Adventurer of Many Professions

Raymond sighed as he stared at the Explosive Fireball skill. The temptation was there, especially since it had such a high potential. But the cost, ten skill points, was too much to justify, especially when he had so many other important skills to improve. The decision to give it up wasn't easy, but it was clear that he needed to prioritize more immediately useful abilities for himself and his team.

His eyes then shifted to the Blood Rage skill, and a slight frown crossed his face. To learn it, he'd have to meet the specific requirements: kill a monster that has comprehended 'Blood Rage', master the skill 'Rage', and kill more than 100 monsters. That was a tough set of conditions, but it was also extremely powerful, awakening the Berserker profession was no small feat.

Raymond's fingers hovered over the panel for a moment. Berserker sounded like an exciting class to unlock, but he knew that wasn't something he could do right away. The thought of spending countless hours hunting down specific monsters and achieving such a feat made his head spin. Still, it lingered in the back of his mind as something to keep in mind for the future.

He then turned his attention to the more immediately useful skills. Iron Elbow, Cross Slash, and Flame Strike were all tempting, especially since they would strengthen his combat abilities in different ways. Cross Slash would pair nicely with his existing Wind Slash, giving him more versatility in melee combat, while Flame Strike would add a ranged elemental attack to his arsenal.

But there were still upgradable skills that he could consider. Wind Blade and Ice Field were both potentially very useful, and if he was serious about diversifying his abilities, upgrading his magic was a smart move. But he needed to think carefully. Every skill point counted.

After considering the options, Raymond made a decision. He still had a lot of time ahead of him to improve. The immediate goal was not just to learn as many skills as possible, but to focus on those that would make the team stronger, not just him.

With a deep breath, he tapped the screen and selected the Iron Elbow and Cross Slash skills. Both were reasonably priced and would increase his overall combat prowess. As for the Berserker path, Raymond knew it was something to work toward gradually, when the right opportunity presented itself. For now, staying focused on the basics would be the best approach.

As he confirmed the selection and watched the skill points adjust, Raymond felt a sense of relief. There was a lot of growth to be done, and every decision he made would have a ripple effect on his journey.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the glowing panel, and then his thoughts drifted back to Arya. She was still so new to all of this, her journey had just begun, but she was already showing incredible promise. He had to make sure she knew she was never a burden, and that he was there to help her grow.

Tomorrow would be a new day, filled with challenges and opportunities. Training would be difficult for both of them, but it was the only way forward.

As the night stretched on, Raymond put the panel away and allowed himself a moment to rest, knowing that the coming days would shape them all into stronger adventurers. He didn't know what awaited them, but one thing was certain: together, they'd face it head-on.

The morning would come too soon, but for now, it was time to sleep.

Next Day - Early Morning

Raymond woke early, as always, feeling the familiar surge of energy that came with a new day of training. He could already hear Arya grumbling in the room next door as she prepared for their first session. With a small smile, he rolled out of bed and stretched.

Today was the beginning of a new chapter in their adventure. He could only hope that the effort they put into training would pay off. The next challenge awaited, and he was ready to face it, together with his team.

As he finished getting dressed and headed out, he took a moment to glance at the window, where the sun was just beginning to rise. It was a peaceful moment before the storm of their next adventure.

After lunch, the two of them got ready to head out to the suburbs for Arya's archery lesson. Arya grabbed her bow and arrows, donning her leather armor, while Raymond took his sword, the "Dark Moon," but chose not to wear his light armor or arm shield.

"Let's go!" Raymond said, carrying the Dark Moon and leading Arya out of the townhouse at 26 Red Rose Street. As soon as they stepped onto the street, they immediately noticed that the town of Wittes was busier than usual.

Raymond quickly realized it must be the result of the "recruitment letter" he had posted earlier. Though the number of people meeting the criteria might be small, there were certainly plenty of adventurers drawn to see the spectacle. After all, who wouldn't want to catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of Atlantis' most talented individual and wonder about the kind of teammates he was recruiting?

As they walked, the adventurers in town soon recognized Raymond and Arya.

"It's 'Dual-Professional Raymond' and his teammate Arya!" someone shouted.

The name instantly grabbed the attention of many, particularly travelers who had come from distant places. They stared at Raymond and Arya, their curiosity piqued.

"He's 'Dual-Professional Raymond'?" one person asked in disbelief.

"It's really him!" another confirmed.

"I can't believe I'm actually seeing him in person. I thought meeting him would be nearly impossible!"

"Why would it be difficult? Sure, Raymond is the most talented person in the Kingdom of Atlantis right now, but his current strength isn't quite on par with his talent. It's not too hard to cross paths with him."

"Exactly! Besides, he's an adventurer, so he has to take on missions, right? He can't just hide away forever."

Before the chatter could continue, an adventurer interrupted, noticing Raymond and Arya's unusual attire. "Where are they going? They don't look like they're heading to the Adventurer's Guild to take on a mission."

Even though Raymond held his sword, he wasn't wearing any protective gear, nor was he carrying anything else that would suggest he was preparing for a mission. It was clear to the onlookers that they weren't headed to the guild. After all, even platinum-level adventurers wouldn't dare take a low-level mission without their armor or gear, as one could never be sure what might happen.

Curiosity spread through the crowd.

"I'm not sure, but I heard Raymond and Arya went to the suburbs yesterday and didn't return until evening. No one knows what they were doing out there."

"Should we go see what they're up to?"

"Are you looking to get killed? You want to pry into other people's business? You really think death won't come quickly enough?"

"Hey, I was just asking. I'm not actually going to follow them!"

Raymond overheard the conversations and couldn't help but shake his head. Fame certainly had its drawbacks. No matter where he went, people would talk and watch. It was annoying, but he couldn't do anything about it.

He also took note of the adventurer who had made the suggestion. That one seemed to have a habit of prying into other people's secrets. If Raymond ever felt like he was being followed, he knew where to look.

His glance didn't go unnoticed, and the man and his companions realized that Raymond had clearly seen him. Raymond wasn't one to hide his thoughts, and his stare served as a silent warning: I'll remember you. If something goes wrong in the future, I'll come for you first.

"Great. Now look what you've done!" one of the adventurer's companions scolded him. "Raymond saw you! You'd better hope he's not a petty person, or you'll regret it!"

"I—I was just joking!" the adventurer stammered, now feeling nervous. He hadn't expected Raymond to overhear him, let alone take it seriously.

Although the adventurer was at the "Black Iron Level," he knew he was no match for Raymond and his team, especially considering their potential. Raymond's strength would only grow, while his own progress had plateaued.

"You want to get us killed?" a teammate snapped.

"Shut up! We ignored your bragging in the tavern, but you had to go and offend someone like Raymond today!"

"Clearly, we've been too lenient with you. You actually dared to speak disrespectfully to Raymond? Do you want to revisit his 'recruitment letter'? Wake up!"

They angrily shoved the "recruitment letter" in his face.

At that moment, the team leader spoke up sternly: "Delmani, you're expelled from the team."

With that, the captain turned and led the rest of the group away, leaving Delmani frozen in place, shocked and unable to comprehend what had just happened. He never imagined that a single careless remark would lead to his expulsion from the team.

He picked up the "recruitment letter" that had fallen to the ground, scanning the contents. As he read, a bitter smile crept onto his face.

"Recruiting profession: Warrior."

"The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!"

"Recruitment requirements: Magic Affinity must be at least 2, at least one skill must be mastered, under 15 years old, adventurer level Black Iron or Bronze."

"The current team members are: Captain Raymond Kelton, team member Arya Moore, team member Salife Vargas, team member Lorene Welty."

"Captain Raymond: Age: 15; Occupation: Warrior, Fighter, dual profession, has learned three skills, Adventurer level: Black Iron."

"Team member Arya Moore: Age: 15; Occupation: Archer, Magic Affinity: 4.2; Adventurer Level: White Porcelain."

"Team member Salife Vargas: Age: 15; Occupation: Explosion Mage, Magic Affinity: 2.6; Adventurer Level: Black Iron."

"Team member Lorene Welty: Age: 15; Occupation: Priest, Magic Affinity: 2.4; Adventurer Level: Black Iron."

"If you are interested, please come for an interview at Interview Room 4 on the third floor of the Adventurer's Guild in Wittes Town at 9 a.m. on September 24th."

…

Meanwhile, Raymond had no idea that his mere glance had led to the expulsion of an adventurer from the team.

At that moment, Raymond and Arya were in the suburbs, where Arya continued practicing with her bow and arrow, focusing on controlling the power of each shot.

Raymond checked his personal status on his panel:

"Age: 15."

"Magic value: 1152.4/1152."

"Professions: Fighter, Warrior, Magician, Swordsman, Hunter, Craftsman, Pharmacist, Archer, Thief, Assassin."

"Skills: Bone Crushing, Taunting, Wind Slash, Disguise, Forging, Primary Mana Recovery Potion."

"Skill points: 2. Cumulative value: 55%."

"Awakenable professions:"

[Priest] Awakening requirements: At least two hundred people must be grateful to you, progress: 16/200.

"Learnable skills:"

"Ice Field [Magician] [Upgradable], learning cost: 3 skill points."

"Shield Strike [Warrior], learning cost: 1 skill point."

"Flame Strike [Magician], learning cost: 3 skill points."

"Eagle Eye [Archer] [Hunter], learning cost: 1 skill point."

"Guardian Shield [Warrior], learning cost: 5 skill points."

"Spider Jump [Assassin] [Archer], learning cost: 1 skill point."

"Wind Blade [Magician] [Upgradable], learning cost: 1 skill point."

"Sprint [Thief], learning cost: 1 skill point."

"Dodge [Swordsman] [Assassin], learning cost: 2 skill points."

"Instant Strike [Assassin] [Thief], learning cost: 2 skill points."

"Burning Fire [Magician], learning cost: 2 skill points."

"Fireball [Magician], learning cost: 1 skill point."

"Po Jun Assault [Warrior], learning cost: 2 skill points."

"Biological Perception [Hunter] [Thief] [Upgradable], learning cost: 1 skill point."

"Fatal Strike [Assassin] [Rogue] [Hunter], learning cost: 1 skill point."

"Magic Cyclone [Magician], learning cost: 2 skill points."

"Ice Crystal Wall [Magician], learning cost: 3 skill points."

"Iron Elbow [Fighter], learning cost: 1 skill point."

"Earth Tremor [Warrior] [Upgradable], learning cost: 3 skill points."

"Hunting the Heart-piercing [Warrior], learning cost: 1 skill point."

"Wind-breaking Arrow [Archer] [Hunter], learning cost: 3 skill points."

"Randomly Steal [Thief], learning cost: 3 skill points."

"Thunderstorm Spear [Warrior], learning cost: 5 skill points."

"Charge Charge [Warrior], learning cost: 1 skill point."

"Flowing Like Clouds and Water [Warrior] [Swordsman] [Upgradable], learning cost: 3 skill points."

"Indestructible [Warrior], learning cost: 3 skill points."

"Explosive Fireball [Magician] [Upgradable], learning cost: 10 skill points."

"Blood Rage [Warrior], learning requirements: Kill a monster that has mastered 'Blood Rage,' master the skill 'Rage,' and kill more than 100 monsters; learning cost: 8 skill points; learning will automatically awaken the profession: Berserker."

…

Raymond let out a deep breath and looked up at the sky, murmuring to himself, "It seems that everything is coming to an end."