Professionals.
To the ordinary civilians who would never encounter supernatural powers in their entire lives, there seemed to be no obvious difference between them and ordinary adventurers.
They wore the same heavy and expensive armor, fought and slaughtered dangerous monsters, and earned lavish incomes that a commoner could not make in many years.
It was only when they occasionally saw those high-and-mighty adventurers—those who seemed to hold even the knight-lords within the castles in contempt—that they noticed the expressions of envy and awe on their faces whenever the term was mentioned.
Only then did they vaguely perceive the difference between the two.
And when one throws down their hoe, takes up a longsword, and faces the warm gust of air rushing toward them from a monster's roar at close range; when they feel the sticky sensation of blood trickling down their cheeks;
When they watch with their own eyes as teammates they spent every day with are torn to shreds by monsters, and exchange hard-won gold coins for expensive liquor to numb their nerves...
Only then can they truly understand what being a "Professional" actually means.
Compared to the uncertainty of low-level adventurers...
At least for the vast majority of organizations on the continent of Efara, if a person obtains a professional level, the increase in their strength is merely the most insignificant part of it.
More critical is the achievement of the breakthrough from "0" to "1" on the path of the supernatural.
To some extent, becoming a Professional—even if only at the most basic lv1—represents a relatively stable, reachable, and bright future.
It means they truly possess value for cultivation.
The Adventurers' Guild, as a "behemoth" spanning the entire continent with an exaggerated range of influence...
Its unique organizational nature naturally attracted a massive number of adventurers.
And for those individuals with outstanding aptitude, or simply good luck, who obtained a professional level, the Guild would provide a certain amount of encouragement and support.
"Effectively powerful high-level combat techniques, high-quality yet affordable alchemical potions, secret intelligence that is generally difficult to obtain, and even incredibly precious magical equipment..."
"Once you have obtained a professional level as a member of the Guild, corresponding exchange channels will be provided to you as benefits," said the receptionist, Molly, who had short blonde hair, with a serious expression.
At this moment, this girl—who was usually listless and seemed utterly exhausted every second she was on the clock—had straightened her back and was full of spirit, without a trace of drowsiness.
As if she were a different person, she introduced the generous treatment provided by the Adventurers' Guild to Xia Nan after becoming a Professional.
The location where the two were currently situated was no longer the crowded Guild hall.
Instead, they had moved to a quiet room inside the building that resembled a small meeting room.
As for her original shift duties, they had already been taken over by another staff member who had been called in temporarily.
Xia Nan sat across the table, his thoughts swirling.
It was pretty much as he had guessed.
For an adventurer who had just obtained a professional level like himself, the Guild would not directly provide a massive amount of resources.
Instead, they provided a clear path for ascent.
This was normal.
After all, given the scale of the Adventurers' Guild and the influence of its own faction and operational methods, it was not like those other small-to-medium organizations that were in desperate need of combat power supplements.
Naturally, there was no need to increase its appeal through benefits.
The words "Adventurers' Guild" and the meaning they represented were enough.
Of course, similarly, while the Guild would not provide many direct rewards to Professionals, it also didn't have that many restrictions.
It would not dictate who you must be enemies with, what you cannot do, or that you must kneel and bow upon meeting certain people.
To some extent, it was more like a "platform."
Adventurers obtained gold, combat techniques, and paths to professional advancement through missions posted by the Guild;
The Guild, in turn, expanded and increased its influence through the countless adventurers under its banner.
"Please rest assured, it is not the kind of deep binding that requires you to sign a contract or swear an oath," Molly hurriedly added, seeing Xia Nan sitting in silence and worrying that she hadn't explained clearly, leading to a misunderstanding.
"The benefits I mentioned earlier are provided free of charge to the Professionals in the Guild, as long as you can meet the conditions required by the exchange center."
After all, in the vast majority of cases, it was perfectly normal for a high-level Professional to hold many identities across different levels simultaneously.
A legendary adventurer renowned across the continent might also be a fanatical believer in a certain deity, holding a key position in the church while simultaneously being a member of some angling hobbyist club.
As the most famous neutral organization on the continent, the Adventurers' Guild would not place any shackles on the Professionals within it; often, it was merely the most inconspicuous item in their background introduction.
The Guild itself even maintained cooperative relationships with many organizations of different factions.
To give a simple example, during the "Hunting Day" that had just ended a few days ago, the bounty for Goblins was raised to 5 silver coins each, which was funded by the Kingdom of Servia.
Many high-ranking officials within the kingdom were actually from the Guild.
In their youth, they too had hacked at Goblins in the Mist Forest, earned a few gold coins, and bragged in the taverns of Rivervalley Town.
And even so, it did not prevent them from joining the Kingdom's faction as they grew through the Guild's resources and their strength increased and their mindsets shifted—even to the point of arguing incessantly with the high-level officials of the Guild branches over cooperation terms.
The more one wanted, the more restrictions there were, and the harsher the conditions became.
Naturally, the Adventurers' Guild did not only consist of free members from various other powers.
There was a considerable number of internal core members; otherwise, it would be impossible to support such a massive organizational structure.
However, those were still very far removed from the current Xia Nan.
"Regarding detailed information on this aspect... although I know some, I truly cannot reveal too much due to regulatory restrictions. You will need to go upstairs to inquire with the corresponding staff. My sincerest apologies," Molly explained cautiously, weighing her words.
At the same time, she stared at Xia Nan without blinking, seemingly observing his expression for fear that he might get angry.
Regarding this, Xia Nan didn't feel offended.
What he was thinking at the moment was
According to what she had said, if he wanted more resource allocation in the future, or even to be absorbed into the organization's core, he would have to demonstrate his potential and value and sign a relevant contract to prove his loyalty.
But on one hand, he had been in this world for less than two hundred days in total; he had encountered too few people and factions and did not want to bind himself to a specific camp too early.
On the other hand, he had only just obtained a professional level and had no special contributions; he was likely still far from being actively recruited by the Guild, so there was no rush.
He simply nodded, indicating that he understood her meaning, and got straight to the point
"So, to go up to the second floor of the Guild, I don't need to sign any contracts or anything like that with you, right?"
"That is correct, Mr. Xia Nan!"
"Then..." His eyes shifted with a hint of confusion as Xia Nan's gaze swept across the meeting room they were in.
Seeing this, Molly's expression suddenly became somewhat awkward. She coughed twice, and as her lips moved, she recited the script she had long since memorized
"Uh, respected Pro... Sir Xia Nan, the Adventurers' Guild has always adhered to the collaborative principle of 'Equal Rights and Responsibilities.' Just as a blade must be carefully measured to fit perfectly with its scabbard, a single practical test is a necessary procedure to ensure you understand the reciprocity of a Professional's rights and responsibilities. This is not a simple authority assessment, nor is it a questioning of your aptitude; rather, it is..."
The official jargon, which felt like a strong case of déjà vu, made Xia Nan's expression suddenly turn subtle.
On the outside, he remained very polite, listening carefully to the script that the other party had clearly struggled to memorize, but internally, he had already omitted the useless embellishments and quickly extracted the key information.
Only after Molly finished her recitation did he speak again
"To summarize, you mean that before I can officially go to the second floor as a Professional, I need to complete a mission, is that correct?"
"Yes, yes!"
She had been wondering whether she should explain it again in a simplified manner, but seeing that Xia Nan understood her meaning immediately, Molly looked surprised and nodded repeatedly.
"The difficulty is generally not too high; even Professionals whose initial abilities are slightly lacking can complete it easily."
"However, because a small problem occurred during the recent Hunting Day, the staff member responsible for issuing the relevant missions is not in Rivervalley Town, so you will probably need to wait for about three or four days."
Seeing Molly's apologetic look, Xia Nan waved his hand, indicating that she didn't need to worry about it.
Having just promoted to a Professional, he had intended to rest for a while anyway to familiarize himself with the new combat techniques he had mastered.
Three or four days were actually a bit too short for him.
But since she said it was a mission that even the most ordinary Professional could complete, with his currently "over-spec" attributes, there shouldn't be any major problems.
"Then I'll come back in five days."
Xia Nan stood up, intending to leave.
Seeing that he was so easy-going, Molly's previously tense heart relaxed.
As if remembering something, despite there being no one else in the room, she still looked left and right guiltily, leaned in, and whispered a reminder
"Mr. Xia Nan, although the specific content of the mission is not yet clear, according to the news I've heard over the last few days, the mission location can roughly be confirmed."
"Oh? Tell me."
"It should be... Neum."
...
...
Outside the Adventurers' Guild, on the bustling street.
The time was approaching evening.
Xia Nan walked on the road toward the White Tit Tavern, recalling the conversation he just had with the Guild receptionist, Molly.
"Five days... Neum..."
Speaking of which, he had long heard of the largest city near Rivervalley Town.
He had been thinking about when to go there to see the world, but because of a continuous stream of various missions, he had never had the opportunity.
Now, taking advantage of this "business trip," it could be considered a fulfillment of his small wish.
As he pondered, a sudden commotion broke out by the roadside.
His gaze instinctively shifted.
He saw a slightly plump woman with curly hair and rimless glasses perched on her nose, standing by the street with a face full of rage.
In her hand, she held a long soup ladle dripping with a thick liquid.
"Ms. Edwina?"
Xia Nan recognized the owner of the "Green Grass Crucible" at a glance.
He found it strange.
In his impression, although Ms. Edwina loved strong liquor, her personality was famously gentle, and the various ointments and patches sold in her shop were much cheaper than those in the Guild's alchemist shops.
Her reputation among adventurers was quite good.
To be this angry now...
Following the direction of her glare, he understood immediately.
The middle-aged man who had been kicked out of the blacksmith shop by "Rockhammer" Barn was now standing before the lady in a wretched and embarrassed state, carrying a small bundle and constantly retreating.
Without a doubt, another failed attempt at a scam.
Having worked among adventurers for nearly half a year, he knew that the low-level ranks were a mixed bag and contained all sorts of people.
But this was the first time he had seen someone as fearless of death as the man before him.
From "Rockhammer" to "Green Grass Crucible," he might have even gone to cause a scene at "Fairy Wind."
Given the speed of information spread in Rivervalley Town, the man's identifying characteristics would likely spread to every shop, large and small, in town by tomorrow evening, landing him on every blacklist.
And without the supply of provisions, for an adventurer struggling in a place where dangerous monsters gathered, only a dead end remained.
He shook his head slightly, not intending to pay further attention.
Suddenly, a young, square-faced adventurer stepped out from the crowd.
As the owner of a famous herb shop in town, there were no few people who wanted to get on good terms with Ms. Edwina.
Setting aside discounts on future purchases, a simple personal favor was enough to make many adventurers act "righteously."
In fact, when this clever square-faced adventurer stepped out with his sword, many onlookers in the crowd showed expressions of annoyance, regretting that they hadn't thought of it.
Naturally, it was impossible to kill someone in the street; the square-faced adventurer only intended to show off while there were many witnesses, earn a favor, and threaten the man with a few words.
Before him, the middle-aged man standing on the street seemed to have been triggered by something; his face was pale, he looked devastated, and even his gaze seemed vacant and unstable.
Facing the square-faced man holding a weapon, his thin body swayed as he actively stepped forward to meet him.
"You dare!?"
Seeing such a move, and thinking the man was simply enraged after his scam failed, the square-faced adventurer immediately tilted the single-handed sword—which had been pointing down—upward, assuming an attacking posture, intending to give the man a lesson.
*Squelch... Splash!*
Then came the dull sound of a blade piercing flesh, followed by a momentary silence from the surrounding crowd, then an uproar.
From Xia Nan's perspective, it was very clear.
Facing the square-faced adventurer who was poised for battle with his sword raised, the middle-aged man did not dodge or evade; he stepped forward as if to embrace him.
And for some reason, the square-faced man seemed to lose his ability to react for a short time, freezing in place.
He allowed the middle-aged man to walk in and hug him tight.
Allowing the blade to pierce through his chest and abdomen.
*Buzz—*
The adventurers who had gathered around suddenly fell into chaos.
Some screamed, some ran, and there were even those who took the opportunity to steal and loot.
In just a few seconds, the dozens of onlookers, including the square-faced adventurer, had scattered.
Only Ms. Edwina remained, standing by the street in a daze due to the sudden turn of events.
And the middle-aged man, motionless on the cold ground, with a strangely peaceful expression of death.
Not wanting to get involved, Xia Nan accelerated his pace to leave.
However, he noticed something strange.
After the commotion, the bundle the middle-aged man had been carrying had disappeared from his person.
"Quite bold. I wonder who swiped it."
(End of Chapter)