As the blue light shimmered in the grass, Lucas felt a rush of excitement. He immediately walked toward it, heart pounding slightly.
He'd never actually seen equipment drop in person before, but his training in school had taught him what this glowing blue meant.
If he remembered correctly—this was the sign of high-quality loot.
He knelt down and picked it up, his fingers trembling slightly.
A system window flashed in front of him, revealing the item's details:
---
Name: Ring of Tiger Teeth
Type: Jewelry
Grade: Excellent (Blue)
Star Rating: ★★ (Two-Star)
Required Level: 20
Class Requirement: None
Attributes:
+20 Strength
+20 Agility
+20 Intelligence
+5% Critical Hit Chance
Special Effects: None
---
Lucas's eyes lit up.
"It's a universal-type blue accessory!" he muttered in amazement. "And a two-star one at that."
This wasn't just any drop. Jewelry had the lowest drop rates among all equipment categories. Armor dropped the most, followed by weapons. But jewelry like rings or pendants? They were rare and pricey.
And in this new world where gaming systems merged with reality, good gear was everything.
Every player, or rather job changer, could wear up to four pieces of jewelry: two rings, one pendant, and one waist charm. That made demand for accessories sky-high.
Some rings with excellent bonuses could even be worth more than high-grade weapons!
This one? It was excellent in every way. +20 to all three major stats—Strength, Agility, and Intelligence—and on top of that, a solid 5% boost to critical hit chance. That meant more frequent high-damage strikes, which was a dream for damage dealers.
"Warrior, assassin, mage... anyone can benefit from this," Lucas realized. "This ring is flexible and powerful."
It wasn't the best in the world—after all, it was only Level 20 gear and had no special passive effects—but for a drop from a wild Elite monster, it was exceptional.
"If I sold this... it would easily fetch at least 60,000 yuan," Lucas calculated, based on the current equipment market.
It was the most valuable thing he had ever earned since awakening as a job changer.
But he quickly shook his head.
"Sell it? No way. This is my first drop—the first real gear I've earned with my own hands. I'm keeping it."
Even if he outgrew it someday, the ring had sentimental value. It would serve as a reminder of his first solo victory over an Elite.
The only downside?
"I'm still only Level 18... can't equip it yet." Lucas sighed, dropping the ring into his space backpack.
"Gotta level up faster."
He stood up and gathered the rest of the loot from the saber-toothed tiger: some meat, pelt, bones—standard monster parts that could be sold or used for crafting.
Then, as he packed away the last item, Lucas paused for a moment, thinking.
When Mason had left the team a few days ago, Lucas had briefly considered slowing his leveling speed down so that he could more easily find a party later on.
But...
"Why should I hold myself back?"
He scoffed at the thought.
"I've got the power to level faster than anyone. Why should I pretend I don't, just to fit in?"
With his SSS-level Talent and the God-Killing Blade ability, Lucas had offensive strength that rivaled entire teams.
He could dish out 10 times more damage than a regular player, and his attack speed was doubled thanks to the skill's passive bonus.
His current speed? 2.4 attacks per second. Most players could barely manage one.
"It's terrifying when you think about it," he muttered, smirking.
Every one of his basic attacks hit like a truck, thanks to the 1000% damage modifier on his skill.
And defensively? He had a 50% damage reduction, making him unusually tanky for an assassin.
Other assassins were glass cannons. Lucas was more like a spinning buzzsaw wrapped in body armor.
"Sure, if I run into a massive tanky boss that takes too long to kill, there's a risk of being counter-killed... but still, I'm not helpless."
He could handle himself just fine—solo.
Of course, having a support or healer class to buff and heal him would be nice. Maybe even a tank to draw enemy attention so he could attack more freely.
But those were luxuries.
Not necessities.
He wouldn't slow himself down just for a party.
If he couldn't find reliable teammates at Kyoto University, then so be it. He'd keep going solo.
Or maybe...
"I could team up with senior students," Lucas thought. "They've been here a year longer, but with my leveling speed, I'll catch up to them in no time."
In fact, at his pace, he might even surpass them and become the stronger party member.
He didn't need to be part of a fixed group grinding dungeons together day after day. He could simply form temporary teams when needed.
"That's what guilds are for, anyway."
He'd heard that students at Kyoto University were big on forming guilds—especially the upperclassmen. They always looked for talented freshmen to recruit.
Joining one wouldn't be a bad idea. In a big enough guild, not everyone would be at the same level, so it would be easy to find short-term allies for specific missions or dungeons.
"Yeah. That could work."
With that thought, Lucas dusted off his hands and glanced back toward the open field.
"Should I keep farming Iron-armored Demonic Bears?" he mused.
But now that he had defeated a Level 25 Elite with ease, those Level 20 bears felt like a waste of time.
Why waste time on low-reward enemies when he could take on something stronger?
Teachers usually advised freshmen to stay close to the city—preferably farming wild monsters no higher than Level 20 within the thirty-mile radius.
But there was no actual rule saying he couldn't go beyond that.
And Lucas?
He was not the kind to follow advice blindly.
"Time to move out," he decided, turning toward the far end of the plain.
In the distance stood a dark forest, thick with trees and hidden shadows. It looked ominous—dangerous. The kind of place no newbie would dare step into.
But to Lucas?
It looked perfect.
If those woods had higher-level monsters, then that was exactly where he needed to go.
Because while others were carefully grinding low-level mobs, Lucas was already thinking several steps ahead.
"The forest it is. Let's see what I can really do."
And with that, he adjusted the strap on his backpack and walked into the shadows of the trees.
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