Adventurer of Many Professions

Huff! Huff! Huff!

In the dimly lit utility room, Raymond swung the thick wooden stick with all his might. His entire body was drenched in sweat, and his arms screamed with fatigue, bordering on numbness. Yet, he didn't stop; not even for a moment.

Each swing carried with it a weight far beyond the stick itself. Every time he thought back to 'that night', a wave of embarrassment surged through him, driving his swings even faster.

Three days had passed since then, but the memory still made his toes curl involuntarily.

"I thought I got away with it..." he muttered through clenched teeth. "I didn't think I'd actually get caught... Damn it!"

His frustration exploded into one final burst of energy. He swung harder, faster, until his strength finally gave out. The stick slipped from his trembling hands, clattering to the ground.

"7062 swings," Raymond said softly, panting heavily as he stared at the floor. His eyes flicked to the hourglass beside him. "About 45 minutes..."

---

These past few days, Raymond had spent a lot of time thinking about his path forward. His career plan was becoming clearer by the day.

He had decided to prioritize close combat in the early stages of his adventuring career. With Sylph, a magician, and Lorene, a priest, in his group, neither had the ability to handle close-range threats. They needed someone to act as a shield, someone who could protect them from danger.

That responsibility would fall to Raymond.

His current revealed profession, Fighter, was well-suited for the role. Fighters excelled in quick, close-range combat, capable of dodging and delivering powerful strikes.

"But protection isn't just about being fast," Raymond murmured. "A 'warrior' a profession built for strength and endurance, is essential for any team. Fighters are useful, but they can't take as much punishment as a warrior can."

Warriors were the backbone of adventuring teams. Whether holding the line or taking the lead in combat, warriors were indispensable. It wasn't uncommon for teams to include multiple warriors, even at higher levels.

"So," Raymond decided, "I'll focus on developing my Warrior abilities for now. Fighter skills can serve as backup, but I won't waste too many skill points on them unless absolutely necessary."

Unlike some adventurers who chose to hide their true abilities, Raymond had no intention of playing coy. In this world, dual-profession or even multi-profession adventurers weren't unheard of, though they were rare. Awakening multiple professions might surprise people, but it wouldn't draw suspicion.

"The Kingdom of Atlantis isn't some chaotic, lawless land. West Town is a peaceful place, not a den of schemes and power struggles. Hiding my strength here won't do me any good," Raymond thought. "If anything, showing my talent could bring unexpected opportunities."

His confidence came from more than just his fighter and warrior professions. Raymond had already awakened four professions; Fighter, Warrior, Craftsman, and Magician and still had other hidden cards up his sleeve. He knew that even among multi-profession adventurers, he was an extreme rarity. Most people wouldn't even suspect he could wield such diversity in skills.

Today, Raymond wasn't swinging the stick aimlessly. He was preparing for his next goal: awakening the Swordsman profession.

Awakening as a Swordsman would grant him an additional 100 magic points, but even more importantly, it would give him the physical characteristics of a Swordsman.

These characteristics were invaluable. Just as the Fighter's flexibility enhanced his movement and the Warrior's strength fortified his attacks, the Swordsman's agility and precision would complement and elevate his existing abilities.

"When you combine them," Raymond thought, "the result is greater than any skill. A Fighter's reflexes make a Warrior's bulky frame more nimble, while a Warrior's strength makes a Fighter's attacks devastating. Adding a Swordsman's precision will make everything flow seamlessly."

For Raymond, these physical enhancements were just as important as acquiring skills. In situations where his magic reserves couldn't sustain skill usage, these traits made a visible, tangible difference in combat.

He had already seen this during their battle against the fifteen mutant rats. The traits he'd gained from his Fighter and Warrior professions had allowed him to survive and protect his team when his magic points ran dry.

By comparison, his other professions, Craftsman and Magician; offered little for melee combat.

The Craftsman, for instance, granted some physical strength upon awakening, but since Raymond had already awakened as a Warrior, the additional strength was barely noticeable. Similarly, while the Magician profession expanded his arsenal of long-range attacks, it didn't contribute much to his close-quarters capabilities.

But that was fine. Not every profession needed to boost his melee prowess. For now, Raymond's focus was clear: build a strong foundation with Warrior, Fighter, and Swordsman traits, then use his other professions as situational tools.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, picked up the stick, and tightened his grip. "Time to keep pushing," he said with renewed determination.

For Raymond, every swing of the stick wasn't just training, it was a step closer to becoming an adventurer capable of protecting his team and mastering his many professions.

Since awakening the Magician profession, Raymond had noticed a small but significant improvement in his magical abilities. His magic affinity had increased from 0.2 to 0.3, a clear indication of the magician's characteristic ability to enhance magical potential.

"But the Swordsman is a completely different path," Raymond muttered to himself as he analyzed his progress. "Speed and precision are the core strengths of this profession."

Over the past few days, Raymond had been rigorously testing himself to see if he could meet the requirements to awaken the Swordsman profession.

Using a thick wooden stick, he would swing it with both hands as fast as he could, over and over, until his arms felt like jelly. On average, he could manage 150 swings per minute, though he could only sustain this pace for 40 to 50 minutes before exhaustion set in.

This endurance was thanks to the combination of his Fighter's flexibility and his Warrior's strength and stamina.

But there was a problem: to awaken as a Swordsman, he needed to swing 100,000 times. At his current speed, this meant swinging continuously for 11 to 12 hours straight!

Thankfully, the Warrior's powerful recovery ability came to the rescue. With just half an hour of rest, his strength would return, allowing him to continue again. This meant he could realistically complete the awakening requirement in a single day, if he planned it right.

"The only thing I'm missing now," Raymond muttered, shaking out his sore arms, "is a long sword that weighs at least eight kilograms."

Even as he spoke, his body was already recovering, the soreness in his muscles easing rapidly. This was the strength of the Warrior profession; enhanced recovery and resilience that set him apart from ordinary people.

Just as he was preparing to continue his training, Arya's voice called out from downstairs.

"Raymond, dinner's ready!"

His body tensed up at the sound of her voice.

In the days following 'that night,' being in the same room with Arya had become awkward for him, and he found himself instinctively avoiding prolonged interactions. But meals together were unavoidable.

The only saving grace had been Arya moving back to her own room after that incident, seemingly realizing that sharing a bed with Raymond wasn't ideal. It was the one silver lining to the whole ordeal, as it finally allowed him to sleep in peace.

Wiping the sweat off his body with a towel, Raymond took a deep breath and steadied himself before heading downstairs.

To his surprise, Arya had acted completely normal since the day after 'that night.' She showed no signs of lingering awkwardness and behaved as if nothing had ever happened. She hadn't mentioned the incident once, beyond moving back to her own room.

At first, Raymond thought she had genuinely forgotten about it. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized Arya might have been acting this way deliberately, to prevent things from becoming too awkward between them.

'That's probably it,' he thought as he reached the table. 'After all, we're still living under the same roof. If we kept blushing or avoiding each other, it would make things unbearable.'

This realization made him feel calmer, more in control. 'I need to act mature about this,' he told himself. 'If I keep being shy or distant, it'll just make me seem childish.'

---

After dinner, Raymond decided to bring up his plan.

"By the way, Arya," he said, his tone casual, "I'm planning to buy a long sword and start practicing swordsmanship."

Arya paused, blinking in confusion. "Huh? A long sword? But… aren't you a Fighter?"

Her confusion was understandable. Raymond's previous training with a stick made sense for a Fighter. But suddenly switching to swordsmanship seemed completely out of character.

Before she could ask further, realization dawned on her face.

Raymond gave her a small nod. "I also awakened the Warrior class."

Arya nodded at first, as if the explanation made sense, then froze. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Wait… WHAT?!" she blurted out, her voice rising in disbelief.

Raymond couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. "Yeah, I'm a dual-profession adventurer now. Fighter and Warrior."

Arya stared at him, mouth slightly open. Dual-profession adventurers were rare, even in a town like West. The realization left her speechless for a moment before she managed to stammer, "Th-that's amazing!"

Raymond shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. But since I've got both professions, it makes sense to train in melee combat. A sword will be a good addition."

Arya leaned forward, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. "You never told me! When did you awaken as a Warrior? How does it feel? Are you going to awaken more professions too?"

Her rapid-fire questions made Raymond laugh. "One step at a time, Arya," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "For now, I'm focusing on the Warrior and hopefully, awakening as a Swordsman soon."

Arya's shock turned into admiration as she nodded enthusiastically. "You're incredible, Raymond. You're always pushing yourself… I'll help you however I can!"

Her words filled Raymond with renewed determination. With Arya's support and his growing plan, he felt ready to take the next steps in his journey.