"What the hell are you doing? Those are Level 15 and 20 Elite Mobs! Their Strength isn't much lower than mine—how are you supposed to plug that gap—" Gareth’s voice cracked with urgency, but his words died in his throat. His entire body froze mid-sentence.

  Lucian hefted the Obsidian Dragonscale Greatsword with effortless grace, handling the massive hunk of black steel as if it were a light fencing foil rather than a heavy colossal blade.

  With a nonchalant, horizontal sweep, he let the blade whistle through the air.

  Squelch!

  Four Corrupted Zombies were instantly pulverized by the greatsword, torn apart as if they were made of nothing but wet paper.

  Another Blood Zombie lunged at Lucian’s throat. He didn’t even bother swinging his sword. He simply stepped forward and drove a heavy boot into the creature’s chest.

  A thunderous thud echoed through the corridor. Lucian didn't budge an inch, but the Blood Zombie was sent hurtling backward, flying a full ten meters before crashing into the stone floor.

  The entire team turned to stone.

  Gareth, in particular, felt his mind go blank. As a warrior, he understood the vital importance of the Strength attribute in close-quarters combat better than anyone. For Lucian to dominate like that—to punt a Blood Zombie into the air with a single kick—meant only one thing: Lucian’s Strength didn’t just exceed the zombie’s; it dwarfed it.

  In fact, it likely dwarfed Gareth’s own.

  Gareth knew for a fact that if he tried to trade blows with a Blood Zombie, he couldn't possibly send it flying that far while remaining perfectly still.

  But it made no sense!

  Lucian’s level was public; he was undeniably Level 14. How could a Level 14 Class Awakened possess more Strength than a Level 27 Swordsman?

  "They have high Strength? Felt pretty average to me," Lucian remarked airily, gauging the weight of the impact.

  His casual comment left Gareth speechless. He stared at Lucian as if he were looking at a literal monster, completely forgetting that he was supposed to be the one holding the front line.

  But the shock Lucian dealt them was far from over.

  The Blood Zombie Lucian had kicked scrambled to its feet. Infuriated by the perceived humiliation, it immediately triggered Blood Frenzy. Its Strength and Agility surged as it lunged at Lucian once more with predatory speed.

  Lucian simply offered a disdainful smirk.

  The Blood Zombie’s base Strength was 71. Even with the Blood Frenzy buff, it barely touched 100. Meanwhile, Lucian’s base Strength was already 145. Combined with the +65 Strength from the Obsidian Dragonscale Greatsword, his total reached a staggering 210—more than double the monster’s power.

  He didn't even need to cast Dragon’s Encouragement on himself to completely outclass the beast.

  As the Blood Zombie closed the distance, Lucian moved with surgical precision. He raised his blade and brought it down in a clean, vertical arc, cleaving the creature into a spray of gore.

  With that zombie dead, the rest of the horde began to surge forward, a terrifying sea of rotting flesh and reaching claws.

  Lucian didn't waste any more time. He raised the Obsidian Dragonscale Greatsword high above his head. Above him, the spectral silhouette of a colossal dragon’s head shimmered into existence.

  "Dragon’s Tooth Strike!"

  As Lucian roared, the greatsword plummeted. The dragon’s head followed suit, diving like a predator from the abyss, its massive maw snapping shut upon the earth.

  BOOM!

  A deafening explosion rocked the corridor. Fierce gales whipped outward from the impact zone, the pressure so intense that Chloe and the other backline members struggled to keep their footing.

  Dust and debris billowed into the air.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  The effective range of Dragon’s Tooth Strike was roughly ten meters by ten meters. While not massive, it was perfect for this narrow engagement. The zombies had bunched up to swarm Lucian, essentially offering themselves up as free experience points.

  In a single strike, Lucian obliterated eighty percent of the wave.

  The handful of zombies that survived had only done so because they were outside the immediate blast zone. Lucian had no intention of letting them escape.

  Empowered by his massive Strength and Agility, he moved with terrifying ease, wielding the Obsidian Dragonscale Greatsword as if it were a mere paring knife. He blurred across the floor, reaching the survivors in a heartbeat.

  One swing, one kill.

  Whether they were Blood Zombies or Corrupted Zombies, it made no difference. Against the chasm-like gap in their stats, every single one was a one-shot kill.

  In less than a minute, the entire wave had been purged.

  Since Lucian had performed almost all the heavy lifting, his Damage Output plummeted upward, overtaking Gareth to claim the top spot. He didn't just beat the former number one; he tripled Gareth’s total damage.

  It couldn't be helped—the moment Lucian started fighting, the rest of the party had been so paralyzed with shock that they completely forgot to attack. They had just stood there, staring at him as if they’d seen a ghost.

  Now that the second wave was cleared, Lucian remained perfectly composed, his breathing steady. He stabbed the black greatsword into the ground with a casual thud and glanced back at the statuesque teammates behind him.

  "Shall we keep moving?"

  A deathly silence was the only response Lucian received.

  The group stared at him as if they were looking at a monster.

  Gareth swallowed hard, scanning Lucian from head to toe before finally stammering in disbelief, "You... you're really only Level 14?"

  Jared’s face was a mask of sheer incredulity. "It’s like I’m looking at a Swordsman who’s already completed his 2nd Class Advancement. Your Strength and Agility seem higher than Gareth’s, and your skill damage is even more terrifying than his 【Full Moon Cleave】..."

  Lucian chuckled, casually bringing up his level panel for everyone to see. "I really am only Level 14. You can see it for yourselves—can’t exactly fake this, can I?"

  Gareth shook his head repeatedly. "With the kind of combat power you just displayed, there isn’t a world where I’d believe you’re only Level 14. Not a single word of it."

  As curious as Gareth was, he didn't ask to see Lucian’s class panel or Status Screen. He knew that if Lucian was intentionally hiding his attributes and class, asking to see them would be a serious breach of etiquette.

  Chloe stepped forward, her demeanor markedly more respectful now. "Lucian, are you this strong because of a Hidden Class?"

  Lucian nodded. "You could say that."

  Chloe frowned slightly. "You said you’re from Riverport City, right? I should know every notable powerhouse from the Class Awakening ceremony, but I’ve never heard your name before..."

  Lucian laughed. "So you think I'm lying to you? Relax, there's no reason for me to do that."

  "It's not that..." Chloe explained quickly, not wanting Lucian to think she didn't trust him.

  "I'm just curious. If Riverport City produced a student as powerful as you, I should have heard of you. But you weren't among the top tier I know of..."

  Lucian shrugged. "I'm just a nobody. It's only natural you haven't heard of me."

  He pulled out his Riverport Third Academy ID tag and flashed it to Chloe. "See? I'm a student at Riverport Third Academy. You can't forge these tags."

  School ID tags were unique items; forging one was impossible.

  The tag confirmed it beyond a doubt—he really was a student from Riverport Third Academy.

  With the ID tag as proof, the last of Gareth’s concerns vanished.

  Yet, at the same time, their shock deepened—a freshly Awakened student possessed combat power that eclipsed Gareth’s.

  Just what kind of Hidden Class did this guy have? It was insanely overpowered!

  Chloe realized that the world was full of hidden talents. If Lucian had always kept a low profile, it made sense that she wouldn't have heard of him.

  A sense of frustration gnawed at her. She had always considered her own strength quite impressive, believing she had a solid shot at being the top scorer in Riverport City during The Awakening Trials.

  But compared to Lucian, her power was almost embarrassing. The gap between them was just too wide.

  Lucian tucked his ID tag away and addressed the group. "The further we head into the Village of Despair, the higher the monster stats become, and their numbers are growing too."

  "Our team lacks a front line, so I'll take point from now on. Any objections?"

  Naturally, no one objected.

  Even though this meant Lucian would have every opportunity to pad his damage numbers—and with his strength, his Damage Output was guaranteed to be top-ranked, giving him first pick of the Secret Realm rewards—no one cared.

  After all, he certainly had the strength to back it up.

  They even began to suspect that Lucian might be capable of soloing this Secret Realm entirely.

  It felt as though Lucian was the primary force clearing the Secret Realm, while everyone else was just there to make up the numbers.

  Lucian’s status in the party skyrocketed. No one dared to go against his word.

  Chloe nodded. "Then it's settled. Lucian, you, Jared, and Gareth take the front. We’re about to enter the village itself, and there should be even more monsters inside."

  The others nodded, agreeing to the plan for the time being.

  Lucian moved to the vanguard, leading the way alongside Gareth and Jared.

  The group pressed on, quickly encountering a third wave of attacking zombies.

  This wave was even larger, featuring over twenty Blood Zombies.

  Without Lucian, Chloe’s team would have stood no chance against such a horde, but his presence changed everything.

  Lucian stood at the front like an immovable wall, his blade flashing as he effortlessly one-shotted even the Level 25 Elite Mobs.

  The third wave was soon cleared. The sharp-eyed Celia noticed that most of the village houses contained a chest—likely milestone rewards for the Secret Realm.

  Entering a house where the zombies had been neutralized, they opened the chest. Sure enough, they found a 【Strength Potion】 and two 【Antidotes】.

  (Almost signed the contract, but the stats are bleak. Please send flowers and tickets! Whimper...)