"Oh? You reached Level 12 already?"
Mason squinted at Leon Graves with a knowing smirk. "No wonder you're acting all cocky now. Feeling a bit bold, aren't we?"
If it weren't for the outrageous speed at which Lucas had been helping Mason level up, the chubby boy would've been the one flexing all over the chat group. But because of how shocking Lucas's pace had been, Mason had kept a low profile to avoid attention. Otherwise, Leon wouldn't even have had a chance to act superior.
"Hah! Looks like you're scared!" Leon lifted his chin, full of pride.
Getting a moment to show off in front of Mason—who had always been his rival—felt incredibly satisfying. He even sighed with relief.
Finally, a chance to step on this guy after what he did in the chat group the other day!
If Lucas hadn't warned him not to cause too much trouble, Leon might've challenged Mason right now, maybe even sent him back to town with one hit.
"Haha, Level 12? That's impressive—but check this out!" Mason's grin widened as he opened his status.
He intentionally flashed his level in front of Leon: Level 15.
The number nearly made Leon's eyes pop out of his skull.
"WHAT?! Level 15?! Are you kidding me?!" Leon took two steps back in shock, almost choking on his own disbelief.
"This—this can't be right! It's not possible!"
He was an A-Level Talent. Mason, just a B-Level Talent—how could he possibly be ahead by three whole levels?!
"How's it impossible?" Mason snorted. "Clearly, you have no idea what it means to team up with someone like Lucas. An S-Level Talent with a hidden combat class—he got me to Level 15 with ease."
If Mason hadn't left Lucas's party early to prepare for college and look for a stable team, he'd probably be Level 16 or even Level 17 by now.
Leon's confidence crumbled. Mason's level wasn't fake. And if Mason was Level 15, Lucas must be at least that—or higher!
That realization hit Leon hard. His arrogance instantly faded.
"Still think you can take me?" Mason's eyes narrowed. He slammed his massive warhammer to the ground with a loud boom.
"Not only do you have weaker stats than me, but I also have one extra general skill from hitting Level 15. If you really want a fight, I'll give you a one-way trip back to the spawn point."
Every time a job class character hits a multiple of five, they unlock a new general skill. That's a big power spike. Even if both fighters are the same level, one extra skill can turn the tide.
This is why experienced players always say: every fifth level is a turning point.
Leon paled. He opened his mouth, but no words came. Shame flooding his face, he backed away and ran off.
Mason spat in the dirt. "Coward," he muttered, shaking his head.
He then turned and spotted another red-eyed wolf roaming nearby. With a grin, he got back to training, refining his fighting techniques.
---
Meanwhile, far across the plains about thirty miles from the city, Lucas was deep into his monster-hunting routine.
He had been grinding on Level 20 Iron-armored Demonic Bears, slaying them one after another with little trouble. Things were going smoothly—until something unusual appeared.
A strange presence caught his attention. A wandering Elite-class monster.
In this world where game mechanics had fused with reality, monsters were ranked by class: Ordinary, Elite, Boss, and Epic.
In most wilderness areas, you'd only find Ordinary and the occasional Elite-class monster. Boss-level ones were exclusive to dungeons and Secret Realms.
So when Lucas spotted an Elite beast in the open world, his excitement skyrocketed.
The monster was a golden-furred saber-toothed tiger, towering in size—even bigger than the armored bears he'd just been slaying.
Its razor-sharp fangs jutted out from its jaws, and its golden fur shimmered in the sun. It radiated power, completely different from the common wild beasts he'd been mowing down.
"Elite class, no doubt," Lucas whispered.
Its glow was impossible to miss—like a lantern in the dead of night.
"If I kill it, it might drop some rare gear, right?"
His eyes lit up.
The saber-toothed tiger had already locked onto him. It growled deeply, eyes burning with hostility.
Before Lucas could act, the monster charged. Fast. Brutally fast.
"Whoa!" Lucas quickly pulled out a Detection Scroll and tossed it toward the beast.
A panel of stats appeared in front of his eyes:
[Saber-toothed Tiger – Elite Class – Level 25]
"Level 25?!" Lucas muttered in disbelief. "That's higher than I thought…"
Most students would've just dropped their weapons and prayed at that point. But Lucas wasn't most students.
He planted his foot, stood tall, and faced the beast.
The tiger leapt with a snarl, fangs snapping toward his neck.
Lucas's instincts kicked in. He dashed to the side at lightning speed, dodging the bite by a hair's breadth.
Then—slash!
His dagger sliced across the beast's side.
A massive damage number flashed: 2300.
Blood sprayed from the tiger's flank. It let out a shriek and stumbled back, about one-fifth of its health gone in a single strike.
And that was just a normal attack.
"Hmm... weaker than expected?" Lucas muttered.
Then he shook his head. "No—it's not weak. I'm just ridiculously strong."
If anyone else had fought this thing, their hit would've barely scratched it—maybe 2% damage.
Even a well-prepared five-person team might not survive.
"This thing's no pushover," Lucas thought. "Its stats are solid. But I'm on another level."
His SSS-Level Talent ability, God-Killing Blade, was living up to its name.
He was still just Level 18, not even close to the saber-toothed tiger's Level 25. But with one hit, he'd knocked out 20% of its health.
Time to end this.
Lucas's eyes hardened.
He unleashed a flurry of attacks—each skill flowing seamlessly into the next:
Level 1 General Skill – Combos!
Level 5 General Skill – Fatal Deep Stab!
Level 15 General Skill – Tearing Slash!
He didn't use his Level 10 skill, because that was Invisibility, the assassin's signature move.
And he had learned the hard way: using it actually deactivated the passive bonuses from his SSS skill. Once invisible, his damage output dropped by 90%. So he skipped it.
The tiger never stood a chance.
Lucas's final strike tore through its neck, and the beast collapsed with a roar. Dead.
As its body faded, a glowing blue light appeared beside it.
"Wait—is that… gear?"
Lucas blinked. "It actually dropped equipment!"
He crouched, heart pounding with excitement.
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