Chapter 189: Upgrade Conditions and Class Change Requirements

The catalog itself wasn't exquisitely made, but looking at the revision date marked on the cover, it seemed to be updated frequently.

Opening the book cover, there was no preface common in his previous life; it just listed the lines of text representing combat technique classifications cleanly and neatly.

"Combat Technique Catalog (Adventurer Association Hegu Town Branch)"

1. Warrior............ (1-13)

2. Ranger............ (13-21)

3. Barbarian............ (22-32)

4. Artificer............ (32—40)

12. Miscellaneous............ (132-197)

"Good heavens, the catalog alone is nearly two hundred pages?"

Feeling the thickness of the book between his fingers, Xia Nan couldn't help but click his tongue in secret, sighing at the profound foundation of the Adventurer Association in his heart.

To think it was a super-giant organization whose sphere of influence radiated across the entire continent; the foundation displayed by this single "Combat Technique Catalog" alone already exceeded the sum of countless small and medium-sized forces that seemed strong?

And one had to know that these combat techniques in the catalog were all genuine and could be practiced, unlike the trash sold by the basket outside where one might not even find one usable technique in hundreds.

They were precious rising paths that countless bottom-tier adventurers dreamed of and couldn't obtain even after spending half a lifetime of effort.

Having gone through so much trouble, inquiring about countless news, and finding who knew how many channels, he had finally managed to gather the combat techniques necessary to become a professional with a bit of good luck.

At this moment, they were displayed so nakedly before his eyes.

It gave Xia Nan an unspeakable feeling in his heart.

Looking at the marks on the book cover, the Association seemed to be recording new combat techniques every year, maintaining updates.

And the "Association Hegu Town Branch" specifically marked at the back of the catalog clearly represented that across the continent, the Adventurer Association in different regions, even if there were overlaps in the recorded combat techniques, definitely had differences in specific quantity and content.

The catalog on the side of the Mist Forest alone had over a hundred pages; if all the combat techniques from other regions were added...

"Tsk."

Xia Nan clicked his tongue and didn't speak, just first opened the first page belonging to the "Warrior" class.

What met his eyes were dense lines of small print:

【Iron Wall Protection】 — 170 points

【Disarming Strike】 — 120 points

【Endurance】 — 100 points

【Spear Chain】 — 140 points

【Power Heavy Strike】 — 150 points

【...】

It could only be said that, just from the perspective of the names, these combat techniques in the catalog were completely different from those flashy fakes in the scrap basket of the grocery store.

Simple and clear, they looked like they could be practiced and were quite practical.

And in terms of the points required, it also looked okay, not too exaggerated.

According to the bounty missions Xia Nan had just seen on the mission wall, even if he was just a novice who had only recently obtained a professional level and become a professional.

If he wanted to save up enough for a common combat technique with an exchange price as high as 100 points, as long as he worked a little harder, half a year would definitely be enough.

And this was secondary.

The most critical thing was that compared to before, there was a clear and distinct path of ascent; doing missions wasn't just for gold coins, and he knew which direction he should strive for.

However...

Xia Nan spread the book pages and looked at the blonde girl Moli, who was standing quietly beside him, silent and not daring to disturb him.

His finger pointed at the point conditions behind each combat technique and asked the other party:

"Why isn't the points required to exchange for these combat techniques a standard?"

"Is it because their strength is different?"

Just on this page he had opened, the exchange points for the combat techniques listed all had subtle differences.

From the lowest 100 points to the highest 180 points.

It made Xia Nan feel confused.

Regarding this, Moli paused for a moment while thinking, and then nodded quite hesitantly.

"The pricing of points required for combat techniques is discussed and formulated by professional personnel organized by the Association every year."

"It mainly considers factors such as the combat technique's own learning threshold, growth potential, counter-difficulty, action cost, etc."

"Under normal circumstances, the fluctuation of fifty points has no particularly large correlation with the strength of the combat technique."

"It purely depends on the adapter's own suitability."

"But if it's this kind..."

Saying this, Moli stepped forward two steps and flipped the catalog back two pages for Xia Nan.

Her fingertips tapped lightly.

【Rock Blade Entanglement】 — 500 points

"For this type where the required points are clearly a large chunk higher than other combat techniques, the strength of the combat technique itself, or rather its practicality, should also have a corresponding improvement."

Hearing the other party say this, Xia Nan understood accordingly.

Simply put, these combat techniques in the Association, those with similar prices, actually have similar strength; how much can be exerted depends entirely on the user themselves.

But if it were three or four times more expensive, or even if the exchange price directly had an extra zero, then no matter what type of combat technique it was, it definitely had something special.

His heart couldn't help but associate it with the several combat techniques on his body.

【Spinning Slash】 would be set aside for now; 【Tooth Hunting】 should at least be in the 500-point tier, right?

After all, it was really too easy to use.

The speed and mobility it brought almost directly established the combat style he was gradually forming now.

As for 【Gravity Control】...

It was hard to say.

Anyway, as long as it wasn't some kind of saint, they probably wouldn't put a combat technique of this level on the list for people to exchange and learn.

"There's one more point." Xia Nan flipped the catalog in his hand directly to the end. "What does this so-called 'Miscellaneous' mean?"

"Are they all combat techniques whose specific classification cannot be confirmed?"

For this kind of more conventional question, Moli was clearly prepared, and her answer was quite fluent.

"Part of it is like that."

"You should have heard before that the various combat techniques circulating on the continent are almost as numerous as the leaves in the Mist Forest."

"And among them, combat techniques belonging to basic classes like 'Warrior' and 'Rogue', although numerous, still have a large part left that we cannot distinguish their specific class, or they are simply branches of some niche, unpopular class."

"Therefore, they are all categorized under 'Miscellaneous' for adventurers in need to exchange."

Saying this, Moli carefully reminded him again:

"Mr. Xia Nan, I... uh, the Association suggests that if you don't have a certain grasp, and in the case where points are not abundant, please consider carefully when exchanging combat techniques under the 'Miscellaneous' entry."

"After all, there are many combat techniques inside that you cannot use just by exchanging them; some might even have prerequisites, or restrictions in terms of class, which might waste precious points in vain."

Xia Nan nodded to show understanding.

Thinking that if his 【Gravity Etching】 were also recorded in the Association, it would probably also be categorized under "Miscellaneous".

He suddenly recalled the energy fluctuation and guidance method when 【Gravity Etching】 was cast.

He estimated in his heart that 【Gravity Control】 was likely the core prerequisite for this class-associated combat technique.

Even if someone really mastered the training method of 【Gravity Etching】 through some means, without the ability to manipulate and influence "gravity," they probably wouldn't be able to practice anything.

His thoughts gradually extended along this idea, digesting the information Moli gave in his mind.

Suddenly thinking of a point of confusion, Xia Nan frowned slightly, closed the catalog in his hand, and asked the other party:

"Make an assumption: if my class is 'Martial Monk', but I learned a combat technique belonging to the 'Ranger' class through some means, what impact would it have?"

"Or rather, would it simply be impossible to learn?"

A bit out of scope.

Although Moli was a front desk receptionist who had undergone professional training at the Association and had also entertained several professionals... but at least those professional novices she had come into contact with often only asked a few shallow questions before being tempted by various items on the second floor and rushing to accept missions and make preparations.

Very few asked about such details.

For a moment, the expression that had just eased because of the fluent answer tightened again.

"Please, please wait a moment..."

Taking that booklet out of her pocket again, she flipped through it in a panic.

And just at this moment, a mature male voice with kindness suddenly came from not far away beside them.

"Combat techniques of other classes can be learned, but the training progress will be very slow, and in most cases, it's useless."

Turning his head, Xia Nan's gaze followed the direction of the voice.

What met his eyes was a middle-aged man wearing scale armor and a sturdy figure.

His black-brown short hair was close to his scalp, and the hair roots were extremely thick, like insect legs; his skin was the bronze color of long-term exposure to sunlight and sea breeze, and his calf muscles were unusually developed, supporting his pants to the brim.

He wore an inconspicuous brass earring on his left ear, which only refracted a few glimmers under the light at very rare, coincidental angles; behind him was a sharp long spear made of blue-grey rock slung diagonally.

And the most eye-catching thing was the peculiar tattoo that spread from deep within his collar along his neck and covered half of his face.

The tattoo itself couldn't be called exquisite, but those tattoo patterns that looked like sea waves, wild winds, and snail shells overlapping and intersecting gave people a strange exotic beauty.

The perception ability far exceeding ordinary people made Xia Nan instinctively notice various details the moment he saw the man's figure.

If these pieces of information he collected were handed over to some knowledgeable professor or some adventurer with extremely rich travel experience, they would probably be able to judge the other party's origin, identity background, and even status in the clan and specific surname immediately.

But for Xia Nan, who had been bombarded by the words of adventurers coming and going in taverns for a long time, and whose deepest knowledge of this world was the insulting derogatory terms for various races and the foul language in different languages, he could only analyze that the man before him should be a senior adventurer with decent strength, coming from the eastern coast or the southern coast, and should have been a sailor for a period of time before, or simply a fisherman by origin.

Nodding to Xia Nan, who was looking over, the man took the initiative to answer his confusion:

"After obtaining a professional level, the combat techniques you can learn are not limited; those you could learn before, you can still learn now."

"However, there is one point." He held up his index finger toward Xia Nan, vaguely revealing the rough calluses at the root of his finger and the web of his thumb.

"When training combat techniques that do not belong to the class you are employed in, your efficiency will become very low, and involving subsequent upgrades and class changes, it's just a waste of time and energy, not worth the loss."

"Therefore, unless it's a special plan required for a class change, very few people will learn combat techniques outside their own class."

Upgrade? Class change?

Catching the keywords in the other party's words, Xia Nan's eyes lit up, and he didn't care that he had just met the other party and hadn't even exchanged names, saying politely:

"Can we talk about it in detail?"

Regarding this, the man was just as friendly as before and didn't refuse, temporarily taking over Moli's mission and explaining to Xia Nan:

"After successfully being employed, how to improve your professional level?"

"There is only one way."

"Train and improve the combat techniques under the class category you are employed in to the 'Mastered' proficiency level."

"Every time you practice a combat technique to 'Mastered', your professional level will also increase by one level."

"As for how to change classes, and the specific direction of the class change..."

"Actually, it has no essential difference from the way of becoming a professional."

"Determined by combat techniques!"

"Taking 'Warrior' as an example, from lv1 to lv10, it means a total of 10 'Mastered' level combat techniques are needed, including the one you used as a promotion condition before."

"And the specific types of these 10 combat techniques also determine your advanced class after the class change."

"Therefore, many adventurers with connections and backgrounds often have already planned their professional path before promotion."

"Aiming at a certain powerful advanced class, layer by layer, planning which combat techniques need to be learned in the future like a ladder."

Saying this, he couldn't help but grin.

"Of course, you can just listen to these."

"Like bottom-tier professionals like us, it's not bad to live until retirement; lv10, epic class... it's still too far away."

The man smiled and stepped forward, taking the initiative to reach out to Xia Nan.

"Kashi, captain of the 'Sea Spine' adventure team."

The other party helped him solve the thing he cared about most at the moment, so there was no reason to be cold.

Xia Nan stood up.

Handshake, introduction.

"Hello, Xia Nan."

Noticing the other party's gaze sweeping over the thin shirt on his body and the two longswords behind him.

The man named "Kashi" still had that gentle smile on his face.

"Grey Sword? I've heard people talk about it in the tavern; I thought it was an old guy like me, didn't expect you to be so young."

Being called his nickname to his face, he felt slightly embarrassed in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged on the outside, expressing his gratitude to the other party.

Seeming to be quite busy, after just exchanging a few more pleasantries, Kashi indicated his intention to leave.

"Teammates are still waiting for me in the tavern, let's not talk for now."

"If there's a chance in the future, let's cooperate together."

After saying this, he carried his blue-grey stone spear and walked toward the stairs leading to the lobby below.

Looking around, Xia Nan pondered for a moment and also said goodbye to Moli, the blonde girl beside him.

"Thank you for your hospitality today; I haven't been back to Hegu Town for long, and there are still many things to handle."

"After two days, when everything is handled, I might have to trouble you again."

"It's okay, you can call me anytime; it's my honor to serve you." Moli appeared quite enthusiastic.

Xia Nan wasn't lying.

At the moment, he had already understood the information regarding the second floor of the Association, promotion, and class change.

He had to go back to carefully digest the information collected today, handle the loot, crystals, and the enchanted equipment commissioned to be crafted at the Rock Hammer blacksmith shop, and then make plans.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 190 =====

(End of Chapter)