Chapter 13 : Swordsman Advancement Requirements
Chapter 13: Swordsman Advancement Requirements
Lance stepped forward and expressionlessly pulled the short sword from its back before driving it into its throat, ending its suffering.
Afterward.
He did not immediately sheathe his weapon, but patiently delivered an extra strike to the vital points of every corpse.
Many novice Adventurers in the past had been killed in counterattacks because they failed to realize that Goblins possessed an exceptional talent for playing dead while looting spoils.
This was a lesson paid for with blood by countless predecessors.
Only after confirming that the ground was truly silent did Lance let out a long breath.
Throughout the entire battle, he had remained as calm as if he were solving a math problem.
If any experienced Adventurer had been present, they would likely have given only one evaluation:
Steady as a rock.
To be this cautious even when facing a few Goblin fodder—
“...No experience points notification?”
Lance glanced at the calm panel.
It seemed that the system of gaining experience through killing monsters had not been implemented in the real world.
Or perhaps it was because he was not yet a professional—he had heard that some professionals could improve through combat.
For now, if he wanted to gain Skill or Knowledge Experience, he would likely have to accept official “Monster Extermination Commissions” from the guild for settlement.
And later, he could also inquire about how the professional system in this world actually worked.
Lance checked the system panel again and found that there were still some hidden gains.
A faint line of text appeared below.
【Castro Swordsmanship Proficiency +4】
Lance raised an eyebrow.
This increase was quite substantial.
If he were practicing through dull sparring, it might take an hour of continuous sword swinging to achieve the same improvement.
As expected.
Only real combat was the best teacher.
Lance crouched down, enduring the nauseating stench, and skillfully cut off the left ears of the four Goblins.
Although he had not accepted an extermination mission, these ears could still be used as proof of monster subjugation and exchanged for a bounty at the guild.
Each one was worth about 20 copper coins—four of them made 80 copper coins.
This was an unexpected windfall.
Afterward, he rummaged through the tattered pouches on their corpses.
Aside from some moldy berries and a few unknown beast fangs, there was nothing.
“What a bunch of paupers.”
Lance wiped the filthy blood from his gloves on the grass in disgust.
He glanced again at the value on his retina.
The Environmental Stability had begun to slowly recover, returning to a reassuring green.
But this area was clearly no longer safe.
No one knew whether the disappearance of this patrol squad would attract a larger force from a nearby nest.
Lance did not get greedy. After packing up his spoils, he immediately turned and hurried toward the forest’s exit.
He needed to report this abnormal situation to the Adventurers’ Guild as soon as possible.
Lance swiftly returned to the Adventurers’ Guild.
He deliberately pulled his hood lower, revealing only the lower half of his face, and quickly walked to a less crowded exchange counter.
He pushed over a full bag of Silverleaf Vine sap, along with the four Goblin ears still dripping with blood.
The receptionist skillfully counted everything.
As the pouch of coins fell into his palm, the heavy, satisfying weight instantly lifted Lance’s mood.
In total, it was close to two silver coins.
Lance did a quick calculation in his head.
This was equivalent to four days of his previous wages as a Scribe.
As expected.
Even licking just a little blood off the blade earned far more money than sitting behind a counter grinding calluses into his hands.
In addition to the monetary reward, because he had reported the appearance of wandering monsters near the gathering point,
The guild granted him an extra 2 Merit Points.
This was an internal honor system within the Adventurers’ Guild.
Adventurers with higher Merit not only gained increased rank privileges, but could also exchange for rare items unavailable on the market.
Such as advanced monster encyclopedias, or specially crafted potions and equipment with magical effects.
There was also information about professionals, as well as certain special skills.
These were all scarce resources that could not be bought even with money in Graystone Town.
As Lance turned to leave, he casually glanced at the commission board in the center of the hall.
Just as he expected.
Due to the recent magical upheaval, a large number of new “Extermination Commissions” stamped with red seals had appeared on the board.
The objectives of these missions were very clear—to eliminate monster threats in designated areas and clear the way for subsequent gathering teams.
The rewards included not only high bounties but also substantial Merit Points.
Lance couldn’t help but feel tempted.
Unfortunately, the Adventurers’ Guild had strict regulations.
Individual Adventurers were limited by capacity and safety concerns, and there was a strict upper limit on the number of commissions they could accept.
Only registered Adventurer Parties could break this restriction and take on multiple extermination missions at once.
Of course.
It was said that true ranked professionals could accept additional exclusive commissions based on their class level privileges.
After all, some high-difficulty hunts spanned long periods of time.
During the extended process of tracking and hunting, the guild tacitly allowed these strong individuals to pick up smaller tasks along the way to earn extra income.
Just as Lance was staring at those high-reward commissions, lost in thought—
A somewhat youthful voice suddenly came from behind him.
“Um… excuse me, are you looking to take an extermination mission?”
Lance instinctively turned around.
Standing behind him was a blond youth.
He looked quite young, about sixteen or seventeen, with a trace of childishness still lingering on his face.
But the short sword at his waist, along with the worn hilt, indicated that he was not a complete novice.
Looking at his face, Lance felt a vague sense of familiarity.
As if he had seen him somewhere before.
Seeing Lance turn, the youth quickly straightened his posture and introduced himself.
“Hello! My name is Damian.”
“I just returned from White River City and officially registered as an Adventurer today. I’m currently forming my own Adventurer Party.”
At this point, anticipation gleamed in his eyes.
“Our team’s initial goal is to focus on clearing nearby Goblin nests.”
As if worried that his youthful appearance lacked credibility,
Damian hurriedly pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket—it was his Adventurer qualification certificate.
“Don’t be fooled by my age. I’ve already trained in two sword techniques.”
“My primary sword technique has reached the Proficient level, and even my secondary technique has reached the Skilled level.”
The youth lifted his chin slightly, his tone carrying a hint of pride.
“I’m working toward the class of 【Swordsman】—I’m just one final step away.”
After saying that,
He looked at Lance with eyes full of expectation.
Clearly, he had taken a liking to Lance’s fine equipment and steady demeanor, hoping to recruit him.
As the youth finished speaking—
A system notification suddenly popped up on Lance’s retina.
【Key Information Detected: Swordsman Advancement Requirements】
【Class: Swordsman】
【Prerequisites for Advancement:】
【1. Base Attributes: Strength 10, Agility 8, Perception 8】
【2. Skill Requirements: Primary Sword Technique at LV5 (Expert), Secondary Sword Technique at LV4 (Proficient), master one sword-type breathing combat method】
【3. Trial Requirement: Independently defeat ten different types of monsters using sword techniques】
【4. Additional Condition: Your swordsmanship must have a certain level of recognition within a region. Completion grants a slight class bonus】