Chapter 34: Profession

It had been less than half a month since Xia Nan had transmigrated to this world following the car accident in his previous life. Aside from the few people currently sitting before him, the only adventurer he had interacted with in any meaningful depth was Magi, the hunter from the "Smelly Fish and Rotten Shrimp" squad.

Consequently, until this very evening, Xia Nan had lacked a clear understanding of his own strength. Although he had vaguely sensed the extraordinary power of his "Spinning Slash"—prompted by Magi’s sudden shift in attitude after witnessing it and by his own performance against various monsters along the way—he had no real gauge for where he stood among the ranks of others.

Looking back, he realized he perhaps should have stayed in town a few days longer to see if he could find a way to learn more about the world. But then again, the deadline for the Glow-Garlic Vine quest was looming, and he still remembered exactly where to find them. The thirty-plus gold coins were a steady payday he couldn't afford to pass up. Fortunately, encountering the half-elf and her companions during the mission—and joining them as a temporary member—provided him with the perfect opportunity to soak up as much information as he could about his future development.

"So, what exactly are the requirements to become a 'Professional'?"

In response, the half-elf held up three fingers. "Three combat techniques," Haian replied.

For the vast majority of basic professions in this world, mastering three relevant combat techniques and honing at least one to the level of "proficiency" was enough to complete the certification and gain a professional rank.

"Of course," she added, "there are some professional systems that require special conditions to unlock, but those are rare and you'll likely never encounter them."

"Combat techniques related to the profession?" Xia Nan committed her words to memory, pondering the implications. "Do you mean..."

"Exactly! The techniques themselves must correspond to the profession." Haian nodded and took her wooden longbow from behind her. Organizing her thoughts, she continued, "For example, if I want to become a 'Ranger' in the future, I must first learn three combat techniques that fall under the 'Ranger' classification and bring one of them to the level of 'proficiency'."

"Then what happens if someone possesses three combat techniques from different professions?" Xia Nan asked with a slight frown. "Like one from a Warrior and two from a Priest?"

"Nothing happens," the half-elf said with a shrug. "Just as you can clearly feel the changes in your body when you bring a technique to 'proficiency,' you would also sense it when you attain a professional rank. If the techniques don't match, even if you master all three, you won't meet the requirements for certification. They would just be three independent techniques."

She paused for a moment, hesitating before continuing. "Of course, if you are lucky enough... you might still achieve a professional rank, but which specific profession you end up with is unpredictable."

Xia Nan absorbed this silently, gesturing for her to continue. Seeing her struggle to articulate the finer points, Wood, the guard sitting beside the half-elf, stepped in.

On the continent of Aifala, the most common professions were the ones everyone knew: Warrior, Rogue, Barbarian... Their ubiquity didn't mean they were weak; on the contrary, they were widespread because they offered the broadest applicability, the clearest promotion paths, and well-defined combat technique categories.

"As we said, the number of combat techniques in this world is like the stars in the sky," Wood said, spinning a cold-glinting dagger in his hand. "Among the countless combinations formed by such a vast base, even if most don't produce any chemical reaction, there is a tiny fraction that, while seemingly unrelated, fit together in bizarre ways. If you're lucky enough to stumble upon such a combination, gaining a professional rank isn't impossible—but the resulting profession is entirely uncertain."

"Exactly!" Haian chimed in. "But techniques for those rare professions are usually scarce, and there aren't many advanced options for when you reach the transcendent level. They often come with harsh requirements you have to figure out on your own. Even if you manage to reconstruct a complete system based on the work of predecessors, the 'secret recipes' for those combinations are usually held by major organizations or kept as hidden knowledge by powerful families."

"For ordinary people like us, don't overthink it. Just stick to the common, basic professions," Wood advised. "After all, most of the 'big shots' you see in the newspapers started with these same basic paths. It doesn't affect your potential strength."

Xia Nan accepted this advice without hesitation. His predecessor came from an ordinary family with no ties to professionals, and his own "cheat" seemed unable to help with career choices, only with identifying item attributes. Choosing a standard path like a Warrior or Rogue, with their clear, well-defined skill sets, was objectively his best option.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. Three combat techniques. That was all it took! And with his predecessor's help, he had already completed the hardest part: bringing one technique to "proficiency." This meant he only needed to master two more techniques that belonged to the same category as his "Spinning Slash"—even if they were only Level 1—to become a true professional.

Subconsciously, he recalled how Wood, a professional, had crushed the Rust-Monster with such ghostly ease. Xia Nan’s throat felt dry; a bright future seemed to be beckoning to him.

"What about the techniques themselves?" he asked. "The 'Adventurer's Handbook' didn't mention where to learn them."

Haian gave him a strange, lopsided grin. "Actually, there is one place that is the easiest and most convenient for learning all kinds of techniques, and you've likely already been there."

"Where?"

"The Adventurer's Guild."