With some time before the National College Entrance Exam, Lucas decided to level up his assassin character. Being a proper mage was cool, but having an assassin on standby? That's just badass. And now that he had the Elemental Spirit to boost his grind, he felt like he was on a speedrun.
He thought back to the old days in the Darkwood Forest, where sneaky cat demons constantly ambushed him, forcing him to run for his life. But now, with a fire spirit at his side, those cats were little more than walking XP.
Lucas couldn't help but admire his fiery transformation and felt stronger with every level. But he knew he couldn't just grind; college life wasn't cheap, and he'd need a steady income.
Everything costs—dungeon runs, skill upgrades, new abilities—so he glanced at his account balance and sighed. "Gotta make some cash. College won't be cheap either, so planning starts now."
So Lucas turned to the trusty pro-gamer forum, hoping for quick-cash tips. He posted an urgent-sounding message: "About to graduate, need quick ways to earn cash. Any advice?"
Almost instantly, replies flooded in:
"College is expensive—ugh, it's ture!"
"Bro, count me in, I'm poor too!"
"Get creative; money doesn't grow on trees, you know."
"Easiest way? Check the penal code—it's all in there!"
Laughing at the snarky responses, Lucas was about to close the thread when a private message popped up:
"There's a way to make some serious cash, but it takes skill."
Lucas's curiosity skyrocketed. He typed, "Please, tell me more."
The message explained a hidden side gig: "If you're strong enough, run dungeons for people. A lot of rich kids are desperate for easy power-ups in their early levels. Having a bodyguard or two is a must for them."
Lucas's eyes lit up. "Duh! I could run dungeons for others and get paid! Can't believe I didn't think of that sooner! This is just like power-leveling in an MMO!"
Another message popped up, "Heads up, though—don't bite off more than you can chew. These rich kids don't tolerate failure. Trying to play a tough guy without the skills to back it up could backfire hard."
Lucas quickly replied, laughing, "Don't worry; I've got this. Thanks for the heads up."
——
At the same time, in a room in a high-rise building in City D, a middle-aged man was reading Lucas's post on a forum, unable to keep from chuckling. "Got this? This high schooler really thinks a dungeon is just an online game!"
Amused as he was, he couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic. Indeed, dungeon environments are full of danger, and even entry-level ones have strict skill requirements. Not only are there limitations within low-level dungeons, but even seasoned veterans struggle to solo them, let alone a newcomer.
With that thought, a slight smile played on the man's lips. "Once this kid gets a good 'lesson' from the dungeon, he'll understand what it means to face reality's true challenges."
The next day, Lucas headed straight to the dungeon entrance, ready to take a shot at this "easy money" gig by finding someone who needed a good power-leveling run.
Watching students gather in small groups at the dungeon gates, he could tell they were all here to prep for the exam, hoping to gain a last-minute boost.
But the people around weren't exactly high rollers or powerful players; they were either average or already in groups. It made sense—any rich kid worth their armor would already have their A-team in place by now.
After two hours of lurking around, Lucas scratched his head, realizing his chances were slim today. Still, he could continue grinding his assassin in-game.
In the forest, with his fire spirit in tow, Lucas zipped through the trees, blasting away at groups of cat demons as they leapt from the shadows. With fire skills, those pesky cats barely had a chance before they turned to ash.
"Grinding used to be a struggle. Now I barely have to lift a finger," Lucas chuckled as he moved deeper into the woods.
After pushing through a dense patch of vines, he stumbled upon an old, broken-down camp. Ragged tents lay scattered, with broken weapons and rotting wood littering the ground.
In the center, a hulking minotaur lay sprawled out, its battle-axe at its side, breathing heavily as if it had been resting here for ages.
"Looks interesting." Lucas sized up the creature, then directed his fire spirit to sneak up on it. He aimed to hit hard before the beast fully realized what was happening.
Floating quietly, the fire spirit's flame pulsed, and as Lucas readied his spell, the minotaur suddenly opened its blood-red eyes, sensing the heat.
With a roar, it stood, stomping so hard the ground cracked beneath its feet, and charged at Lucas, radiating raw power.
The battle was on.