chapter 34

Beatrice was indeed influenced by the mysterious power.

And one day, she would come back and kill her “master.”

Thulhu kind of felt that he deserved it. “I should’ve known better. So what should I do now?”

“Easy!”

Roald said seriously, “Before she grows more powerful, find her and kill her. Dig out the seed before it sprouts!”

“Let he who created the problem resolve it…” Thulhu scoffed at himself.

“But how?”

“You were the one who carried out the ritual; there should be a mystical connection between you and the corpse princess!” said Roald.

That reminded Thulhu of the pentagram mark on Beatrice’s forehead. However, Beatrice was too far away now, and his connection to her had disappeared.

Thulhu was frank when he told Roald this.

That didn’t surprise Roald at all. “You’re too weak. On one hand, distance will sever the connection; on the other hand, she’ll naturally hide herself while she gets stronger. If you want to find her, you’ll have to grow stronger yourself! Say… by becoming a real extraordinary!”

“I’ll do it!” Thulhu nodded. He then saw the surprised look on Roald’s face.

“You agree?” Feeling totally surprised, Roald couldn’t help gaping.

“Yes, I agree. Any problems?” asked Thulhu.

“But when you were younger, you never…” Roald rubbed his hands together uneasily.

Only Thulhu knew that the owner of this body had changed. Also, he didn’t really have any other options.

Thulhu said, “I’m an adult now. Tell me everything about class and extraordinary power. I’m ready.”

“No problem!”

Roald nodded and said, “In this world, extraordinary power has always existed, at both ‘Dusk’ and ‘Dawn.’ Extraordinaries are people who master this power, and are also called ‘specialists’!”

“Then how does one become a specialist?”

Thulhu hurriedly asked the question.

“Easy! Through ‘advancement’ and ‘class transfer’!” Roald explained, “The process of mastering extraordinary power is called ‘the career path.’ You’re a true extraordinary once you become a rank one specialist!

“In the world of mysteries, we divide the career path into several classes. Rank one classes are called ‘extraordinaries,’ rank two are ‘elites,’ rank three are ‘experts,’ and rank four are ‘masters’… ‘Extraordinaries’ are those who are different from ordinary people; ‘elites’ are the outstanding ones among the extraordinaries; ‘experts’ have a more in-depth understanding of their respective fields; and ‘masters’ are those who absorb different views and become lead figures in their fields.”

“I see. What’s after rank four?” Thulhu asked.

“After rank four?” Roald seemed a bit surprised. “Those masters are already top specialists during the Twilight of the Gods… There are ranks five and six, but they’re like tales and legends!”

“Then how can I get a rank one occupation?” Thulhu couldn’t wait.

“The method varies, depending on your career path. Our family produces demon hunters, which is a rank one occupation called [Demon Contractor]. To become one, you need a ritual called Staring Into the Abyss. If you want to become a rank one [Apprentice], you’ll need some mysterious power to transform you; if you choose to be a [Soldier], you’ll need to work out intensely for your body to achieve its full potential… Some occupations require people to take special medicinal potions. Generally speaking, the most common ways include using rituals, working out, taking potions, or devoting yourself to some mysterious existence…”

“[Apprentice]? [Soldier]?” Thulhu remembered that Donald had mentioned these before.

“They are the most common rank one occupations. The former focuses on casting spells, and the latter on building up one’s physical strength. They’re two different paths…” Roald cast a meaningful look at Thulhu and then asked, “Take a guess. Where did career paths come from?”

“The gods gave it to us?” Thulhu guessed. “Or did we research them for ourselves?”

“Both are right. But the gods didn’t give us much… or I should say, it was very limited. However, in today’s world, there are as many occupations as there are stars in the sky. This is because for centuries, human beings have been exploring this power by learning from extraordinaries and their powers, and practicing hard. There were only a few career paths in ancient times; now, there are countless career paths! Some have already fallen out of use, and some thrive, but…”

Roald said word by word, “It is only the most common path that will help you reach the peak!”

“Reach what peak?” Thulhu wasn’t sure what Roald was trying to say.

“Put it this way: try to imagine the so-called career path like a giant tree. [Soldier] and [Apprentice] are two major tree branches, and each one has multiple off-shoots. Take [Apprentice] for example; when you reach rank two and are ready to transfer class, you can choose Enchantment to become an [Apprentice Alchemist], or choose to delve into the power of spells and become a [Caster], or you can study arcana and become an [Arcanist]! Remember, these are just rank two classes, and they’ll be even more with rank three and above. It’s the same with [Soldier]. You can become a rank two [Swordsman], [Ranger], or [Gun Fighter]. By the way, [Gun Fighter] has become popular recently… Therefore, if you start off on the right foot, lots of choices will be open to you, and you can go further than those who pick a bad class!

“You’re wondering what the bad ones are, right?” Before Thulhu even asked, Roald replied, “Well, [Demon Hunter] is a perfect example. There are only two options: light or darkness. Either fight, or fall!”

Thulhu felt bad for his family.

Obviously, Roald didn’t want him to pick [Demon Hunter].

“I see. I have to be careful and set my final target from the very beginning. The more branches there are available, the more options I have, and the more likely I’ll succeed in the future.”

Thulhu nodded seriously.

“Exactly. Some unpopular ones can really trap you. There’s a class mentioned in the legends called [Dragon Rider]. You have to find a dragon first before you can advance!”

Roald sighed. “Throughout history, countless prodigies have created countless mysterious occupations. However, only a few occupations have survived to this day. So, be extremely careful with your choice. Although you can do multiple occupations, trust me; you don’t want to distract yourself too much as an extraordinary.”

“I can do multiple occupations?”

Thulhu’s attention caught on the exciting part. “Can I?”

“Sure; as long as they’re compatible with each other, you can do as many as you want. Your class only counts based on your highest rank, and there’s a huge difference between ranks.”

Roald shrugged. “But one only has so much time and energy. Also, many occupations have rules that contradict each other. Thus, taking up multiple occupations isn’t ideal. I once heard of a guy who took up five at the same time, and he found that he could never hit rank two. In his case, while he might be able to defeat an elite with his diverse fighting skills, he would never be an expert’s match.”

“Just in case I start out wrong.”

Thulhu grinned.

He had gotten tons of information from talking to Roald.

“Better not. Even a genius can make severe mistakes with his or her career path,” Roald reminded Thulhu.

“So… how far can we go along the path?”

Thulhu sighed. “From what you’re saying, the top rank for [Demon Hunter] is rank four, ‘master.’”

“You’re not happy with rank four?”

Roald looked a bit uncomfortable. “Well… One can still go further after reaching the class [Demon Hunter Master], but this will require help from the Goddess of Light Church. I once found something in our family records which said that an ancestor of ours reached rank six and became [Guard of Goddess]!”

“What’s after rank six then?”

Thulhu wouldn’t give up.

Roald was slightly shocked and quickly put on a very serious expression. “That’s blasphemy! We should stop here!”

Thulhu immediately understood.

Reaching the peak in one’s career might enable a human being to reach the forbidden realm dominated by the gods?!