Chapter 6: Profession
The power system of this world was easy to understand.
Profession, Rank, and Spells.
These three formed a closed loop.
What was a profession?
It was like a soul imprint, something everyone was born with and carried throughout their life, providing varying degrees of bonuses in related fields.
Professions usually appeared as marks or patterns on different parts of the body, varying from person to person.
Farmers, blacksmiths, merchants, nobles… these formed the initial professional classes of this world, called “Cornerstones.” Cornerstones generally didn’t have specific professional marks, and no one bothered to check their professions.
However, professions like Swordsman, Priest, Mage, Dragon Knight, Formation Master, Alchemist, etc., had identifying patterns related to their professions, mostly similar, depicting weapons or creatures.
For example, Lena had a black skeletal finger joint tattooed on the back of her left shoulder blade.
This was a traditional symbol for Necromancers, signifying their constant interaction with the dead, skeletons and stitched creatures, death and resurrection.
Back to the topic.
Due to the unique nature of the Knight profession, its owner could designate and bind with a Master, forming a guardian relationship. Regardless of the Knight’s location, they could teleport to their Master’s side at any time to protect them.
This characteristic had allowed Lena to escape danger many times when persecuted by imperial soldiers in her past life.
It could be said that without Ling Ling, Lena would have died long ago, and there would be no “Grey Robe.”
Lena wasn’t sure what Ling Ling’s profession was before she changed classes, nor had she ever heard Ling Ling mention it. So, she decided to find the answer herself…
“Miss! Please don’t take off Ling Ling’s socks! They’re dirty, please don’t keep staring there, wuu…”
“A rare Dancer, what a find.”
Lena slowly lifted Ling Ling’s delicate foot. As the stocking slid down, a pattern gradually appeared on the smooth arch of her foot.
A ballet pointe shoe.
“Small and quite cute…”
Lena put down Ling Ling’s white stocking-clad foot, carefully pulling the stocking back on.
She maintained a half-squatting position throughout, completely unaware of how anxious her actions made the little fox girl feel due to their difference in status.
“Since it’s an extremely rare support profession, we must find a music-related teacher,” Lena mused, stroking her chin.
Although she didn’t understand the specifics of professions, Ling Ling was terrified upon seeing Miss wanting to spend money on her. Her small hands shook even more vigorously than her tail during mealtimes. “No need, no need! Ling Ling isn’t worthy of Miss doing this! Ling Ling… only wants to be Miss’s maid, to repay Miss’s kindness, that’s all.”
She shook her head as she stood up, half-pushing, half-pulling Lena back onto the chair, then knelt down and kissed Lena’s shoe.
“So please don’t waste money on Ling Ling. Ling Ling is already very happy to be by Miss’s side…”
The little fox girl feared this was her last meal. Once she agreed…
However, Lena’s decisions were never reversed.
…
Good steel must be used on the blade.
Support, regardless of time and place, was always the core of a team. She had to focus on cultivating this and couldn’t let it go to waste under her nose.
Lena had suffered too much in her past life.
She would never let Ling Ling suffer the same fate.
A Knight?
That self-sacrificing profession could go to hell!
The randomness of professions meant that a person’s worth was entirely up to fate, and subsequent cultivation also required talent and effort.
No one could remain at the peak forever. Those climbing the mountain were also striving for the summit. Some were born at a high altitude, but if they didn’t strive to improve themselves, they would eventually be pushed down by the flood of climbers, becoming one of the countless skeletons at the foot of the mountain…
The laws of this world were that cruel.
“No one will bully you anymore, I told you that.”
Lena reassured her again.
She stared intently into Ling Ling’s eyes, trying to see through the innocent gaze and understand what the little fox girl was thinking.
However, Ling Ling still didn’t dare to meet her gaze, twisting her fingers slightly and lowering her eyes. It seemed that from the very beginning, Ling Ling had placed herself in an extremely low position, as if it were only natural.
Lena cleared her throat and said solemnly, “Listen, I was wrong about what happened before. I won’t bully you anymore, understand?”
“Un…Understood…”
Ling Ling nodded vigorously.
Still so timid.
Or perhaps, the shadow cast by the original Lena was too deep.
Wound after wound, salted.
The already festering wounds struggled to heal, bleeding profusely…
“Just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Lena didn’t force Ling Ling to agree. There was plenty of time, but at least she had made her stance clear. As for reconciliation…
Let time be the witness.
“If Miss has nothing else, Ling Ling will go back to work,” the little fox girl said softly.
“Mm, watch your step, don’t trip again.”
Lena habitually patted her head.
There was no resistance.
The three most welcomed gestures for fox people: head pats, chin scratches, and ear rubs. Any one of these could easily win the favor of a naive little fox girl.
Lena naturally did so, and even wanted to cultivate it into a good habit, once in the morning, at noon, and at night.
“Purr…”
Ling Ling narrowed her eyes, her soft golden hair rubbing against Lena’s white wrist. The little fox girl couldn’t help but succumb, even wanting to enjoy it a little longer.
“Ling Ling crossed the line!”
Suddenly, like a startled fox, she quickly scurried away, her small hands gripping the doorframe as she peeked back into the study.
Her furtive appearance made one want to hug and pamper her.
“Miss, please stop patting Ling Ling’s head!” The little fox girl tried to communicate.
“Why?” Lena asked with a smile, lazily reclining back on the chaise lounge, her legs crossed, one hand behind her head, exuding a seductive charm.
Ling Ling was mesmerized.
She felt that something about Miss had changed, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She could only stammer, “Because… because Ling Ling doesn’t know what kind of expression to make to please Miss…”
“If you’re unsure, try listening to your heart.”
Lena offered an option.
A multiple-choice question with only one answer.
Given Ling Ling’s innocent nature, she would never refuse her, especially since Ling Ling had nowhere else to go.
“Ling Ling can try…”
Ling Ling replied obediently.
She just hoped Miss wasn’t lying to her.
She had heard rumors of perverse nobles who would buy low-born slave girls, showering them with hope, good food, and comfortable living, and then, when the girls became completely dependent and fell in love with them, they would shatter their dreams.
Lena’s previous behavior was very similar to those perverse nobles in the rumors…
So, the little fox girl hugged her tail and began to tremble.
Her large tail passed between her legs, shielding her small face. “Does Miss have any other instructions…?”
“Come to my room after your bath tonight.”
A light voice drifted from the chaise lounge.
Ling Ling’s face paled upon hearing this, forcing a smile as she agreed.
“And then…”
“Oh, right, why not just bathe in my room? It’ll save time. Make sure you wash thoroughly.” Lena wasn’t intentionally trying to scare her, but in this situation, coupled with her words, the little fox girl, who had suffered before, felt utterly hopeless and walked away as if she had lost her soul.
Miss’s kindness was all an act.
There was no change of heart, just a fleeting dream, a dying person’s fantasy.
Unaware that she had hurt Ling Ling’s feelings, Lena lay comfortably on the chaise lounge, plotting her revenge plan…
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