Uncle Jiang stood in the living room, watching Lu Fang's back slowly disappear at the end of the stairs. At last, he could no longer hold back his tears.
But he soon forced himself to wipe them away.
Because he knew that beyond grief, there were more practical problems.
The master and madam were gone.
In theory, the Fangfang Chamber of Commerce they had founded would pass to the young master.
It was a major chamber of commerce that ranked among the best in Jiang City, and even all of South Province.
Wealth, channels, resources, connections, equipment supply chains, potion workshops, dungeon material trading.
Every one of those was enough to make people covet it.
Before, with Lu Tianxiong and Su Qingyu keeping things in check, no one had dared make a move.
But now...
Uncle Jiang's expression grew grave.
"The young master is still young."
"I'm afraid this inheritance won't go smoothly."
Dragon Nation.
Dragon Heart City.
This was the true center of Dragon Nation.
It was also the holy city in the hearts of countless class holders.
The towering Class Advancement Divine Tower pierced the heavens, crisscrossing energy tracks ran through the entire city, and floating buildings circled above it like stars.
And Dragon Nation's five strongest class advancement universities were all located here.
One of them.
Abyss Suppression Academy.
Inside the headmaster's office.
A white-haired old man sat before an enormous screen of light, reviewing a top-secret dossier that had just arrived.
His gaze had initially been calm.
But as line after line of information met his eyes, those weathered eyes gradually widened.
"A mysterious class..."
"Cleared the beginner secret realm in one minute and seventeen seconds, with an SSS rating..."
"Killed three level-100 experts on the very day he awakened..."
The old man's fingers tapped lightly against his desk.
After a long while, he uttered a single word.
"Monster."
The next second, he raised his hand and pressed the communicator.
"Have Teacher Zhou from admissions come here."
A short while later, a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses strode into the office.
"Headmaster, you wanted to see me?"
The old man wasted no words and pushed Lu Fang's dossier straight toward him.
"Go to Jiang City."
"Test this student."
"If the intelligence is accurate, try to recruit him."
Teacher Zhou lowered his head to look.
At first, he remained fairly composed.
But the further he read, the less he could keep his expression under control.
By the time he reached the final line, "killed three level-100 experts," he was utterly stunned.
"Headmaster, this... this is a fucking newly awakened student?"
The old man said evenly.
"That's what the dossier says."
Teacher Zhou swallowed with difficulty.
"Then what terms should we offer?"
The old man raised his head.
"S-rank recruitment authorization."
Boom!
Teacher Zhou's pupils abruptly contracted.
Abyss Suppression Academy's recruitment packages were divided into four ranks: S, A, B, and C.
C-rank was the treatment given to students who gained admission to Abyss Suppression Academy through the normal examinations.
Anyone who could get into Abyss Suppression Academy was already an extraordinary genius.
But within Abyss Suppression Academy, they still started at only C-rank.
B-rank was for top geniuses ranked among the top ten in the various major regions.
A-rank was for monstrous talents specially recruited from each province.
As for S-rank.
That was treatment reserved for true strategic-level geniuses.
Even at Abyss Suppression Academy, fewer than ten students in each intake received S-rank treatment!
Teacher Zhou could not help speaking.
"Headmaster, isn't offering S-rank right away a little too much?"
The old man's gaze was calm.
"If this intelligence is true, it isn't."
"It might not even be enough."
Teacher Zhou's heart jolted.
The headmaster continued.
"There's no way the other four universities haven't received word."
"If Abyss Suppression Academy wants to compete, we have to move fast."
"The competition will undoubtedly be fierce this time."
"Go in person and do your best to win him over."
Teacher Zhou's expression turned solemn.
"Understood. I'll leave right now."
He turned and was just about to leave.
Suddenly.
Ding!
The screen of light before the old man flashed.
An encrypted message popped up.
The old man gave it a casual glance.
The next second, his expression changed.
The headmaster of Abyss Suppression Academy, who had been as steady as a mountain, actually showed unmistakable surprise at that moment.
"Wait."
Teacher Zhou stopped.
"Headmaster?"
The old man stared at the message and remained silent for several full seconds before speaking slowly.
"You don't need to go."
Teacher Zhou froze.
"I don't need to go?"
He asked instinctively.
"Was the intelligence fabricated?"
The old man shook his head.
"No."
"The intelligence is genuine."
"Heavenly Dragon has made a move."
Teacher Zhou's expression froze instantly.
The entire office fell into deathly silence.
Heavenly Dragon.
That name carried almost supreme weight within Dragon Nation's class-holder system.
It was not a university.
Nor was it an ordinary organization.
It was a core force that truly stood at the pinnacle of Dragon Nation.
Teacher Zhou's throat went dry, and even his voice changed.
"A student who just awakened..."
"Actually caught Heavenly Dragon's eye?"
Early the next morning.
The hillside villa district.
When Lu Fang opened his eyes, his gaze was frighteningly clear.
There was not even the slightest trace of dejection.
He simply got up calmly, washed, changed into clean black casual clothes, then opened the door and went downstairs.
In the dining room.
The old butler, Uncle Jiang, had long since prepared breakfast.
He stood beside the dining table, watching Lu Fang descend step by step, his eyes full of worry.
"Young master."
Lu Fang sat down and picked up his knife and fork, his expression calm.
"Morning."
His voice was very steady.
So steady that it was as though nothing had happened.
That only made Uncle Jiang feel worse.
If Lu Fang had wept, vented his feelings, or even smashed up his room, he could have felt a little more at ease.
Yet Lu Fang was simply too calm.
Uncle Jiang could not help speaking.
"Young master, you don't have to force yourself to hold up."
"About the master and madam..."
Click.
The knife and fork in Lu Fang's hands paused briefly.
But only briefly.
The next second, he continued eating breakfast and said calmly.
"They're not dead."
Uncle Jiang's heart trembled.
Lu Fang raised his head and looked at the distant sky beyond the window.
"As long as their bodies haven't been found, they don't count as dead."
"Whether it's a spatial storm or an abyss rift."
"As long as they're still somewhere, I'll find them and bring them back."
Uncle Jiang's eyes burned.
Lu Fang took a sip of milk and set down his glass.
"I'm going to run dungeons today. I need to level up faster."
As Uncle Jiang looked at Lu Fang's young but composed face, he suddenly had a powerful illusion.
It was as though Lu Fang had grown up overnight.
Jiang City Class Center.
This was one of the places most frequently visited by all the class holders in Jiang City.
Awakened people who wanted to run dungeons, obtain class certification, accept quests, or purchase basic supplies generally had to come here.
The enormous circular building stood in the city center, occupying a vast area.
People streamed in and out of the entrance.
Some were recently awakened newcomers, clustered in groups of three or five with their equipment in their arms, their faces full of excitement and nervousness.
Others were class holders who had spent years in low-tier dungeons, carrying injuries and a jaded numbness in their eyes.
Lu Fang entered the lobby, paid, then went into a private room.
Immediately, rows of enormous dungeon selection screens stood before him.
Each screen of light displayed a different dungeon's name, level restrictions, recommended party size, and difficulty options.
[Black Wind Valley] [Entry level: 5-10]
[Rotting Mine] [Entry level: 8-12]
Lu Fang's gaze swept over them before finally settling on an ice-blue screen of light.
[Frost Cavern] [Entry level: 13-18] [Recommended party size: 4] [Dungeon attribute: ice] [Available difficulties: Easy, Normal, Elite, Hard, Nightmare, Hell]