A Dungeon Instance

A little aloof...

Mo Fan watched Cheng Xiaoyu's retreating figure and shrugged. Then he went to his aunt's house and knocked on the door.

Mo Qing opened it, and happened to see the siblings from next door as well. She smiled and said,

"Oh, Xiaoyu and Xinxia are back. Why don't you have dinner at my place?"

"No, thanks, Aunt Mo. We'll make dinner ourselves tonight."

Cheng Xiaoyu politely declined Mo Qing's offer and pushed Ye Xinxia into their home.

Seeing that Mo Fan was still staring at them, Mo Qing pulled him inside and said crossly,

"You should learn from Xiaoyu. And remember, don't get any ideas about his little sister!"

Mo Fan nodded helplessly. Ye Xinxia was definitely his type, but the one he was more interested in was clearly Cheng Xiaoyu, all right?

"Your dad's not coming home again tonight?"

"Dad took Uncle Mu out of town for a meeting."

"Mm. It's not easy to keep driving for Patriarch Mu. You're the only mage in our family, so you'd better make us proud."

"I know... Where's Cousin?"

"She's still on her way, I think. Go pick her up."

"Uh... okay."

That evening, after dinner, the siblings chatted in the living room for a while before heading back to their rooms.

After a week of training, Cheng Xiaoyu's Shadow Element showed signs of breaking through. He should reach the Second Level in a few days.

He looked at his system panel. Even after completing his Daily Task, his level hadn't changed in the slightest.

Could there be another way to level up? Or did he have to kill Demon Beasts...?

Cheng Xiaoyu sighed, picked up his clothes, and went to take a shower.

As the warm water streamed over his lean, well-defined muscles, he looked at his fit body in the mirror and thought about what he'd read online.

The human body was very fragile. Even a high-level mage was only as strong as a Servant-level Demon, which was why Defensive Magic Equipment like Armor Magic Equipment and Shield Magic Equipment existed.

Cheng Xiaoyu felt his firm muscles, unsure how strong his body was. He had to be cautious about hunting Demon Beasts. After all, he was a Shadow Element Mage and had no real offensive abilities.

Besides, he absolutely couldn't let anyone find out about the system. To avoid anyone learning that his physique had changed, he'd have to handle this himself!

For now, he'd just complete his Daily Task and focus on training. He should spend more time with his little sister...

The days went by. Cheng Xiaoyu diligently completed his training every day, and thanks to his Status Recovery ability, he got in shape incredibly quickly.

The Random Treasure Chest often gave him everyday items and food, leaving the household much better off.

Ye Xinxia noticed new furniture and other items appearing around the house every day. The fridge was stocked with food and fruit, and her brother had even gotten her a more comfortable, intelligent Wheelchair.

His cultivation reached the Primary Second Level, and the Mana on his Personal Panel had increased considerably. It seemed that Mana could only be increased through cultivation.

After winter break, Cheng Xiaoyu first took Ye Xinxia to school, then headed to Tianlan Magic High School to arrange another leave of absence.

The school only allowed students to take leave for one semester at a time, so he had to apply again.

He arrived at the classroom during break and walked straight in. The noisy room fell silent, and every student turned to look at the handsome stranger who had just entered.

The girls blushed, gazing at Cheng Xiaoyu with admiration as they watched him take the only empty seat at the back of the classroom. The boys, meanwhile, looked hostile, unable to understand why a stranger had suddenly appeared in their class.

"Are you... Cheng Xiaoyu?"

Mu Bai watched Cheng Xiaoyu as he looked around the classroom. After a moment's thought, he finally asked.

At that, Cheng Xiaoyu turned to Mu Bai beside him. He thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Mu Bai. Long time no see."

"Long time no see. How come you..."

Before Mu Bai could ask what was on his mind, their Homeroom Teacher, Xue Musheng, entered the classroom. He looked toward Cheng Xiaoyu at the back and said,

"Cheng Xiaoyu, right? Come with me to the office."

Cheng Xiaoyu nodded to Mu Bai, then left the classroom and followed Xue Musheng.

As soon as Cheng Xiaoyu was gone, the classroom erupted into excited chatter.

"Did you see him? That guy's so handsome, and he's got an amazing figure!"

"Yeah, his name's Cheng Xiaoyu... How did I not know there was a guy like that in our class? He's exactly my dream guy!"

"Tch, so what if he's handsome? He's just a pretty boy."

Hearing everyone talking, Mo Fan quietly sidled up to Mu Bai and whispered,

"Mu Bai, that's the Cheng Xiaoyu you mentioned before? He's way more handsome than you."

"He really has changed a lot..."

Mu Bai nodded in agreement. He suddenly wondered what his older sister and their female cousin would think when they saw Cheng Xiaoyu looking like this.

In the office, Xue Musheng sat in his chair and looked at the student who gave him a headache. Cheng Xiaoyu had Awakened Magic before the school year began, then taken a leave of absence and stopped coming to class.

That was no way to think about his future. What if he failed to Awaken Magic?

"Cheng Xiaoyu, I can arrange your leave of absence, but you have to come take the final exams. Your results will determine whether you remain a student at this school."

"Okay."

At this point, Xue Musheng decided not to try to talk him out of it. Everyone had to make their own choices.

Elsewhere, a beautiful, charming teacher turned her attention in their direction, curiously sizing up the handsome young man.

Tang Yue was interested in the young man who had Awakened Magic before high school. She had looked into him briefly and understood his predicament.

The Magic Association had a record of Cheng Xiaoyu Awakening the Shadow Element. The faint Dark Aura coming from him confirmed it.

She had also learned that a few months ago, something had happened to the Hunter Team Cheng Xiaoyu belonged to. Only two members had survived. She couldn't help admiring the young man's resilience.

After completing the paperwork for his leave of absence, Cheng Xiaoyu returned home, and the days went on as before.

Then, on an otherwise ordinary day, the Random Treasure Chest in his daily reward gave him something unusual.

[Beginner Dungeon Key]

[Destination: Bocheng Air-raid Shelter]

[Time Limit: 24 hours]

"A Beginner Dungeon Key... Is it something like an instance in a game?"

Cheng Xiaoyu gripped the key in his hand. Since it was a Dungeon Instance, Demon Beasts were bound to appear inside. There was no avoiding a fight.

He stared at the various attributes on his panel and suddenly remembered why he'd become a mage.

After his mother fell into a coma, Cheng Xiaoyu had shouldered the burden of supporting their little family on his own. He had no grand ambitions. He just wanted to give his little sister a good life and, eventually, find a way to wake his mother.

A look of determination flashed in his eyes as he gripped the key tightly.

If I've been given this opportunity, then I have to get stronger!