Chapter 27: Chatting

"Hey there, handsome!"

A cheerful, confident voice broke through the buzz of the dungeon's entrance. A mature woman, smiling brightly, strode up to Lucas, followed closely by her three teammates. She waved warmly as if they were already friends.

Lucas blinked, eyebrows slightly raised, his tone calm and cautious. "Hello…"

He remembered this group—especially how they'd brushed him off when he had no team earlier. So why were they suddenly acting so friendly?

"We're students at Tianhai University… well, soon-to-be sophomores!" the woman chirped, blinking playfully. "I'm Alexis Lane, a priest. These are my teammates. They're…"

"Is there a reason you're talking to me again?" Lucas asked, cutting her off without hesitation.

He didn't forget how dismissive her teammates were just earlier. Though he didn't take it personally, he had no interest in pretending otherwise.

"Ah…" Alexis's smile faltered, a little embarrassed now. The energy from before softened. She clearly realized the awkwardness of the situation.

One of her teammates, a slim girl named Mason, stepped forward. "Were you really in the nightmare-level dungeon just now? That leather armor… was that dropped from it? Did you actually clear that dungeon alone?"

Lucas glanced at her, then gave a simple nod. "Yeah."

The group froze. Mason's eyes widened. Her teammates stared at Lucas like they were seeing a ghost.

"A Level 20 player cleared a nightmare dungeon… alone?" she gasped, completely stunned.

"That's not possible. Absolutely not!" exclaimed Zach Darnell, the team's sword-and-shield warrior. He shook his head with disbelief. "You said earlier that you were Level 20! How could someone without even a single class advancement clear a nightmare dungeon? I don't buy it!"

"Then explain his gear," Mason retorted. "That ogre leather armor is a fresh drop—can't fake that."

"Then he must be lying about his level!" Zach argued. "He's probably way above 20! He's just trying to mess with us."

Lucas sighed and shrugged. "Sure. Let's say I'm actually Level 40. I lost a bet, sold all my equipment, and now I'm back doing low-level dungeons. Happy with that story?"

Without waiting for their reply, Lucas turned and walked away. He had no interest in defending the truth to people who had already decided not to believe it.

He knew the truth sounded absurd—a rookie at Level 20, no class change, clearing a nightmare dungeon solo? It was easier for people to assume he was lying than accept the impossible.

"Um…" Alexis watched him leave, biting her lip, hesitant. Her eyes reflected a swirl of emotions: confusion, regret, and a sliver of belief.

Mason just stared after him, dazed. So did the male teammate beside her, clearly at a loss for words.

Zach, however, clapped his hands triumphantly. "Told you! I knew he was a faker. Acting like a noob to get attention. Classic manipulator tactic."

His teammates rolled their eyes. Alexis sighed, then gave Zach a sharp look.

"…You're unbelievable," she muttered.

Deep down, Alexis had a nagging feeling Lucas had been honest the first time. But it didn't matter now. Whatever chance they had to know him or team up was gone.

A missed opportunity. A potential boss player, gone in an instant.

If only she had asked earlier: "Hey, boss, do you need a cute pendant to hang on your thigh?" Even tagging along for a few dungeon runs would've been enough.

But now, it was too late.

—

Lucas didn't waste another second thinking about them. After teleporting back to Tianhai's main city, he headed straight home.

Once there, he immediately opened his browser and began researching. He was especially curious about a recent loot drop—the rare Ogre's Crystal Core—and wanted to find out its value.

A quick search brought up more information than expected.

"Huh? It's a material for making jewelry?" Lucas muttered, taking the sparkling crystal out of his inventory. "Looks like I really struck gold."

It turned out the Ogre's Crystal Core was one of the rarest crafting ingredients, used to make the Ogre's Bloodthirsty Pendant, a high-demand piece of equipment for Level 20 players about to undergo their class change.

Its market value? A jaw-dropping 150,000 to 200,000 yuan.

And that was on a good day—many crafters would pay more for a high-quality crystal like his.

More importantly, the pendant couldn't be obtained through dungeon drops. It could only be crafted, which meant the core itself was the bottleneck.

Lucas checked the drop rate: 0.01%.

Ridiculously low. So low, in fact, that many career players never saw one even after years of grinding.

This explained why it sold for so much.

A Level 20 player wearing a purple rare-quality pendant was considered extremely lucky. Even players at Level 60 with advanced classes often lacked such accessories, because accessories—unlike weapons or armor—rarely dropped.

Most had to buy or craft them, and since they offered smaller direct boosts compared to weapons, people prioritized swords, shields, and staffs instead.

Only wealthy or elite players bothered investing in top-tier accessories.

So the Ogre's Bloodthirsty Pendant was a luxury item—legendary among newbies and veterans alike.

Lucas looked at the shimmering core in his hand again. "This tiny thing… is worth 100,000?"

It still seemed surreal.

The reward from a normal difficulty dungeon turned out to be worth more than both items he got from the nightmare one!

Should he sell it now? He could pocket the money instantly. But after a pause, Lucas shook his head.

"No. I'll keep it. Better to use it first."

His plan was simple—craft the pendant for himself, wear it to boost his stats, and then sell it later when something better came along. That way, he'd benefit from it without losing out on the eventual profit.

Feeling more decisive now, Lucas dove into the crafting materials required for the pendant.

Several were missing, but according to the online guides, all of them could be farmed from the Ogre's Lair dungeon.

Which meant he didn't need to rely on trades or the auction house—he could gather everything himself.

With this new goal in mind, his motivation surged.

The pendant would be his. And when it was done, it would make him stronger than anyone his level.

It was a simple plan, but the road ahead was clear.

All it took was effort, patience, and a little bit of luck—which, judging from his last run, Lucas clearly had in abundance.

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