Profession

From a time perspective alone, it had been less than half a month since Xia Nan had been in a car accident in his previous life and crossed over into this world.

The only adventurers Xia Nan had truly gotten to know well enough to have a serious conversation with, aside from the people before him, were Maji the Hunter from the Stinky Fish Rotten Shrimp party.

Therefore, before tonight, although he had vaguely sensed the unusual power of that Combat Skill from Maji's sudden change in attitude after he used [Whirlwind Slash], as well as from its performance in battles against various Monsters along the way—

Xia Nan had never had a clear understanding of exactly what level his own strength stood at.

Thinking back on it now, perhaps he should have stayed in town a few more days and looked for some way to learn more about this kind of knowledge.

But...

The deadline for the Firefly Garlic Vine quest was right there, and he still clearly remembered where they were.

More than thirty Gold Coins, practically guaranteed—he had to get them, right?

Fortunately, he had encountered the Half-Elf and the others during the quest and even joined their party as a temporary member.

Xia Nan seized the opportunity to absorb as much information as he could regarding his future development.

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

In response, the Half-Elf held up three fingers.

"Three Combat Skills."

That was Hai An's answer.

For the vast majority of Basic Classes in this world, as long as one mastered three Combat Skills related to that class and trained one of them to "Mastery," they could complete their class advancement and gain a Profession Level.

"Of course, some class systems require special conditions even when advancing into a Basic Class, but those are a rare minority and are generally hard to come across."

"Combat Skills related to a profession?" Xia Nan committed the Half-Elf's words firmly to memory while considering the information hidden between the lines. "You mean..."

"That's right! The Combat Skills themselves must correspond to the profession."

Hai An nodded, then took the wooden Longbow from his back. After arranging his thoughts, he slowly said, "For example, if I want to become a Ranger in the future, then I first need to learn three Combat Skills belonging to the Ranger class category and train one of them to the Mastery level."

"What if a person's three Combat Skills all come from different professions?" Xia Nan frowned slightly. "Say, one Combat Skill comes from a Warrior, while the other two belong to a Priest."

"Then nothing happens." The Half-Elf spread his hands. "Just like when you train a Combat Skill to Mastery, when you gain a Profession Level, you can clearly feel the changes in your body."

"If the Combat Skills don't match each other, then even if you train all of them to Mastery, you still won't meet the requirements for class advancement."

"They'll just be three separate Combat Skills."

At that, the Half-Elf suddenly paused. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly continued, "Of course, if you're lucky enough... you might still gain a Profession Level. But what profession you end up with is another matter."

Xia Nan carefully processed his words without speaking, signaling for the Half-Elf to continue.

Knowing what Hai An wanted to say but seeing him speak in fits and starts, seemingly unsure how to explain it clearly—

Wood, the Guard seated beside the Half-Elf, smoothly took over.

On the Aifala Continent, there were only a few common professions, such as Warrior, Wanderer, and Barbarian...

Yet the prevalence of these Basic Classes did not mean they were relatively weak.

Quite the opposite.

They were so widespread among adventurers across the continent because they had the broadest applications, the clearest advancement paths, and well-defined Combat Skill categories.

"As I mentioned before, there are as many Combat Skills in this world as stars in the sky."

"Among the countless combinations formed from such a massive pool, while the vast majority won't produce any kind of reaction, there is still a tiny fraction that seem to have nothing to do with each other yet fit together in a bizarrely perfect way."

"If someone is lucky enough to come across such a combination of Combat Skills..." Wood lightly spun the coldly gleaming dagger in his hand. "Then completing class advancement isn't impossible."

"But what profession they gain is uncertain."

"Exactly, exactly!" Hai An could not help nodding as Wood explained.

"However, rare profession categories tend to have fewer Combat Skills, and there are not many Advanced Classes to choose from after reaching the Transcendent stage. Some even come with harsh conditions that need to be explored slowly."

"Even if someone builds an entire profession system based on the work of their predecessors, the 'secret formulas' for those Combat Skill combinations are usually held by major organizations or kept as secret knowledge by some great family."

"For ordinary people like us, there's no need to overthink it. We should just honestly follow the common Basic Classes."

"After all, most of the Big Shots appearing in newspapers these days also started with these few Basic Classes. It doesn't affect their strength."

Xia Nan readily accepted the advice of those with experience without any resistance.

The original owner had come from an ordinary family and had nothing to do with Professionals. Xia Nan himself had only just arrived in this other world, and his Golden Finger seemingly could not help him with choosing a profession. It could only show him the attributes of equipment and items.

Choosing a common Basic Class like Warrior or Wanderer, one with clearly defined Combat Skill categories, was at least his best option for now.

At the same time, he could not help feeling excited.

Three Combat Skills.

He only needed three Combat Skills to gain a Profession Level!

And with the original owner's help, he had already completed the hardest step: "train one Combat Skill to Mastery."

That meant he only needed to master two more Combat Skills belonging to the same profession as [Whirlwind Slash]. Even if they were only lv1, he could become a true—

Professional!

He unconsciously recalled Wood's ghostlike, light, and nimble dominance over the Rust Monster during the battle earlier, as a Professional.

Xia Nan's mouth went dry. It felt as though a wonderful future was already beckoning to him.

He could not help asking further, "What about Combat Skills? The [Adventurer's Manual] doesn't mention where we're supposed to learn them."

Hai An merely grinned, his expression strange. "Actually, there's one place where it's easiest and most convenient to learn all kinds of Combat Skills. You've probably even been there."

"Where!?"

"The Adventurers Association."