Chapter 34: The Class

Strictly speaking from the perspective of time, it had been less than half a month since Xia Nan met his end in a car accident in his past life and crossed over into this world.

The only adventurers he had truly interacted with deeply enough to share a proper conversation—aside from the individuals currently sitting before him—was Maggie, the hunter from the “Bottom-Feeder Squad.”

Consequently, prior to this evening, he had lacked a clear understanding of where his own strength ranked. He had only been able to vaguely deduce that the power of his combat technique was unusual from Maggie’s sudden shift in attitude after witnessing [Sweeping Slash], and from his own performance when battling various magical beasts along the way.

Thinking back on it now, perhaps he should have stayed in town for a few more days to see if he could find a channel to help him learn more about the world.

However…

The time limit for the Fire-Garlic Vine quest was ticking away, and he still clearly remembered their location. He couldn’t just walk away from a guaranteed income of over thirty gold coins, could he?

Fortunately, he had run into the half-elf’s group during the mission and had joined their squad as a temporary member. Xia Nan seized this opportunity to absorb as much information as possible regarding his future development.

“So, what exactly are the requirements to become a ‘Professional’?”

In response to Xia Nan’s question, the half-elf held up three fingers.

“Three combat techniques,” Haian replied.

For the vast majority of basic classes in this world, an individual only needed to master three combat techniques related to that class and train at least one of them to the “Expert” tier to complete their initiation and obtain a class level.

“Of course, there are a few class systems that require special supplementary conditions even when initiating into a basic class, but those are extremely rare. You’ll almost never encounter them.”

“Combat techniques related to the class?” Xia Nan muttered, committing the half-elf’s words to memory while analyzing the underlying information. “You mean…”

“Yes! The combat techniques themselves must correspond to the specific class.”

Haian nodded. Reaching behind him, he pulled out his wooden longbow, organized his thoughts, and slowly explained, “For example, if I want to become a ‘Ranger’ in the future, I must first learn three combat techniques that fall under the Ranger class classification, and I have to raise the proficiency of at least one of them to the Expert tier.”

“What if someone possesses three combat techniques, but they all come from different classes?” Xia Nan asked, knitting his brows slightly in confusion. “For instance, one combat technique comes from a Fighter, while the other two belong to a Cleric.”

“Then absolutely nothing happens,” the half-elf shrugged, spreading his hands. “Just like when you train a single combat technique to Expert, you will clearly feel the physical changes occurring in your body the exact moment you obtain a class level. If the combat techniques don’t match one another, you won’t fulfill the initiation requirements, even if you train all of them to the Expert tier. They will just remain three completely independent combat techniques.”

At this point, the half-elf paused. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly added, “Of course, if your luck is exceptionally good… you might still obtain a class level, but what kind of class it turns out to be is anyone’s guess.”

Xia Nan carefully digested the words, remaining silent to signal the half-elf to continue.

Sensing what Haian wanted to express, but seeing him hesitate as if struggling to articulate it clearly, Wood, the guard sitting beside the half-elf, smoothly took over the explanation.

🛡️ The Path of Basic Classes vs. Rare Combinations

On the continent of Aifala, the most common basic classes were limited to a select few:

• Fighter
• Rogue
• Barbarian

However, just because these basic classes appeared frequently did not mean they were weak. Quite the contrary.

The reason they were so widely distributed among adventurers across the continent was that these classes possessed the broadest versatility, the clearest advancement routes, and well-defined categories of combat techniques.

“As I mentioned before, the number of combat techniques in this world is as vast as the stars in the sky,” Wood said, gently spinning his dagger, which gleamed with a cold light. “Supported by such a massive foundation, countless combinations are formed. Though the vast majority won’t trigger any chemical reaction, there is a minuscule fraction of techniques that seem completely unrelated on the surface, yet mesh together in bizarre harmony.”

“If a person’s luck is good enough to stumble upon such a combination of combat techniques…” Wood’s gaze grew profound. “…then completing an initiation isn’t impossible. But exactly what class you obtain remains entirely uncertain.”

“Exactly, exactly!” Haian nodded repeatedly in agreement with Wood’s explanation. “But the number of combat techniques under these rare class classifications is usually quite small. Furthermore, the advanced classes available after stepping into the extraordinary realm are limited, and they often come with harsh conditions that require slow, painful experimentation.”

“Even if a complete class system has been constructed on the foundation of predecessors, the ‘recipes’ for these combat technique pairings are usually tightly controlled by major organizations or held as secret knowledge within ancient families.”

“For ordinary people like us, there’s no need to overthink it. It’s best to honestly follow the path of the common basic classes. After all, most of the ‘big shots’ featured in the newspapers started with these basic classes. There’s absolutely no drawback in terms of raw power.”

Xia Nan accepted the veteran’s advice wholeheartedly, without the slightest hint of resistance.

His predecessor came from an ordinary family and had absolutely no connections to professionals. He himself had just arrived in this foreign world, and the “golden finger” system panel he possessed only seemed to show the attributes of equipment and items—it didn’t offer a direct cheat code for class selection.

Choosing a common basic class with a well-defined set of combat techniques, like a Fighter or a Rogue, was undeniably his best option for now.

At the same time, a surge of excitement welled up in his chest.

Three combat techniques.

He only needed three combat techniques to obtain a class level!

And currently, with the help of his predecessor’s years of bitter practice, he had already completed the most difficult step: training a single combat technique to the Expert tier (LV5).

This meant he only needed to master two more combat techniques that belonged to the same class as [Sweeping Slash]—even if they were only at LV1—to become a true, literal—

Professional!

Instinctively, Xia Nan recalled Wood’s oppressive, specter-like dominance during the battle against the Rust Monsters earlier. The agility, precision, and sheer martial supremacy of a professional left him feeling dry-mouthed. It felt as though a glorious future was already waving at him from close at hand.

He couldn’t resist pushing further: “What about the combat techniques themselves? The [Adventurer’s Handbook] doesn’t mention where one is supposed to go to learn them.”

To this, Haian merely grinned, a peculiar expression surfacing on his face.

“Actually, there is one place that is the easiest and most convenient to learn all kinds of combat techniques. In fact, you’ve highly likely already been there.”

“Where?!”

“The Adventurer’s Association.”

(End of Chapter)