Adventurer of Many Professions

Manik's concern was understandable. After all, Raymond was his golden goose. If anything went wrong, he might never find such a reliable "underground pharmacist" again.

"Yes! I'll be careful," Raymond nodded, his voice calm, though inwardly he was already planning his next steps.

He instructed Manik to continue gathering the eleven sets of materials for the 'Primary Magic Recovery Potion' the next day, then turned and left the alley.

As he walked through the quiet streets, he found a secluded spot to change out of his disguise. Looking up at the two full moons hanging in the sky, he muttered under his breath, "Tomorrow."

A wry smile tugged at his lips as he thought about what Manik had said earlier and the rumors now swirling around the town of Wittes. The most talented person in the Kingdom of Atlantis? He hadn't expected word to spread so quickly.

Originally, his plan had been simple, just to showcase a little of his talent to attract the right adventurers to his team. He'd barely scratched the surface, and yet here he was, already being hailed as the most talented individual in the entire kingdom.

He couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. He was talented, sure; exceptionally so, but nowhere near as exceptional as the rumors painted him to be. In fact, throughout history, there were many whose talents dwarfed his own. He was no match for the legendary figures of old, who had accomplished feats that seemed impossible even by today's standards.

For instance, there was the 'Hero' who had killed the demon that invaded their world thousands of years ago. This individual was considered the most talented human to ever walk the earth. According to ancient records, the brave man had awakened five professions in total and had even been granted a sixth by the Sun Goddess herself.

Not only that, but this 'Hero' had risen from humble beginnings, becoming a Gold-level adventurer in just one year after awakening his first profession. That was a feat no one else had achieved. His magic affinity was a staggering 8.6, far beyond Raymond's current abilities and he'd mastered at least three skills in each of his five professions. He had even re-awakened one of them a second time.

The hero had been just 20 years old when he killed the Demon King. Even though he admitted that the demon king's death had been due in part to the help of other adventurers, no one could deny that this 'Hero' was the undisputed champion of his time.

Raymond could only shake his head at the idea of ever surpassing such a figure. Even with the help of his system, he didn't think he could match the talent of the legendary hero, not in the short term, anyway.

But that didn't mean he couldn't catch up eventually. The hero had only awakened six professions, yet Raymond had already unlocked ten. There was still room for more, and with time, Raymond was certain his power would surpass even the mightiest of them all.

The "hero" might have had an incredible talent for understanding and mastering skills, but Raymond had something far more valuable: the system. While humans could only rely on their own comprehension to grow, Raymond had an infinite supply of skill points at his disposal. He could constantly learn and upgrade his skills without limitation.

And on top of that, he could still comprehend skills the old-fashioned way if needed. Though, truth be told, he had grown accustomed to relying on the system to handle things for him. Why not take advantage of the convenience, after all?

When Raymond finally returned home, he found Arya waiting for him, a soft smile on her face as she looked up from her spot. The evening had fallen, but there were still thoughts swirling in his mind. Tomorrow would be another step toward something bigger, but for now, he was ready to rest.

As Raymond entered, Arya hurried over to him, her face bright with anticipation. "How many materials did you collect today? Did you manage to get everything?" she asked, practically bouncing on her heels.

Raymond didn't respond verbally. Instead, he handed her the bag of herbs. "Take a look for yourself," he said.

Arya took the bag, eager to see what was inside. She opened it and started going through the herbs one by one. The first thing she checked was the 'Blue Spirit Grass'. Her fingers moved quickly as she counted, and to her surprise, there were eleven.

"Wait... eleven? Why is there one more?" Arya looked up at Raymond, confused.

Raymond hadn't mentioned before that he could make eleven bottles of the 'Primary Magic Recovery Potion'. In fact, he hadn't told her that he had recently awakened a new profession 'Assassin' and hadn't revealed that his production capacity had increased.

"I should have mentioned this earlier," Raymond started, looking somewhat sheepish. "The night before yesterday, I awakened the 'Assassin' profession, which gave me another 100 magic points. So, from now on, I can refine eleven bottles of 'Primary Magic Recovery Potion' every day."

Arya's eyes widened in shock. "You've awakened again?" she gasped, her voice full of astonishment.

Raymond nodded, sensing her surprise. She didn't need to ask more questions; Arya had long since come to expect unexpected developments from him, but hearing about yet another new profession was always a bit of a shock.

As always, each time Raymond awakened a new profession, it added more magic points to his total, making him more powerful and capable. The extra bottle of potion meant an additional eight silver coins each day, nothing to scoff at.

But then Arya fell silent. Raymond noticed the change in her demeanor and frowned. "Arya, what's wrong?"

She hesitated for a moment, then looked up at him, her gaze filled with a quiet uncertainty. "Raymond, what do you think? Do you think we could just stop being adventurers and focus on making potions full-time?"

Raymond blinked, a bit surprised by her suggestion. Arya continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "I know you don't want to expose your multi-professional identity yet. So why don't we just wait a bit longer before revealing it? We don't really need the money anymore. We can make a stable living from refining potions, and you wouldn't need to take on any more risks..."

She looked at him, almost pleading. "You only need to reveal the 'Pharmacist' profession, not the others. Just by being a pharmacist, we'll make plenty of money. We won't have to worry about anything anymore."

Raymond paused. Her words made sense. They didn't have to risk their lives fighting monsters or split their rewards with others. Making potions was more profitable and safer. And they were already doing well, there was no immediate need for adventure.

But as he stood there thinking about it, he realized there was something he couldn't let go of.

Arya was right in saying that they didn't need to keep adventuring. If he just focused on being a pharmacist, they could live comfortably without further danger. But that was only true if he didn't consider his potential as an adventurer, the vast opportunities that came with it.

A professional panel was a powerful thing. It was the key to Raymond's future strength. He couldn't just be content with a safe, stable life. He could feel the potential in him, the drive to grow stronger, to see how far he could truly go.

Quitting adventuring wasn't just about his personal ambitions. He thought about Sylph and Lorene, if he and Arya left the team, what would happen to them? With their skills, they might find new teammates, but not like Raymond and Arya.

The team they had built wasn't just strong; it was exceptional, with two of the most talented individuals in the Kingdom of Atlantis. Raymond's dual-professional status made him one of the most sought-after adventurers. Without him, the team might lose its momentum.

And there was the recruitment drive. The 'Recruitment Notice' had already been sent out, and it was drawing attention from many talented adventurers. If Raymond left now, those recruits, many of whom were undoubtedly drawn in by his reputation, would surely reconsider joining. They would want to join a team with the best, and without Raymond, the team would lose its appeal.