"Accept Profession!"

[Profession Accepted. Current Profession: Fisherman]

[Received Attribute Bonus: Power +1, Agility +1]

[Acquired Trait: Hydrological Intuition]

[Hydrological Intuition: Automatically perceive the location of fish-type creatures when near a body of water. The optimal fishing spot will be marked by a rippling water effect. Perception range is determined by the Spiritual Attribute.]

The moment the system notification faded, a cool sensation spread from the back of his neck throughout his entire body.

Roland suddenly felt his consciousness spread rapidly through the surrounding sea, like a drop of ink in water.

When he subconsciously focused his attention, the once murky seawater instantly became transparent.

Schools of tuna darted beneath the boat, their paths traced in golden threads, while groupers lurking among the reefs shimmered with an orange-red glow.

Even schools of sardines, usually difficult to spot, were now as clearly visible as the Milky Way in the night sky.

’Hydrological Intuition, huh? It’s a Trait that’s better than nothing, I guess... No, wait!’

His fingertips unconsciously tapped the edge of the boat, his gaze suddenly freezing on the first line of the Trait’s description.

’Fish-type creatures? In that case....’

Recalling the Fishman attacks he had endured in the Deep Sea, Roland slowly furrowed his brow.

’Do Fishmen count as fish-type creatures? If so...’

Thinking of those Demons that moved without a trace in the Deep Sea, often launching surprise attacks the moment he let his guard down, the corners of Roland’s mouth curled up slightly.

’If I can sense the movements of Fishmen, then this Trait will be a huge help in combat!’

As he was pondering, another line of gold text appeared before his eyes.

However, to his surprise, what appeared on the Professional Panel wasn’t the usual Extra Benefit triggered by Professional Resonance, but rather a passage of text that was somewhat unfamiliar to Roland.

[Host has acquired the Basic Profession: Fisherman.]

[Host has acquired the Upper-tier Profession: Warrior.]

[Searching...]

[Search complete. Hidden Profession available: Pirate.]

[Requirements: Power 7, Agility 9, 2/4 Sea Survival Skills, 2/2 Short-Handled Weapon Skills, Plunder 0/5 large ships.]

[Host does not meet the requirements.]

’A hidden Profession?’

As the gold text fully appeared, Roland’s eyes widened in astonishment.

He clearly remembered that the game he had downloaded before mentioned a Profession line specifically for combat on water in its promotional material.

But its starting point was Sailor, and after several advancements, the final Profession was Captain. There was never any mention of anything related to Pirates.

In fact, in the game, Pirates usually appeared as enemy NPCs.

’So besides triggering Resonance for benefits, Professions can also activate hidden Professions?’

Roland looked thoughtfully at the Profession section on his panel.

Including Fisherman, he had already acquired ten Professions, but had only activated a single hidden one.

’Could it be that there are other hidden requirements besides the Profession combination?’

Shaking his head, Roland temporarily pushed these jumbled thoughts to the back of his mind.

’In any case, triggering a new Profession is always a good thing. As for the requirements....’

His gaze fell on the last line of the requirements, and his brow furrowed.

’My Power and Agility already meet the standards, and the two Sea Survival Skills are no problem either, but this "Plunder five large ships" requirement...’

The problem wasn’t that large ships were hard to find.

In the River Domain, large merchant ships traveling back and forth were a common sight.

With his current strength, plundering a large merchant ship without a Transcendent on board would be a piece of cake.

But doing so would not only completely offend the merchant powers of the River Domain, it would also be morally unjustifiable.

Considering he might be staying in the River Domain for a long time, and now that he had accepted Colin’s offer, he was already branded as part of the Merchant Faction.

If he were to plunder the merchant guilds’ ships now...

He only wanted to meet the Profession’s requirements; he had no desire to actually become a notorious, fugitive Pirate.

The sun sank in the west, and the melodious ringing of a bell from a distant lighthouse echoed, reminding the fishing boats at sea to return to port.

Roland looked toward the sound. Seeing the gradually darkening sky, he shook his head gently. Without taking the time to check the various benefits triggered by the [Fisherman] Profession, he skillfully turned the boat around and headed for the harbor.

’I should think more carefully about acquiring the [Pirate] Profession...’ he mused to himself.

Under his control, the small boat cut through the calm water and soon reached the shore.

After going ashore, Roland casually sold his fresh catch to a nearby fishmonger.

Since his [Fishing] skill was already at Full Level, he probably wouldn’t be making a living by fishing anymore.

As for leveling up his [Culinary Skill], that could be done with other ingredients.

After dealing with the fish, Roland returned home, changed into a proper formal suit, and then followed Galvis to Marston’s mansion.

"Whoa! There are a lot of people here!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

As soon as they got off the boat, Galvis strummed his Harp and marveled at the bustling crowd in front of the mansion.

"As expected of the leader of the River Domain’s noble faction. This kind of pomp is truly extraordinary."

Roland ignored his companion’s exaggerated behavior, instead carefully observing the nobles coming and going.

Similar to the nobles of the Golden Valley Kingdom, these people were all dressed in lavish attire.

The difference, however, was that although their every move followed the rules of etiquette, there was an air of deliberate stiffness about them.

It was as if they were clumsily imitating the proper bearing of nobility, completely lacking the innate, graceful air that Roland remembered.

"Let’s go, Roland!"

Galvis stood at the entrance of the mansion, acting as if he could already smell the wafting aroma of fine wine and roasted meat.

This made the Minstrel, who had eaten nothing but fish for several days straight, suddenly ravenous. He eagerly pulled Roland toward the inside of the mansion.

When the Guards at the door saw Galvis, not only did they not stop him, they even smiled familiarly and bantered with him a bit.

It was clear that the Minstrel’s claim of being in his element among noble circles was no exaggeration.

Under his guidance, Roland easily passed through the ornately decorated corridors and smoothly entered the banquet hall.

"Roland..."

Galvis took a glass of wine from a passing waiter, drained it in one gulp, and then smacked his lips, wanting more.

"I have to go on stage to perform soon, so I need to go prepare. See..."

He gestured with his eyes toward several prominent guests in the hall.

"That one, that one over there, and that one, they’re all influential figures in the River Domain’s noble faction. If you’re not in a hurry, wait for me and I’ll introduce you later."

Patting Roland lightly on the shoulder, Galvis whispered a few more instructions before leaving.

After a slight nod, Roland scanned his surroundings and found that the atmosphere here was exactly the same as at the banquets in Distant Harbor.

Nobles gathered in small groups, raising their glasses and drinking freely, chatting about trivial, romantic dalliances.

Just as he was about to find a quiet corner to check his Professional Panel and study the benefits triggered by the Fisherman Profession’s interaction with his other Professions, a set of steady, powerful footsteps suddenly rang out.

Following the sound, he saw a middle-aged man in a tailored formal suit, surrounded by a crowd, walking slowly toward the center of the hall.