The swirling blue light faded.
Lucas stepped out of the portal, adjusting his slightly messy uniform.
The moment he appeared, he felt hundreds of gazes locked onto him. These looks were no longer filled with disdain or mockery. Instead, they were filled with fear, shock, and confusion.
The entire playground was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop.
Lucas glanced at the massive scoreboard floating in the air.
Rank 1: Lucas - 1200 Points (Cleared!)
Rank 2: Blake's Team - 45 Points
...
The difference was despairing. It wasn't just a gap; it was a canyon.
"L-Lucas..."
The female teacher, Ms. Carter, walked over with trembling legs. Her clipboard had fallen to the ground. She looked at Lucas as if he were a monster.
"You... did you clear the entire forest? Including the Elite Boss?"
Lucas nodded calmly. "Yes. The Goblins were a bit weak, so I gathered them up and burned them all. Is that against the rules?"
Hiss—
The sound of hundreds of students sucking in cold air echoed across the field.
Gathered them up? Burned them all?
Was he talking about mowing the lawn? Those were ferocious monsters!
"Impossible! That's impossible!"
A roar broke the silence. Blake pushed through the crowd, his face flushed red with humiliation and rage.
"He's an F-Rank Necromancer! A trash summoner!" Blake pointed a shaking finger at Lucas. "He must have used a bug! Or he brought illegal high-level scrolls! Teacher, I demand an inspection! He cheated!"
"Yeah... he must be cheating."
"How can a skeleton do that?"
Hearing Blake's accusation, the students started whispering again. Denial was easier to accept than the truth.
Lucas looked at Blake coldly. He didn't speak.
But the shadow behind him moved.
"Insolent worm."
A cold, majestic female voice echoed in everyone's mind.
Boom!
Seraphina didn't fully materialize, but she released a tiny sliver of her [Dragon Fear].
An invisible pressure crashed down like a hammer.
"Ahhh!"
Blake, who was acting arrogant just a second ago, suddenly turned pale. His knees buckled, and he slammed onto the ground, kneeling directly in front of Lucas. His Flame Tiger lay flat on its belly, shivering and whimpering like a wet kitten.
The other students were also forced to step back, pale-faced, clutching their chests.
"S-Spirit Pressure? Physical manifestation of pressure?" The teacher gasped. "That... That's only possible for B-Rank... no, A-Rank summoned beasts!"
Lucas snapped his fingers. The pressure vanished instantly.
He walked past the kneeling Blake without looking down.
"Before you call someone trash," Lucas said indifferently, loud enough for everyone to hear, "make sure you can stand up in front of them."
Lucas walked away towards the exit. No one dared to block his path. The crowd parted automatically, looking at his back with awe.
...
[30 Minutes Later. At Home.]
As soon as he closed the door, Lucas let out a long breath and grinned.
"That felt good."
Being looked down upon for 18 years, today's release was intoxicating. But Lucas knew that strength was the only truth.
"System, settle the rewards!"
[Ding! Dungeon Cleared perfectly.]
[Rewards:]
Experience: 500 (Leveled Up!)
Item: Goblin King's Dagger (E-Rank) -> Scrapped for Evolution Points.
Money: $5,000 (Transferred to bank card).
[Ding! Congratulations! You reached Level 2.]
[All Attributes +5]
[System Point: 10]
"Level 2 already?" Lucas clenched his fist, feeling the new power surging through his muscles. "And $5,000? That's my living expenses for half a year!"
Just then, Seraphina materialized in the living room. She looked at the sweaty Lucas and licked her lips.
"Master, you fought well today," she walked over, her silver hair flowing. "But you seem tired. Do you need... a special service to relax?"
She sat on the sofa and patted her lap, smiling dangerously. "The Empress's Lap Pillow. It is a privilege only for you."