Chapter 191 Leveling Conditions and Job Change Requirements

The catalog itself wasn't particularly well-made, but judging by the revision date stamped on the cover, it seemed to be updated regularly.

Opening the cover, he found no foreword like the ones common in his past life. Instead, it cut straight to the chase, listing rows of text representing the different combat technique categories.

Combat Technique Catalog (Adventurers' Association Rivervale Town Branch)

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

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

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

4. Artificer............ (32-40)

...

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

...

"Good lord, almost two hundred pages for the catalog alone?"

Feeling the thickness of the book between his fingers, Xia Nan clicked his tongue, marveling inwardly at the deep foundations of the Adventurers' Association.

It was a super-massive organization whose sphere of influence spanned the entire continent. The foundation displayed by this single Combat Technique Catalog alone probably surpassed the combined sum of countless seemingly powerful small and medium-sized factions.

Furthermore, the combat techniques listed in this catalog were genuine and could actually be learned. They were completely different from the garbage sold by the basketful outside, where you might not find a single usable technique in hundreds of books.

These were the precious paths of ascension that countless bottom-tier adventurers dreamed of, something they could spend half a lifetime of blood and sweat and still never obtain.

In the past, he had gone through immense trouble, chased down endless rumors, and sought out an unknown number of channels before finally, with a stroke of luck, scraping together the combat techniques required to become a Class Holder.

Now, they were laid bare right in front of him.

It left an indescribable taste in Xia Nan's mouth.

Going by the markings on the cover, the Association seemed to collect new combat techniques every year to keep it updated.

And the specific designation of "Association Rivervale Town Branch" in the title clearly indicated that across the continent, different regional branches of the Adventurers' Association definitely had differences in the specific number and content of their stored combat techniques, even if there was some overlap.

Just the catalog for the Misty Forest area was over a hundred pages long. If the combat techniques from other regions were added...

"Tsk."

Xia Nan smacked his lips and said nothing, simply turning to the first page for the "Warrior" class.

What greeted his eyes were densely packed rows of small text:

[Iron Wall Guard] — 170 points

[Disarming Strike] — 120 points

[Endurance] — 100 points

[Chained Spear Throw] — 140 points

[Charged Heavy Strike] — 150 points

[...]

Just from their names alone, the combat techniques in this catalog were entirely different from those flashy fakes tossed into grocery store junk baskets.

They were concise and clear—things that could actually be practiced and used.

As for the points required, they didn't look too bad—not overly exaggerated.

Judging by the bounty quests Xia Nan had just seen on the task board, even for someone like him who had recently obtained a Class Level and become a Class Holder, half a year of hard work would definitely be enough to save up for an ordinary combat technique priced at 100 points.

But that was secondary.

The most crucial point was that he now had a clear and defined path of ascension. Doing quests wasn't just for gold coins anymore; he knew exactly where to direct his efforts.

However...

Xia Nan spread the book open and turned to Molly, the blonde girl standing quietly by his side without saying a word, too afraid to disturb him.

Pointing his finger at the point requirements listed after each combat technique, he asked her, "Why isn't there a standard point cost to exchange for these combat techniques?"

"Is it because their power levels are different?"

Just on the page he was looking at, there were slight differences in the required points for the listed combat techniques.

They ranged from 100 points to as high as 180.

This left Xia Nan feeling puzzled.

Molly paused in thought for a moment before nodding somewhat hesitantly.

"The point pricing for combat techniques is discussed and set annually by professionals organized by the Association."

"It mainly considers factors such as the learning threshold, growth potential, difficulty to counter, and physical exertion."

"Under normal circumstances, a fluctuation of fifty points or so doesn't correlate strongly with the technique's power."

"It purely depends on how well it suits the user."

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

Saying this, Molly stepped forward and turned the catalog two pages ahead for him.

Her fingertip tapped the page.

[Rock Blade Entangling Shot] — 500 points

"For these, where the required points are significantly higher, the power or practicality of the technique will be correspondingly greater."

Hearing her explanation, Xia Nan understood.

Simply put, the combat techniques with similar prices had roughly similar power levels. How much of that power could be unleashed depended entirely on the user.

But if a technique was three or four times more expensive, or had an extra zero in its price, then regardless of its type, it was definitely something special.

His mind naturally drifted to his own combat techniques.

Setting [Spinning Slash] aside for now, [Fang Hunt] should at least be in the 500-point tier.

After all, it was incredibly useful.

The speed and mobility it provided had essentially laid the foundation for his developing combat style.

As for [Gravity Control]...

It was hard to say.

Regardless, unless they were some kind of saint, nobody would put a combat technique of that caliber on a public list for exchange.

"One more thing." Xia Nan flipped the catalog straight to the back. "What does this 'Miscellaneous' section mean?"

"Are they all combat techniques that can't be assigned a specific category?"

Molly was clearly prepared for this kind of common question, answering fluently.

"Partially, yes."

"As you might have heard, the combat techniques circulating across the continent are almost as numerous as the leaves in the Misty Forest."

"Among them, although there are a large number belonging to Basic Classes like 'Warrior' and 'Rogue', there remains a massive portion where we either can't identify their specific categories, or they're simply branches of some niche, obscure class."

"Therefore, they are all grouped into 'Miscellaneous' for any adventurers who might need them."

Molly carefully offered a reminder, "Mr. Xia Nan, I... uh, the Association recommends that if you aren't completely certain, and if you aren't swimming in points, you should consider carefully before exchanging for combat techniques under the 'Miscellaneous' category."

"After all, there are many combat techniques in there that you won't be able to use even if you buy them. Some might have prerequisites or class restrictions, which could lead to a pointless waste of your precious points."

Xia Nan nodded in understanding.

'If my [Gravity Etching] was also collected by the Association, it would probably be sorted into the "Miscellaneous" category as well,' he thought.

Then he suddenly recalled the energy fluctuations and channeling methods used when casting [Gravity Etching].

He guessed that [Gravity Control] was highly likely the core prerequisite for this class-associated combat technique.

Even if someone truly managed to grasp the training method for [Gravity Etching] through some means, they probably wouldn't achieve anything with it without the ability to control and influence "gravity."

His thoughts gradually expanded along this line of reasoning, digesting the information Molly had provided.

Suddenly thinking of a point of confusion, Xia Nan furrowed his brows slightly, closed the catalog, and asked her, "Let's make an assumption. What if my class was 'Monk', but through some means, I learned a combat technique belonging to the 'Ranger' class? Would there be any impact?"

"Or would it simply be impossible to learn?"

This was a little outside her training.

Although Molly was a receptionist professionally trained by the Association and had served a few Class Holders... the rookies she typically encountered only asked a few superficial questions before being distracted by the various items on the second floor, rushing off to take quests and prepare.

Very few ever asked about details like this.

For a moment, her expression—which had just relaxed after her fluent answers—tensed up once again.

"P-Please wait a moment..."

She pulled the little booklet out of her pocket again and hurriedly flipped through it.

Right at that moment, a mature male voice laced with goodwill suddenly drifted over from nearby. "You can learn the combat techniques of other classes, but the training progress will be very slow, and in most cases, it's useless."

Turning his head, Xia Nan looked toward the source of the voice.

He saw a lean, vigorous middle-aged man wearing Scale Armor.

His dark brown hair was cropped close to his scalp, the roots thick like insect legs. His skin was bronzed from long-term exposure to sunlight and sea breezes, and his calf muscles were exceptionally developed, completely filling out his trousers.

He wore an inconspicuous brass stud in his left ear, which only occasionally caught the light. Slung diagonally across his back was a sharp Blue-Gray Stone Spear.

But the most eye-catching thing was the strange tattoo spreading up from deep within his collar, trailing along his neck to cover half his face.

The tattoo itself wasn't particularly exquisite, but the ink patterns—resembling overlapping ocean waves, fierce winds, and conch shells—gave off a bizarre, exotic aesthetic.

His Perception, which far exceeded that of an ordinary person, allowed Xia Nan to instinctively catch all these details the moment he laid eyes on the man.

If this information were handed over to a profoundly knowledgeable professor, or an adventurer with immensely rich travel experience, they would probably be able to immediately determine the man's origins, background, status within his tribe, and exact surname.

But for Xia Nan—whose deepest knowledge of this world, gleaned from the verbal bombardments of passing adventurers in the tavern, consisted of racial slurs and foreign swear words—the only thing he could deduce was that the man was a seasoned adventurer with decent strength. He came from the eastern coast or the southern shores, and had probably spent time as a sailor or simply hailed from a fisherman background.

Nodding in greeting at Xia Nan, the man took the initiative to answer his question. "After acquiring a Class Level, the combat techniques you can learn aren't restricted. What you could learn before, you can still learn now."

"However, there is one thing." He raised an index finger, faintly revealing the rough calluses at the base of his finger and the webbing of his hand.

"When training a combat technique outside your chosen class, your efficiency drops significantly. Furthermore, because it affects your later leveling and job changes, it's just a pointless waste of time and energy. The loss outweighs the gain."

"Therefore, unless it's specifically required for a planned job change, very few people learn combat techniques outside their own class."

Leveling? Job changes?

Catching the keywords in the man's explanation, Xia Nan's eyes immediately lit up. Not caring that they had just met and hadn't even exchanged names, he politely asked, "Could we talk about this in detail?"

The man remained exceptionally friendly. Not refusing, he temporarily took over Molly's task and explained, "After successfully taking up a class, how do you raise your Class Level?"

"There is one, and only one, method."

"Train a combat technique under your chosen class category until its proficiency reaches the 'Mastery' level."

"For every combat technique you train to 'Mastery', your Class Level will increase by one."

"As for how to undergo a job change, and the specific direction of that change..."

"In truth, there isn't a fundamental difference from how you became a Class Holder."

"It's determined by combat techniques!"

"Taking 'Warrior' as an example, going from lv1 to lv10 means you need a total of ten 'Mastery' level combat techniques, including the one you used for your initial advancement."

"And the specific types of these ten combat techniques will also dictate your Advanced Class after your job change."

"Because of this, many adventurers with connections and backgrounds plan out their career paths well before they advance."

"Targeting a powerful Advanced Class, they meticulously plan out which combat techniques they need to learn, stepping up tier by tier."

Saying this, he couldn't help but grin.

"Of course, just take this as something to listen to."

"For bottom-tier Class Holders like us, living to retirement is already pretty good. lv10, Transcendent Tier classes... those are still far too distant."

The man stepped forward with a smile, extending a hand to Xia Nan. "Cash, captain of the 'Sea Thorn' adventure team."

Since the man had helped clarify the very things he cared about most, Xia Nan naturally had no reason to give him the cold shoulder.

Xia Nan stood up.

He shook Cash's hand and introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Xia Nan."

He noticed the man's gaze sweeping over his thin shirt and the two longswords on his back.

The man named Cash still had that gentle smile on his face. "Greysword? I've heard people talk about you in the tavern. I thought you'd be an old geezer like me. I didn't expect you to be so young."

Having his moniker called out to his face made him feel slightly awkward, but his expression remained unchanged as he thanked the man.

Seeming rather busy, Cash only exchanged a few more pleasantries before indicating he had to leave. "My teammates are waiting for me at the tavern, so I won't hold you up."

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

With that, carrying his Blue-Gray Stone Spear, he walked toward the stairs leading to the hall below.

Glancing around, Xia Nan pondered for a moment before saying his goodbyes to Molly. "Thank you for your help today. I haven't been back in Rivervale Town for long, and I still have a lot of things to handle."

"In a couple of days, when I've mostly taken care of them, I might have to come bother you again."

"It's no problem, just call me anytime. It is my honor to serve you," Molly replied enthusiastically.

Xia Nan hadn't been lying.

He now had a solid understanding of the Association Second Floor, advancement, and job changes.

He needed to go back and carefully digest the intel he had gathered today, deal with the loot and the crystal, and check on the enchanted equipment he had commissioned at the Rockhammer blacksmith shop before making any further plans.