[Profession Acquired. Current Profession: Hunter]

[Attribute Bonus Acquired: Power +0.5, Agility +1]

The Attribute Bonus from the Basic Profession of Hunter felt insignificant compared to the boost he’d received from becoming a Blacksmith.

So, he just gave a slight nod and moved his gaze downward.

[Trait Acquired: Animal Companion]

[Animal Companion: When activated, allows communication with non-human creatures of a certain intelligence. Duration is dependent on Spiritual Attribute Value.]

’Animal Companion? Another Trait I can actively turn on!’

Roland licked his lips in excitement after reading the description for Animal Companion.

Given his experience with the [Concentration] Trait, he felt that active Traits were far more flexible than passive ones and could produce unexpected results at critical moments.

With that in mind, he silently willed the Trait to activate.

The moment that thought flashed through his mind, Roland suddenly felt a strange ringing in his eardrums.

It was as if someone had gently struck a Silver Coin next to his ear, the resonance echoing long within his skull.

He instinctively covered his ears, only to realize the sound wasn’t coming from outside.

Light from the dense forest filtered through layers of leaves, casting dappled shadows at the edge of the cave.

A Red Squirrel was clutching an acorn, watching him warily, its little nose twitching nonstop.

But now, in Roland’s ears, those tiny sniffling sounds had transformed into fragmented whispers.

"...Danger...two-legger...hide..."

Roland’s eyes widened in shock.

Only then did he realize the entire forest was awakening in his ears.

After he subconsciously stepped out of the cave, the sounds in his ears grew even more chaotic.

The chirping of sparrows in the treetops was no longer meaningless noise; it had turned into gossipy chatter, like that of old women.

"Worms! There are fat worms over there!"

From the rustling of a nearby bush came the panicked muttering of a wild rabbit.

"Footsteps too loud...too loud..."

The most chilling part was when he accidentally snapped a dry twig. The entire forest fell silent for a brief moment.

Countless invisible gazes shot toward him from all directions, and the fragmented whispers instantly became a unified warning.

"Danger!"

"Run!"

"It’s the scent of a hunter!"

Roland’s temples began to throb, and a cold, stinging sensation crawled up his spine.

Right then, his brain felt like it had been force-fed dozens of noisy radio stations, with all sorts of thought fragments flooding in.

A crow’s hoarse laughter came from the canopy.

"He’s going crazy, going crazy!"

And a mole under the soil was letting out a muffled complaint.

"Another earthquake...?"

Just as his consciousness was about to be overwhelmed by the sounds, Roland forcefully deactivated the [Animal Companion] Trait.

The world fell silent in an instant, leaving only his own ragged breathing echoing through the forest.

The Red Squirrel had long since vanished without a trace, leaving only a half-eaten acorn rolling on the moss.

"It seems..."

Roland wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and shook his head gently.

"Making friends with animals isn’t so simple after all."

With a soft sigh, he slowly returned to the cave and shifted his gaze downward again.

When a series of golden characters flashed before his eyes, the corners of Roland’s mouth curled up slightly in a knowing smile.

’Just as I expected. Professional Resonance only occurs between Professions of the same tier.’

’Basic Professions with Basic Professions, Upper-tier Professions with Upper-tier Professions. That’s the pattern for triggering resonance.’

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but look forward to the Extra Benefits that would come from triggering resonance between Upper-tier Professions.

’Too bad that besides Blacksmith, I haven’t unlocked any other Upper-tier Professions yet...’

Shaking his head slightly, Roland turned his gaze back to the Professional Panel.

[Student Profession detected. Professional Resonance can be triggered.]

[Professional Resonance Activated]

[Hunter + Student]

[Extra Benefit Acquired: Ecologist]

[Ecologist: Chance to obtain Eco-Notes when engaging an enemy in combat.]

’Eco-Notes?’

Roland’s brow furrowed as he fell into a brief moment of thought.

A moment later, he gently shook his head.

’Speculating now is pointless. I’ll find out what these Eco-Notes are once I’m in a real fight.’

Setting the question aside for now, he continued to scan the information on his Professional Panel.

[Hunter + New Recruit]

[Extra Benefit Acquired: Adaptability Training]

[Adaptability Training: When fighting or exploring in wilderness environments such as forests or snowfields, gain an Agility Attribute Bonus over time. The bonus is dependent on your base Agility Value.]

’Whoa! This one’s not bad at all!’

Roland unconsciously stroked his smooth chin, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

’According to this description, my speed will increase the longer I fight in the wilderness? This basically turns forests and snowfields into my home turf!’

An image of himself darting through the jungle like the wind appeared in his mind, and Roland couldn’t help but feel captivated.

But soon, his rational side cooled him down.

’But what exactly counts as "wilderness"? What are the values and frequency of the Agility bonus? Is there a stacking limit? I’ll need to verify all of this...’

As he was pondering, another line of golden text leaped into view.

[Hunter + Blacksmith Apprentice]

[Extra Benefit Acquired: Battlefield Maintenance]

[Battlefield Maintenance: Increases the durability of held weapons during combat.]

’This benefit is also very practical...’

Thinking of the [Standardized Production] he had acquired earlier, Roland’s eyes suddenly lit up.

’[Standardized Production] can improve a weapon’s quality through repeated forging, and Battlefield Maintenance can extend its durability... If I combine the two, wouldn’t the weapons I use be...’

As he was lost in thought, a faint cough suddenly reached his ears.

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."

Roland followed the sound and saw Dalko slowly opening his eyes.

The young noble master first looked around blankly, his gaze finally settling on Roland.

"Roland? Oh... right..."

Dalko shook his groggy head. His voice was weak, and even his once-brilliant blond hair seemed to have dimmed a little.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Not long."

Roland checked his wounds again and, after confirming there was no serious bleeding, patted him gently on the shoulder.

"You can rest a while longer. Don’t worry, I’ll keep watch. If there’s any danger, I’ll wake you immediately."

"Thank... thank you so much, Roland..."

Dalko gazed at Roland’s slightly weary face, a flash of guilt in his eyes.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke.

"Roland, is there anything you want? Coins, beautiful women... as long as I have it, I can give it to you."

As if afraid of being misunderstood, he quickly added.

"I’m not saying this because I’m afraid you’ll abandon me. I just... want to repay your kindness."

"Heh..."

Seeing the sincere look in his eyes, Roland let out a soft chuckle.

He didn’t doubt Dalko’s sincerity.

From his original body’s memories, this young noble, despite possessing the typical arrogance of a high-ranking aristocrat, had always been generous and a man of his word.

But beautiful women...

He had no need for them.

As for money, while he wasn’t wealthy, he wasn’t destitute either.

Besides, given the life-and-death bond they now shared, if he needed some coins in the future, would Dalko really refuse as long as the amount wasn’t too large?

With this in mind, Roland tested him with a half-joking question.

"In that case, I want a Knight’s Breathing Technique. Do you have one?"

"Uh... about that..."

Dalko was suddenly at a loss for words.

Remembering the grand promise he had just made, he twitched his nose and said awkwardly.

"Sorry, Roland... a minor noble like me doesn’t have a legacy Breathing Technique..."

"Is that so?"

Roland raised an eyebrow slightly.

"But I remember you always saying you wanted to be a Knight. Did I remember wrong?"

"I did say that..."

Dalko struggled to adjust his sitting position, sucking in a sharp breath as his wounds twinged.

"But the way I would acquire a Breathing Technique is rather special..."

"I’d use my noble privilege to enter the Knight Academy without an exam. Only after successfully graduating could I obtain a Knight’s Breathing Technique. It’s just..."

He added with a bitter smile.

"According to the noble treaty, I’m forbidden from teaching it to anyone privately. I’m really sorry..."

’Knight Academy?’

’Noble treaty?’

Two more unfamiliar terms.

Seeing Roland remain silent, Dalko pursed his lips nervously.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"Wait! My family does have a legacy Combat Skill!"

"Combat Skills?"

Roland’s attention was pulled back.

"That’s right!"

Dalko said excitedly.

"Teaching Combat Skills isn’t restricted by the noble treaty. I can have my father give you the secret scroll to study. It’s just..."

At this, his voice unconsciously dropped as he recalled his own years of fruitless practice.

"It’s just that this particular Combat Skill... is extremely difficult to learn. Very few people have ever truly mastered it..."

Seemingly realizing his promise sounded a bit like a joke, Dalko quickly added.

"But, including that Combat Skill, just tell me whatever else you want..."

"Alright, alright, Dalko..."

Looking at the excited young noble, Roland gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"The most important thing for you right now is to recover. As for the reward, let’s talk about it after we get back to the manor safely, okay?"

"That... uh..."

Thinking about their current situation, Dalko deflated.

"You’re right, Roland."

Noticing the young noble’s dejected expression, Roland raised an eyebrow.

"However... I do actually have something I need your help with right now."

"Help?"

Dalko’s eyes lit up. If it weren’t for his injuries, he would have thumped his chest in assurance.

"Just tell me what you need!"

"Do you have any food on you?"

"Of course. Are you hungry?"

Dalko turned his head, gesturing with his eyes.

"There’s some emergency food in the pouch at my waist. Take it and eat. As for me..."

He licked his chapped lips.

"I... I’m not hungry yet..."

"Hah..."

Seeing Dalko trying to put on a brave face, Roland shook his head helplessly.

He took the pouch and untied the string.

Inside were bread, smoked meat, and a large block of butter.

’This guy’s emergency food is better than what I usually eat...’

Roland grumbled to himself as he divided the food into two portions. Ignoring Dalko’s protests, he shoved one portion into the young noble’s mouth.

Afterward, his gaze shifted toward the cave entrance.

Not far away, a small squirrel was nibbling on a pinecone with great relish, looking utterly adorable.