A few days passed. Deep in the heart of the dense, dark forest, Lucas was still grinding levels with quiet determination.
With a swift movement, his dagger slashed through the thick body of a jungle python, its health dropping to zero in an instant.
The serpent collapsed, and a golden light shone around Lucas's body—a familiar signal.
"Finally. Level 20." He let out a long breath, wiping sweat from his brow.
He quickly gathered the monster loot—snake meat, scales, venom sacs—and tossed them into his space backpack with practiced ease.
But truth be told, the days spent grinding in this forest had been... unpleasant.
The air was hot and suffocating, making it hard to breathe. Light barely made it through the thick canopy, and twisted branches and tall weeds surrounded him on all sides, drastically lowering his visibility.
Worse, the wild monsters here were smart and sneaky. They often hid in ambush, striking from shadows or trees when players least expected it.
And the most dangerous thing?
Poison attacks.
Lucas had learned that the hard way.
The first time he got hit by one of the snakes' venom, his health started draining uncontrollably. It was a permanent poisoning status, not something that faded over time.
If he hadn't brought antidotes, he would've been dead before making it back to the city.
"Just chugging health potions isn't enough," he'd realized. "Poison damage is faster than potion healing."
Only certain support classes—like priests—could remove poison statuses, and solo players without help? They had to come prepared.
No wonder the school had repeatedly warned students to stay near the outskirts.
But Lucas wasn't like the others. He adapted quickly. Learned quickly. Fought smart.
And now, after three days of careful planning and brutal fights in the wild...
He hit Level 20—well ahead of the rest of his class.
His first action?
Equipping the long-awaited Ring of Tiger Teeth.
He pulled up his attribute screen, watching as the glowing blue ring materialized in the accessories slot. He couldn't help but smile.
"The stat bonuses are great, sure... but more than that, this is my first real gear drop."
For Lucas, the emotional reward was bigger than the attribute gains.
He admired the equipment screen for a moment longer, then reluctantly closed the panel.
It was time to return to the city.
He'd reached the current level cap. Killing more monsters wouldn't earn him any experience.
The only way forward now was to complete the single-player job advancement dungeon.
That dungeon was the first major hurdle for every job changer. Pass it, and your growth continued. Fail... and you were in trouble.
You only got three chances. After that, you were stuck at Level 20 permanently—no more leveling, no more class progression.
Lucas was confident. As an SSS-level Talent with a hidden combat class, he knew his raw power could carry him through.
But there was one issue.
"My equipment sucks."
He glanced down at his armor—still the default novice gear from Level 1.
Sure, it was three-star purple quality, which made it stronger than most white-grade Level 20 gear. But now, at Level 20, it was no longer enough.
Especially if the job advancement dungeon was as hard as people said.
"It'd be a shame to fail because of weak gear."
So instead of heading straight to the dungeon, Lucas returned to the city of Tianhai and made his way to the Commercial District.
He needed better equipment.
And no—he didn't go to Mason's blacksmith shop.
Why?
"I'm an assassin. I wear light armor—not heavy metal plates."
It wasn't that he didn't want to support his friend's business. Their professions just weren't compatible.
Instead, he visited a tailor's shop, one known for making armor for agility-based classes like assassins and rangers.
Inside, he was greeted by a glittering list of items. Robes, leather armor, cloaks, boots—all kinds of equipment lined the shelves.
Some pieces were so rare, they glowed golden with epic rank.
Lucas's eyes sparkled... then fell when he saw the prices.
"Ugh... 30,000 yuan for boots?!"
He had around 100,000 yuan left from school rewards, which sounded like a lot—but was barely enough for two or three purple-quality pieces, and definitely not a full set.
And worse—he still didn't have a proper weapon.
"I'm so broke it hurts," Lucas muttered, turning away from the price list with a sigh.
He briefly considered selling the Ring of Tiger Teeth to fund his gear.
But he shook his head. "That'd be trading one hole for another." There was no point equipping armor if he had no damage output.
"Forget it. I'll grind some dungeons instead. Maybe I'll get lucky and find something good."
It wasn't a bad plan. He still had three days before the job advancement window closed.
He decided to give the dungeon a few tries before doing anything drastic.
He made his way to the City Lord's Mansion, where dungeon access was managed.
In this world, you couldn't just walk into a dungeon. You needed a ticket, issued by the city's ruling authority.
Tickets were sold through the government to regulate monster spawning and loot distribution. The dungeon was considered public infrastructure—used to train job changers and maintain city stability.
Thankfully, Level 20 dungeon tickets were cheap—only 300 yuan each.
And even if you didn't get good gear, you could still make your money back selling materials, making it a safe bet.
Job changers often joked that "clearing dungeons is just like working a shift—clock in, grind, get paid."
Lucas bought a few tickets and headed out the south city gate toward the Level 20 dungeon.
It was located 50 miles away, in a region known as the Deserted Hills.
Despite the name, it wasn't deserted at all.
As Lucas approached, he saw a bustling marketplace forming around the dungeon entrance.
---
"Potions! Get your red and blue potions here! Antidotes! Buff potions!"
"Fresh gear drops for sale—newly looted breastplates, rings, and gloves!"
"Looking for one healer to complete our team! Must be reliable!"
"Tank warrior here! Need a team for hard mode runs!"
---
The base of the hill had turned into a full-on bazaar.
Stalls were everywhere—players shouting, bargaining, forming parties.
It was chaotic, loud, and strangely alive.
And in the center of it all?
The dungeon entrance.
It shimmered like a glowing portal, built from swirling light and pulsing energy. A doorway to another world.
It looked... mysterious. Dangerous. Alluring.
Lucas stared at it for a long moment, feeling a strange pull.
"Time to see what I'm really made of," he whispered.
And then, without hesitation, he stepped toward the gate.
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