Lu Yun waved to the man approaching, "Patriarch Xia, come and sit."
The newcomer was Xia Dongyang, head of the Xia family in Xihai City and father of Xia Xue.
There was still space at the table, so Xia Dongyang took a seat without hesitation. "Hello, principals," he greeted politely.
Xia Dongyang's presence commanded respect. His stern demeanor carried an air of authority.
Lu Yun poured him a cup of tea, smiling as he spoke, "Patriarch Xia, you've come to check on Xia Xue?"
Xia Dongyang smiled back, "These past few years, Principal Lu, you've taken great care of Xiaoxue."
Lu Yun waved the compliment away, "I've done nothing. Xia Xue is a bright girl, and her recent job change was a complete success."
"I heard from the family," Xia Dongyang replied. "I just returned to Xihai City today and unfortunately missed her job transfer."
Lu Yun knew Xia Dongyang had little time to be home due to his busy schedule. He nodded, understanding the situation.
"We were just talking about whether Xia Xue will be able to reach level 5 by the end of today's 12-hour dungeon run. If she wants to enter Xia Jing Academy, it's going to be a challenge," Lu Yun remarked.
Xia Dongyang seemed unfazed, "It shouldn't be a problem. Even if she's a little short, I can always pull some strings."
Lu Yun shook his head firmly, "I wouldn't advise that. You know Xia Xue. If you interfere, she'll resent it."
Xia Dongyang sighed. He knew this all too well.
Shifting the topic, he asked, "I heard your academy has someone with a hidden job class now. Congratulations! What kind of job is it?"
Lu Yun's face lit up. "It's called 'Necromancer.' I've never seen this class before. It allows the user to summon skeletons. We're not sure of its full power yet."
Hidden jobs didn't always equate to strength—there were some disappointing ones. Summoning skeletons sounded ominous, and the name "Necromancer" carried a certain stigma.
Xia Dongyang raised an eyebrow, slightly concerned. It wasn't the most comforting of titles.
Seeing his hesitation, Lu Yun reassured him, "Don't worry. The kid, Lin Moyu, doesn't talk much, but he's a good boy. His sister was admitted to Xia Jing Academy last year."
"If Xia Xue gets into Xia Jing Academy, perhaps you could ask Lin Mohan to look out for her," Lu Yun suggested.
Xia Dongyang relaxed, trusting Lu Yun's judgment. They had known each other for years, and he valued Lu Yun's wisdom.
Meanwhile, inside the novice dungeon, Lin Moyu received a message from one of his skeleton warriors:
[Limit distance reached, cannot move further.]
The farthest skeleton warrior was now 500 meters away, the maximum range they could travel from him. As the others approached this limit, Lin Moyu had no choice but to summon them back.
He couldn't afford to lose control of them, so he decided to venture deeper into the dungeon himself. The 10 skeleton warriors formed a loose formation around him, maintaining a distance of about 100 meters. Any monsters crossing their path were swiftly slain.
By the fourth hour in the dungeon, Lin Moyu had leveled up for the third time.
[Name: Lin Moyu]
[Occupation: Necromancer (Unique)]
[Level: 4 (0.00%)]
[Strength: 40]
[Agility: 40]
[Spirit: 80]
[Equipment: None]
[Summon Space: 10/40, Skeleton Warrior (Quantity: 10)]
[Talent: Comprehensive Amplification (Level 1, Unique)]
[Passive Skill: Damage Transfer]
[Active Skills: Soul Flame (Level 4), Summon Skeleton Warrior (Level 4)]
After leveling up, Lin Moyu continued summoning skeleton warriors. However, each summoning now required 25 points of spiritual power.
In just four hours, Lin Moyu had leveled up three times, and with more skeleton warriors, his leveling speed only increased. He ventured deeper into the dungeon, entering its second half where level 5 and 6 monsters awaited.
But with his skeleton warriors' strength reaching 450 points, even these tougher monsters were dispatched with a single strike.
[Kill level 5 blue wolf, experience +50]
[Kill level 6 black panther, experience +60]
For Lin Moyu, there was no difference between killing a level 1 or level 6 monster. The stronger the monsters and the more densely packed they were, the better for his rapid progression.
He summoned three more skeleton warriors, bringing the total to 13. They rampaged through the dungeon, slaughtering monsters effortlessly. The experience points rolled in faster and faster.
"At this rate, I'll level up again in less than an hour," Lin Moyu calculated. "Could I really hit level 8 within the first 12 hours of this novice dungeon?"
It was twice the speed he had expected. Reaching level 8 would allow him to venture to the outskirts of Xihai City, where more powerful monsters roamed.
But getting there required the academy's approval—Xihai's city guards wouldn't allow him to leave without it. Level 8 was the minimum requirement.
[Kill level 7 brown bear, experience +70]
As he ventured further, level 7 monsters began to appear, but they too fell with ease.
The novice dungeon was designed for beginners, with simple environments and relatively weak monsters. Still, Lin Moyu remained vigilant, remembering a lesson his sister Lin Mohan had taught him.
She once returned from the outskirts of Xihai City, injured and bloodied. "Even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses all its strength," she had warned him seriously. "Never underestimate any situation."
Lin Moyu had etched those words into his heart.
Now, he was doing exactly that—moving cautiously but efficiently, no matter how easy things seemed.