"What took you so long? Why did the principal call you in?"
Zach Darnell asked as he munched noisily on a bag of crispy potato chips. The two boys were walking toward the bus stop together, the orange hue of sunset trailing behind them.
Lucas didn't hide anything. He calmly explained everything the old principal had told him.
"Are you serious?! The school is such a scam?" Zach's face twisted with disbelief as he paused mid-bite. Suddenly, the chips didn't taste as good anymore. "I'm a B-rank combat Talent, and I get nothing? That's messed up!"
Lucas chuckled lightly. "I think they only reward A-rank and above," he guessed. Zach let out a long, exaggerated sigh and drooped his shoulders like a cartoon character who had just been defeated.
Then, as if struck by inspiration, Zach cheered himself up in the most Zach way possible—by ripping open another bag of chips.
"Well, forget that! I'll eat these myself and drown my sorrows in salt and crunch," he grumbled as he devoured the snack, big mouthfuls and all.
Lucas laughed. "Oh? So you don't want to see the starter set I just got from the school?"
"Nope! I'm already too sad!" Zach said dramatically. He tossed his half-eaten bag of chips at Lucas and pulled out another from his bottomless backpack.
It was a comical sight—his love for snacks seemed to be eternal. And now, with a space backpack, Zach would likely carry bags of chips like weapons in a soldier's arsenal.
Lucas wasn't surprised. Zach's family owned a blacksmith shop. His grandfather was an S-rank blacksmith, a legendary figure who had crafted equipment of epic rarity. His father was A-rank, known for creating purple-grade gear that made people drool with envy.
Lucas thought to himself: The gear Zach wears tomorrow might actually be better than mine!
He looked over at his best friend with a raised brow. "So… Have you figured out how to explain all this to your dad?"
Zach's face scrunched slightly, then he smirked. "There's nothing to explain. I'll just tell him the truth. I'm not gonna be a blacksmith. I'm a combat professional, and he can think whatever he wants."
Lucas was surprised at how calm Zach was.
"My grandpa told me long ago," Zach added, "Do what you love, not what others expect. Whether it's forging swords or swinging them, it's your life to live."
Ting! Ting!
The sound of the bus brakes snapped them out of their conversation. The No. 56 bus arrived just in time. They hopped on quickly.
---
After they got off at their stop, Lucas and Zach said goodbye. Lucas waved, then walked home alone.
His home looked the same as in his previous life—a simple three-bedroom apartment, a little over 100 square meters. Everything was normal, ordinary even.
His parents looked almost exactly as he remembered them—maybe even younger and healthier in this world. Their faces had fewer wrinkles. They moved with energy and strength.
In this world, Lucas's father, Leon Graves, was a C-level combat Talent, a Level 60 Iron Spear Warrior, working in the city defense force. His mother, Liu Qin, was a Level 60 Gale Archer, also a C-level Talent, and worked as a supervisor in the Tianhai City logistics department.
Back in their prime, they were part of the same adventurer guild. They had faced monsters, conquered dungeons, and found love along the way. But in the end, both of them got stuck at the Level 60 bottleneck. They couldn't pass the third job advancement solo dungeon, and so they remained where they were—forever second-tier.
In this world, every job changer must clear a solo dungeon every 20 levels to rank up. First advancement, second, third, and fourth. Fail three times, and you lose the chance forever.
Each successful advancement not only raises your level but grants a new Talent Skill based on your Talent rank. That's why S-rank talents are so respected—they unlock powerful skills every 20 levels.
Even people with the same profession can have vastly different strength due to the unique Talent Skills they awaken.
A low-ranked job changer with well-synced skills might defeat a high-ranked one. It's rare, but possible.
But the truth is brutal: fail your solo dungeon, and you're stuck for life.
Some A-rank talents have been stuck at their first advancement forever. Their failure becomes a joke to others.
Lucas had no intention of being one of those people.
---
"Back already?"
His mother was in the kitchen preparing lunch. His father was washing vegetables at the sink. They were humming a tune together—calm, simple, warm.
As soon as they saw him enter, both parents dropped what they were doing and hurried toward him.
"The job change ceremony! How did it go?"
Both their eyes were fixed on him. Their hands trembled slightly, not from fear but from hope.
Lucas smiled wide. He raised two fingers in a victory pose.
"I did it! Hidden combat class, S-rank Talent!"
There was a pause—like the moment before lightning strikes.
Then...
"YES!!!"
His mother, now trembling for real, ran to him and hugged him tightly, wiping tears from her eyes.
"You did it! My son's a genius!"
His father, Leon, laughed so hard he almost dropped the vegetable basket. "The Graves family finally has an S-rank! Finally!"
They couldn't hold back their joy. They didn't care about dinner anymore. All those years of hard work and sacrifice—they had finally passed the torch to someone who might fulfill what they couldn't.
Leon clapped his son's back, eyes moist with pride. "You don't know what this means, son. You can go further than we ever did. You can go all the way!"
Lucas knew exactly what it meant. The doors of destiny had swung open. All that was left… was for him to walk through.
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