Chapter 18: Conversation at Library

"What a lovely young lady..."

Adrian sighed as he watched Robin's figure.

No matter when and where, cuteness is justice!

"Indeed, Robin-chan is a very likable child, and quite intelligent too."

An elderly voice came from the nearby bookshelf, and at the same time, a man with thick hair stepped out from the shadows.

The old man had a unique appearance, with light green hair framing both sides of his head and a fluffy light green beard, resembling leaves. At the back of his head, a bunch of stiff hair stood tall, resembling a leaf stalk.

From a distance, it looked as if a human body had a clover-shaped head.

The newcomer turned out to be Dr. Clover, the present curator of the Ohara Library and a respected figure in archaeology.

Addressing the unfamiliar young man, Dr. Clover asked, "May I inquire about the purpose of your visit to Ohara?"

Dr. Clover looked at Adrian, his eyes somewhat wary.

The young man who arrived in Ohara this evening gave off a distinct vibe, unlike previous visitors. There was a subtle sense of alertness, almost as if he were an undercover agent working in the shadows for the World Government.

As for Ohara's current activities, it remains unclear how the World Government views them!

Just thinking about it, Dr. Clover's expression couldn't help but become more serious.

Adrian noticed the concern in the old man's eyes and reassured him, saying, "Don't worry, sir. I came to Ohara with a single goal—to acquire 'knowledge.'"

Dr. Clover became even more vigilant and quickly asked, "What knowledge?"

"The kind that allows someone to live independently and safely on the open sea."

Adrian gestured with his hands, separating each finger.

"At the moment, I see myself as a decent navigator and cook, but sustaining life on the ocean is more complex than it appears."

"In addition to essential knowledge of navigation and meteorology, I think I also need to master some shipbuilding knowledge. The boat that brought me to Ohara is almost falling apart; I need to repair it or build a new one."

"Moreover, having medical knowledge is crucial. If we encounter any illnesses while sailing, lacking a doctor could pose a problem. Relying on bloodletting as a treatment would be disastrous."

"It's also a good to familiarize myself with some artistic concepts related to music. Drifting alone on the vast sea can evoke a profound sense of loneliness..."

Adrian's incessant words like a machine gave Dr. Clover a headache.

"Enough! That's enough!"

The head librarian broke the usual silence of the library by shouting loudly, an unusual move.

"Navigators, chefs, shipwrights, doctors, musicians..." Dr. Clover muttered one by one, "Are you planning to be a lone warrior, no, wanderer?"

"Of course, I couldn't be more obvious, right?" Adrian nodded without hesitation.

"Things like partners are quite troublesome, but I can accept having pets. Hmm, in that case, do I need to find a secondary profession as a veterinarian?"

Due to the system panel's existence, Adrian was not inclined to assemble a crew or form a pirate group. Although he acknowledged the need for friends, enemies, and subordinates, he did not want companions for his adventures.

Adrian's rapid rate of improvement surpassed those who relied solely on themselves to progress.

"I don't think I anyone want to work as a veterinarian in the sea!" Dr. Clover's veins popped on his forehead. At this point, he no longer believed that the other party was a World Government agent. He simply saw him as a young man excessively greedy for knowledge.

"Young man, don't think that you can learn all of that. Many professions require gradual mastery!" Dr. Clover, fully embracing his role as an elder, earnestly advised Adrian.

"But when I first read 'Basic Navigation,' I successfully learned the theory. It took me less than half an hour," Adrian replied with feigned calmness, deliberately using a nonchalant tone.

Outrageous!

Dr. Clover suddenly paused, his breath becoming a bit heavier. "So what... just reading quickly is nothing special... who can be sure that you really mastered those skills... besides, in the good old days..."

Following that were a few sentences like "I was once a wild youth too" and "Everyone has their youthful days," instantly lightening the atmosphere around them.

'That's how I came here all alone in a small boat.'

Adrian shook his head, no longer provoking the elderly Clover who hadn't introduced himself yet.

He walked decisively to the section on ship building in the library, pulled out a book titled "Basic Shipbuilding and Maintenance," and meticulously began reading.

Time passed slowly.

[Through reading, you have completed a self-study on Basic Shipbuilding knowledge. Considering your intelligence level, progress in learning [Basic Shipbuilding and Maintenance] is 60%.]

[...]

[You have gained a new profession - [Shipwright]. Your physical strength has received a certain boost, with +1 strength, +1 endurance. You have earned 2 free attribute points and 1 skill point!]

Adrian closed his eyes and organized the constantly emerging shipwright knowledge in his mind, nodding in satisfaction.

Putting back the "Basic Shipbuilding and Maintenance" book on the shelf, he walked to another section of the library.

After another approximate several tens of minutes...

[You have acquired a new skill, 'Simple Disease Treatment'. You have gained a new profession - 'Doctor'. Your stamina has received a certain boost, Intelligence +1, Charm +1. You have gained 2 free attribute points and 1 skill point!]

So far, Adrian's secondary profession count has reached 5 (secondary professions automatically stops when the total level reaches 20), namely "Navigator," "Chef," "Agent," "Shipwright," and "Doctor."

At this moment, a notification suddenly sounded from the panel.

[Detected that the character's secondary professions have reached five. The convenient method of acquiring secondary professions through reading books has been canceled. Please explore the subsequent methods of obtaining secondary professions on your own.]

[With the increase in subsequent secondary profession numbers, the difficulty of unlocking secondary professions will accumulate, and the experience cost for leveling up will accumulate as well.]

Looking at the panel information, Adrian nodded in understanding.

He had expected this challenge. Without limitations on obtaining secondary professions, low-level characters could easily boost multiple professions, potentially upsetting the game balance by matching attribute data with high-level characters!

Currently holding five secondary professions, although it wasn't the optimal setup for Adrian, it was satisfactory.

Glancing at the experience points, while the experience cost for secondary profession upgrades hadn't doubled yet, Adrian decisively spent 400,000 experience points. He raised both the "Shipwright" and "Doctor" secondary professions to level 10, gaining Strength +10, Endurance +10, Intelligence +10, Charm +10, 40 free attribute points, and 20 skill points.

Sensing the continuous enhancement of his strength, Adrian smiled with satisfaction. Ohara was indeed proving to be a fortunate location!