Lucas reached into his backpack and hauled out the carcass of a golden-feathered bird. Because it had been stuffed in his bag for a while, it was starting to emit a distinct, funky odor.


"It really is the Dark Gold Raptor King!" Thomas yelled, staring at the dead bird in disbelief.


Even Wolfe was stunned into silence.


[Shock from Thomas, Credits +10]


[Surprise from Gordon, Credits +10]


"You killed it?" Wolfe asked, finally finding his voice.


"Yeah," Lucas said casually. "Ran into it on my way here."


No point in hiding it now.


"My god," Gordon grinned, looking at the bird like it was made of solid gold. "This is a key ingredient for High-Tier Elixirs." He fixed his gaze on Lucas. "Since you killed it, it's yours. What do you want to do with it?"


"I heard it can be sold?" Lucas asked meekly.


"Definitely. The Warrior's Guild will buy it," Gordon explained. "But we don't have a branch here in Lancaster. You'd have to go to the major hub, Clearwater City. If you trust me, I'm heading there tomorrow to file a report. I can sell it for you."


"That would be great, thanks," Lucas said, handing the smelly, million-dollar bird over to Gordon without a second thought.


Thomas watched the exchange, shaking his head in bewilderment. "Kid, who on earth taught you how to fight?"


Lucas was seventeen years old, and somehow, he was already an Apprentice Warrior.


Wolfe shot a glance at the teenager. He couldn't wrap his head around it. How did Lucas know all this stuff? Just a little while ago, the kid had been a total civilian with an Origin Point score of eighteen. That was practically nothing.


Now? He was an Apprentice Warrior. Lucas claimed he'd just skimmed through The Art of Cultivation—which Wolfe had accidentally given him—and figured out the basics on his own.


Wolfe wasn't buying it. Not for a second. You couldn't just "figure out" how to sense the Origin Force without a teacher. It wasn't like reading an instruction manual for a microwave. Plus, Lucas's stats were still trash.


"Maybe I'm just a one-in-a-million genius. Who knows?" Lucas said, grinning with fake arrogance.


Wolfe and Thomas just stared at him, their expressions flat. They were pretty sure they knew the truth: Lucas had to have a powerful Martial Warrior backing him up. A secret mentor. That was the only explanation that made sense.


"Let's just eat," Wolfe sighed.


Lucas looked down at the skewer in his hand. The chunk of Xenobeast meat looked like it was thoroughly roasted. It actually smelled kind of amazing—savory and rich.


Can I really eat this? he wondered.


He glanced at Gordon and Thomas, who were already chowing down. Lucas hesitated for a split second, then shrugged and took a bite.


His eyes widened. Okay, that was actually really good.


The meat was chewy, and even without any salt or spices, it had a distinct, natural flavor that hit the spot. As he swallowed a few more pieces, a warm, fuzzy feeling spread through his limbs. It felt like raw energy was dissolving into his bloodstream, recharging him from the inside out.


"Your Warrior's License comes with a bank account linked to it," Gordon told him as they finished up. "Text me the account number. Once I sell that Dark Gold Raptor King carcass for you, I'll wire you the cash."


Lucas nodded. He'd already swapped numbers with Wolfe earlier. He grabbed three extra skewers of roasted monster meat for the road and headed toward his house.


Watching him walk away, Thomas muttered, "That kid... he's definitely got a High-Tier Warrior teaching him."


Wolfe nodded in agreement. "Definitely."




Lucas turned his key in the lock as quietly as possible, but the moment he stepped inside, he saw his parents waiting in the living room. They looked like they'd been pacing for hours.


"Lucas! Where have you been?" Sarahe's eyes lit up with relief, but her voice was sharp with panic.


"Do you have any idea how worried we were?" Don let out a long breath, looking his son over to make sure he was in one piece.


"I'm fine, really," Lucas lied smoothly. "I just ran into Wolfe. You know, since I'm on that special financial aid list? He gave me an Origin Elixir."


Sarah squinted at him. She looked suspicious.


"I heard there was an attack in the West Sector tonight," Don said, his face grave. "Creatures from a Dimensional Rift. A lot of people died."


Don had rushed home the second he heard the news, terrified for his family. Finding the house empty except for himself had nearly given him a heart attack.


"Oh, yeah. Wolfe said it's all taken care of," Lucas said casually. "Safe as houses."


Just then, the front door swung open again.


"Huh? Lucas, you just got back too?"


Luna poked her head inside. She spotted the backpack on Lucas's shoulders and looked at him curiously.


"Luna! You're not hurt, are you?" Sarah rushed over, finally relaxing now that the whole flock was home.


They had been about to go out and search the streets. For a while, the cell service had been dead—probably interference from the Rift—but it was finally back up.


"Of course I'm not hurt," Luna laughed. Then her eyes lit up as she remembered the big news. "By the way, you won't believe this! Lucas is already an Apprentice Warrior!"


Her face was flushed red with excitement.


"What did you say?" Sarah and Don froze. They looked like they were hallucinating.


[Shock from Sarah: Credits +10]


[Shock from Don: Credits +10]


An Apprentice Warrior? Sure, it wasn't a full-fledged Martial Warrior yet, but for a high schooler? That was insane. It was huge.


"That's... that's impossible," Don stammered, staring at his son.


Just the other week, Lucas's physical exam showed his Origin Points were at a measly five. His Combat Strength was a five. Don had spent hours comforting him, telling him it didn't matter. And now he was an Apprentice Warrior?


It sounded like a fantasy novel.


[Shock from Don: Credits +10, +10, +10, +10...]


Lucas's eyes went wide as the translucent System notifications scrolled across his vision.


Holy crap, he thought. Dad is really freaking out. That's like sixty Credits just from him.


"Luna... you're kidding, right?" Sarah stared at her daughter, refusing to believe what she was hearing.


"I'm serious! My teacher said Lucas definitely has the skill of an Apprentice Warrior. He even beat up Zack tonight!" Luna nodded vigorously, her face deadly serious.


Lucas rubbed his temples. He really hadn't planned on breaking the news this soon. After all, he'd only been training for a few days, and somehow he was already performing at an Apprentice Warrior level. It was hard enough for him to process, let alone his parents.