Adventurer of Many Professions

Raymond let out a quiet breath as he watched the numbers on the skill panel shift before his eyes. A small but reassuring confirmation flickered across the interface, one skill point gained.

His earlier worries about the strength of the 'Red-Eyed Crow' leader melted away. He had feared the leader might be too weak to grant a skill point upon defeat, but clearly, he had been overthinking. The panel followed its own rules, indifferent to his assumptions.

On reflection, he realized why he had doubted the crow's strength in the first place. The battle had been deceptive, he had struck the leader with a well-timed sneak attack while it was grounded. But if the creature had taken to the skies and attacked from above, the fight might have played out very differently. The thought sent a shiver of unease through him.

Shaking it off, Raymond shifted his gaze to the 'Awakenable Professions' section of the panel. His eyes immediately locked onto a change in the 'Priest' awakening progress. The number had climbed from 1/200 to 16/200. A dull ache settled in his temples.

No doubt, this increase was due to the gratitude of Budak Village's residents. By eliminating the 'Red-Eyed Crows,' he and his team had earned the villagers' appreciation. But only fifteen more people had acknowledged their help from the bottom of their hearts? Out of nearly two hundred villagers, that number felt... painfully low.

Then again, it made sense. The two families who had been driven from their homes were undoubtedly the most grateful. The rest, while relieved, hadn't suffered as much. Their gratitude, though real, likely wasn't strong enough to meet the system's conditions for awakening the 'Priest' profession.

A mixed sense of relief and anxiety filled Raymond. On one hand, the profession's awakening requirements were stringent, thankfully so. On the other, if this gratitude continued accumulating, he would eventually reach the dreaded 200 mark. And that was something he desperately wanted to avoid.

The Priest profession wasn't for him.

His gut told him something about it was off, something he didn't want to experience firsthand. There was a nagging suspicion in the back of his mind, an unsettling theory he couldn't shake: what if awakening as a Priest changed him in ways he didn't anticipate? The worst-case scenario? The profession might literally alter his body. He had heard bizarre rumors, after all.

No. That couldn't happen... right?

Just in case, Raymond made a mental note: "I need to visit the Temple Library and dig up more information on this. If I keep accepting monster-extermination requests, I'll inevitably hit the limit. Even if I avoid direct interactions, gratitude will accumulate over time."

For the first time, he considered an extreme solution, turning down quests that would make people thankful toward him.

That idea unsettled him. He didn't want to abandon those in need, but the risk was too great. If he woke up one day and found himself; changed, he would never forgive himself.

Before he could dwell on it further, the sound of footsteps approached. The village chief, an older man with a weathered face, stepped forward, carrying a burlap sack.

"Raymond," the chief said, shaking the sack slightly. "These are the claws and beaks of the 'Red-Eyed Crows' we managed to collect. You mentioned five of them were killed in the explosion, but we couldn't find them all. We're missing one beak and one claw."

Raymond nodded, taking the sack from him. "That's understandable. Thanks for the effort, Chief."

Opening the bag, he peered inside. Four sharp, curved beaks. Nine jagged claws. Each one battered, broken, and ugly. Not that it mattered, these materials were meant for forging weapons. Once melted down, appearance was irrelevant.

With these, plus the seven beaks and claws he had already gathered, the total now exceeded ten, the minimum requirement for the second commission.

With that, two commissions were now complete:

Commission 1:

• Location: Budak Village, five miles south of Wittes Town.

• Details: A flock of 'Red-Eyed Crows' invaded two days ago, occupying homes and injuring villagers. Two seriously wounded, three with minor injuries. Two families displaced.

• Objective: Eliminate the 'Red-Eyed Crows' and restore safety to the village.

• Reward: 10 silver coins per crow killed.

• Time Limit: Two days.

• Client: Gamens, Village Chief of Budak.

• Difficulty Level: Black Iron.

Another job successfully completed. But as Raymond tied the sack shut, his thoughts lingered on the Priest issue.

He had survived today's battle, but the real fight; the one against the looming awakening, was just beginning.

Commission: Gathering the Remains of the 'Red-Eyed Crows'

• Objective: Collect at least ten sharp beaks and an equal number of claws from 'Red-Eyed Crows.'

• Information: These predatory creatures prefer dark caves, making their homes deep within the Sagla Forest, where the dense canopy blocks out most light.

• Reward: 5 silver coins per sharp beak, 6 silver coins per pair of claws.

• Time Limit: Three days.

• Client: Mr. Greytor, owner of Greytor's Weapon Shop.

• Difficulty Level: Black Iron.

With their mission complete, Raymond exhaled, rolling his shoulders to shake off the last traces of tension. The village chief, Gamens, stood beside him, a mixture of relief and admiration in his eyes.

Raymond offered a slight smile. "That should do it. Thanks for your help, Chief Gamens."

The old man shook his head fervently. "Oh, no, lad, it's us who should be thanking you! You've done more for Budak Village than we could have hoped for. Those damn Red-Eyed Crows had us terrified, not just because they stole our homes, but because we feared what would happen after you left. If even one of those creatures had escaped, it could've come back for revenge. But now? Now we can finally rest easy."

Sylph smirked, folding her arms proudly. "Of course! We're not just any random group of adventurers!" She flipped her hair back dramatically. "If it weren't for my Explosion Magic wiping out five of those crows in an instant, we might've had a few runners!"

Village Chief Gamens turned to her with newfound admiration. "That was your doing?" His eyes widened. "By the gods, an Explosion Magician... no wonder those creatures didn't stand a chance! Thank you, truly!"

Sylph grinned, clearly enjoying the praise.

Raymond, however, brought them back to business. "Now that the mission's complete, Chief, could you sign off on the commission?"

To officially confirm their success, the village chief needed to sign the Letter of Authorization, verifying both the completion of the mission and the exact number of 'Red-Eyed Crows' slain. Since the bounty payout was based on the body count, this step was crucial.

"Of course, of course!" Gamens quickly took the offered parchment and quill. With careful strokes, he penned his name at the bottom and wrote down the final number: Twelve.

With that, the commission was officially done. Their reward, however, wouldn't be received immediately. Since the payment had already been deposited with the Adventurer's Guild, they would need to return to the guild hall and submit their report before collecting their earnings.

Raymond tucked the signed document safely into his bag. "Then we won't trouble you any further, Chief. We'll be heading back to the Adventurer's Guild soon. But before we go..." He turned his gaze toward the large crater nearby, a result of Sylph's devastating spell. "Would you mind organizing the villagers to fill that up?"

The chief chuckled. "Aye, don't worry about it! It's just a hole, nothing we can't handle. With everyone working together, we'll have it filled by sundown!"

With no further reason to linger, Raymond and his team bid farewell to Budak Village. They made their way toward the village's entrance, found a shaded spot, and settled down to wait for their carriage.

Sylph stretched her arms behind her head. "Man, that was fast!" She glanced up at the sun, which was still high in the sky. "Usually, when we do missions like this, we don't get back until after dark. Last time, I didn't even make it back to the guild until the next morning! But today, it's barely past noon!"

It was true. Most of their previous commissions, whether it was exterminating Mutant Sewer Rats in Wittes Town, eliminating Poisonous Wasps, or harvesting Bloodvine Grass, had taken much longer.

Raymond nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "That's because we've all gotten stronger." He turned to Sylph. "Your Explosion Magic is reaching its full potential now that your mana reserves have expanded. Lorene has unlocked a second skill. And, most importantly, Arya has joined our team, balancing out our lack of ranged combat."

Sylph and Lorene exchanged looks before nodding in agreement.

But then, Raymond turned to Lorene with a serious expression. "Speaking of new skills... Since you've learned Blessing of Courage, have you considered picking up close-combat training?"

Lorene blinked in surprise. "Wait, what? Close combat?"

Arya and Sylph also looked at him, equally stunned.

Raymond nodded. "Yeah. This morning, Tresed pointed out that our team lacks a warrior. And honestly? He's not wrong. A melee fighter could be a real asset."

Silence settled over them as they considered his words.

Lorene hesitated. "I've never really thought about it... but you do have a point."

Sylph smirked, nudging her with her elbow. "Hey, don't look so worried! Maybe you'll find you're a natural with a sword!"

Arya, thoughtful as ever, finally spoke up. "If you're serious about it, we can look into some basic training once we get back to town. No harm in learning a few self-defense techniques."

Raymond folded his arms. "It's just something to consider. We've been lucky so far, but as we take on tougher missions, we'll need every advantage we can get."

With that, the conversation trailed off, leaving them in quiet contemplation as they waited for their ride back to the guild.