Facts have proven one thing clearly—Amelia Su and her group were not the only ones making progress.
As more days passed, a wave of growth swept through Kyoto University. Within just four or five days, a large number of students had reached Level 20, stepping up to the edge of their first big breakthrough—the single-player class advancement dungeon.
After all, anyone who could even get into Kyoto University was already considered top talent. So, their speed in leveling up was extremely fast, and before long, more and more people stood at the door of transformation.
By the time half a month had gone by, even the slowest group had caught up, reaching Level 20. Not one student was left behind.
Those who reached the mark first weren't resting. Instead, they were gearing up for the demanding solo job-change dungeon, their eyes burning with ambition.
Surprisingly, the ones who became the busiest during this period weren't the students themselves—it was the S-Class chefs in the university cafeteria.
Yes, you heard that right.
To prepare for the job-change dungeon, students began lining up to order premium buff meals. These meals could boost their stats for a limited time and were considered essential before entering a difficult dungeon.
The S-Class chef was soon overwhelmed. He cooked for over a dozen banquet tables a day, working so tirelessly that his feet barely touched the ground, and at the end of each day, he could hardly stand.
But of course, there was a silver lining for him—he made millions every single day. He counted so much money that his hands cramped up, making his life both painful and joyful!
Watching this, Lucas (formerly Qin Yun), who was extremely low on funds, could only count on his fingers, wishing he could take the chef's place.
He had a new realization: some professions in life are incredibly profitable. They don't even require fighting or facing danger. All you need is skill and high-quality ingredients, and you can create buff meals worth hundreds of thousands. Even after deducting costs, the profit margin was incredible.
In contrast, Lucas had completed so many dungeons, yet the money he earned wasn't even enough to cover a few proper dinners!
With the Freshman Competition just around the corner, Lucas made a painful decision. He gritted his teeth, spent almost all his savings, and bought two Level 20 purple-grade rare daggers. He used them to upgrade his soul weapon, the Pale Blade, to five stars.
It wasn't that he didn't want to go for cheaper gear. The issue was—there was no cheaper gear available anywhere! He visited all major weapon shops and blacksmith stores, and every shelf was empty.
Only high-level gear remained, and it was expensive—burning a hole in his already poor wallet.
After a full month of hard grinding, instead of saving, his account balance had dropped to nearly zero. All that remained was a little over ten thousand yuan.
With a long sigh, Lucas looked at the sky and mumbled, "If only a rich woman could take care of me. Clothes laid out, food delivered—I wouldn't have to worry about anything!"
He couldn't help feeling emotional. Lately, he had seen too many wealthy students.
Some of them, the moment they hit Level 20, immediately went on shopping sprees. They bought entire sets of purple-grade gear, even rare-quality items, dropping cash like it was nothing.
This behavior also boosted Kyoto's economy. Weapon and armor stores saw sales soar like never before, thanking the heavens for this new wave of spend-happy students.
Meanwhile, Lucas could only rely on luck or suffer through long grinding hours. He wore a mishmash of blue-grade Level 20 armor, which used to be good but now seemed average at best. Everyone around him was shining with better gear.
Thankfully, his soul weapon, the Pale Blade, still gave him a serious edge. Its properties allowed him to outclass most students, even if his outer gear seemed ordinary.
Take his roommate Zach Darnell, for instance—the guy was a classic rich kid. As soon as he reached Level 20, he put on a full set of purple rare armor, complete with matching accessories, and strutted around like a walking treasure chest.
Lucas could only look on in envy, grumbling to himself like an old man, "If only I had the money..."
Luckily, there were many other students in a similar boat. Some barely managed to pull together a full blue set, and others wore random pieces of green and blue, looking mismatched and awkward.
As the competition approached, news spread fast: several students had successfully completed the solo job-change dungeon and had officially changed classes.
They were truly the elite of the nation—talented, sharp, and well-prepared. Despite the tight timeline, they crossed the threshold and evolved to the next stage.
Among them were Lucas's three roommates, all of whom passed their class-change challenges successfully.
Leading the charge was Mason, an S-Class talent. He was not only the first in their dorm to reach Level 20, but also the first to clear the solo dungeon, succeeding in just one attempt.
Zach Darnell and another roommate, Leon Graves, weren't far behind. They had teamed up during their leveling journey and challenged the dungeon on the same day.
Afterward, they celebrated with a feast. Though Zach had offered to pay, Leon refused to freeload and split the bill.
The result? Both of them cleared the dungeon and successfully transferred. The dorm room was now full of upgraded warriors.
Overall, more than half the freshmen at Kyoto University had successfully changed classes, a very high success rate.
Only a few remained who hadn't tried yet. Some were still unsure, and others had failed once and were too nervous to attempt again. Time was short, and they weren't confident in their readiness.
Now, the differences in talent, money, and practical skills had begun to create serious gaps between the students.
…
Finally, the day of the Freshman Competition arrived.
After a month of grinding, sweating, and preparing, all the freshmen gathered in the large open square. The excitement in the air was electric.
Even the sophomores and upperclassmen came to watch. It was a big event, and nobody wanted to miss it.
"Tch, this is ridiculous," one sophomore muttered from the stands, eyeing the freshmen below with a mixture of envy and irritation. "Why are this year's rewards so insane?"
His friend nodded, clearly just as upset. "Yeah, last year the first-place prize was only an Epic weapon! And this year? Legendary gear for first place, and even second and third get Epic items!"
"Man, what terrible luck! I wish I could be a freshman all over again," the first one groaned, leaning back in frustration.
"Seriously," his friend agreed, slapping his own thigh. "If we had these rewards, we might've stood a chance at that Legendary gear!"
But now, all they could do was sit in the audience and watch the younger generation compete.
"Hah! These rookies? I could wipe the floor with them using one hand!" the first sophomore scoffed, folding his arms and looking down with disdain.
"Haha, come on, Brother Jay," his friend laughed. "You've already gone through your second class advancement. Of course they can't compare to you."
Jay grinned, proud of his progress. He was among the top performers of his class—maybe not top three, but definitely top ten.
He loved moments like these—opportunities to show off and feel superior.
But then—
"Oh, how noble of you," came a voice from behind them, cold and sarcastic. "Has Kyoto University really fallen so low, that sophomores need to find confidence by mocking freshmen?"
Both sophomores stiffened. They turned around quickly and saw a familiar figure standing behind them.
"Senior Amelia?!"
Their faces froze.
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