Adventurer of Many Professions

"One!"

The sharp crack of Raymond's boots against the slick, muck-covered floor echoed through the dim, fetid sewer. The air was thick with the sour stench of decay, and the only light came from the pale glow of enchanted white stones embedded in the walls. He stared down at the twitching form of a mutant rat, its monstrous size and ugly, twisted features a far cry from the vermin he remembered. Without hesitation, Raymond plunged his dagger deep into its heart, feeling the creature's body go limp beneath him.

He pulled the blade free, wiping it off on the rat's fur. A brief, quiet murmur escaped his lips. "So, that's four types, right?"

This was Raymond, sweating, focused, and very much in the zone. The past five days had been a blur of training, hard work, and testing the limits of his newly awakened powers. Since his visit to the temple library, he had been relentlessly practicing, eager to master his warrior abilities. Now, standing in the heart of the sewers, covered in grime, he was finally beginning to understand the raw power he had gained.

After five days of non-stop training, Raymond had come to a realization: his warrior abilities were solid, but his magic power was severely lacking. The mana he could summon was just not enough to let him use the skills he wanted. His most potent move, the "Bone Crusher," consumed a hefty 120 points of mana, more than half of his current capacity. If he was going to grow stronger, faster, he would need more magic, more skill points, and perhaps a few more skills under his belt.

Raymond had also decided it was time to pursue something a little different, 'awakening the craftsman profession'. He needed more versatility, and that would mean learning to use a wider range of weapons. He wasn't sure exactly how it would help him, but he was certain it would open new possibilities. It could also increase his magic power, which was a major priority.

As for why Sylph wasn't with him, well, that was a little complicated. Two days ago, after delivering the gold coins to Bailanyun Street, Raymond had found Sylph acting... off. Her cheeks had been flushed, her eyes avoided his, and she'd seemed strangely embarrassed. He had tried to brush it off, but the memory lingered.

'No way,' Raymond thought, shaking his head to rid himself of the strange thought. 'I just told her she was being a tsundere. She'll get over it. I just need to give her space.'

He exhaled sharply and turned his thoughts back to the task at hand. His current magic power was a serious issue. 'Using Bone Crusher once takes 120 mana... with my current mana, I can only use it once.' He glanced at the small panel that hovered in his mind, taking in the details of his progress. He was so close to completing the "Craftsman" profession, he'd already used four types of weapons. The next step was clear: he needed to kill one more type of monster using a different weapon, and then he would have the awakening he desired.

Raymond ran his fingers over the handle of the short knife at his side. It was slightly longer than a dagger, bought specifically for this purpose. He wasn't sure if the panel would consider it the same as a dagger, but it was worth a try. With his dagger still slick with rat blood, he pulled up his status panel.

---

Name: Raymond Kelton

Age: 15

Magic Value: 217.2/217.2

Occupation: Fighter, Warrior

Skills: Bone Crushing

Skill Points: 0

Cumulative Value: 55%

Awakenable Professions:

[Craftsman] Awakening Requirements: Kill monsters using five different types of weapons, progress 4/5

Learnable Skills:

- Iron Elbow [Fighter] Learning Cost: 1 skill point

- Whirlwind Kick [Fighter] Learning Cost: 2 skill points

- Iron Bones [Fighter] Learning Cost: 2 skill points

- Taunt [Warrior] [Upgradable] Learning Cost: 3 skill points

- Wind Slash [Warrior] [Swordsman] Learning Cost: 1 skill point

- Charge Charge [Warrior] Learning Cost: 1 skill point

---

He took a deep breath, scanning the list. The "Craftsman" progress had finally reached 4/5. 'One more to go,' he thought with a sense of relief.

Raymond looked down at the skills he could learn next. 'So many choices...' he thought, feeling a twinge of frustration. He had enough skill points to start learning some of these, but he had to be careful. His magic power was still low, and without enough mana to cast more than one or two skills at a time, he needed to be strategic. Every move had to count.

The decision was weighing heavily on him. 'What to learn first?'

But before he could dwell on it for too long, something caught his eye: the panel was showing an unexpected drop in his skill accumulation and magic gain. After slaying the mutant rat, his skill progress had only increased by 5%, half of what it had been before. The same went for his magic value, it had only increased by 0.5 mana, far less than the usual 1 point he'd gained before.

Raymond frowned, confused. 'What's going on?'

"Is it because the mutant rat was too big?" he muttered to himself. "Or is there something special about this one? Maybe it's weaker than the others?"

His mind raced. 'Could there be a cap on how much skill or magic I can gain from certain enemies? Maybe... maybe the quantity of the monsters matters?' He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "No way... Does the panel limit how much I can gain from each kill? If that's the case, I've really messed up..." He shook his head. "Or maybe it's just the way the system works, more kills with the same weapon, less reward. I'll have to test it."

Raymond sighed, taking a step back and surveying the sewer around him. 'At least the "Craftsman" profession is close. One more kill, and I can complete it.' He gritted his teeth, determined. Whatever the panel was doing, he'd find a way around it. He had no choice.

Raymond had no way of knowing the exact cause behind the drop in skill accumulation, but the patterns were becoming clearer. The data was right in front of him; now he just needed to test it.

Before diving into another round of battles, he reminded himself of his progress. "Before this batch, I killed ten ordinary mutant rats and one giant mutant rat. That's a total of eleven," he muttered to himself. "Now, I'll kill another batch and see if the accumulated skill and magic values decrease as I go. If that's the case, I'll know something's up with the system."

With the plan set, Raymond's focus sharpened, and he immediately set off in search of more mutant rats.

It wasn't long before he reached a narrow sewer passage, the air heavy with the scent of damp decay. As he moved, the wooden stick strapped to his back clunked with each step. The stick was a bit out of place, sticking out from his frame, but it was no ordinary piece of wood. The stick was thick at the bottom and tapered toward the top, with a smooth, almost unnaturally hard texture. Raymond had bought it from a street vendor for five silver coins, and he was eager to see how well it worked as a weapon.

'"A stick is still a weapon,"' Raymond thought to himself, his fingers brushing the wood. '"It's not a sword or a spear, but it's sturdy. And I'm a warrior now. I can handle it."'

The stick, weighing in at nearly twenty pounds, would be difficult for most people to use as a weapon. But for Raymond, who had spent the last several days mastering his new warrior abilities, it felt light as a feather. Compared to some of the more extreme weapons, like Captain Andel's giant sword, which Raymond estimated weighed close to 100 kilograms, this sturdy wooden stick seemed downright practical.

For five silver coins, it was a steal. But only if you were strong enough to wield it properly.

'"A good warrior needs good tools,"' Raymond thought. '"And this is a good tool for a warrior."'

As he continued down the passage, suddenly, sharp squeals echoed through the tunnel. His head snapped around to see three pairs of glowing green eyes staring at him from the darkness. The rats had arrived.

"Squeak! Squeak!" The piercing shrieks grew louder as the mutant rats advanced, their eyes glowing like burning embers in the dim sewer light.

Raymond's eyes narrowed as he saw the three rats. His hand moved instinctively, reaching behind his back and pulling out the thick wooden stick. It felt solid in his grip. A weapon, yes; but more than that, it felt like an extension of his own will.

"Three," he muttered under his breath, focusing on the rats as they charged forward.

The two in front were in perfect sync, their sharp claws and bared teeth flashing as they raced towards him. Just before they reached striking distance, they leaped in unison, aiming for his chest with savage precision.

Raymond didn't flinch. He'd faced worse. His right arm swung out, muscles rippling with practiced power. The stick whooshed through the air, leaving a blur in its wake.

"Two," Raymond said in a calm, almost detached voice.

With a thunderous crack, the wooden stick collided with the first mutant rat. Flesh splattered, and the sharp sound of breaking bones echoed through the tunnel. The rat's body was twisted and deformed by the impact, its insides splattered across the floor. The force of the blow sent the second rat flying backward, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud. It wasn't dead, but it was stunned.

The first rat was already gone, its body mangled beyond recognition. But Raymond was quick, faster than the second rat could recover. He turned his attention to the third one.

The third mutant rat, less reckless than the first two, didn't leap at him with claws bared. Instead, it hunched low and made a beeline for his leg, snapping its teeth at his thigh.

Raymond didn't panic. Instead, he lifted his knee just in time, knocking the rat off course with a sharp thud. It flew through the air, tumbling end over end.

"Three," Raymond said, his voice steady. The third rat was already recovering, but he wasn't going to give it a second chance.

He swung the wooden stick again, aiming straight for the rat's skull. The rat didn't even have time to react before the stick came down with a satisfying 'whack'—the head of the mutant rat was crushed like a watermelon beneath a hammer.

"Done," Raymond muttered, watching as the rat's lifeless body crumpled to the ground. Blood and bone had splattered all over his hands, but he didn't even flinch. This was just part of the job.

He didn't stop there. The first mutant rat, which he had sent flying with his initial strike, had started to stir. It wasn't dead yet, and Raymond wasn't about to let it recover.

With a swift motion, he charged towards the rat and swung the wooden stick with deadly accuracy. The rat didn't even get the chance to squeak again. Another resounding 'thud', and its body went limp under the force of the blow.

"Four," Raymond said quietly, stepping back and wiping the blood from his hands. He was efficient, and more importantly, he was precise.

As he surveyed the four fallen mutant rats, the blue panel that he had been waiting for finally popped up in front of him. He could feel a slight buzz of energy as it materialized.

The message was brief, but Raymond focused on it intently, ignoring the grime on his face and the fatigue creeping into his limbs. He had just killed four mutant rats in quick succession, had the magic value and skill points dropped as he suspected? Was the system truly capping the rewards?

He couldn't know for sure just yet. But Raymond knew one thing for certain: he would keep testing it, keep fighting, until he had all the answers.