The path to advancement

The points shop had several basic class qualification packages for sale:

[Qi Refiner] 3,800 points, including one cultivation manual, "Qi Refining Technique," one Barrier-Breaking Pill, 5 gerkka of true qi/demonic qi, and "Introduction to Pill Refining" and "Introduction to Artifact Refining."

[Dao Seed] 2,000 points, "Cantong Qi: Nourishing Method," "Tao Te Ching," 20,000 crystal coins.

[Constable] 3,300 points, "Starfolk Code," a written-exam exemption certificate for a town-level constable position in your star sector, and one rare-grade piece of riot-control equipment.

[Twisted One] 2,800 points, one authentic statue of the Supreme Heaven, a green card for a corrupted star sector + passage ticket.

[Body Cultivator] 2,500 points, "Blood Refining Method," a qi sensing level life essence extractor, 5 units of blood qi.

[Demon Seed] 2,000 points, "Desecration Curse," 26 weeks of Cliff's online/offline demonology courses, and an admission notice from the Derry Institute of Mental Research.

A jumble of cultivation methods, pills, equipment, qualifications...

They even sold courses.

The prices were outrageously steep, too. Right now, even buying the cheapest one would require Chen Xu to sell off a lot of the materials he had on hand.

Most of the value of these qualification packages was probably concentrated in those Dark Energy cultivation methods.

At this point, Chen Xu had already comprehended one himself: [Basic Source Power Refining Method].

He had also discovered that [Advancement Cards] worked on cultivation methods, too.

Besides, the wisdom contained within the [Heart of Nature] itself directly provided a class qualification package:

[Druid] Communication with natural elements, "Basic Meditation Method," alchemy, prophecy, communication with neutral natural creatures.

With his skill points and Advancement Cards, cultivation methods and skill knowledge had actually become the least valuable things.

Class qualification packages merely provided some key conditions that helped with class advancement. He did not really want to spend points on them.

Glancing at the panel, Chen Xu clicked into class recommendations:

You have reached mortal tier peak. Based on your career and experiences, the following career paths are recommended for you:

[Constable] Primary: willpower, reaction bonus, secondary constitution bonus

Résumé requirements:

1. Constitution/soul quality 10, Dark Energy 20 gerkka; ×

2. Town-level constable written-exam pass certificate/exemption certificate; ×

3. Beginner-level expertise + Tracking Technique; √

4. Thorough knowledge of at least one regional legal code; √

5. No record of illegal activity within the past year; √

6. Resolve two malicious incidents of qi sense tier or above, alone or with a contribution exceeding 50% (1/2); ×

7. Fully comprehend "Starfolk Code"; ×

[Witcher] (Rare) Primary: constitution, reaction bonus, secondary willpower bonus

Résumé requirements:

1. Constitution/soul quality 15, reaction 15, Dark Energy 20 gerkka; ×

2. Regional monster-hunting qualification certificate/witch's bedmate; ×

3. Alchemy Lv.2, Tracking Lv.2; √

4. Mastery-level weapon expertise/Dodge expertise; √

5. Knowledge of the fatal weaknesses of 300 mortal tier monsters and the vital points of 50 qi sense tier monsters; √

6. Dispose of six qi sense tier monsters, alone or with a contribution exceeding 50% (4/6); ×

7. Lift three qi sensing level curses, alone or with a contribution exceeding 50% (2/3); ×

8. Basic Dark Energy cultivation method; √

[Cleaner] (Rare) Primary: constitution, reaction bonus, secondary spirit bonus

Résumé requirements:

1. Constitution/soul quality 10, reaction 15, Dark Energy 20 gerkka; ×

2. Regional dark web/association certification; ×

3. Stealth/Disguise Lv.2; √

4. Assassination; √

5. Beginner-level movement techniques/Dodge mastery; √

6. Assassinate three qi sense tier beings, alone or with a contribution exceeding 80% (1/3); ×

7. Basic Dark Energy cultivation method; √

...

The pile of unmet résumé requirements made Chen Xu relive the feeling of being ruled by the business of "job hunting."

According to the class descriptions, rare classes were not necessarily stronger than ordinary ones; they simply had distinctive features.

For instance, the rare class [Cleaner] had a total level cap of Lv.15. Although it lacked an exclusive cultivation method, this meant that [Cleaner] offered a smooth path straight to the next major tier, without any bottlenecks.

How many people in this world could attempt [Mortal Transcendence]? And of those, who knew how many would be stopped by a bottleneck?

[Constable] had a total level cap of Lv.10, and "Starfolk Code" was its corresponding method for condensing the relevant Dark Energy.

It all depended on whether it suited one's own path.

But most importantly, rare classes were narrow trails with no clear road ahead.

Ordinary yet niche classes such as [Constable], [Twisted One], and even [Demon Seed], on the other hand, all had information available for several subsequent realms.

This left Chen Xu struggling to choose:

Choosing an ordinary class such as [Constable] would clearly mean abandoning his existing Source Power system.

Some of the knowledge he had learned and the wisdom he had gained in this world would definitely go to waste.

Choosing a rare class left the road ahead unclear; perhaps it would only let him throw his weight around for a while.

He did consider himself something of a walking cheat, but he was not so arrogant that he could head down a path without worrying whether anyone else traveled it.

Mortal tier peak, also known as half-step qi sensing, was the battlefield's unique way of cultivating Chosen who had hit a bottleneck.

A glance at the mortal tier level rankings showed that he had already soared to 93rd place. Clearly, another 92 fellows ahead of him were stuck at bottlenecks!

Sethis, the unlucky fellow formerly ranked 98th, was nowhere to be found. Most likely, the new wave had already slapped him dead onto the beach.

Replacing him was a Chosen called "Guan Chuan," the swordsman Chen Xu had forced to pay for his life.

His progress was fierce.

He had been nowhere to be seen on tonight's battlefield. Had he gone off to do quests in the dark?

The trace of sleepiness in Chen Xu's mind was instantly driven out by a sense of crisis.

Sleep, my ass.

If I hadn't lucked into killing the tree's heart, then lucked into assassinating Weavess, then lucked into completing the baron's quest to find his wife...

I'd probably have been left behind by this Guan Chuan guy. If I failed to raise a dog and got... that... instead, it'd be downright humiliating.

Besides, a whole pile of potion ingredients and equipment materials still lay in his storage space. How was he supposed to sleep?

It was late and quiet, and hammering metal might disturb the neighbors. Chen Xu planned to ride Lizi to the nearest alchemist.

But the horse chose this moment to throw a tantrum:

I've been running around with you all day, and you son of a bitch still want to work me at night!

He shook the reins twice. Seeing that Lizi refused to budge, Chen Xu curled his ring finger and tried channeling Source Power to cast the Axii Sign:

Behave... be good...

Back in White Orchard, Vesemir had explained the principles of [Signs] to him, but the matter had been dropped because he had no Dark Energy to cast them with.

A wisp of white light swiftly slipped into the horse's eye, but had no effect whatsoever. Lizi even yawned.

[You have comprehended the skill [Sign]!]

Cast! Cast! Cast!

I can't even subdue a horse. I'd better rule out [Constable], with its primary willpower bonus;

Otherwise, the bonus won't even make up for the reduction.

"Stubborn bastard. Just you wait."

Feeling insulted, he ran out of Crow's Perch and made a circuit of the moat; then he fetched a carrot from the baron's kitchen, took out his little medicine pot, and brewed a secret concoction like an evil witch:

He boiled buckthorn, cattails, verbena, and the carrot into a paste, pried the horse's mouth open, and poured it in!

[Horse Stimulant]

Lizi immediately gave a forceful snort, his hooves constantly stamping the ground and his muscles taut.

His brown eyes bulged as though he were in heat.

"Hah, now you feel like moving?" Chen Xu gave a wicked chuckle, swung onto his back, and smacked Lizi hard on the rump:

"Giddyup! You little bitch!"

The nearest alchemist at present was a pellar who lived near the neighboring village directly west of Crow's Perch: "Blackbough."

Most herbalists and alchemists were unwilling to live directly inside villages.

That was because superstitious village men and ignorant women often felt disgusted by those unfamiliar smells.

Or they made malicious guesses based on the supernatural effects of those potions and treatments:

"Is it really that miraculous?"

"They must have gotten it by dealing with devils and witches!"

"Maybe these strange fellows are the ones making the livestock sick so they can make money off it! How despicable!"

Consequently, many herbalists and alchemists suffered during the Cult of the Eternal Fire's witch hunts.

Yet when people or livestock fell ill, those fools shamelessly came knocking to beg for help.

Chen Xu asked Blackbough's night watchman and confirmed that the boxing tournament here had already crowned a new champion during the day.

The swordsman really was diligently completing quests.

He also asked for the pellar's exact address. It was on the hill behind the village.

There was a livestock enclosure in the front yard and a small herb plot to the left of the wooden house. He pushed the door open and went inside, only to see a sheep's head lying on a pillow!