Reversal

A profession?

Su Chen froze as fragmented memories surged into his mind.

Professionals were undoubtedly the most esteemed class in Southwind City, wielding all manner of unimaginable powers.

It could be said that every refugee longed to become a professional, so they could settle down and no longer live in constant fear.

But becoming a professional was far from simple. Every profession required an exceedingly demanding ritual before one could take up the class.

Leaving aside the difficulty of those rituals, even their names were regarded as secrets, let alone the details involved.

And according to the scattered information the original owner had learned, even the slightest error in a ritual could lead to a failed class advancement and turn someone into a terrifying monster.

And his panel seemed capable of gathering information from the outside world before providing the requirements for taking up a profession?

Su Chen swallowed. He immediately understood what this meant. Information alone could make him a fortune.

"I... I am... an instructor at Southwind Academy, and a member of the Jiang Clan as well. If... if you dare..."

Jiang He's pain-suppressed voice reached his ears, cooling some of the heat in Su Chen's heart.

He steadied himself. Whatever came later, the immediate trouble had yet to be resolved.

"Ha ha..." The short man had already crouched in front of Jiang He, his gloomy voice following. "Madam, of course I know who you are. The Enchanting Violet... tsk tsk, truly worthy of the name..."

Though Su Chen could only see the man's back, he could imagine his gaze roaming wantonly over Jiang He's body.

Su Chen could not help growing anxious. His gaze settled on [Basic Combat], which seemed to be his only support.

But... the corner of his eye swept over the burly figure beside him. The man's pectorals were practically bigger than Su Chen's head.

Take up the Arcane Apprentice profession?

He had heard that low-level professions could be attempted without fulfilling every advancement condition.

There was some risk, but it was not impossible to gamble on it. But where was he supposed to find a dark environment right now...

[Detecting the host's current dangerous situation, Arcane Apprentice is thinking...]

Su Chen's eyes narrowed. The panel could change too?

[The wise Arcane Apprentice has decided to take a step back. Arcane Apprentice must now fulfill all advancement conditions before taking up the profession, and may therefore receive an additional reward.]

The words gradually faded away. What... what the hell was that?

This profession could think for itself?

He had to complete every class requirement?

It would not even give him a chance to gamble?

Who the hell knew what the second advancement condition was?

Countless questions flooded his mind, leaving Su Chen utterly dumbfounded.

Then a sharp gaze jolted him back to his senses. The hulking man beside him was staring fixedly at him, seemingly having noticed his earlier abnormality.

Su Chen's heart skipped a beat, but the other man did not make any further move.

He sighed in relief, yet his anxiety only intensified. If these two bastards were not professionals...

"What a pity. There isn't much time this round, so I can't properly have some fun with Madam..."

The short man spoke with regret, then rose and walked aside. He stretched out an arm, and a green hemp rope slid from his black sleeve.

Controlled by some invisible force, it moved like a nimble venomous snake, winding around Jiang He before slowly lifting her onto the sofa.

"Rope Master..." Jiang He forced out the words through clenched teeth. Her gaze shifted to the burly giant, and the despair in her eyes was unmistakable. "Strongman. Two professionals... who wants me dead?"

"Sorry, Madam. We're professionals." Rope Master shrugged.

"Professionals..." An ugly laugh squeezed from Jiang He's pale face. "A bitch who specializes in serving prostitutes is even worse than that Strongman over there. He went through the Body Tempering Trial, so at least he can still change professions. What about you? You'll have no future for the rest of your life, yet you dare talk about being professional?"

What a vicious tongue. Su Chen had experienced Jiang He's sharp mouth before.

He could clearly see the stiff expression on the short man's face. Insulting both of them together might not have bothered them much, but praising one while trampling the other was different.

At the very least, the big man beside him raised his head a little higher.

Wait... Su Chen's heart stirred, and he hurriedly opened the panel.

[Discovered first-tier intermediate profession—Strongman]

[Discovered Strongman advancement condition—Body Tempering Trial: Break through the body's limits ten times during arduous training.]

[Second advancement condition: ???]

Sure enough, a new profession had appeared. But there was only Strongman, not Rope Master. It seemed that knowing the name alone was not enough.

Su Chen grew even more anxious. This would not work either. The Body Tempering Trial also lacked any practical conditions; there was simply no way to complete it.

[Detecting the host's crisis, the Strongman profession has begun thinking...]

Su Chen's expression changed slightly. No way?

[The valiant Strongman profession has decided to press forward without hesitation, proactively revealing the other advancement conditions. Perfect class advancement can be achieved by completing any one of them, but the remaining advancement conditions must be completed within one month after taking up the profession. Otherwise, the profession will be erased.]

Huh? Huh!

Su Chen's heart jolted. Sure enough, the second advancement condition under Strongman was no longer a question mark.

[Strongman profession advancement condition two: Possess at least one body-type proficiency skill.]

Su Chen frowned instinctively. A body-type proficiency skill? Where would I...

No. His eyes suddenly lit up. He still had a gift from his previous life. [Basic Combat] should count as body-type, right?

"Your turn..."

Su Chen's expression abruptly changed. At some point, the short man had arrived beside him.

Su Chen's attention had been almost entirely focused on the mental panel. He had only vaguely heard the man saying things like, "Madam is still quite spirited," and, "I hope you can still say such things later..."

"Not a bad body..." Only now did the short man seem to have the time to examine him. His sinister eyes were filled with malice. "No wonder you could trade your body for a transfer admission letter..."

A transfer admission letter? Wasn't it an acceptance letter?

Su Chen could not help feeling puzzled, but then he saw the floating green hemp rope slip in through the man's sleeve, wrapping around his limbs. His body actually began moving beyond his control.

"...A lowly refugee was threatened by an academy instructor. While they were having sex in bed, he accidentally got killed by her, but before dying, he took her with him. Both perish. That should be plausible enough, right..."

The man rubbed his chin as he described it viciously. "When the guards arrive, the two of you will be lying naked on the sofa. Your clan and the academy probably won't publicize such a scandal. The case should be closed quickly..."

Rope Master looked at Su Chen again, an eerie smile spreading across his lips. "You're lucky, kid. You can enjoy this beautiful body before you die. But don't worry, I won't let you finish. Hold it in."

Jiang He's face was pale, and whether from fear or something else, she no longer spoke.

Meanwhile, bound by the rope, Su Chen walked uncontrollably toward the sofa and even began taking off his clothes.

Fuck. Su Chen's thoughts raced. He wanted to directly equip [Basic Combat] and then take up the profession, but it did not feel like the right time.

Both men were behind him. He had no idea what changes the class advancement process would bring. If they seized the initiative, he might gain no advantage even after advancing.

Whoosh—

Just as he finished removing his shirt and was about to take off his pants, Su Chen felt a chill run through his body. The room's lights dimmed.

The short man's expression changed drastically as he suddenly looked toward Jiang He, whose face was filled with malice. Her lips parted.

"Rong!"

She uttered an incomprehensible syllable. It was not loud, yet it seemed to come from an impossibly distant place—piercing and shrill as it slammed viciously into the minds of the three people present.

Su Chen felt his body loosen, while it seemed as though a steel spike had been driven into his brain. Two muffled impacts and cries of pain sounded behind him.

"Go, go, pinch her mouth shut!" Rope Master roared, clutching his head and hunching over in agony.

Strongman seemed to be somewhat different. Though he looked just as pained, he could still barely move, staggering toward Jiang He.

Su Chen had already collapsed to the floor, but for some reason, he was not suffering as badly. His thoughts were even clearer.

A massive shadow stepped over him. It was the big man.

Su Chen's mind raced. He knew this was the perfect opportunity and did not hesitate.

[Basic Combat] equipped!

A strange sensation instantly swept through his entire body, as though countless ants were crawling through the gaps in his bones. His muscle fibers silently grew thicker, and his frail body began changing without a sound.

But under the current circumstances, no one had the attention to spare for him.

Su Chen gritted his teeth, his pupils bloodshot as he stared fixedly at the panel no one else could see.

[Advancement conditions fulfilled]

After the Strongman profession, two clear words emerged—Take Up Profession!

As his gaze settled on those words, they seemed to sense his determination. The Strongman profession suddenly dissolved, and Su Chen felt his heart violently jolt as if struck by a drumbeat.

[Strongman profession acquired]

[Ability acquired—Strength]

Immediately afterward, changes even more intense than before surged through him. His muscle tissue seemed to tear apart before being forcibly stitched back together.

The strength his body possessed rapidly soared, but the transformation did not turn him into another hulking giant. Instead, it made his physique more balanced.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The pounding of his heart echoed in his ears. The changes brought by equipping [Basic Combat] and taking up [Strongman], combined with Jiang He's strange influence, nearly drowned his consciousness.

Fortunately, the transformation soon ended. The pain in his body quickly receded, and at the same time, the agony in his mind became almost negligible.

Without time to experience the changes in his body, he suddenly turned his head toward Rope Master, who was clutching his head and groaning.

At the same time, Strongman had just reached Jiang He. His palm moved toward her head, his eyes wide and blood seeping from his nose and mouth.

The strange syllable abruptly stopped, and Rope Master sighed in relief, as if a massive burden had been lifted.

"Dammit. Don't worry, I'll make sure the two of you die a—" Rope Master growled, but his expression suddenly froze as a shadow fell over him.

His throat bobbed. The fallen hemp rope beside him twitched, but before he could act, a hand from nowhere had already clamped onto his head like an iron hoop.

The intense pain told him that if the other person exerted any force, his skull would suffer irreversible damage.

"Don't move..." A cold voice sounded. Rope Master's body trembled, and disbelief appeared on his lowered face.

How... how was that possible...

"Hu..." Su Chen slowly exhaled. His hand twisted, and he was already positioned at Rope Master's side.

"Old Ghost..." At that moment, Strongman had turned around as well. Six eyes met, and shock filled the room.

That was right. Strongman was not stupid enough to kill Jiang He directly. He had merely sealed her mouth.

"You..." Strongman seemed unable to process what had happened, his brow tightly furrowed.

Jiang He was likewise staring at Su Chen in disbelief. Strongman's burly body had blocked her view just now, so she had not noticed the changes that had occurred to Su Chen.

She had never expected him to subdue Rope Master in the blink of an eye.

His once thin upper body had become lean and muscular, his muscles evenly distributed. The expression on his face felt even more unfamiliar to her.

Coldness, vigilance, and ferocity.

She had never seen any of that in Su Chen before.