My Professions Have Too Much Personality

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Kill All of Southwind City’s Upper Echelons; Profession Bullying

Qi Chuan’s file was clean. His parents had died in the Fog Killings over thirty years ago. The only thing he had over Su Chen was that he wasn’t a refugee.

Jiang He probably wouldn’t stick his neck out for him. Now, all he had to do was wait for someone to make a move on Qi Chuan’s behalf, and he could start following the thread.

“Black Tuo, the Deceitful God, Zhou Xian…”

’I just killed your son and took a few things. Do you really have to be so relentless about it?’

Su Chen mumbled to himself as he walked.

…

In the hazy mist, a serpent of bluish-purple lightning suddenly ripped through the darkness, its winding arc weaving between the clouds and the ground.

It was followed by a shriek powerful enough to rattle one’s lungs, like the roar of some behemoth having its chest cavity torn open. The mist twisted and contorted in the sonic waves.

THUD!

It sounded like something had crashed to the ground, kicking up a vast cloud of dust.

WHOOSH!

A slender, silver-gray Flying Device shot out of the mist.

“It’s a Tier Three Mutant Species, the Crimson Eagle Demon…” At the open hatch, wind howled, whipping a black greatcoat about. Beneath a shock of white hair was a cold, hard face.

“Took you long enough…” A dissatisfied voice came from the corner. An old man was swiping at a virtual screen, not even bothering to look up.

“Chief Judge…” The white-haired man’s cold demeanor crumbled in an instant, replaced by exasperation.

“Take a look at this…” With a casual flick, the old man sent the virtual projection over to the white-haired man.

“News from Southwind…” The white-haired man glanced over, surprised. “The Holy Word Stone was recovered?”

“…Yuan Chenyang sent his own student to go undercover, and not only did he recover the Holy Word Stone, but he also discovered a follower of Black Tuo?”

“Impressive,” the white-haired man remarked. “I really thought he wouldn’t escape censure this time.”

“He spooked them,” the old man snorted, his tone sharp. “The rest will go to ground now. It looks like I came all this way for nothing.”

“That’s not entirely fair,” the white-haired man countered. “They didn’t know about your plan, after all.”

“The Holy Word Stone is found, but the Space Crystal isn’t,” the old man muttered. “Now that Black Tuo’s people are on alert, the remaining cultists will likely lay low.”

“Elder Xia, the Space Crystal was stolen from Yun Lan. It’s not Southwind City’s responsibility,” the long-haired woman on the other side of the cabin spoke up.

“But we have a lead, don’t we? Zhou Xian’s son was used as a mule. That makes him a prime suspect,” the white-haired man said.

“Indeed…” The old man’s expression flickered, his withered body looking as if a gust of wind could topple it. “The Minister of Internal Affairs, one of Southwind City’s top officials, has been corrupted. Can any of their leadership be trusted? Maybe I should just kill them all. I might kill a few innocent ones, but I’m sure they’ll understand.”

Cold sweat beaded on the white-haired man’s forehead. “Wait! It’s just a suspicion! If you kill them all, Elder, there will be massive trouble!”

“Coward!” The old man sneered. He walked to the hatch and jumped straight out. As the mist swallowed him, the white-haired man heard his hoarse voice drift back:

“A Tier Three Mutant Species has no business being on this flight path. I’m going to investigate. You two head on to Southwind City.”

“Elder Xia!” The white-haired man rushed to the hatch, a wry, helpless smile on his face.

“The Sixth Judge has always had a personality like that,” the woman sighed. “His temper has gotten even more explosive ever since the Third Judge snatched away that young one with the Red Gold Talent. Good thing it was a physical Talent. If it had been a Spirit Talent, Elder Xia would have definitely started a fight.”

“For the sake of that legendary profession, Elder Xia has…” She trailed off, knowing that what she was about to say wasn’t pleasant.

The white-haired man opened his mouth, then closed it. ’Even without the Third Judge in the picture, they never would have chosen Elder Xia,’ he thought. ’After all, the man’s reputation is… infamous.’

…

When Su Chen returned to his room, he found an unexpected visitor.

“Teacher?”

Su Chen approached the door cautiously. He was surprised when he saw the figure inside.

Old Sun was standing beside him, his face a mess of smiling wrinkles.

“Did someone sneak into your room?” Yuan Chenyang asked, getting straight to the point.

“Yes.” Su Chen nodded. “I checked the security footage, but couldn’t find anyone.”

Fatty Sun, standing nearby, immediately chimed in. “I’ve already strengthened security on this floor. There are guards posted at both ends of the hall, and patrols every thirty minutes.”

’Old Sun is quick on the uptake,’ Su Chen thought. ’No wonder I saw a few burly men in the hallway.’

He was impressed. When a problem arises, you can’t just offer excuses when your superiors ask about it.

Yuan Chenyang nodded, satisfied. “You can go for now.”

“Alright.” Old Sun left, pulling the door closed behind him.

“You captured Qi Chuan,” he stated, once they were alone.

Su Chen explained, “He was conspiring with Hu Xiang to make a move against me.”

“Ah…” Yuan Chenyang realized. “So that’s the ’information’ Hu Xiang gave you. As long as you have things under control, that’s all that matters.”

He then stressed, “But play by the rules. Don’t leave anyone an opening to use against you.”

“Understood.”

“One more thing. This is for [Engineering Apprentice]. Take a look…” He handed over an engraved metal plate.

Su Chen glanced at it—

[Tier One Subordinate Profession Discovered—Engineering Apprentice. May be acquired upon completion of requirements.]

[Requirement 1: Repair 1,000 ordinary items.]

[Requirement 2: Must be a Tier One Mental Professional.]

“This…” Su Chen was puzzled. ’This profession doesn’t seem all that special,’ he thought.

“Don’t underestimate it. With a perfect induction, you can awaken a Professional Ability called [Dual-tasking].”

Yuan Chenyang stressed, “I’m not talking about the ordinary ability to multitask that you get from practice. This is an ability more akin to a machine.”

“You’re not the first person who’s wanted to pursue both physical and Spiritual Side professions. It takes too long to train your body and then meditate afterward.”

’So that’s how it is…’ Su Chen realized. Every profession had its unique uses; he would have to pay more attention in the future.

Some Professional Abilities might not seem like much on their own, but they could be completely different when properly combined.

Old Yuan added, “I’ll have Old Sun get you a position in the logistics department. If you work on it every day, you should be able to acquire the profession within a few months.”

“Thank you, Teacher.” Su Chen was genuinely grateful. This was so much better than his time back in the Southern Academy dorms.

“Of course.” Old Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony. He handed over a gold-embossed Card. “There’s one more thing. Zhang Yunqing—that’s Zhang Hengyu’s sister—is hosting a party tonight. The invitation was sent to my house. You should go.”

“A party?” Su Chen took the invitation, his eyes tracing the intricate patterns on it. He remembered Zhou Zhong had mentioned this before, too.

Yuan Chenyang’s bald head shone in the light, his gaze unreadable. “It’s just a gathering of the city’s youth. Besides, his sister spent time in Ying Feng. She knows things. It would be good for you to make contact.”

’Is that all…?’ Su Chen was thoughtful. The explanation seemed a bit thin, but he nodded anyway. “Since you’re telling me to go, Teacher, I’ll go.”

Yuan Chenyang left. After the elevator doors slid shut, he chuckled and cursed under his breath, “Clever little brat.”

“A party, a party…” Su Chen murmured, rubbing the Card. He couldn’t help but sigh. “This refugee status is such a pain.”

He wondered what on earth the refugees before him had done to create such a reputation.

He glanced at the time. It was still early.

Su Chen turned his thoughts back to the [Engineering Apprentice] profession. With resources, it shouldn’t take long to meet the requirements.

He sighed. ’But with things so complicated right now, wasting time on this is just… ’

[Sensing the Host’s difficulties, Sky Splitter Warrior and Secret Artifact Master have had a cordial discussion with Engineering Apprentice. Deeply moved by the Host’s plight, Engineering Apprentice has decided to grant an immediate, perfect induction, only requiring the Host to… after induction.]

’Huh?’ Su Chen’s cheek twitched. ’So Sky Splitter Warrior and Secret Artifact Master ganged up on it, huh?’

’Immediate induction… I guess that works,’ he thought. ’I wonder what the time limit to complete the requirements will be?’

Repairing a thousand ordinary items was no simple task.

However, Su Chen waited and waited, but the words after the ellipsis never appeared. After a moment—

[Engineering Apprentice has decided that after the Host’s induction, there is no need to complete the requirements within a limited time.]

Huh?

Su Chen thought he’d grown accustomed to his panel, but this new message still stunned him.

For some reason, he could almost feel a sense of grief and indignation coming from the words.

’Sky Splitter Warrior, Secret Artifact Master, what in the world did you two do?’

’Is this the kind of crushing dominance Top-tier Professions have over a subordinate one?’

His feelings were complicated, but Su Chen grinned and gleefully accepted the induction.

A flood of familiar yet alien memories poured into his mind. Different mechanical constructs materialized before his eyes, complete with details of their damaged parts and the entire repair process.

It was as if he had personally repaired a thousand broken items. His head throbbed from the influx, and it took him a long moment to recover.

[Induction as Engineering Apprentice successful. Professional Ability acquired: Dual-tasking.]

[Dual-tasking: Your mind can process two tasks simultaneously.]

“Phew…” Su Chen kneaded his temples. ’This kind of knowledge-based profession feels so strange.’

He gave it a quick try and immediately felt the difference. It was as if his consciousness had split in two, each half capable of independent thought.

He had been able to multitask before in certain situations, but only for a moment or an instant at most.

This, however, was like a computer running two separate programs, neither interfering with the other.

“This is a god-tier skill,” Su Chen marveled, his eyes gleaming. Both his Meditation Technique and his Training Technique were extremely complex.

Normally, even with extensive practice, it would be nearly impossible to perform both at the same time.

But a single, ordinary profession had solved that problem for him.

He immediately began to experiment, settling into a stance while simultaneously beginning his meditation.

As the Body Refining Technique activated, his muscles tensed, and a stinging pain spread through his body. At the same time, the Prison Flame Meditation Technique began to cycle, making his mind feel warm.

The sensation was extraordinary. Like a child with a new toy, Su Chen practiced for a full half-hour before reluctantly stopping, still hungry for more.

“I have to go out tonight, so I can’t exhaust myself,” Su Chen mused. “Still, if I combined this with a Potion, the results would be heavenly. I really need to find a way to get some Black Flame Potion. My current blood circulation efficiency is too low.”

“My friend…” Fatty Sun knocked. When Su Chen gave the okay, he gently opened the door and waddled in, beaming. “I’ve already arranged everything with logistics. You’ll be in charge of repairing damaged items, and one of the old masters will teach you.”

Su Chen was once again amazed by Old Sun’s efficiency, but he shook his head. “There’s no rush on that matter.”

Fatty Sun paused for a second, but his smile didn’t waver. “Alright, my friend. Just let me know whenever you’re ready.”

He was about to leave when Su Chen stopped him. “Brother Sun, I was hoping you could help me sell something.”

“Oh?” Fatty Sun watched in surprise as Su Chen dragged a blurry black garment out from under his bed.

He had received two of them and planned to sell one.

“A Shadow-avoiding Robe?” he exclaimed in astonishment. “You…”