Lucian gave a brief nod, hardly paying any mind to Barret’s words. He headed straight back to his classroom, greeted by the pitying, sorrowful gazes of his classmates.

  Lucian silently pulled up his Status Screen to check his attributes after the Class Awakening.

  Name: Lucian

  Level: 10

  Class: Dragon Tamer (1st Class Advancement)

  Strength: 21

  Agility: 26

  Spirit: 24

  Endurance: 23

  Pets: None

  Equipment: None

  Skills:

  Dragon Taming (Active, Lv.1): Allows the user to tame members of the Dragonflight and turn them into pets. (Note: Only effective against the Dragonflight).

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  Four other skills followed, but they were all obscured by question marks, completely unusable. They were likely dragon-specific; without a dragon at his side, they wouldn't activate. Essentially, Lucian’s combat strength hadn’t improved a single bit since his Awakening.

  The thought left him feeling hollow. Was he really destined to spend the rest of his life selling steamed buns? He could endure a hard life, but he felt for Kara. She had worked herself to the bone to put him through school, only for him to fail at providing her a comfortable future.

  The Awakening ceremony finally concluded. The students went their separate ways, some jubilant and others devastated. The coming week was a pre-exam break, a long holiday meant for students to level up and familiarize themselves with their skills before the Awakening Trials.

  Lucian made his way back to the Old Quarter of Riverport City. His home sat above a steamed bun shop. The first floor was the shop itself, while the second floor was a modest two-bedroom apartment where he and Kara lived. The shop’s door was currently ajar, indicating it wasn't open for business. Lucian headed upstairs.

  As soon as he reached the second floor, the aroma of home-cooked food hit him.

  "I'm back," Lucian called out, forcing a bit of energy into his voice as he tossed his bag onto the sofa.

  Movement came from the kitchen. A woman in her mid-twenties stepped out, her hair pinned up in a tidy bun, carrying a steaming dish. Her skin was remarkably fair and flawless, her features as delicate and refined as a top-tier celebrity's. Her figure was perfect, a graceful silhouette that left no room for critique.

  "You're back? Go wash up; dinner’s almost ready." Her smile was warm and infectious, instantly clearing some of the gloom from Lucian’s heart.

  This was Kara. Although she was eight years older than Lucian, she was only twenty-six—at the height of her beauty, having lost her youthful awkwardness without becoming overly mature. In Riverport City, she was famously known as the "Bun Beauty." Despite the hardship of raising Lucian, she hadn't aged a day. Compared to the pampered daughters of noble families, she possessed a natural radiance that none could match. For Lucian, being blessed with such a beautiful and gentle guardian was the greatest silver lining of his reincarnation.

  "Yeah, I'm coming." Lucian smiled, washed his hands, and sat down.

  The table was laden with an unusually lavish spread. Kara was an excellent cook; her meals were always a feast for the senses. However, because they weren't made from professional recipes, they didn't grant any HP recovery buffs—they were simply delicious.

  Lucian’s appetite kicked in. He picked up his chopsticks and asked, "Why the feast today?"

  "Well, it’s an important day," Kara said, untying her apron and sitting across from him. Her face was alight with anticipation. "Today was your Awakening, after all. So, how did it go? What's your class?"

  Lucian’s expression faltered. Noticing his slump, Kara’s smile softened into a look of concern, realizing the results might not have been what they hoped for.

  "What’s wrong?" she asked gently. "Did you not get the class you wanted? It’s okay. Honestly, if you’d become a Combat Class, I’d be constantly worried about your safety in the dungeons. There’s nothing wrong with being a Life Class, right?"

  Lucian gave a wry smile and decided to be honest. "I did get a Combat Class. A Hidden one, actually."

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "What?!" Kara froze, then her face lit up with such joy she nearly stood up. "Really?! You're not just a Combat Class, but a Hidden one?!"

  Her excitement was palpable. "I knew you could do it! You're going to have such a great future—far better than mine. I can't even compare!"

  Lucian hated to pour cold water on her joy, but he had to tell her the whole truth. "It's the Dragon Tamer class. It’s a Hidden Combat Class, sure, but without a dragon, it’s less useful than a regular Life Class." He let out a heavy sigh.

  Kara’s body stiffened, but the disappointment didn't linger on her face. Instead, she immediately moved to comfort him. "A Dragon Tamer... that's alright."

  "At the very least, it proves how talented you are," she said softly. "You wouldn't have awakened a Hidden Class otherwise, right? It's just a bit of bad luck, that's all."

  Kara reached out, ruffling Lucian’s hair with a gentle, reassuring smile. "If it’s useless, then it’s useless. We’ll just stop worrying about leveling up. It's not the end of the world."

  "Once you graduate high school, I’ll keep supporting you through college. And if no university accepts you, that’s fine too. You can stay here and help me run the bun shop."

  "With my recipes, we might not end up filthy rich, but we certainly won't go hungry, right?"

  Lucian nodded, squeezing her hand. He forced a small, determined smile. "Don't worry about me. I was thinking the same thing."

  "I know might makes right in this world, but as long as we’re alive, things can’t be that bad."

  "I’ll still give it my all during The Awakening Trials. If I can get into a university, I’ll have the right to enter Dungeons. I can still make money that way. But if no school wants me, I’ll come right back and we’ll run this shop together."

  "That’s the spirit!" Kara smiled, withdrawing her hand. "I’m just glad you’re not discouraged."

  "Honestly, I think having you by my side is enough. To me, nothing is more important than you staying safe and sound."

  "Alright, eat up. The food's going to get cold."

  "I will," Lucian replied, a warmth spreading through his chest.

  After dinner, Lucian lay in bed, his mind racing with a thousand different thoughts.

  When he had held Kara’s hand earlier, he couldn't help but notice the callouses. Her skin, once soft and smooth, had grown rough from years of manual labor.

  She was only twenty-six—in the prime of her life. Was she really destined to spend the rest of her days mired in poverty, never seeing a way out?

  Lucian couldn't accept that. He wanted a better life, not just for himself, but for the woman who had sacrificed everything to raise him.

  But with a class like his...

  Just then, a cold, mechanical voice chimed in his head:

  [System Notification: The Super Treasure Map System has been triggered. Distributing today’s Treasure Map.]

  Lucian bolted upright. Right—he still had the System!

  It had flared to life once before and then gone silent, almost making him forget it existed. He had been confused why the promised Treasure Map hadn't appeared immediately. Now he realized the distribution happened at a fixed time every day. Today's map had finally arrived.

  If he had the System, there was still a chance to flip the script.

  [Congratulations! You have received a Treasure Map (Intermediate).]

  [First-time reward triggered: Upgrading Treasure Map (Intermediate) to Treasure Map (Divine). Please check your inventory.]

  Lucian’s heart hammered against his ribs. The sudden surge of luck was almost too much to process. He had felt a twinge of disappointment when he saw the map was only "Intermediate," but the System had immediately corrected course, upgrading it to the highest possible tier.

  God damn, this System is amazing!

  Still, he couldn't celebrate just yet. If the coordinates were halfway across the world, it would be useless to him. Furthermore, a Divine Treasure Map was the pinnacle—it couldn't be used as material for synthesis. If he couldn't reach the dig site, the map would just sit in his inventory gathering virtual dust.

  Holding his breath, Lucian opened his System space to inspect the Divine Treasure Map.

  [Treasure Map (Divine)]

  Coordinates: The Stony Barrens (341681, 674331)

  As he checked the coordinates, a translucent mini-map appeared, highlighting the exact location.

  When Lucian saw the words "The Stony Barrens," a wave of relief washed over him. He knew the place well. It was a wilderness area roughly twenty-five miles outside Riverport City.

  It served as a popular leveling zone for beginners. Not only was it close to the city, but it was also relatively free of high-level apex predators. Lucian and his classmates had been there many times under the supervision of their teachers to hunt weak monsters for experience.

  According to the map, the coordinates sat deep within the central zone of the Barrens—significantly further than his teachers had ever dared to take a group of students.

  The monsters there were mostly Level 10 or higher. For someone like Lucian, it was a death trap.

  However, this Divine Treasure Map was likely his last hope for a turnaround. If he gave up now, he’d be stuck at the bottom of society for the rest of his life.

  He didn't hesitate. He was going to dig up that treasure, no matter what.

  The night grew deathly silent.

  Kara had turned in early; she had to be up by four in the morning to start the first batch of buns.

  Lucian crept out of bed, moving with practiced silence. He reached under his bed to retrieve a hidden novice machete. After a quick trip to the kitchen to pack a bag of buns, he slipped out of the house and made a beeline for the city gates.