I Am Not Goblin Slayer
Chapter 20: Professionals, Paths, and Rank 1

"Then I'll briefly explain the basics of professionals to you."  

Grom closed the door, casually pulled out a chair, and gestured for Gauss to sit down with him.  

"In this world, there are various races. You’ve probably noticed in your daily life that the most common ones are gnomes, dwarves, halflings, and half-orcs. These races aren’t very different from us humans, except for some external body shapes and appearances."  

"But there are also some special races, like Dragonborn, elves, orcs, merfolk, banshees, and dragons, who are born with unique powers beyond humans. These powers come as a gift from their bloodlines."  

"Besides the innate power races carry, those who develop extraordinary abilities through training and cultivation are called professionals."  

"Through countless predecessors’ explorations, many unknown professional paths have been discovered. Most of these have vanished into the dust of history, waiting for those destined to unearth them. The most common mainstream professional paths, however, have been passed down from generation to generation until now."  

Gauss listened extremely attentively.  

He knew that having such a chance to learn from experience was rare—he had to find a professional who was willing to share everything openly.  

"Warrior, warlock, mage, ranger, druid, rogue..."  

"These mainstream professions have the highest stability and relatively high potential, so they are suitable for advancement across various races."  

"Here, 'suitable' is only relative. In reality, crossing from an ordinary person to a professional is still a very difficult process."  

"Out of ten adventurers with decent talent, only one might become a professional, or even fewer."  

"I guess you’ve already encountered some preliminary professional skills, right? Like swordsmanship, combat skills, magic, and so forth."  

Grom’s throat felt a bit dry as he spoke, so he poured a glass of water for both himself and Gauss, then looked at Gauss with a confident gaze.  

Gauss nodded.  

There was nothing to hide.  

Since Boss Grom was willing to explain professional knowledge to him for free, it would be rude to hold anything back.  

"Yes, I already have a Ring 0 cantrip called Mage Hand, and, um, a Ring 1 spell called Magic Missile."  

*Cough, cough—*  

Grom, who had been calmly drinking water, suddenly choked on it.  

"Looks like your talent is even better than I imagined."  

After calming himself down, his expression toward Gauss grew more complicated.  

"You must have suddenly learned those two spells right after awakening your magical power, right?"  

Gauss nodded.  

Though it was a reward granted by the Adventurer’s Manual, it indeed came quite suddenly.  

Grom’s face showed a look of confirmation, as if he had just received proof.  

"You’re lucky and talented, kid. You might not fully understand where your magic comes from."  

No, I understand, Gauss thought silently but didn’t interrupt Grom.  

"Some say such sudden flashes of insight are divine blessings, while others say our world is actually filled with all kinds of combat skills and magic inheritances, but most people never encounter them even once in their lifetimes. Occasionally, lucky people like you are given a chance at inheritance."  

"Besides these sudden insights, most people who want to learn combat skills or spells need to study through books or be taught by other professionals, practicing extensively before they have a chance to master them."  

Grom guessed Gauss’s spells were learned through sudden insight rather than acquired through learning resources simply because Gauss didn’t have access to magic learning materials.  

"So, Boss, does mastering combat skills or spells make one a professional?"  

"No, no, no. It’s definitely not that simple," Grom shook his head. "This is just the first step—the most basic threshold. We usually call this stage a professional apprentice."  

"To become a formal professional, you first need to train your chosen skills to an extremely proficient level."  

"How proficient exactly? There’s no quantifiable standard—it’s all about personal feeling."  

"When you train your skills to the appropriate level, you will start to feel a mysterious power in the world guiding you."  

"This guidance is called a professional path."  

"The professional path will condense an invisible entity within your body called a rank."  

"A rank is the source of a professional’s power. Even today, we still cannot give it a precise definition."  

"The mainstream view is that it is a rule-based product formed by the world. When we step onto a professional path and continuously practice that path, we gradually grow stronger."  

Gauss listened somewhat confused but couldn’t help feeling joyful inside. His Adventurer’s Manual could quantify skills, giving him an unmatched advantage.  

"So what I need to do now is to train one spell to extreme proficiency, then I will receive the guidance of power and step onto the mage professional path?"  

"In simple terms, yes, that’s the principle. But in reality, it’s not that simple," Grom nodded. "Training a skill to the guidance stage requires a huge amount of time, and many people never achieve it in their entire lives."  

"This is when a master’s guidance is needed."  

"Even after completing this stage and entering the guidance phase, there are still some difficulties."  

"The professional path subtly transforms the professional’s body. Some people cannot adapt to this transformation and might need potions, reagents, transfer ceremonies, and some special treasures to assist. The methods for assisting advancement vary depending on the profession and each individual’s body. Only when the rank is fully condensed can one be considered a Rank 1 professional."  

"The time to become a professional normally ranges from one or two years at the shortest to several decades at the longest."  

......  

"Thank you, Boss Grom!"  

As Gauss prepared to leave, his mind was already filled with abundant knowledge about professionals.  

He stood up and bowed deeply to Grom.  

In this world, no one treats you well without a reason.  

Even though Grom had a good personality, professionals generally don’t like to teach others for free.  

It’s a simple truth: professional cultivation requires external resources—whether armor, weapons, or cultivation aids.  

Resources are limited, so teaching one more professional means adding another competitor.  

Grom most likely saw potential in Gauss, wanted to nurture a good relationship, or perhaps his brief past experience working here helped. In any case, Grom shared many secrets about professionals with him.  

For example, if he wanted to become a mage, it would be best to have a magic wand.  

A magic wand greatly enhances a mage’s power—not just in combat but also in daily cultivation, accelerating spell practice.  

The Life Magic Stone Grom showed him was one of the materials used to make wands.  

Toward the end, Grom seemed to feel he had revealed too much, so he quickly added that he had heard it from a professional friend.  

Gauss naturally did not expose him.  

They tacitly maintained their mutual understanding.  

"Boss, I’ll be going now."  

"Alright, come back to see me when you have the chance."  

Grom waved his hand, watching Gauss’s retreating figure with a somewhat absent gaze.  

It was as if he saw himself decades ago—ambitious and setting out to explore the world.  

Back then, he was also so full of spirit and ambition.  

Professionals, or adventurers, are extraordinary people by nature. They crave excitement and live lives others dare not tread.  

"Boss! I’ve decided—I want to become an adventurer like Gauss! I don’t want to be a blacksmith anymore!"  

"Malin... I’m going to say something that might upset you."  

"I think blacksmithing suits you better."