Chapter 492 - 462: Ranger, but a High Tier Profession

Chapter 492: Chapter 462: Ranger, but a High Tier Profession

Of all the Extraordinary Professionals Roland had ever seen, Morne was undoubtedly the most powerful.

And now, at his full strength, Roland could even slightly surpass the Morne of the past.

It was precisely by reaching this height that Roland came to a deeper understanding of the heaven-and-earth difference between Transcendents.

Even within the same Extraordinary Domain, an insurmountable chasm could exist between individuals’ strengths.

If this was true for Transcendents, then what about Gods?

Corellon, the one he had encountered in the Eternal Song Forest, was merely a flawed Pseudo-God, likely possessing not even a tenth of a true God’s power.

Even so, that battle had pushed him to the brink time and again, and he had only barely scraped by with a victory after giving it his all.

And yet, those researchers from the Crystal Era had wanted to meddle in this forbidden Domain...

A theory suddenly surfaced in Roland’s mind.

’Could the fall of the Crystal Era have been a disaster brought about by these very researchers angering the Gods?’

After a moment of contemplation, Roland looked down again to examine the records on the "Divine Remains Fusion Device."

Unfortunately, the text read more like a project proposal and recruitment notice.

It only briefly described the device’s basic principles and operational logic; the rest of the content mostly detailed the required personnel and their numbers.

After studying it for a long time without gaining any more substantial information, Roland shook his head slightly and turned to ask Galvis if he had found anything else.

The Minstrel shook his head helplessly, indicating that this was all they had.

Seeing the trail go cold, Roland had no choice but to set the matter aside for the time being.

The rest of the voyage was uneventful.

Perhaps because the Shell Ship spent most of its time traversing the Star Realm, returning to the physical world only briefly to replenish its Energy, the strange Ashen Descendants they had previously encountered were never able to track them.

The ship followed the beacon set by Bronson, steadily closing the distance to Silver Radiance City.

However, this tranquility didn’t cause Roland to let his guard down. As they neared their destination, the surrounding landscape grew increasingly desolate.

Not only were there no signs of life, but even the Crystal Era ruins, common in other regions, became progressively scarcer.

This land was like a primordial wilderness, untouched by civilization.

Faced with such an unusual scene, Roland felt a sense of doubt. But lacking reliable information, he chose to immerse himself in the tomes he had brought back from the Imperial Academy and began to study them intently.

"The path of the Ranger is far more than just precise Archery or skillful stealth."

"A true Forest Speaker must learn to listen to the breath of all things and understand the rhythm of nature."

"When the breeze brushes the treetops, when the stream kisses the pebbles, when the dawn pierces the forest mist... these are all nature’s expressions."

The book Roland was holding was the very same tome he had previously lent to Avril for her studies: *Path of the Forest Speaker: The Ranger and the Natural Covenant*.

Thanks to the Elf Maiden’s talent, coupled with her existing foundation in the Ranger Profession, she had grasped the book’s essence in just a few days. All that remained was to hone her skills through practice.

So, Roland took the book back, hoping to find inspiration on how to take up the Ranger Profession himself.

Compared to the previous book, *Path of Ancestral Spirits and Fury - Barbarian Initiation Rite*, this one was much clearer and more concise. It detailed the three core requirements one must meet to become a Ranger.

First, one must master "Life Perception."

The ancient text described it as such:

"A true hunter observes with the mind, not the eyes. Even with eyes closed, one must be able to perceive the fall of every leaf within ten paces."

Second, one must be versed in the "Wilderness Language."

"A Forest Speaker must not only listen but also know how to respond, building a resonance with beasts and birds to understand their warnings and whispers."

As for the final point, one must comprehend the "Natural Step Rhythm."

"Every step should resonate with the earth, your footprints becoming like the wind, your figure blending into the shadows of the forest."

After reading the entire text, Roland couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.

The path of the Ranger described in this Crystal Era tome was subtly yet significantly different from the contemporary Ranger Profession he knew.

It focused more on resonating with the Energy of the natural environment rather than on mere combat techniques.

’Setting aside Life Perception and Natural Step Rhythm for now, this Wilderness Language...’

Isn’t that just the Animal Companion Trait he obtained when he took up the Hunter Profession?

In fact, one could even say the Animal Companion Trait was a good deal more powerful than the "Wilderness Language" described in the book.

’So... does this mean I already meet one of the three requirements to become a Ranger?’

With this discovery, Roland’s gaze grew more focused as he turned to the section on "Life Perception," beginning to channel his Perception according to the book’s instructions.

His initial attempts were not successful.

When he deliberately tried to extend his Spirit outward as the book described, everything around him became blurred and indistinct.

Black Wind’s steady breathing, Qiao’s rustling in the rafters, even the faint flow of Star Realm Energy outside the Shell Ship—all of it became distorted under his forced Perception.

He quickly realized the problem.

It was just as the book said:

"Perception is like cupped water; grasp it tightly and you lose it, hold it gently and it remains."

After adjusting his breathing, Roland no longer forced himself to "detect" but instead allowed himself to gradually "merge" with his surroundings.

Thanks to his Spiritual Attribute Value of seventy, bolstered by numerous Traits and Extra Benefits, his Perception was already far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Therefore, for him, this process required only a slight adjustment.

Gradually, he began to catch the subtle pulses of life in his environment.

The slow rhythm of moss growing in the cracks of the ship’s shell, the dormancy and awakening of spores floating in the air.

Then, in an instant, as if a string had been perfectly tuned, everything became clear.

When he closed his eyes again, the life trajectories within ten paces appeared in his consciousness as clearly as a star chart.

Without sight, he could "see" the temperature change in Avril’s fingertips as she turned the pages of a book in the next cabin.

He could perceive the rhythm of Galvis’s quill scratching against parchment, and even every touch of Star Realm dust against the Shell Ship’s hull became a distinct ripple.

This Perception was different from before; it wasn’t simple detection, but a deep resonance.

He could not only pinpoint the location of every living thing but also sense their current state.

Calm, focused, or faintly uneasy. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Just then, a line of dazzling golden text appeared in his vision.

[Skill Acquired: Life Perception (Level 1)]

Staring at the golden text that appeared before him, Roland raised an eyebrow.

’It seems that with the boons from my previous Professions, learning the skills required for other Extraordinary Professions is relatively easy.’

Just then, the golden text flickered again.

[Host Mastery Detected: Life Perception (Level 1)]

[Host Trait Detected: Animal Companion]

[Analyzing Skill and Trait Compatibility...]

[Natural Resonance Detected... Evaluating Energy Frequency Alignment...]

[Frequency Alignment: 87%... Threshold Met.]

[Conditions Met.]

[Analysis Complete. Eligible for High Tier Profession: Ranger.]

"It was that easy... wait!"

Watching the continuously updating golden text, a flash of joy crossed Roland’s eyes, but he then noticed something was off.

"The Ranger... is a High Tier Profession?"