Ethan looked at the message from Charles on his screen.
Charles had written to him directly after showing off his new stats and gear.
Ethan replied casually, "You've got so many girls begging you to take them leveling. Why are you messaging me instead?"
Charles, ever the dramatic one, answered:
> "Those shallow fans will only slow down the speed of my blade."
"Now is the time to witness true friendship."
Ethan chuckled. He wasn't interested in showing off his power just yet. He preferred to keep a low profile.
But to get Charles off his back, Ethan sent him a screenshot—a full view of Anti-Bone Boy's updated combat power.
Moments later, Charles responded with shock:
> "What the heck—28 stars?! Did the principal give you all the resources or something?"
"Wait, I'm taking a screenshot and showing it to the principal."
Ethan quickly texted back, "No, no, don't! I was just kidding! You win, Dad, I'll carry you tomorrow. I'll go easy, promise!"
Ethan rolled his eyes. He knew how Charles was—loud, proud, and always over-the-top.
"I plan to level up solo," Ethan said. "Let's make it interesting. Let's see who gets stronger faster, how about that?"
Charles replied instantly.
> "Heh~ Mortal. You're already doomed."
Ethan put down the phone. "Yep. That guy never stops talking."
Meanwhile, Charles picked up his own phone and called someone.
> "Hello? I want a full Silver-tier beginner gear set ready by tomorrow morning. And prep that Gold-tier broadsword for when I hit Level 15. Got it?"
He hung up and muttered to himself, "Ethan… how the hell did you get 28 stars? Did you steal a beast egg from somewhere?"
The notifications on his phone didn't stop buzzing.
> "Tch. I'm competing with Ethan tomorrow. I can't let distractions shake my blade heart!"
---
The next morning, Ethan woke up after a restless night. He didn't remember when he had finally fallen asleep.
Still, despite the lack of sleep, he felt fine. Another benefit of becoming a Professional, perhaps.
The principal hadn't come back last night, so Ethan made his own decision—he headed out early, taking a special bus for Professionals to begin his solo grind.
This bus was part of the official system—it made stops at several beginner dungeons.
The roads were regularly cleared and maintained by certified professionals, offering protection for newbies heading to train.
Ethan sent a message to his mentor on the way, telling him he was heading out to level up.
Normally, it would be safer to level up with your mentor nearby. But with so many people around, the speed of hunting monsters would slow down.
He soon got a reply from his instructor.
> "Did you inform the principal of your upgrade?"
"If you're going alone, be careful."
"If anything feels dangerous, get out immediately. Don't try to act tough. Just call for help, okay?"
"We're here if you need backup. Don't be shy."
He even dropped his current location just in case.
Ethan smiled. He could already picture his mentor's stern face—and the few lonely strands of hair stretching over his bald head.
Of course, he hadn't told the principal. If he had, there's no way they'd allow him to level alone.
But he wasn't really "alone." Anti-Bone Boy was with him—that counted.
---
Ethan chose the open dungeon: "Savage Desert."
It was marked for around Level 15, but it was an open dungeon, which meant anyone could enter, and the monsters inside respawned at regular intervals.
There were also solo instances and team-restricted dungeons, but this open style suited Ethan's plan best.
The main reason he picked this place? Anti-Bone Boy's strength.
The dungeon was filled with Bronze-level LV10 Sandworms—and Anti-Bone Boy could crush those easily.
Also, the monsters here were annoying. They had a habit of burrowing underground just before death, making them hard to kill. Most people didn't like farming here.
But to an ant like Anti-Bone Boy? Digging through sand was child's play.
There were tougher dungeons too, like one for Level 20, but Ethan didn't want to risk his own safety just yet.
---
When the bus dropped him off, Ethan was the only one there. That made him smile.
Peace and quiet. Perfect.
The dungeon entrance shimmered like a vertical oval-shaped mirror, glowing softly with white light. A nearby warning sign read:
> "Recommended: Combat power of 20+ or three-member team with 15+ combat power per person."
Even though Ethan's displayed power was 64 stars, that was with Anti-Bone Boy's help. Alone, Ethan only had 8-star strength.
So he'd picked this place carefully, knowing the dungeon was safe only because of his beast companion.
No one else was around, so Ethan summoned Anti-Bone Boy directly.
"Go scout ahead," he told the massive ant. Its agility was 56 points, far higher than Ethan's, and it dashed inside like a black bullet.
Once the coast was clear, Ethan followed.
---
Whoosh—
In an instant, the world around him changed from forest to an endless, hot desert.
The wind whipped across the dunes, kicking sand into the air.
Before Ethan could react—pfft!—he got a mouthful of sand.
"Blegh—gross."
Meanwhile, Anti-Bone Boy looked thrilled, digging into the sand joyfully.
At first, Ethan thought he was just playing, but within seconds, something emerged.
A 1-meter long Sandworm burst out of the ground, thick as Ethan's leg.
It looked like a giant earthworm—its body a dusty brown, and its front end a nightmare of rotating, grinder-like teeth.
But Anti-Bone Boy didn't hesitate.
With his two massive, piercing jaws, he struck first. His attack sank into the Sandworm's side, preventing it from diving back into the sand.
Bite after bite—dark red blood oozed out of the creature.
But the Sandworm wasn't finished.
It wrapped around Anti-Bone Boy's body, trying to crush him, and then bit into his back with its terrifying grinder-mouth.
Zzzzz—
The horrible sound of metal scraping metal echoed—like nails on a chalkboard, or two knives grinding against each other.
Ethan even saw sparks flying from the impact.
But the Sandworm couldn't break through Anti-Bone Boy's tough scales.
Meanwhile, the ant's Crushing Bite skill caused continuous bleeding. The worm's body began breaking down fast.
Part of it had already been devoured by Anti-Bone Boy.
Its vitality was impressive, but in the end, it couldn't hold on.
Just when Ethan thought it was over, the worm tried one last move—snapping its own body off at the bitten section and diving back into the dirt to escape.
But it was too slow.
Anti-Bone Boy chased it down, dragged it out, and this time—finished the job.
He bit it into pieces until it stopped moving entirely.
> "System Message: You have killed a Bronze-level Sandworm. Gained experience!"
"Loot: Bronze-tier Equipment—Sandstone Leather Armor."
---