How could Gu Chen's name not be in the family registry?

Gu Qingfeng was momentarily stunned, his expression growing complicated. He had been so consumed by the war these past years that he had actually forgotten to add his son's name to the family registry.

Never mind, he thought. It's not urgent. We can deal with the registry after that rebellious brat admits his faults and apologizes in a few days.

Gu Qingfeng, however, had no idea that at this very moment, Gu Chen was already seated on a train departing from Gubei City.

He had to return to Lincheng; he was a senior student at Lincheng First High School. The Empire-wide Advancement Ceremonies would conclude within the day. Starting at 7:00 AM tomorrow, the Novice Dungeons in every city would open simultaneously.

For those born in the lower strata hoping to change their destiny, becoming a Class Holder was merely the first step. The entrance examinations for the higher academies—that was the true turning point in one's fate. Entry into the Empire's premier institution, Shangjing Academy, promised limitless future achievements.

To perform well in the academy entrance exams, it was essential to enter the Novice Dungeons, gain experience by slaying monsters, and raise one's level. These dungeons were only open for ten days; missing even one would be an irrecoverable setback for Gu Chen. Therefore, the most critical task now was to return to Lincheng First High School before 7:00 AM tomorrow.

Gubei City, the Gu family's seat, was the central hub among the Seven Cities of the North. The distance from Gubei City to the border town Lincheng exceeded ten thousand kilometers. In his previous life, even a high-speed train traveling at maximum velocity would have taken two or three days to cover such a distance.

"Fortunately, the trains in this world run on high-concentration energy crystals," Gu Chen mused. "Barring any delays, I should reach Lincheng sometime after midnight."

Inside the mostly empty carriage, Gu Chen gazed out the window. The setting sun blazed like fresh blood, seeming to dye half the sky crimson. This world was ravaged by monstrous beasts and endless conflict. Most human settlements were devastated landscapes. Only the supremely powerful could hope to control their own fates. And Class Advancement was the only path to achieving such power.

"System, I want to proceed with the class advancement," Gu Chen called out in his mind. He had chosen the third option provided by the system: randomly advance into a Common Class and receive a God-level Talent. Now, it was finally time to begin his journey as a Class Holder.

[Processing Class Advancement...]

[You have advanced to the Summoner Class.]

"Summoner?" Gu Chen frowned slightly. As everyone knew, the Summoner class was notoriously the most expensive class to pursue, bar none. If he hadn't severed ties with his family, Gu Qingfeng, with his status as the War King, could undoubtedly have provided immense resources to cultivate him into a top-tier Summoner. Becoming invincible among peers wouldn't have been out of the question.

After all, a Summoner's strength depended heavily on their summons. Only by acquiring top-tier summons or corresponding high-level skill books could the full combat potential of this class be unleashed. Both invariably came at an enormous cost. For a commoner, choosing the Summoner class was practically choosing a dead end.

Take the most basic summoning skill book, which allowed summoning a common creature: its market price typically started at twenty thousand coins. Summoned creatures' potential could be classified into six tiers: Common, Uncommon, Superior, Rare, Epic, and Legendary. The higher the tier, the rarer the creature and the greater its potential power. While the cheapest skill book started at twenty thousand coins—an amount a commoner might afford by scrimping and saving—how much combat effectiveness could a mere Common-tier summon offer? If it couldn't even handle the Novice Dungeons, what future prospects did the Summoner have?

Gu Chen's heart sank. Or rather, it sank only halfway, because he remembered he still possessed a God-level Talent.

[Activating God-level Talent—Primal Dark Blood]

[Primal Dark Blood: Gain one Dark Bloodline per level. Can transform ordinary creatures into Dark Creatures.]

Until now, the highest known talent rank in existence was SSS-Rank, possessed by only one known individual. That individual was Xiao Nanfeng, Commander-in-Chief of the Abyss-Suppressing Army, the foremost figure in the Shenxia military, known famously as the Asura War God. Below SSS-Rank came SS, S, A, B, C, D, and finally E-Rank. As for a 'God-level' rank? It was utterly unprecedented.

"Primal Dark Blood... gain one Dark Bloodline per level?"

"If only I had a summon to test this on."

The Dark Bloodline could transform ordinary creatures into Dark Creatures, but even though he was now a Summoner, he couldn't actually summon anything without first learning a summoning skill.

"Looks like once I get to Lincheng, the first order of business is figuring out how to buy a summoning skill book... but I only have a little over two hundred coins left..." A little over two hundred coins wouldn't even come close to affording the cheapest summoning skill book. Gu Chen leaned back in his seat, his brow furrowed in thought.

It was late night by the time the train reached Lincheng. Gu Chen headed directly for Lincheng First High School and slipped into the faculty apartments. After he knocked, the door was opened by a refined-looking, middle-aged man—Gu Chen's homeroom teacher.

"Gu Chen? Is that you? Where have you been for the past month?" Jiang Songhua, clearly not yet asleep, showed surprise and confusion.

"Teacher, I've advanced to the Summoner class. I need to participate in the Novice Dungeons," Gu Chen stated directly.

"Summoner?" Jiang Songhua looked momentarily surprised, then his expression grew troubled. "Why on earth did you choose Summoner?"

Normally, during the Advancement Ceremony, students were presented with two or three potential classes to choose from. Gu Chen's failure during the ceremony in Gubei City meant he hadn't been offered any class choices at all. This failure was one of the primary reasons Gu Qingfeng had been so furious.

"It's true that a powerful Summoner can rival an entire combat squad, but that level of strength is built purely by piling up money and resources!"

"Without wealth or resources, relying only on the most basic summons, you'll struggle to even clear the Novice Dungeons."

"We've gone over this countless times in class. Weren't you listening at all?" A trace of disappointment colored Jiang Songhua's tone. The resources required for a Summoner's development were a veritable bottomless pit. Outside of major factions, ordinary people simply wouldn't choose this path.

"It was my only option," Gu Chen stated calmly.

"Alright then." Jiang Songhua clicked his tongue, his face full of regret. "I'll submit the report about your class advancement. The Novice Dungeons open at seven tomorrow morning. Just make sure you aren't late."

"Thank you, Teacher." Gu Chen nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment." Jiang Songhua called him back, retrieving a skill book from his personal storage space and placing it in Gu Chen's hands.

"This is an Uncommon-grade summoning book. The quality is pretty poor, so it never sold. Might as well give it to you."

Poor quality? Never sold? Gu Chen glanced at the book, skeptical. An Uncommon-grade summoning book would sell for at least fifty thousand coins on the market. How could it possibly not sell?

Gu Chen's gaze wavered slightly as he looked up at Jiang Songhua, his face filled with gratitude. Fifty thousand coins... given to him just like that? The teacher must be saying this just to protect my pride.

Gu Chen felt a wave of complex emotion. He had assumed that once his teacher knew he was a Summoner, he would have given up on him. He hadn't expected this...

"Teacher, this kindness... I will definitely repay you in the future."

"What's this talk of repaying kindness?" Jiang Songhua waved a dismissive hand. "If you're fortunate enough to get into a higher academy in the future, just make sure you pay attention during lectures." He elaborated, "Like I've said in class, the people who pursue the Summoner path are almost exclusively nobles."

"To nobles, an Uncommon-tier summon is frankly embarrassing. So, this book really is unsellable on the open market."

"I'm not kidding. Really," Jiang Songhua added, emphasizing the last word.