"Unbelievable!" Ethan Gale marveled, his eyes wide with wonder.
With these attributes, he could effortlessly overwhelm opponents even several levels above him. A level 20 would fall just as easily as a level 10. Unless they were wielding the rarest of gear, no one under level 20 could even hope to challenge him.
Feeling the raw power coursing through him, Ethan wasted no time. He advanced deeper into the dungeon, transforming into a relentless force of destruction. The Elemental Destruction spell tore through the air, striking down skeletons one after another. It was as if the dungeon itself trembled before him. Where other students might have left behind piles of bones, Ethan's attacks obliterated every last fragment.
The skeletons didn't stand a chance. Before him, they fell like wheat before a scythe. Within a mere ten minutes, his progress meter reached a staggering 47.8%, a rate unheard of in any previous run.
Outside the dungeon, an assembly of Tidespring's educational elite had gathered, exchanging glances as they witnessed the impossible.
"Principal Grant, I hear your school not only has an Epic-tier War Class but also a Legendary-tier? That's remarkable!" Principal Mason of Riverside High exclaimed, a hint of envy coloring his tone.
"Indeed. Our school managed just two Heroic-tier War Classes this year. I feel rather inadequate in comparison," sighed Principal Turner from Lakeside High.
Principal Zach Grant of Tidespring High chuckled, brushing off their remarks. "All credit goes to the students' hard work and, of course, their genetic gifts."
After 300 years of awakening ceremonies, the patterns were clear: powerful parents were more likely to produce powerful offspring. This understanding had shaped society, with the government even supporting polygamy among the elite to ensure the perpetuation of strong genetic lines. Both Lou Randall and Ethan Gale exemplified this principle. Lou's parents were both Heroic-tier, while Ethan had an Epic father and Heroic mother, making him the very embodiment of that legacy.
"Wait a moment—look!" one of the principals cried out, pointing to the progress board. "Someone's already past 40%!"
The principals turned in disbelief as the numbers continued to climb.
"This is impossible! It's been barely ten minutes, and he's already over 50%!"
"Who is it?" asked Principal Mason, leaning in with intense curiosity.
Principal Grant smiled proudly. "It's one of ours—Ethan Gale from Tidespring High."
A murmur of astonishment spread through the group.
"Could he be one of those ancient element-wielders?" Principal Grant wondered aloud, eyes alight with excitement.
Elemental War Classes were the stuff of legend. They commanded powers that defied conventional defenses, inflicting elemental damage that only the rarest resistances could hope to mitigate. If Ethan truly was such a class, then the potential was staggering. But if he could wield multiple elements, that would be rarer still—a once-in-a-century phenomenon.
Meanwhile, inside the dungeon, Lou Randall was making steady progress. His blade flashed in the dim light as he drew upon his rigorous training, slicing through a skeleton with ease.
"Piece of cake," he muttered, smirking as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
The young warrior's pride swelled as he moved on to the next enemy, his thoughts turning to Ethan.
"Just a Mage," he scoffed, his voice thick with disdain. "Even if he's Legendary-tier, Mages are fragile. Warriors like me, especially Celestial Warriors, dominate early battles."
Confident in his prowess, Lou checked his progress after twenty minutes. He'd reached 5.3% and felt certain that he would be the first to complete the dungeon.
Meanwhile, Grace Meadows was advancing with caution. As a Priest, she knew her limitations. Her defensive spells provided some security, but offense was not her strong suit. She took her time, carefully casting her spells to ensure each strike counted. The beginner's dungeon wasn't about finishing first for her; it was about testing her newly awakened powers.
At the entrance to the dungeon, Principal Grant and the others observed the leaderboard with growing astonishment.
"Does this Ethan Gale truly possess such rare, element-wielding abilities?" Principal Grant speculated.
The other principals exchanged nervous glances. Elemental classes were almost mythical in their destructive potential. Even in their early stages, they could shatter conventional defenses with ease. The mere mention of such powers sent shivers down their spines.
"Not quite invincible…" Principal Grant continued. "In theory, a perfect resistance to each element could nullify the threat."
The teachers nearby were incredulous. "But perfect elemental resistance is impossible to achieve!" one exclaimed.
In truth, only the most elite fighters could even come close.
Inside the dungeon, Ethan had reached the final stage, with his progress bar now at a nail-biting 99%.
"Finally, the boss fight," he murmured, facing down the Skeleton General, a towering monster armed with a sword and shield.
[LV1: BOSS - Skeleton General]
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Strength: 42
Spirit: 18
Constitution: 38
Agility: 20
Skill: Skeleton Charge
The General's hollow eyes glowed, but Ethan's confidence was unshaken.
"That's it?" he said, almost disappointed. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed Elemental Destruction.
A beam of blinding light shot forth, piercing through the General in an instant.
[You defeated the Skeleton General and gained 10,000 XP.]
[Dungeon completion: 100%.]
[Reward: Level 5 Skill Scroll.]
[Level Up! Current Level: 5.]
The Skeleton General, towering at over ten feet tall, disintegrated in a flash, granting Ethan a flood of experience points. He quickly assigned his 100 points to Spirit, boosting it to an awe-inspiring 550.
From his spoils, Ethan received a Level 5 Skill Scroll and eagerly unrolled it, his eyes widening as he read its contents.
[You have acquired Supreme Elemental Flash.]
Active Effect 1: Teleport up to (Spirit x 200%) meters in any direction, with a 100% spell crit chance for 3 seconds. 10-second cooldown.
Active Effect 2: Upon taking damage, teleport to a random location within (Spirit x 100%) meters, entering an invulnerable state for 1 second. Cooldown of 5 seconds.
Ethan's jaw dropped. Not only did he have a teleportation ability with an absurd range, but it also came with a crit chance boost and a built-in emergency escape. It was the perfect combination of offense and defense.
[Dungeon complete. Exit now?]
Choosing to exit, Ethan was instantly transported outside, where a crowd had gathered, eagerly awaiting his return. Teachers and principals stared, their faces a mixture of admiration and disbelief.
Principal Grant approached, his face breaking into a broad smile. "Ethan Gale, you've exceeded every expectation!"
"Uh… thank you, Principal Grant," Ethan replied, momentarily taken aback.
Grant laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Come with me. We have a lot to talk about!"
Seeing Principal Grant lead Ethan Gale away, the other principals from Tidespring's major high schools were consumed with envy and admiration.
"Ethan Gale is truly a once-in-a-lifetime genius!"
"Exactly, a Legendary-tier class would already be amazing, but he's an Elemental Mage on top of that!"
"I wonder what kind of reward Principal Grant has in store for Ethan this time."
"Haha, if he doesn't put his heart and soul into it, I might just transfer Ethan to Riverside High!"
Principal Turner of Lakeside High chuckled, but beneath his jest, his eyes gleamed with jealousy. Even as an Epic-tier Summoner himself, he couldn't help but be awestruck by a Legendary-tier Elemental Mage.
Back at Tidespring High, in Principal Grant's office:
"Ethan, your awakening has given me one of the greatest surprises of my career," Principal Grant said, beaming.
He laid out a series of items on his desk: a Dark Gold staff, a set of Level 10 and Level 5 skill scrolls, and a check for ten million dollars in scholarship funds.
"The Level 5 scroll will allow you to learn two skills. I know you already received one after completing the beginner's dungeon."
Ethan glanced at the hovering scrolls and the check on the desk, his expression calm. "Principal Grant, I assume these aren't from the district's reward pool?"
Grant chuckled, clearly impressed. "Exactly as your teacher described you—a sharp one. No, these are from me personally. All I ask is that you excel in the upcoming exam in three days. If you could rank as the top student in Tidespring—or even the whole Eastland State—I would consider it a fair trade."
Ethan nodded thoughtfully, recognizing the principal's ambition but saying nothing.
In the dungeon, Lou Randall was still hacking away at the skeletons, relentlessly pushing his way through the hordes. After thirty minutes, he had finally managed to reach 8.7%.
"Looks like I'm on track to break the record this time," he thought proudly. First place was his for the taking, and he felt assured that no one else could match his pace.
Mages were notoriously slow at clearing dungeons early on, especially compared to Warriors or Rangers. Even if Ethan was a Legendary Mage, Lou felt certain he couldn't overcome the inherent weaknesses of his class at such an early stage. With that assurance, Lou set his sights on breaking the record for Tidespring's beginner dungeon: 13,695 seconds, or just over 3 hours and 48 minutes.
After battling furiously for over four hours, he finally received the completion prompt in his system.
"Just shy of breaking the record. I wasted too much time on that Skeleton General," Lou muttered with a mix of frustration and satisfaction. Regardless, he was convinced that he'd secured first place.
Leaving the dungeon, he braced himself to receive the praise of his peers and teachers. But instead, he was greeted by his homeroom teacher, who was merely checking if he'd suffered any injuries.
"Where are Principal Grant and the others?" Lou asked, confused.
"They went over to Tidespring High," his teacher replied.
"Tidespring High? What for?"
"One of their students, Ethan Gale, demonstrated exceptional prowess and combat talent. Perhaps they went to observe him."
"Ethan?" Lou's eyes widened in disbelief.
A nearby student couldn't help but add, "Ethan finished hours ago! You thought you could compete with him? Dream on!"
"That's impossible," Lou said, his eyes wide with shock. "How could he have finished before me? I spent four hours—how could a Mage be faster than me?"
The teacher patted him on the shoulder. "Ethan finished in just 28 minutes. And if it weren't for the time it takes to navigate the dungeon, he could've done it even faster. He's practically achieved the theoretical speed limit for this dungeon."
Lou felt like he'd been struck by lightning.
Back at home, Ethan heard a familiar voice as soon as he stepped inside. "Darling, you're back?"
He winced. "Please, Jade, call me Ethan. I'm more used to that."
Jade, his adoptive sister, stepped out of her room with a playful smirk. "What's the matter? Not happy with how I took care of you last night?"
Ethan took a step back. "No, no! Your massage skills are amazing," he replied quickly, recalling how Jade's expert massage had left him feeling reinvigorated that morning. She was better than any professional.
"As long as my dear husband is pleased," she said with a teasing smile.
"Please, don't call me that!" Ethan's tone was firm, though his cheeks flushed.
"Alright then, my lord." Jade grinned and winked.
Ethan sighed. Despite the years they had spent together, the pet names never felt any less strange. She'd been adopted by his parents before his birth, and although they weren't blood-related, her endearments were sometimes a bit much.
After escaping Jade's banter, he lay down on the sofa and retrieved the Level 5 skill scroll from his inventory space.
After awakening, each class-holder gained access to a personal storage space. Bronze classes had a single slot, Silver had ten, Gold had twenty, Dark Gold had fifty, and the Heroic and Epic tiers had 100 and 200 slots, respectively. But Ethan's storage space? It was infinite.
"Does that mean my class tier is even beyond Epic?" he wondered, marveling at the endless storage capacity.
Shaking off the thought, he unrolled the skill scroll.
[You have acquired Supreme Thunderstorm!]
Effect: Unleash a barrage of lightning in a radius of (Spirit x 1000%) meters, dealing (Spirit x 300%) damage per second to all enemies within range. Duration: 10 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds. Mana cost: 10 points.
"This is an area-of-effect skill?" Ethan blinked, momentarily stunned. Although its damage per second wasn't as high as Elemental Destruction, the range was unbelievable.
His current Spirit attribute meant it would cover a radius of 5,400 meters—a gargantuan area for level 5. The scale was something that even a level 20 class would struggle to match.
"If the level 5 skills are this powerful, I can't wait to see what I get at level 10!"
He grinned, already anticipating the next stage of his journey.