The Direction of the Future

The blade traced an arc in the air, and a pale blue radiance vividly reflected in everyone's sight.

Charles' sword.

Once a gold-tier enchanted weapon, it had now become a bronze-tier mildly enchanted weapon due to the loss of magic power. However, no matter how diminished it was, it couldn't change the fact that it was an enchanted weapon.

In the current situation, using it was more than sufficient.

After all, even Durun's equipment was only of superior quality. The others' equipment was even lower, merely of fine quality.

Of course, these so-called equipment tiers, in the eyes of others, could only be judged as good or bad, unlike Sean, who could glance at them and know the specific tier and related attributes of the equipment.

This was thanks to Sean's special ability, the "True Eye," and his sufficient knowledge of the game "Miracle."

He remembered that equipment could generally be classified into four categories: forged, enchanted, legendary, and artifact.

Equipment forged by ordinary blacksmiths was basically regular equipment, often used as standard-issue gear in armies.

If the equipment went through more complex processes, it would be of fine quality.

In more powerful countries, this would be the standard-issue gear for their armies, while in weaker countries, only elite troops would have access to such equipment.

As for superior quality equipment, its crafting process was naturally more complex.

The standard-issue gear used by elite troops of powerful nations fell into this category.

Although there were quality distinctions, normal, fine, and superior quality were all types of forged equipment.

A level above that was enchanted equipment, which was made through special means.

Only blacksmiths knowledgeable in mysterious techniques had a chance of producing such equipment, and they had to use extremely special materials in the process.

Enchanted equipment could be classified into three tiers based on quality: bronze, silver, and gold.

It could also be categorized into five stages based on the strength of the enchantment: mild, weak, moderate, strong, and special.

The stronger the magical attachment on the enchanted equipment, the greater its power.

Essentially, this type of equipment couldn't be mass-produced, so even if one had the money, it wouldn't necessarily be possible to obtain a bronze-tier enchanted equipment.

As for silver and gold-tier equipment, that was beyond what money alone could accomplish.

Therefore, Sean having an enchanted weapon in his hands, even if it was a mild bronze-tier one, was enough to make Durun extremely envious.

In the Land of Black Soil, the effectiveness of this weapon was comparable to that of an artifact!

The longsword in Sean's hand traced several paths, executing ordinary strikes and kills, but Sean's movements were filled with an artistic beauty akin to a precious masterpiece.

None of the skeletons attacking him posed any threat; they disintegrated into skeletons before they even got close.

Almost all undead creatures rely on the flame of their souls to sustain their alternative form of life. The majority of undead creatures lack intelligence and survive in this world following instinctive patterns.

Whether out of a desire for light and warmth or other reasons, undead creatures instinctively attack any living beings and plunder their life energy to augment themselves.

However, even though skeletons, as first-tier undead creatures, were relatively low-ranking, the hardness of their bones was comparable to that of swords and blades.

In the world of "Miracle," undead creatures were naturally stronger than humans.

Therefore, it was challenging for an ordinary first-tier combatant to deal with skeletons of the same tier.

Normally, they relied on their rank-based power to suppress and overwhelm undead creatures or relied on coordination and clever teamwork to overcome them.

Hence, third-tier combatants like Durun and Old Peter, who possessed outstanding abilities, or well-coordinated guards, naturally did not consider skeletons a threat.

Even the Black Knight was not without the ability to fight.

However, even they relied on their own power to forcefully crush the skull of a skeleton, destroying the flame of the soul within, to deal with undead creatures.

They couldn't achieve the same precision as Sean, who targeted the skeletal joints of the neck and skull to kill the skeletons.

In this world, every species has its corresponding weak points, including undead creatures.

The weak point of skeletons was the first joint connecting the skull and the cervical vertebrae.

Once that was destroyed, the soul flame of the skeleton would naturally extinguish, and this method was far more efficient than breaking open the skull.

However, not just anyone could easily accomplish this method because although skeletons were somewhat sluggish in their movements, it didn't mean they were completely rigid.

They naturally protected their vital areas with a combination of mobility and caution.

Even Durun, who had experience fighting undead creatures, couldn't guarantee precise attacks every time.

But...

Durun's gaze involuntarily turned towards Sean.

He saw Sean raise his longsword and effortlessly parry the short sword held by a skeleton to his right.

In doing so, he broke through the skeleton's cautious defensive posture, exposing its vulnerability.

Sean didn't hesitate for a moment; he stepped forward, and with a swift thrust, the tip of his sword effortlessly pierced the joint of the skeleton. With a slight twist of his wrist, there was a faint "click" sound.

When Sean withdrew his sword, the pale red flame in the hollow eye sockets of the skeleton had already extinguished, and its entire skull even fell off, rolling on the ground for a few rotations.

Sean's entire sequence of actions, from parrying the sword to killing, flowed seamlessly as if it had been honed countless times, forming an instinctive response.

At least twenty skeletons lay on the ground, all assembled from the scattered bones. Over ten of them were slain within moments of encountering Sean, showcasing his mastery in dealing with these skeletons.

The battle didn't last long. The attack of around thirty skeletons was no match for Sean and the others.

However, Durun and Sean were well aware that although these skeletons weren't particularly powerful individually, they appeared in groups, ranging from a dozen to several dozen.

While the physical and stamina drain on the group was not immediately apparent, over time, it would accumulate into a formidable challenge.

Additionally, the constant encroachment of dark forces in the Land of Black Soil accelerated the depletion of the group's energy and stamina.

In just half a day, Sean and the others faced nearly seven waves of skeleton attacks.

Harvey and Cecilia, who had lower stamina, were already starting to breathe heavily.

The frequency and number of skeletons appearing were much denser compared to Sean's previous experiences in the game. And these encounters were only in the outer areas.

Sean was well aware of what awaited them deeper inside, creatures that, although undead like skeletons, were far more formidable.

Of course, killing so many skeletons wasn't without its benefits.

At this point, Sean's level was close to reaching the critical point of level ten. He was on the verge of leveling up.

Once he reached this level, not only would he advance to the second tier of his profession, but he would also receive a long-awaited professional reward.

However, advancing to the second tier required finding the appropriate advancement point.

Sean's gaze briefly lingered on the guards and Durun.

There were numerous second-tier professions that a first-tier Mercenary could choose.

Although "Miracle" didn't have the concept of hidden professions, there were special professional ranks with various requirements.

However, for general professions, the requirements were not overly complex. As long as players found the right path and met the relevant requirements, they could advance.

Of course, the higher the advancement, the more challenging it became. However, players were different from NPCs.

The restrictions that bound NPCs didn't apply to players. The only limitation for players was how to find the relevant advancement points.

However, this is not a problem for Sean. The only thing he needs to consider now is how his future career path should develop.

Should he choose to continue on the path of the existing "Warrior"?

Or should he also take up the part-time role of a "Knight Apprentice" and embark on a new career path?

Based on his previous experiences in the game, following a single path would indeed result in rapid growth and the ability to exhibit powerful combat strength at lower tiers.

However, such development tends to plateau after the fifth tier, and in order to deal with increasingly powerful monsters and enemies, one would have to readjust their career development. Sean had learned this lesson the hard way in the game.

On the other hand, if he started diversifying his development from the lower ranks, although it would be slow to take shape and may not exhibit combat strength until the third or even fourth tier, such careers often lead to special professional ranks with overwhelming combat capabilities.

Moreover, as long as the planning is done well, there would be no obstacles to continue developing without the need to backtrack.

Of course, Sean has this mindset because the current world he is in is not a game world.

In the game, he was a player and not afraid of failure since death at most resulted in the loss of equipment and experience.

But now, in the real world, the circumstances are entirely different. If he fails in this world, there is a real possibility of paying the price of death, which forces Sean to carefully consider his choices.

What currently prevents Sean from making a firm decision is ultimately the issue of the "Knight Apprentice" profession.

As long as he consults Durun about the relevant professional matters, he can naturally become a Knight Apprentice. However, in doing so, he would essentially be bound to Durun.

If Durun does not give his approval, then Sean would be stuck as Durun's apprentice for life, unable to become a formal "Knight." This is where Sean's hesitation lies.

You see, this situation is no joke because in the game, there was a player who offended his mentor, and as a result, he remained stuck as a "Magic Apprentice" and could not transition to become a "Mage." Eventually, he had to delete his account and start over.

Sean doesn't want to become that kind of person because in this world, there is no concept of "resetting" like in a game.