"Cold reading, acting, sketching, deduction, arithmetic, psychology, Machiavellianism, cooking, hunting… there are too many. How is this possible?"
Normal people only have three or four specializations. Yang Jing having four was already exceptionally gifted, and Ninjutsu was clearly added to make up the numbers.
But Siegfried's specializations, filling half a page and covering various fields, almost all had proficiency levels above 40%.
Siegfried didn't realize his own abnormality, but Yang Jing did.
Two years ago, she was chosen by Shannon to become a wanderer because of her unique specialization in Animal Communication.
In the two years since, whether on Earth or in the various worlds she had wandered, she had never seen any creature with more than five specializations.
The term "specialization" definitely didn't mean you just knew a little bit.
For example, knowing how to drive wouldn't count as a specialization.
You'd have to know how to do a launch control, drift, take fast corners, and other cool driving techniques to count as a specialization, and that would only be a beginner level of proficiency. If you could beat that AE86 on Mount Akina, congratulations, that's at least a master-level driving skill.
Yang Jing stiffened, her inner turmoil evident to anyone.
(Is this even human?)
What kind of experiences would someone need to master so many survival skills?
"Um? What's wrong?"
Siegfried asked in surprise. Could his stats really be that pathetic?
"Ah, no, nothing…"
(Didn't Shannon tell him about the function of specializations? Could it be that even Shannon doesn't understand what's going on?)
After pondering for a while, Yang Jing made up her mind.
Siegfried had many specializations, but almost none were suitable for combat. He had again chosen an extremely difficult path to complete his mission. If left alone, he would surely die halfway through.
Yang Jing didn't have many friends, and she was unwilling to see this companion, who shared a similar experience, die in this strange other world. So she said solemnly,
"I looked at your status bar. For someone without a class, a C-rank overall rating is already impressive."
"Class?"
Siegfried realized that his class had always been Villager, the lowest-level unit in the game, who hadn't yet advanced.
"In this world, everyone's combat power can be judged by their class."
"Take the Knight class as an example. An Apprentice Knight usually has a D-rank overall rating, a Knight is C, a Great Knight is B, a Golden Knight is A, a Holy Knight is S, and an Epic Knight is SS."
"I'm an Assassin Master in the Thief class, equivalent to the Golden Knight level. We wanderers can hold multiple classes simultaneously, but we can only equip one at a time. Equipping a class grants corresponding ability boosts. Warriors are more inclined towards strength, assassins towards agility, knights are all-rounders, and mages have increased magic and intelligence."
Yang Jing tirelessly explained the methods of improving strength in this world, and Siegfried, using his powerful memory, recorded this crucial knowledge.
"Generally, the human limit is S-rank. Beyond that lies the legendary realm, special classes, the most representative of which are…"
"Heroes and Demon Lords," Siegfried interjected instinctively.
"Yes, these two classes are exceptional SSS-rank. Be careful when impersonating one; with your strength, you might easily be exposed."
Siegfried's eye twitched. It seemed this woman had no intention of forgetting what happened earlier.
"The method of obtaining a class is simple: learn the martial arts or magic of that class."
"Taking my class as an example, you must first learn the martial art [Concealed Aura]. Once you learn it, you become a formal Thief and gain a class."
"To further advance, learn the martial arts of Assassin and Assassin Master. Mages advance in a similar way."
It sounds simple, but even learning [Concealed Aura] is impossible for ordinary people.
Yang Jing's body, called "Xing Mei," came from a wealthy background, having access to the Assassin's Guild in the capital, allowing her to receive systematic training at the guild's training academy.
Ordinary people don't have such opportunities, relying only on talent to learn. For example, Roland, a cheat, had mastered half of [Knight's Charge] by the age of seven, becoming a semi-formal knight.
"Thank you, this is truly helpful," Siegfried thanked again solemnly. Yang Jing wasn't a talkative person. She wouldn't say so much unless it was to help him avoid unnecessary detours.
This was something he couldn't ask Krinhide and the others. After all, how could the current Mulan heir, a prospective hero, not know such a thing?
However, Yang Jing didn't respond to Siegfried's thanks. With a worried expression, she hesitated before continuing,
"There's one more thing…"
"What?"
Seeing Yang Jing's grim expression, Siegfried also became serious.
"Your specializations…"
"Specializations that reach expert proficiency can be converted into mental skills. At the end of each stage mission, you can choose one expert-level specialization for Shannon to convert into a mental skill."
Yang Jing ultimately couldn't bring herself to say it, only repeating common wanderer knowledge, hoping to get Siegfried's attention. This was too unusual; even Shannon hadn't mentioned it, and she didn't dare to say anything casually for fear of mistakes.
"Yes, I know that."
Siegfried replied.
One [Deceitful Speech] allowed him to "massacre" Roland, a Golden Knight. He suddenly became curious about what would happen if all his specializations were converted into mental skills…
"Shannon! Shannon! What would happen if all my specializations were converted into mental skills?"
Unusually, the Shannon system didn't answer him immediately.
After a long silence, when Siegfried thought his system mother had run away, Shannon's voice echoed in his mind.
For some reason, Siegfried felt that this time, the voice lacked its mechanical quality, possessing a more lively, human-like feel, as if the real Shannon was speaking.
[Humans usually use this word to describe such beings.]
[God.]
Hiss~
Siegfried gasped. He truly hadn't expected this answer.
"Ahem, it's getting late. Roland and the others must have finished work. Let's go back. We can discuss the rest in the village."
"As you say."
......
Back to the present, in Siegfried's room.
The man was writhing on the bed like a dying maggot, his ten toes curled together, his head frantically rubbing against the mattress.
"Are you stupid? Are you stupid! What 'drop your weapon, and I'll spare your life'? Stupid! Stupid!"
"I want to die, I want to die. I don't want to go back. Let me settle here. I can't stand Earth anymore!"
Back in the forest, his attention had been on Yang Jing. Now, back in his room and calm,
the man was experiencing severe mental exhaustion…
(I underestimated it, I underestimated it. I never expected to meet an acquaintance in another world…)
Since arriving in the Kirand continent, Siegfried's wild heart, bound by the laws of a civilized society, had been completely liberated. His inherent nature of being brave, combative, and fond of showing off was fully awakened, as if he had returned to the peak of his sixteen-year-old self, sneaking into the teacher's office with a group of friends to steal meal tickets.
The villagers' praise, Catalina's adoration, Roland's apprehension, the soldiers' fear, Krinhide's expectations.
All of this, like an addiction, had made Siegfried sink into it, unable to extricate himself.
He had truly taken on the identity of the current Mulan heir, truly believing himself to be the future hero.
Until,
a narcotics police officer named Yang Jing kicked open his opium den…
[I'll count to five. If you don't come out, I'll destroy this entire forest.] Shannon added another blow indifferently.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
As if suffering a PTSD attack, Siegfried let out a piercing scream, violently banging his head against the wall.
"What's wrong?"
The door had opened at some point, a cold figure standing there.
Yang Jing looked at the frenzied Siegfried with concern.
Siegfried immediately turned around, sat on the edge of the bed, crossed his legs, and flashed a refined smile, his movements as fast as lightning.
"Nothing, exercising."
"But you were just…"
"What do you need?" Siegfried's smile was gentle, yet carried an oppressive aura that brooked no further questions.
Yang Jing fell silent, not speaking for a long time.
Siegfried surprisingly noticed that the cold woman's cheeks were slightly flushed, her demeanor somewhat girlish and hesitant.
(Am I seeing ghosts?)
"What's wrong?"
Yang Jing, expressionless, said casually,
"Don't tell anyone about what happened here."
"Oh, that's it. I know, that's not rea…"
Siegfried stopped mid-sentence.
At that moment, he realized something, and the next second, his mouth stretched almost to his ears.
(That's right~ It's not just me who's letting loose.)
He recalled Yang Jing's experiences over the past six months.
This cold woman had designed her unique battle outfit, meticulously embroidering a plum blossom on her right shoulder.
And the 12% Ninjutsu specialization was undoubtedly self-taught during one of her episodes.
People are like that. You wouldn't want to be embarrassed alone, but if someone is embarrassed with you, it doesn't seem so shameful.
Siegfried flashed to Yang Jing's side, pinning her against the door.
"Miss Yang, you wouldn't want me to spread your strange hobbies, would you? You know, I'm quite good at sketching."
This dog man was always so precise in exploiting people's weaknesses.
Yang Jing's face darkened.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing much. You forget about today, and I won't talk about it. Let's agree to disagree."
"...…As expected of the mouthy hero."
Siegfried was choked, almost unable to breathe.
(Damn woman! If I weren't weaker than you…)
"You want mutual destruction? Fine! When we return from the mission, the whole company will know that the ice beauty is actually a silly beauty."
Yang Jing glanced at him disdainfully and replied coldly:
"Let's make a contract."
She tore a blank piece of paper from her wanderer's handbook, took out a pen from her inventory, and wrote "Contract" at the top of the paper.
A flash of white light, and a series of contractual information appeared on the paper, including malicious clauses such as impotence if the secret was revealed.
In the bottom right corner of the contract were two blanks for names.
Siegfried was surprised. The wanderer's handbook had many more functions than he knew.
The contract was proof, the historian the witness.
As Siegfried signed the paper, he suddenly felt something.
He looked up at Yang Jing, only to find the cold woman also looking at him.
In a small village house in another world, two people from the same hometown suddenly smiled at each other,
the last bit of estrangement disappearing at that moment.