The Gardener's Path

Sylutia and Talia did not crowd under the notice board packed with people, but watched from afar, listening to the discussions of those present. During this time, the young girl also took a general look at the personnel in the guild.

There were six adventurers who had reached the first Aspect Power, and most of the others also possessed Breathing Techniques or other abilities, meaning they were not entirely ordinary people. It seemed that knowing a Breathing Technique was the most basic requirement to become an adventurer.

Currently, Sylutia's Breathing Technique had advanced, reaching the second stage.

[Breathing Technique Lv.2](Blood Law): Relies on breathing to regulate the flow rate of blood, driving and enhancing the strength and reaction speed of the entire body. This ability places load requirements on the heart and body; it must not be used for long periods (recommended not to exceed 3 minutes/day); (Completion 21/600)

She had yet to encounter the bottleneck Frien mentioned. Each time she finished practicing the "Breathing Technique," she gained +5 completion, and thanks to the training, her physical fitness had improved significantly over the past half-month. She could now practice four times a day, meaning +20 points of progress daily. At this rate, she would be able to enter the third stage of the Breathing Technique in about a month.

She would have to stop once she reached the third stage. If she continued to cultivate it, her life-pattern Aspect Power would likely transition directly into (First-Order - Blood Law), which was not the result she wanted.

As for swordsmanship and marksmanship, they were currently "Basic Swordsmanship Lv.4" and "Basic Marksmanship Lv.4" respectively. The proficiency gained from practice was slow, and Sylutia guessed that if she wanted to further improve these two skills, she would need real combat to increase her experience.

By noon, many people had gone to eat, and the adventurer hall became somewhat idle and quiet.

Sylutia walked to the front desk and asked, "Excuse me, is there a girl named Mailin here?"

Hearing the young girl ask this, the chestnut-haired receptionist behind the counter looked strange. She scrutinized the hooded girl for a long while before answering.

"I am Mailin. Who are you?" She was certain she did not know this person.

"I came from Linden Village. I had an accident and got lost in the forest, losing some of my memories. I've arrived in Scorched Stone City and would like to seek some help. This is a letter of introduction given to me by Mr. Frien." She handed over the letter she had prepared in her bosom.

Opening the envelope and seeing the familiar handwriting, Mailin's expression softened, and the suspicion she had just felt vanished.

"Ah, so you're an acquaintance of Uncle Frien. Hmm, he praises Miss Sylutia quite a lot in the letter and even asked me to take good care of you." Mailin read out the gist of it.

"It's not convenient to talk here, come this way. By the way, this is Talia, right?" She actually recognized this wild girl.

"You actually know me?" Talia's eyes were full of disbelief.

"Giggle, of course. As a receptionist at the Adventurer Guild, the first thing is to have a good memory." Mailin blinked and led the two to a small room on the side of the hall to sit for a while.

"When Uncle Frien mentioned Linden Village, I thought of Old Man Ponder, and since you are his granddaughter, I guessed it immediately," Mailin explained.

"Is Grandpa that famous?" Sitting by the small round table, Talia propped up her head, feeling a bit happy and proud.

"Old Man Ponder is a famous figure recorded in the Scorched Stone City Adventurer Guild, and he is the only legend still alive today," Mailin shook her head slightly to explain, indicating that he was no ordinary person.

"Many adventurers come to the guild, but those who can stay in this line of work for more than ten years can be counted on one's fingers."

"Adventurers do make a lot of money, but there are many dangers and accidents. Many people either die on missions or are forced to quit the profession after suffering serious injuries," Mailin sighed.

"Then if an adventurer is very strong, they should be able to overcome various dangers and be safe and sound, right?" Talia fantasized about her future.

"Very rarely. If an adventurer's strength reaches the third stage or above, they basically won't do this anymore," Mailin served the two simple tea.

"A third-stage transcendent is enough to become a powerful knight, swear allegiance to some noble, and obtain a small fief."

"If they are of other professions, they can also join some large organizations to obtain high status, without having to run around every day like adventurers, living without a fixed home." She sat down in front of the two at this moment.

"Are you two interested in being adventurers today?"

"Yes." Sylutia thought for a moment and gave a rough account of her situation.

"I see. If Miss Sylutia doesn't want to rely solely on her appearance to enjoy life, then you need to find a profession to make a living. It just so happens that I have the most abundant information here," Mailin blinked cleverly.

"Since it was recommended by Uncle Frien, I assume Miss Sylutia must be recognized and praised by him in certain aspects. I know his personality quite well."

"The Alchemist Guild you mentioned earlier is indeed a very good choice, but wanting to become an alchemist is not simple." She shook her head slightly.

"First," she held up a finger.

"You have to learn how to identify, sort, and process various herbs. These things are very trivial, and the records in books are often incomplete."

"Secondly, if you don't know the 'Scent-Smelling Technique,' it is difficult to go far in the alchemist profession."

"As the name suggests, the 'Scent-Smelling Technique' uses the sense of smell to distinguish the medicinal properties of herbs, the degree of decoction, the effects after reaction, and so on."

"Just as not everyone knows the 'Breathing Technique,' learning the 'Scent-Smelling Technique' also depends on talent."

"If you can do the first two things, you should be able to become an ordinary alchemist apprentice, enter the Alchemist Guild, and then make some common potions to make a living."

"But to truly become an alchemist, you must also learn the 'Harmonization Technique.' This is a more complex ability than the 'Scent-Smelling Technique,' capable of harmonizing the 'Aspect Power' within materials, which is the only way to produce special potions above the 'first order'."

"Currently in Scorched Stone City, there are only four alchemists who know the 'Harmonization Technique.' They are the elite of the Alchemist Guild, and most of the potions they make are not circulated on the market; only a small portion of potions related to healing and detoxification are sold to adventurers."

"So, I suggest Miss Sylutia postpone becoming an alchemist and instead aim to be a gardener."

"Ordinary gardeners only need to learn how to care for and prune flowers and plants. If you are a professional gardener, you must learn the cultivation ability of the 'Emerald Nectar' Aspect Power. They can cultivate high-quality flowers, plants, vegetables, and fruits, and even rare flowers and trees that contain the power of the 'Aspect Power'."

"There is no obvious difference in status between the two, but a gardener's work is relatively relaxed, giving Miss Sylutia more time to do other things."

"For you, the current job is just a transition, right?" As a receptionist at the Adventurer Guild, Mailin was well-informed and knew that this young girl would not be limited to this place forever.

Sylutia did not pay much attention to the difficulties of becoming an alchemist that Mailin mentioned earlier, but she took Mailin's point about time to heart.

It was true; if she were to study under Scholar Heide, she would likely spend most of her time learning knowledge. Moreover, an alchemist requires two ability card slots, and if both were used up, there would be no room left to learn other abilities.

Whether in terms of time, energy, or the rational planning of ability cards, "gardener" was the better choice.

"It seems I have a need to be a florist for a while." The young girl combed her hair in front of her with her fingers and looked up.

"I wonder if Sister Mailin can guide me on how to get started?" Her soft and pleasant voice made Mailin daze for a few minutes.

"It is truly a pity that you aren't a songstress," she shook her head.

"As for how to get started, that's a small matter. I'll help you find a well-known gardener in the city to get a classic text. I am quite familiar with Lady Falan, it's just that ordinary people don't know of her existence."

"If you want to thank me, then give me the beautiful flowers you cultivate. I would be very happy to receive them."