Time flew by.
The 7 days leading up to the Tournament passed in a blur of blood and shadows.
Lucas and Seraphina became permanent residents of the dungeons. They didn't go to school; they didn't go home. They jumped from the "Silent Graveyard" (Lv. 3 Dungeon) to the "Wolf Plains" (Lv. 5 Dungeon).
Slash!
In the depths of the Wolf Plains, Lucas's figure flickered like a ghost.
He wasn't using Seraphina this time.
[Shadow Cloak] activated. He appeared behind a Giant Wolf, his steel dagger sliding effortlessly across its throat.
Thud. The beast fell.
Lucas panted slightly, wiping the sweat from his forehead. His eyes were sharper, colder.
"Master, your movement is improving," Seraphina descended from the sky, her black wings retracting. She held five Magic Cores in her hand. "But you are still too slow compared to me."
"I can't compare myself to a dragon," Lucas smiled wryly.
Over the past week, he realized that he couldn't just rely on Seraphina. If an enemy bypassed her, he needed the ability to kill. So, he practiced frantically.
"System, check stats!"
[Name: Lucas]
[Class: Necromancer (God-Tier System Bound)]
[Level: 5]
[Strength: 25]
[Agility: 30]
[Intelligence: 45]
[Skills: Undead Summoning (SSS-Seraphina), Shadow Cloak (Lv. 2), Basic Dagger Mastery (Lv. 3)]
Level 5!
Most students were barely Level 2 or 3 after a week. Lucas was rocketing ahead.
...
[City Hunter Forum - Hot Threads]
While Lucas was grinding, the internet was exploding.
Topic: "Has anyone noticed the leaderboards of the Dungeons recently?"
User A: "Crazy! The 'Silent Graveyard' speedrun record was broken again! Someone cleared it in 8 minutes!"
User B: "Who is it? Is it the Ice Prince form North High?"
User C: "No! The ID is hidden! It just says [Solo]."
User D: "A mysterious solo expert? They must be prepping for the Tournament tomorrow. It's going to be a bloodbath."
The name of the "Mysterious Solo Player" became an urban legend in just a few days. Nobody connected this terrifying expert to the "F-Rank Trash" of Azure High.
...
[Day 7: The Tournament Day]
The City Stadium was packed with 50,000 spectators. Flags waved, and giant holographic screens projected the faces of the top seeds.
"Welcome, citizens, to the annual Newbie Hunter Tournament!"
The commentator shouted, igniting the crowd's passion.
"Today, over 1,000 awakened students will fight for glory! Who will be the King?"
In the contestant waiting area.
Lucas stood in a corner, wearing his simple black combat gear. He looked unassuming.
Not far away, a commotion broke out.
"Look! It's Elena, the Ice Princess from District 1! She awakened an S-Rank [Ice Phoenix]!"
"And Lei Zhen! The Thunder Berserker!"
These were the prodigies, the children of heaven. They walked with their heads high, enjoying the cheers. Even Blake (the bully from Chapter 1) was there, but he looked humble in front of these real geniuses.
Lucas glanced at them indifferently.
"S-Rank? Thunder Berserker?"
He adjusted his gloves.
"Seraphina," he whispered into the shadow behind him. "Do you think they can last one minute against you?"
A lazy, disdainful laugh echoed in his mind.
"Master, you overestimate them. They are merely bugs with slightly shinier shells."
Lucas grinned.
"Good. Let's go crush them."