortcuts.
Only grinding.
---
Luckily, luck was on his side.
That day, while clearing the Level 20 dungeon "Ogre's Lair," Lucas stumbled across something rare.
A treasure chest.
These were practically myths. Their appearance rate was just 0.1%—a fraction of a percent.
Even seasoned dungeon crawlers could go months without finding one.
Excited, Lucas dealt the finishing blow to the ogre boss. The monster fell with a thud, dropping nothing but some low-tier crafting materials.
He picked them up out of habit, then approached the mysterious chest glowing faintly in the corner.
He rubbed his palms together, whispered a few nonsensical "lucky chants," and popped it open.
---
[You opened a treasure chest and obtained equipment: Witch's High Heels.]
Lucas blinked.
"Wait… what?"
He clicked on the item to inspect the stats.
---
Item Name: Witch's High Heels
Type: Armor
Rarity: Rare
Star Rating: ★★
Level Requirement: Level 20
Class Requirement: Female Classes Only
Attributes:
+300 HP
+200 Physical Defense
+240 Magic Defense
+50 Constitution
+50 Stamina
+80 Intelligence
+10% Magic Resistance
Special Effect – Trampling:
"Deals 1% bonus physical damage when stepping on enemies. Targets trampled by this item will experience both pain and… inexplicable pleasure."
---
Lucas stared at the description.
And then…
"PFFT! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"
He nearly choked on his own spit.
The stats were solid, no doubt. But the special effect description? What was that?!
Who designed this?
Who thought that was a good idea?!
He looked around awkwardly, as if someone might appear to judge him just for reading it.
"…I can't even wear these," he muttered, stuffing the heels into his inventory. "But I guess someone out there's going to love them."
------------------------------------------------------
Get membership in patreon to read more chapters
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31
-----------------------------------------------------