The sun shone brightly overhead, casting dappled light through the trees onto the street. The Summer Dungeon Hunt was about to begin, and excitement filled the campus.
But for Lucas, the noise outside felt distant, irrelevant.
He was deep in his own world, eyes glued to his phone screen, fully immersed in his latest challenge: the Lightning Goblin Dungeon.
Everything around him faded away as Lucas focused on his game, completely oblivious to his surroundings. He had mastered the art of tuning out the real world.
Just as he was adjusting his strategy, a soft but lively voice cut through the air, grabbing everyone's attention.
"So, losing to me a year ago must've really knocked you down, huh?"
Seraphina stepped up to Lucas with a smile, offering some friendly encouragement. "I hope you bounce back soon."
Her words caused a stir among the onlookers.
Seraphina, the school's golden girl, was stunning, talented, and from a well-off family. She was the kind of person most guys saw as untouchable.
And yet, here she was, talking to Lucas, showing concern for him. The students nearby were completely stunned.
But Lucas didn't even notice her. He kept his head down, fingers dancing across his phone screen. He was so absorbed in his game that he had developed a skill of his own—"Immunity to Distractions."
To him, the virtual world was where he thrived.
Girls? Not needed in his online universe!
The crowd watched in disbelief as Seraphina waited for a response. She looked at Lucas expectantly, only to be met with silence.
Her face twitched slightly with frustration. "Is he really ignoring me?"
She gritted her teeth, clearly not expecting to be brushed off like this.
"Lucas, someone's talking to you," Jeff finally said, unable to stand the awkwardness any longer. He nudged Lucas's arm, hoping to snap him out of his gaming trance.
"Huh? Who's talking to me?" Lucas asked, blinking and looking around in confusion until his eyes landed on Seraphina.
"Do I know you?" he asked, puzzled.
"You don't remember me?" Seraphina's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe it. She had been Lucas's opponent, the one who had defeated him a year ago, and now he didn't even recognize her?
Lucas shrugged. "My memory's not great. So, if there's nothing important, I need to get back to my game."
The crowd around them erupted in silent cheers, thinking, Now, that's a man! Not even the school's queen can distract him from his game!
Seraphina's face turned bright red with frustration. Before she could respond, Thorne, her biggest admirer, stepped forward with a scowl.
"You're just pretending, Lucas. Even if you're feeling down, that's no reason to be rude," Thorne snapped. "Seraphina's only trying to help you get back on your feet."
Lucas didn't even glance up from his screen. "No thanks. I'm busy."
Seraphina's face fell, and she stomped her foot in frustration. "I can't believe I wasted my time worrying about you!"
Thorne glared at Lucas. "Let's go, Seraphina. He's hopeless. Can't handle a little defeat, and he'll never amount to anything now."
Seraphina sighed and walked away, leaving Lucas to his game.
To him, the defeat from a year ago was ancient history. He only cared about leveling up in his dungeons now.
Lucas was already deep inside the Lightning Goblin Dungeon.
The scene on his screen shifted to a vast open field, bathed in light. The air crackled with a strange energy, and Lucas could feel the magical tension rising.
"Just a bunch of goblins to start?" Lucas muttered as he spotted a few low-level goblins on the screen.
The goblins noticed him and charged.
Lucas had done this hundreds of times before. A few quick moves and dodges brought them together, where he unleashed two fiery blasts. Flames engulfed the goblins, and they exploded in a satisfying shower of experience points.
"These goblins are even weaker than I thought," Lucas said, his eyes scanning the screen as his experience bar steadily climbed.
For the next half hour, Lucas hunted goblins non-stop, getting into a smooth rhythm. With each kill, he grew stronger, and his level was just about to increase.
"This dungeon's easier than I expected," Lucas sighed with relief.
Despite the dungeon's reputation, he hadn't run into any major challenges yet. The bright fields and open skies made it easy to spot enemies, and even the trees had fruit to replenish health. It was practically a grinding paradise.
But things rarely stay easy for long.
Just as Lucas was enjoying the peace, a rock came flying at him out of nowhere.
"What the—?" Lucas quickly sidestepped, but the rock grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep cut that sent blood splattering.
"Great, I jinxed myself," Lucas cursed under his breath.
He quickly scanned the area and spotted the culprit—a Goblin Thrower lurking behind some bushes, glaring at him with a malicious grin. The goblin already had another rock in hand, ready to launch.
"This one's not gonna be easy," Lucas muttered, knowing this enemy would be trouble. He immediately activated Wind Dash, his character blurring as he zipped across the field, his Frost Shield popping up to shield him.
The Goblin Thrower didn't hesitate. It hurled a barrage of stones at Lucas. His barrier took the hits, but it was cracking fast. Lucas knew he had to act before it broke.
Without missing a beat, Lucas unleashed three Fire Blasts in quick succession, cutting off all of the goblin's escape routes.
Boom! The explosion echoed through the dungeon, and the Goblin Thrower was blown to pieces, its body disintegrating as Lucas's experience bar shot up.
"Goblin Thrower defeated. You've leveled up to Level 13."
Lucas let out a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"That was close," he muttered, patting his chest. "Almost didn't make it."
The Goblin Thrower's surprise attack had caught him off guard, but thanks to his newly unlocked Mana Surge skill, Lucas had been able to recover his mana quickly, keeping him in the fight.
With his confidence restored and his level up in the bag, Lucas decided it was time to push deeper into the dungeon. There were stronger monsters and even better loot waiting for him.