The Road Ahead

"Just in time—Dad has the right connections, so we can go give it a try first." Xu Feng quickly settled on a direction. "Besides, even if the magical beast isn't killed by my own hand, as long as I'm present, it seems I can still gain a small amount of Breakthrough Points...

And dungeons are undoubtedly the best place for me to rapidly boost my strength."

With that thought, he couldn't help but lift his gaze.

Not far away, his father Xu Shan was frantically waving at him, while beside him stood his mother Yang Lingxia, her eyes equally brimming with anticipation.

Seeing his parents' barely contained excitement, a warmth spread through Xu Feng's chest. The corners of his mouth naturally lifted as he strode over.

"The assessment result is D-class Intermediate, classified as a physical-type Hunter.

The association staff suggested I could develop toward 'Shield Warrior' or 'Berserker.'"

Xu Feng handed over the assessment report, still faintly warm from the printer.

Xu Shan practically snatched the report, pressing his head together with his wife's as they eagerly scanned its contents.

His rough fingers gripped the paper's edge, trembling slightly from excessive force. The man was so stirred he could barely contain himself.

It was as if he were the one who had successfully awakened.

"Made it! Haha! My son really made it!"

Xu Shan's eyes reddened, his voice choked with emotion as he read the report word by word, terrified of missing any detail.

"Stop shaking—I can't see a thing!"

Yang Lingxia lightly pinched her husband's waist, scolding him playfully, but the look she cast at Xu Feng was filled with the same boundless pride and relief.

No wonder they were so worked up.

In this world, the gap between Hunters and ordinary people was nearly an unbridgeable class divide.

The wealth an ordinary person might never accumulate in a lifetime could be earned by a successful Hunter in a single mission.

Even though Xu Feng was only a D-class Intermediate Hunter for now, his future potential and the world he could access already far exceeded what ordinary people could imagine.

"Xiao Feng, come on, let's head home. Mom will make you chicken soup.

Your dad got a hen raised for two and a half years from an acquaintance a couple of days ago, planning to nourish you up. We'll stew it tonight and have a proper celebration... cough, cough..." Yang Lingxia smiled as she spoke, but mid-sentence, she couldn't help covering her mouth with a violent coughing fit.

She deftly pulled a sealed pouch from her cloth bag, containing a pre-mixed brownish potion, and downed it in one gulp.

As the liquid went down, her breathing gradually steadied, and some color returned to her face.

"Mom, are you feeling unwell again?" Xu Feng immediately asked with concern, his brows furrowing slightly.

Watching his mother's chronically frail body, weakened by old injuries, a tightness gripped Xu Feng's heart.

His mother's ailment wasn't an ordinary illness—it was a deep-rooted injury from years ago, damaging her very foundation.

It could only be managed with long-term medicinal care, never fully cured.

His gaze unconsciously flicked to the status panel only he could see, and a vague thought quietly surfaced.

Maybe in the future...

"That's not something I can worry about right now." He immediately shook his head, suppressing the notion for the moment. "For now, the top priority is to boost my strength as fast as possible."

"It's an old problem, nothing serious. Don't worry, we still have enough savings." Xu Shan also put away his smile, gently patting his wife's back to help her breathe easier.

Then he turned to Xu Feng, his face once again bright with anticipation. "I messaged Brother Piao about your situation. He was pretty happy—said their team's been short on reliable frontliners.

We'll have lunch, and then I'll take you to check it out."

Even as he said this, Xu Shan's eyes fell on his son's slightly worn clothes, and his expression dimmed, tinged with bitterness.

"After setting aside the money for your mom's medicine every month, what's left... probably only enough to scrape together one or two of the cheapest weapons."

His lips moved hesitantly, a struggle flashing in his eyes. Finally, as if making a firm decision, his voice dropped low but steady.

"Xiao Feng, your first time in a dungeon—you absolutely can't skimp on gear. I'll... I'll go to your Second Uncle and a few old friends, see if I can borrow some money. I'll get you a decent set no matter what!"

"Dad, no need." Xu Feng shook his head decisively, stopping his father's impulsive idea. "The family's situation comes first. Mom can't go without her medicine.

Besides, when I first go into the dungeon with Captain Piao and the others, they won't assign me anything too dangerous. Having slightly worse gear won't matter."

The "Brother Piao" his father mentioned.

That was C-Class Hunter Piao Zhi Yong.

Xu Feng had heard plenty about him over the years from his father and Second Uncle's casual conversations.

Word had it that the Captain was gentle in demeanor, fair in his dealings, and had a good reputation in the circle.

More importantly, he had awakened a relatively rare Wood elemental magic ability—not only strong in offense and defense but also capable of some healing and support effects.

Because of this, the casualty rate of his raid team had always been far below average.

"But..."

Xu Shan looked at his son's calm, resolute eyes, and his throat seemed to clog. A wave of grief, mixed with guilt and helplessness, surged up from deep within him.

His son had become a Hunter, stepping into the extraordinary, yet he, as the father, couldn't even provide a decent set of beginner equipment.

"Alright, it's settled." Xu Feng's tone was light as he took his father's hand with one arm and wrapped the other around his mother.

"What matters most now is filling our stomachs! Let's go eat something good for lunch to celebrate, then I'll report to the strategy team in the afternoon."

Xu Shan wanted to say more, but Yang Lingxia gently tugged his arm.

His wife whispered in his ear, "The child has grown up and has his own ideas. Just listen to him. As his father, just keep an eye on him in the team."

Xu Shan opened his mouth, but in the end, it all turned into a heavy sigh, swallowing every unspoken word.

"Son, I heard there's a new Sichuan restaurant up ahead with really authentic flavors. Want to give it a try?" Yang Lingxia forced a warm smile onto her pale face, trying to dispel the gloom from her husband's heart.

"Hehe, great! Today's on me—" Xu Feng played along with a grin, deliberately drawing out his words, "—Dad's wallet!"

"Hey! You little brat!" Xu Shan was caught between laughter and exasperation by the duo's back-and-forth, and the pent-up frustration in his chest mostly dissipated. "Fine! I'll go all out today and see if you, just-awakened 'bottomless pit,' can really eat me broke!"

The family of three laughed and chatted as their figures merged into the bustling crowd, heading toward the food street where the aroma of cooking wafted through the air.

Sunlight spilled over them, stretching the three huddled silhouettes long behind them.