Employment successful. Current profession: Hunter Attribute bonus obtained: Strength +0.5, Agility +1
Compared with the attribute increase he had received upon transferring to Blacksmith, the attribute bonus granted by the basic profession Hunter did not bring Roland any obvious sensation.
Thus, he merely nodded slightly before moving his gaze downward.
Trait obtained: Animal Companion Animal Companion: After being activated, allows communication with non-human creatures possessing a certain degree of intelligence. Duration depends on the Spirit attribute.
"Animal Companion? Another trait that can be activated manually!"
After reading the description behind Animal Companion, Roland excitedly licked his lips.
Having the precedent of the [Focus] trait, he felt that traits that could be activated manually were often more flexible than passive traits and could produce unexpected effects at critical moments.
With that thought, he silently activated it in his mind.
The instant this thought flashed through his mind, Roland suddenly felt a strange buzzing in his eardrums.
It was as if someone had gently tapped a silver coin beside his ear, the lingering resonance echoing within his skull for a long time.
He instinctively covered his ears, only to discover that the sound was not coming from outside.
Light filtered through layer upon layer of leaves in the dense forest, casting dappled shadows along the edge of the cave.
A Red Squirrel was hugging an acorn and watching him warily, its little nose twitching incessantly.
Yet at that moment, in Roland's ears, the faint sound of its breathing turned into broken whispers.
"...Dangerous two-legger. Hide."
Roland's eyes widened in shock.
Only then did he notice that the entire forest was awakening beside his ears.
He walked out of the cave unconsciously, and the sounds around him grew increasingly chaotic.
The sparrows' chirping in the treetops was no longer meaningless birdsong. Instead, it had turned into the petty chatter of gossipy women.
"Insects! There are fat insects over there!"
The rustling of the bushes in the distance was mixed with the panicked muttering of a hare.
"The footsteps are too loud, too loud."
Most terrifying of all, when he accidentally stepped on and snapped a dead branch, the sounds of the entire forest suddenly fell silent for a brief moment.
Countless invisible gazes turned toward him from every direction, and those scattered whispers instantly became a unified warning.
"Danger!"
"Run!"
"It's the scent of a hunter!"
Roland's temples began throbbing, and a cold prickling sensation crawled up his spine.
At that moment, his mind was like having dozens of noisy radio stations forcibly crammed into it, with all kinds of fragments of thought pouring in wildly.
The hoarse laughter of a crow came from the canopy.
"Going crazy, going crazy!"
Meanwhile, beneath the soil, a mole was issuing a muffled complaint.
"Was that another earthquake?"
Just as his consciousness was about to be drowned by the voices, Roland abruptly deactivated the [Animal Companion] trait.
The world suddenly fell silent, leaving only his own heavy breathing echoing through the forest.
The Red Squirrel had long since vanished without a trace, leaving only half a gnawed acorn rolling onto the moss.
"Looks like..."
Roland wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and gently shook his head.
"Making friends with animals isn't that simple either."
After letting out a soft sigh, he slowly returned to the cave and shifted his gaze farther downward.
When a series of golden subtitles flashed before his eyes, the corners of Roland's mouth lifted slightly in a knowing smile.
"Just as I expected. Class Resonance can only occur between professions of the same tier."
"Basic professions with basic professions, Upper-Tier Professions with Upper-Tier Professions. That's the rule for triggering resonance."
Thinking of this, he couldn't help looking forward to the additional benefits triggered by resonance between Upper-Tier Professions.
"It's just a shame that, apart from Blacksmith, I haven't triggered a transfer to any other Upper-Tier Profession yet."
He gently shook his head before directing his gaze back to the Profession Panel.
Scholar profession detected. Class Resonance can be triggered. Class Resonance activated. Hunter + Scholar Additional benefit obtained: Ecological Scholar Ecological Scholar: When engaging an enemy, there is a chance of obtaining Ecological Notes.
"Ecological Notes?"
Roland furrowed his brows slightly and fell into brief thought.
A moment later, he gently shook his head.
"Guessing blindly now won't help. I'll naturally find out what these Ecological Notes are during actual combat."
Setting the question aside for the moment, his gaze continued sweeping over the information on the Profession Panel.
Hunter + Recruit Additional benefit obtained: Adaptive Training Adaptive Training: When fighting or exploring in outdoor environments such as forests and snowfields, gain an Agility attribute bonus over time. The bonus depends on your base Agility value.
"Whoa! This one's pretty good!"
Roland unconsciously stroked his smooth chin, excitement flashing in his eyes.
"According to this description, if I fight in an outdoor environment, I'll become faster and faster? This practically turns forests and snowfields into my home ground!"
The image of himself moving through the jungle like the wind surfaced in his mind, and Roland couldn't help yearning for it.
But soon, rational thought brought him back to his senses.
"However, what exactly counts as an outdoor environment? What are the value and frequency of the Agility bonus? Is there a stacking limit? All of that needs further verification."
As he pondered, another line of golden text leaped into view.
Hunter + Blacksmith Apprentice Additional benefit obtained: Battlefield Maintenance Battlefield Maintenance: Increases the durability of the weapon being held during combat.
"This benefit is practical too."
Thinking of the [Standardized Production] he had obtained earlier, Roland's eyes suddenly lit up.
"[Standardized Production] can improve weapon quality through repeated forging, while Battlefield Maintenance can extend weapon durability. With the two combined, wouldn't the weapons I use..."
As he was thinking, a faint cough suddenly came from beside him.
"Ahem, ahem, ahem."
Roland looked toward the sound and saw Darko slowly open his eyes.
The young nobleman first looked around blankly, his gaze ultimately settling on Roland.
"Roland? Oh... right."
Darko shook his groggy head. His voice was weak, and even his originally striking blond hair seemed somewhat dimmer.
"How long was I asleep?"
"Not long."
Roland checked the wounds on his body again. After confirming that there was no serious bleeding, he lightly patted Darko's shoulder.
"You can rest a while longer. Don't worry, I'll keep watch. I'll wake you immediately if there's any danger."
"Honestly... thank you, Roland."
Darko looked at Roland's somewhat weary face, a hint of guilt flashing through his eyes.
After a brief silence, he suddenly spoke.
"Roland, is there anything you want? Coins, beautiful women... Anything I have, I can give you."
As if afraid of being misunderstood, he hurriedly added, "I'm not saying this because I'm afraid you'll abandon me. I just want to repay you for what you've done."
"Heh."
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Roland chuckled softly.
He did not doubt Darko's sincerity.
From the memories of the Original Body, although this nobleman possessed the distinctive haughtiness of an upper-class noble, he had always been generous and kept his word.
But beautiful women...
He had no need for them.
As for money, although he was not exactly well-off, he was not yet at the point of utter destitution.
Besides, given the life-and-death bond between him and Darko, if he ever needed money in the future, as long as the amount was not too large, would Darko really refuse him?
With that thought, Roland half-jokingly tested him.
"Then I want the Knight Breathing Technique. Do you have it?"
"Uh, this..."
Darko was instantly rendered speechless.
Remembering the boast he had just made, he wrinkled his nose and said awkwardly, "Sorry, Roland. A minor nobleman like me doesn't have an inheritance of the Breathing Technique..."
"Is that so?"
Roland raised his brows slightly.
"But I remember you always saying that you wanted to become a knight. Did I remember wrong?"
"I did say that."
Darko laboriously adjusted his sitting position, the movement making him suck in a breath from the pain.
"But the way I can obtain the Breathing Technique is somewhat special."
"It's through noble privilege. I can enter the Knight Academy without taking the entrance examination and study there. Only after graduating successfully can I obtain the Knight Breathing Technique. It's just..."
He added with a bitter smile, "According to the Noble Treaty, I can't teach it to anyone privately. I'm truly sorry."
Knight Academy?
Noble Treaty?
Those were two more unfamiliar terms.
Seeing Roland remain silent, Darko nervously pursed his lips.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Wait! My family does have an inherited battle technique!"
"Battle technique?"
Roland's attention was drawn back.
"That's right!" Darko said excitedly.
"Teaching a battle technique isn't restricted by the Noble Treaty. I can have my father hand that secret manual over to you for study. It's just..."
At this point, his voice unconsciously lowered as he recalled how he had practiced painstakingly for years without ever grasping it.
"That battle technique is extremely difficult to learn. Very few people can truly master it."
Seemingly realizing that his promise sounded somewhat frivolous, Darko hurriedly added, "But including that battle technique, if there's anything else you want, just say the word..."
"All right, all right, Darko."
Looking at the agitated nobleman, Roland gently pressed down on his shoulder.
"The most important thing for you right now is to recover from your injuries. As for the reward, we'll discuss it after we return safely to the estate, all right?"
"Ah, this..."
Thinking of their current situation, Darko wilted like an eggplant struck by frost.
"You're right, Roland."
Noticing the young nobleman's dejected appearance, Roland raised his brows.
"However... I really do have something I need your help with right now."
"Help?"
Darko's eyes lit up. If he had not been injured, he would have been eager to thump his chest and make a guarantee.
"Just tell me what you need!"
"Do you have any food on you?"
"Of course. Are you hungry?"
Darko turned his head and indicated with his eyes.
"There's some emergency food in the pouch at my waist. Take it and eat. As for me..."
He licked his cracked lips.
"I-I'm not hungry yet..."
"Ha."
Looking at Darko's forced composure, Roland helplessly shook his head.
He took off the pouch and untied the cord.
Inside were bread, smoked meat, and a large chunk of butter.
"This guy's emergency food is better than what I usually eat."
Roland grumbled inwardly as he divided the food into two portions. Ignoring Darko's protests, he forcibly stuffed one portion into the nobleman's mouth.
Then, his gaze turned toward the cave entrance.
Not far away, a tiny squirrel was hugging a pinecone and gnawing on it with relish, looking exceptionally adorable.
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