"Cold reading, acting, sketching, deduction, arithmetic, psychology, manipulation tactics, cooking, hunting... there's too many! How is this possible?"

Normal people only have three to four specializations. Yang Jing having four was already considered exceptionally talented, and her ninjutsu was obviously just padding.

But Siegfried's specializations filled half the page, covering various fields, and almost all had proficiency levels above 40%.

Siegfried hadn't realized his own abnormality, but Yang Jing understood.

Two years ago, she was chosen by Shannon to become a Wanderer because of her special Animal Communication specialization.

In these two years, whether on Earth or in the various worlds she had wandered through, she had never seen any being with more than five specializations.

A specialization wasn't just about knowing a little bit of something.

For example, knowing how to drive a car didn't count as a specialization.

You needed to master launch control, drifting, fast cornering and other flashy driving techniques to count as having a specialization, and that would only be beginner level proficiency. If you could beat that AE86 on Mount Akina, congratulations - that would be at least master-level driving technique.

Yang Jing stiffly raised her head, and anyone could see the shock in her heart at this moment.

(Is he even human?)

What kind of experiences would someone need to go through to master so many survival skills?

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Siegfried asked in surprise. Were his stats really that pathetically awful?

"Ah, no, it's nothing..."

(Did Shannon not tell him about the purpose of specializations? Could it be that even Shannon doesn't understand what's going on with him?)

After pondering repeatedly for a while, Yang Jing made up her mind.

Although Siegfried had many specializations, almost none were suited for combat. This time he had also chosen an extremely difficult route to complete his mission. If left unchecked, he would surely die halfway through.

Yang Jing didn't have many friends, and she was very unwilling to see this friend who shared similar circumstances die in this strange otherworld. So she spoke solemnly:

"I've seen your status page. A C-rank overall rating without a class is already quite impressive."

"Class?"

Siegfried only then realized his class had always been Villager - the lowest tier unit in games that hadn't even undergone class advancement yet.

"In this world, everyone's combat power can be judged by their class."

"Taking the Knight profession as an example, Apprentice Knights usually have D-rank overall ratings, formal Knights are C-rank, Great Knights are B-rank, Golden Knights are A-rank, Holy Knights are S-rank, and Epic Knights are SS-rank."

"I'm a Master Assassin of the Thief profession, equivalent to the Golden Knight level. We Wanderers can hold multiple classes simultaneously, but can only equip one at a time. Whichever class you equip, you gain corresponding ability boosts. Warriors tend toward strength, Assassins toward agility, Knights are all-rounders, and Mages increase magic power and intelligence."

Yang Jing explained the methods of strengthening oneself in this world at length, while Siegfried used his powerful memory to record this important knowledge.

"Under normal circumstances, S-rank is the limit humans can reach. Beyond that is the realm of legends, special classes, among which the most representative are..."

"Hero and Demon King," Siegfried instinctively cut in.

"Right, these two classes are exceptional SSS-rank. You need to be careful when impersonating one - with your actual strength, you could easily be exposed."

Siegfried's eye twitched. Clearly this woman had no intention of forgetting what happened earlier.

"Getting a class is simple - just learn that class's combat skills or magic."

"Taking my class as an example, first you need to learn the [Presence Concealment] combat skill. Once you learn it, you become a formal Thief and gain the class."

"To continue advancing the class, you learn Assassin and Master Assassin combat skills. Mages advance in a similar way."

It sounds simple, but for common folk, even learning [Presence Concealment] would be nearly impossible.

Yang Jing's current body "Xingmei" came from a privileged background and could access the Assassins' Brotherhood in the capital, allowing her to receive systematic education at the Brotherhood's assassin training school.

Common people don't have such connections and can only rely on talent for self-enlightenment. Like that cheater Roland, who at age seven had already self-enlightened halfway through [Knight's Charge], becoming half a formal Knight.

"Thank you, this is really helpful." Siegfried thanked her earnestly again. Yang Jing wasn't talkative, so her saying so much today must have been to help him avoid detours.

This wasn't something he could ask Kriemhild and the others about. After all, how could the current Meilan, a Hero candidate, not know such things?

However, Yang Jing didn't respond to Siegfried's thanks. She showed a worried expression and continued somewhat hesitantly:

"There's one more thing..."

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"What is it?"

Seeing Yang Jing's troubled expression, Siegfried also became serious.

"Your specializations..."

"Once specializations reach Expert level proficiency, they can be converted into Will Power. After each stage mission, you can choose one Expert-level specialization for Shannon to convert into Will Power."

Yang Jing ultimately couldn't say what she wanted to say, only repeating common knowledge about Wanderers, hoping to draw Siegfried's attention. This matter was too abnormal - even Shannon hadn't mentioned it. She didn't dare speak carelessly for fear of causing problems.

"Mm, I know that."

Siegfried replied.

Just one [Deceptive Speech] had allowed him to "dominate" against someone like Roland, a Golden Knight. He suddenly became curious about what would happen if all these specializations were converted to Will Power...

"Shannon! Shannon! What would happen if I converted all these specializations into Will Power?"

Unusually, the Shannon System didn't immediately answer him.

After such a long silence that Siegfried thought his system mom had gotten lost, Shannon's voice finally rang in his mind.

For some reason, Siegfried felt this time the voice seemed to have less of that mechanical feel, with more of the vitality of a living person, as if the real Shannon was speaking.

[Humans usually use this word to describe that kind of being.]

[God.]

Hiss~

Siegfried sharply inhaled. This answer, he truly hadn't expected it.

"Ahem, it's getting late. Roland and the others have probably finished work. Let's head back and continue this discussion in the village."

"As you say."

......

Back to the present, in Siegfried's room.

The man was writhing frantically on the bed like a dying maggot, his ten toes tightly curled together, his head desperately rubbing against the mattress.

"Are you an idiot? You must be an idiot! What 'put down your weapons and I'll spare your life.' How stupid! How stupid!"

"I want to die, I want to die, I don't want to go back, let's just settle down here, I can't face Earth anymore!"

Earlier in the forest his attention had been focused on Yang Jing, but now back in his room after calming down,

This man had fallen into severe mental exhaustion...

(I was careless, so careless, never expected to meet an acquaintance in another world...)

Since coming to the Qilan Continent, Siegfried's wild heart, previously constrained by civilized society, had been completely liberated. His inherent nature of being bold and attention-seeking was fully awakened, as if returning to his peak at sixteen when he led a group of friends to sneak into the teachers' office to steal meal tickets.

The villagers' praise, Catalina's admiration, Roland's wariness, the soldiers' fear, Kriemhild's expectations.

All of this, like an addiction, had made Siegfried sink in without being able to break free.

He had truly immersed himself in the identity of the current Meilan, truly believed himself to be the future Hero.

Until,

A narcotics officer named Yang Jing kicked open the door of his opium den...

[I'll count to five. If you don't come out, I'll destroy this entire forest.] Shannon added another stab nonchalantly.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

As if having a PTSD attack, Siegfried suddenly let out a piercing scream, violently banging his head against the wall.

"What's wrong with you?"

The door had been opened at some point, and a cool feminine figure was standing there.

Yang Jing looked somewhat worriedly at the frenzied Siegfried.

Siegfried immediately turned around to sit on the edge of the bed, crossed his legs and showed an elegant smile, moving as fast as lightning.

"Nothing, just exercising."

"But just now you..."

"Did you need something?" Siegfried's smile was gentle but carried an oppressive force that brooked no further questions.

Yang Jing fell silent, saying nothing for a while.

Siegfried was surprised to find this cool woman's cheeks slightly flushed, showing an unexpectedly girlish demeanor as she fidgeted.

(What in the world?)

"Did something happen?"

Yang Jing spoke expressionlessly, as if just mentioning it casually:

"Don't tell anyone about what happened in this world."

"Oh, that. I know, it's only natural..."

Siegfried stopped halfway through his sentence.

At this moment he realized something, and in the next second after realizing it, his grin nearly reached his ears.

(Oh right~ I'm not the only one who let loose.)

Memories of Yang Jing's experiences over the past half year floated through his mind.

This cool woman had designed that unique battle outfit herself, personally embroidering a plum blossom on the right shoulder stitch by stitch.

And that flexible sword - Siegfried had thought it looked familiar. Wasn't it the Orchid Sword used by Li Yuanfang in "Detective Di Renjie"?

And, and, that 12% ninjutsu specialization was undoubtedly self-taught during one of her otaku moments.

People are like this - if you have to face social death alone you definitely won't want to, but if someone accompanies you in social death, it somehow doesn't seem so shameful anymore.

Siegfried flash-stepped in front of Yang Jing, pinning her against the door.

"Miss Yang, you wouldn't want me spreading word about these strange hobbies of yours, right? You know, I'm very good at sketching."

This bastard was always so precise when it came to grasping others' weaknesses.

Yang Jing's face immediately darkened.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing much. You forget about what happened today, and I won't go around talking. We'll stay out of each other's business."

"...As expected of the Glib Hero."

Siegfried nearly choked on his breath.

(You witch! If only I could beat you...)

"Want mutual assured destruction? Fine! When we return from the mission, the whole company will know the ice sculpture beauty is actually a silly beauty."

Yang Jing gave him a disdainful glance and replied coolly:

"Let's make a contract."

She then tore a blank page from her Wanderer handbook and took out a pen from her inventory, writing "Contract" at the top of the paper.

A flash of white light, and a series of contract terms appeared on the entire page, including vicious clauses like becoming impotent if the secret was revealed.

In the bottom right corner were two blank spaces for signatures.

Siegfried was startled - there were still many functions of the Wanderer handbook he didn't know about.

With contract as proof, and the historian as witness.

When Siegfried signed the paper, he suddenly had a feeling.

He looked up at Yang Jing, only to find the cool woman was also looking at him.

In a small cottage in a village in another world, two people from the same hometown suddenly smiled at each other,

The last bit of estrangement dissipated at this moment.