"Zack..." Sarah frowned, tapping into her impressive memory. "Isn't that the student at your school with the perfect grades? The one who gave the speech at the opening assembly?"


"For real?" Don looked completely dumbfounded. He stared at his son, squinting as if trying to see something different. But Lucas looked exactly the same as he did yesterday. How could this scrawny kid with skinny arms and legs suddenly be an Apprentice Warrior?


"If you don't believe me, just watch!" Seeing their hesitation, Luna whipped out her phone and pulled up a video.


It was the clip Wayne Dunn had filmed earlier. By now, it had gone viral, circulating through almost every phone at Lancaster High School.


Sarah and Don watched the screen, their eyes widening as they saw their son's fluid, powerful movements.


"Are you... are you really my son?" Sarah asked, staring at Lucas in genuine shock.


"Mom! Seriously?" Lucas groaned, forcing a wry smile.


"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Don was getting so excited his neck was turning bright red.


In this day and age, every parent hoped their kid would make something of themselves. And becoming a Martial Warrior? That was the golden ticket. There was no better path to success.


"Hurry up! Sarah, get the sodas and start cooking. We need to celebrate!" Don shouted, still riding the adrenaline high.


Sarah nodded and turned toward the kitchen, but Lucas stepped in front of her.


"Mom, Dad, don't worry about cooking." Lucas smiled, holding up the plastic bag he'd brought in. He pulled out three massive skewers of roasted meat. "We're eating this."


"Eating too much barbecue isn't good for you, Lucas. It's a carcinogen..." Sarah started her usual health lecture automatically as she eyed the giant skewers.


"Hey, what kind of meat is that?" Luna sniffed the air, catching a distinct, savory scent. "It smells... amazing."


"This isn't ordinary meat," Lucas said, leaning in with a conspiratorial whisper. "It's Xenobeast meat."


"Xenobeast meat!?"


The three of them froze, jaws dropping in unison.


"Yeah. Wolfe killed a powerful Xenobeast and shared some of the spoils with me," Lucas lied smoothly. He left out the part where he'd been in the thick of the fight. The last thing he needed was his parents freaking out about him risking his life.


"Here, try it." Lucas handed a skewer to each of his parents and one to Luna.


They had heard of Xenobeast meat, of course. It was more expensive than any livestock on Earth and was rumored to be incredibly nutrient-dense.


"You eat it, son," Don said, trying to push the skewer back. Even with the excitement, their instinct was to save the best stuff for Lucas.


"No way, I'm stuffed. I ate so much over at Wolfe's place I could barely walk home," Lucas said, patting his stomach which was genuinely distended from his earlier feast.


"Wolfe treats you way too well," Luna said, eyeing her brother with pure envy. She looked at the golden-brown meat in her hand, gave up on politeness, and took a massive bite.


"Mmm... it's actually really good." After a few chews, her eyes lit up.


"Well..." Don and Sarah exchanged a glance.


"Eat it, seriously. I'm gonna puke if I eat another bite," Lucas exaggerated.


Finally, Don and Sarah dug in. The moment the flavor hit their tongues, their eyes popped open. It was incredibly savory—richer and fresher than anything they had ever tasted.


A few minutes later, the parents and Luna were sprawled out on the sofa, too full to move. The skewers hadn't looked that big, but the Essence contained within the meat was potent. It filled them up faster than a four-course meal.


"Lucas," Sarah said, patting her stomach. "We need to find a time to go over and thank Wolfe properly. We have to show some gratitude."


"Mom, I told you, no need," Lucas said quickly, feeling a headache coming on. "Wolfe is super busy. Besides, if we just show up at his door with gifts, people might think we're trying to bribe him or something."


Don nodded slowly. "The boy has a point."


"But," Don added, shifting his gaze back to Lucas, his expression turning serious. "I heard becoming an Apprentice Warrior is incredibly difficult. How did you manage it so fast?"


He might not know much about the Martial Warrior world, but he knew rich families spent fortunes on Origin Elixirs for their kids, and even they didn't rank up this quickly.


Yet Lucas, who had only started training a few days ago, was already there?


"Wolfe says I've got a hyper-absorbent constitution," Lucas lied through his teeth, keeping his face completely straight. "I take one Origin Elixir, and it's like a normal person taking three. Boom. Instant power."


He was spinning a web of absolute nonsense, but he wasn't about to stop now. If it works, it works.


Ping. Ping. Ping.


A notification stream flashed in his mind: Envy from Luna. Credits +5, +5, +5…


Luna bought it hook, line, and sinker. And why wouldn't she? She'd seen the results. Lucas had popped a single elixir and his Origin Force shot up from a measly five to eighteen overnight. The math didn't make sense unless he was some kind of mutant.


"Plus, I'm naturally talented. Genius-level stuff," Lucas added, grinning. "I guess I have my dear old Mom and Dad to thank for the good genes."


"Oh, hush, you," Sarah said. His mom tried to glare at him for bragging, but she couldn't hide the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.


Having successfully navigated the parental interrogation, Lucas escaped up the stairs. Luna was right on his heels like a lost puppy.


"You dummy," she said. "Is Captain Wolfe's Journal really that useful?"


Lucas's progress was freaking her out. She was happy for him, sure, but she was also feeling the pressure. She didn't want to be left in the dust.


"Duh," Lucas said, acting like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You read it, didn't you?"


"Yeah, but I didn't find any secret codes on how to instantly become an Apprentice Warrior," Luna grumbled, looking distressed.


"What are your stats right now? Origin Points-wise," Lucas asked.


Luna puffed out her chest. "Twenty-nine!"


"Eh. It's okay, I guess."


"What do you mean 'okay'?!" Luna's eyes went wide with indignation.


Not that long ago, Lucas was sitting at five points. Five! And now he had the nerve to call her twenty-nine points just "okay"? She wanted to strangle him.


Lucas leaned in, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Tell you what. When you hit thirty, I'll tell you the secret method to becoming an Apprentice Warrior."


Luna's anger vanished. "Really?!"


"Yeah, but…" Lucas sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "Man, my backpack is filthy. And I've got all this laundry piled up. I just don't know if I'll have the free time to teach you…"


"I'll do it!" Luna shouted immediately. "I'll wash everything!"


Hook, line, and sinker.


After Tom Sawyer-ing Luna into cleaning his gear, Lucas retreated into his room and locked the door. The notifications had been dinging in his head all day, but he hadn't actually checked his total balance yet.


Probably around ten thousand, he figured.