"Alright! Alright! Alright!"
Lucas's father, Frank, gave his son's shoulder a hearty slap, eyes gleaming with pride. "That's my boy!" he exclaimed with a booming laugh.
Lucas winced, silently crying out from the pain. His father's excitement was understandable—but heavy-handed! Thankfully, Lucas hadn't spilled the full truth: he wasn't just an S-level talent… he was actually SSS-level. If his father had known that, he might've hugged him so hard he'd break his bones.
Despite the impressive classification and a rare combat-based class, Lucas was still only Level 1. Compared to his father Frank, who had already reached Level 60 and the second rank, his attributes were embarrassingly low. If they'd actually fought, he would've been completely overpowered.
"And don't forget, he's my good son too!" his mother, Martha, chimed in. She clung to his arm with joy written all over her face.
The job transfer ceremony that morning had removed the couple's worries completely. What they got in return was a delightful surprise. Of course, they were thrilled.
"Dad, Mom… I'm starving. How long until lunch?" Lucas finally asked, stuck between them, trying to wriggle free.
"Soon, soon!" the couple laughed and shuffled off to the kitchen together, smiles wide on their faces.
Lunch didn't take long. The three of them sat around the table, and for the first time in years, Frank pulled out a bottle of premium wine he'd been saving for a special occasion. He poured himself and Lucas each a glass, and the two clinked their cups together like comrades-in-arms.
Cheers to a new chapter.
"Dad, Mom, I need to head out this afternoon to pick up a few things," Lucas said after they finished their meal.
Tomorrow was the school's organized first training expedition into the wilderness, a real monster-fighting experience. He couldn't go unprepared.
"Oh?" Frank and Martha exchanged a knowing glance. Something passed between them—an understanding long in the making.
"Lucas," Martha began, her tone gentle but serious, "Your father and I… we've been saving up for years."
She placed a small bank card into his hand.
"You've awakened an S-level talent. That means your future is bright. Take this money and buy everything you need—gear, potions, supplies. Whatever it takes."
Frank nodded in agreement. "This is our way of showing support. Go all out, son."
In truth, they had prepared for this day long ago.
After both of them failed their third profession advancement, they left their guild and settled down in Tianhai City, working regular jobs to save money. Whether Lucas ended up in a combat role or a support profession, their plan was the same: give him a strong start, no matter what.
That was the kind of quiet love only parents knew.
Lucas was touched. "Actually," he scratched the back of his head, "the school already gave me a bit of a bonus."
He told them about the school's funding system for outstanding students—how the old principal had personally awarded him a purple-grade starter gear set, and even transferred 200,000 credits into his account.
"So... I'm pretty well-funded already!" Lucas grinned.
"If I need anything more, I'll come to you again."
His parents were stunned—and proud.
As former C-level talents themselves, they never had this kind of opportunity. They had started with nothing. Now their son was being treated like a prodigy. They felt a kind of pride that warmed the soul.
It was the first time they truly relaxed. Lucas would be fine. More than fine. He was on his way to greatness.
—
After a short nap, Frank and Martha returned to their jobs, and Lucas headed to the local commercial district.
He purchased plenty of health and mana potions, some crafting materials, and even a few combat-useful items. He tucked it all into his space backpack, checking off each item on his mental list.
In total, he spent under 10,000 credits—which was modest.
The real expense? A Resurrection Badge. It cost 50,000 credits, but it could save his life in a crisis, and that alone made it worthwhile.
Thanks to his school-issued purple starter gear, he didn't need to worry about weapons or armor. That made his trip short and efficient.
Back home, Lucas finally had time to sit down and study his status panel.
---
Account ID: XX10086XX9527
Character Name: Lucas
Class: Shadow Assassin (God-Killing Assassin)
Talent Rank: S-Level (Real: SSS-Level)
Advancement: 0
Level: 1
Attributes:
Health: 120
Stamina: 100
Attack: 12
Physical Defense: 10
Magic Defense: 8
Strength: 10
Constitution: 12
Agility: 12
Intelligence: 9
Attack Speed: 1.2
Hit Rate: 100%
Dodge: 10%
Resistance: 10%
Critical Chance: 10%
Crit Damage: 150%
General Skill: Combo
Awakening Skill: Shadow Blade (God-Killing Blade)
Equipment: Headgear, Armor, Pants, Gloves, Boots, Weapon
---
At first glance, the stats looked underwhelming—but that was only because he hadn't equipped anything yet.
Once he put on the school's three-star purple-grade gear, his attributes increased dramatically. His attack shot past 100 points, and everything else saw noticeable boosts.
What's more, the system had cleverly hidden his true profession panel behind a decoy. Anyone trying to scan him with a detection skill would only see the S-level panel, not the terrifying SSS-level God-Killing Assassin class.
Lucas smiled. He was protected. No one would know his secret unless he chose to reveal it.
Feeling confident, he leaned back in his chair and started searching the internet, driven by curiosity.
He typed: "SSS-Level Talent" into the search engine.
What he found shocked him.
There had only ever been one SSS-Level job changer in recorded history. And now, he was the second.
That first individual was born fifty years ago. The world had never seen anything like him.
From the moment of his profession ceremony, he shook the world. The government funded him, military forces backed him, and the public hailed him as a hero.
He leveled at record speed, becoming the strongest warrior of his generation.
Eventually, he formed a national elite team, gathering the best of the best—every one of them SS-Level talents—to challenge the legendary Mysterious Tower.
This Tower wasn't like dungeons or secret realms.
The Tower was different—brutal, irreversible, and absolute.
Starting from the 60th floor, the team pushed forward: 70th, 80th, 90th...
On the 100th floor, they vanished.
Every single name on the team's list went dark.
No resurrection. No retreat. Just… gone.
Even more shockingly, the government sent three elite death squads to investigate—but none returned. Eventually, they had no choice but to mark the 100th floor as unreachable.
In the decades since, not a single person had succeeded in passing it. Career changers everywhere were stuck at Level 100, fourth advancement, with no hope of fifth rank progression.
It became a world-wide roadblock. A shared frustration. A mysterious fear.
Lucas stared at the screen, eyes wide.
"They really… failed?"
An SSS-level leader and all SS-level teammates, destroyed in under an hour? What kind of horror lived on that floor?
Lucas felt a cold sweat on his back. Thank God he hadn't told his parents about his true class rank. They would have panicked, thinking of that tragic tale.
But now, Lucas wasn't just afraid.
He was intrigued.
"The 100th floor... The fifth advancement... That's my goal."
He muttered under his breath, clutching the mouse tightly.
Everyone feared the tower.
But for Lucas, it had become a dream.
A goal.
A challenge waiting to be conquered.
And now, the path was finally open.
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