In the principal's office, Principal Wesley was visibly ecstatic.
Standing behind his desk, he stared at the hulking teenager in front of him.
His excitement was so overwhelming that he tugged at his already thinning hair,
nervously asking:
"Lucien, can you tell me… how did you do it?"
Lucien, with his legs crossed and an air of leisure, asked nonchalantly:
"Principal, what exactly are you asking about?"
"Is it how I managed to summon so many Goblins in such a short time?"
"Or how I used Teleport repeatedly to chase my opponents down?"
Wesley nodded furiously.
"I want to know it all!"
Lucien leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret.
He spoke in a deliberately cryptic tone:
"I can only tell you… it's all thanks to my talent."
Wesley had suspected as much.
After all, outside of exceptional talents,
there was no other explanation for Lucien's monstrous abilities.
And this was exactly the narrative Lucien wanted people to believe.
Because if anyone found out about his plug-in,
he'd risk being permanently banned.
As far as everyone was concerned,
it was all due to his natural talent.
Lucien… was not cheating!
"Can you tell me the grade of your talent?" Wesley asked,
his voice trembling as he raised two fingers.
Lucien thought for a moment and raised three fingers instead.
Wesley's face visibly turned red with excitement.
He jumped up with a shout of joy, accidentally banging his knee on the desk.
Even the pain couldn't dampen the smile on his face.
He pressed his palms downward, motioning for Lucien to stay put,
then quickly walked out of the office.
"Wait here. I'll be right back," he said, closing the door behind him.
Lucien could faintly hear him shouting down the hall:
"We finally have someone who can aim for NUF Academy!"
Lucien's expression turned amused.
He had assumed the principal possessed some extraordinary ability
to discern that he had two SSS talents.
His three fingers had been an attempt to hint
that his third talent wasn't inferior to the first two.
But it seemed…
The principal lacked imagination.
Or perhaps he simply didn't dare to dream so boldly.
Lucien quietly waited for about ten minutes.
When Wesley returned, he rushed in with excitement,
immediately shoving a card into Lucien's hand.
"This contains 100,000 gold coins," Wesley said.
"Take it and spend it as you please!
"If you need more, call me. I'll personally cover all your expenses until Tier 3!"
Wesley's generosity would have delighted most students,
especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
But for Lucien, it didn't bring much joy.
One gold coin equaled 100 silver coins, which equaled 1,000 copper coins.
Between the 3,000 gold coins he'd obtained from Logan
and the loot from his dungeon run,
with One-Coin Glitch, Lucien felt like he couldn't spend it all if he tried.
Money, to him, was just a number.
So, he calmly replied: "Thank you, Principal."
Wesley was taken aback.
He knew Lucien came from a modest background with no support network.
For someone like him to remain unfazed by such wealth…
It only further proved he was destined for greatness.
Wesley sighed inwardly,
then retrieved a glowing pair of wings from his inventory.
Lucien accepted them, his eyes lighting up.
[Equipment: Sky Wings]
[Grade: Rare]
[Attributes: Agility +55, Constitution +44]
[Skill: Flight]
[Requirement: Agility >10, Constitution >10]
"Principal… are these for me?" Lucien asked,
his hands gently stroking the wings with care.
Wesley nodded.
"Of course they are.
"Lucien, you know how much the school hopes you'll be able to compete for admission to NUF Academy."
"This is not only a great opportunity for you,
but it would also bring immense prestige to our school!"
"I must admit, we can't offer as many resources as larger organizations.
"But I hope these Sky Wings will be of some help. Don't think less of them!"
"Principal, how could I?" Lucien said earnestly.
"Even without these wings, I would strive to get into NUF Academy!"
"Three years as a high schooler—my loyalty to this school runs deep.
"I'll bring home the top spot and restore the school's glory. It's my duty!"
Lucien's words were meant to play to the gallery,
hoping to squeeze a little more gold out of the principal.
Unfortunately, the school was genuinely poor.
Wesley could only grasp Lucien's arm in gratitude, shaking it fervently.
"You're a good kid.
"Our school will be proud of you!"
"For the next month, focus on leveling up.
"If you encounter any difficulties, call me anytime. Here's my number."
Lucien realized there was no more gold to be had,
so he nodded and said,
"Thank you, Principal. I'll take my leave now.
"With only a month left until the professional exams, there's no time to waste."
Just as he was about to leave, Wesley stopped him.
"By the way, do you need a high-level professional to help you train?
"If so, I can arrange it."
Lucien thought about it, then shook his head.
"No need. I can handle it myself."
He had too many secrets.
Bringing a seasoned professional along would only risk exposure.
It wasn't that he distrusted the principal,
but if the hired professional turned out to have ulterior motives…
It wasn't a risk worth taking before he had enough strength.
Wesley wanted to insist, but remembering Lucien's performance in the trial arena,
he decided against it.
### Outside the Office Building
"Lucien, wait!"
Hearing someone call out, Lucien stopped and turned.
A tall, slender girl stood in the shade nearby.
Her beauty was undeniable,
but her modest chest wasn't exactly Lucien's type.
After a quick glance, he asked:
"Charlotte, it's you. Still here?"
"Oh… right. You didn't join the fight earlier.
"Are you looking for a one-on-one match with me?"
Charlotte hesitated, her gaze briefly avoiding his.
She had considered challenging him,
but after witnessing his performance, she thought better of it.
Lucien wasn't known for showing mercy, even to women.
She stepped closer and met his gaze.
"No. I'm here to invite you to team up for leveling."
Lucien's interest waned instantly.
"Sorry, I have no plans to team up with anyone.
"You'd better find someone else."
As he turned to leave, Charlotte called out from behind him:
"Have you heard about dungeon cooldowns?"
Lucien froze mid-step.
Of course, he knew.
Clearing a dungeon triggered a cooldown period,
varying from hours to even weeks, depending on the dungeon.
"I have a way to increase your daily dungeon runs by at least five times!"
Charlotte declared proudly.
Lucien turned back, guessing immediately:
"You're talking about invitation scrolls, right?"
Charlotte didn't deny it.
"Exactly. I have invitation scrolls for Wind Howl Valley."
Wind Howl Valley was a Level-10 dungeon near South City,
one Lucien had already planned to farm for experience.
After some thought, he realized teaming up with Charlotte
would increase his overall gains despite splitting experience.
"Alright, but I have conditions:
"I get priority on all loot,
and I won't stay in Wind Howl Valley for long since I'm already Level 6."
Charlotte blinked, surprised.
Most students had just awakened, yet he was already Level 6?
Her breathing quickened.
"This guy… he must've cleared a Hell-level trial dungeon.
"And he actually succeeded!"
Charlotte stifled a bitter smile.
She had already prepared herself to be impressed by Lucien,
but he still managed to exceed her expectations.
"No problem," she agreed.
Lucien nodded.
"Fine. Meet me at my house tomorrow. I'll send you the address."
As he headed toward the school gate, Charlotte called out:
"There are reporters waiting for you there.
"If you want to avoid trouble, you'd better take another route."
Lucien frowned.
Reporters?
What do they want with me?
He wasn't afraid of fame, but he had other plans and didn't want to be delayed.
"Thanks for the heads-up."
He equipped the Sky Wings,
and with a few powerful flaps, soared into the sky,
leaving Charlotte staring in awe.
Lucien underestimated the value of flight equipment.
Such gear was often worth an entire grade higher than its original rarity.
In other words, rare flight equipment like the Sky Wings
could sell for the price of an epic-grade item.
But even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
To Lucien, money was just a number—
and with over 100,000 gold coins, he couldn't spend it fast enough.