In the treasure chest, there was only one item: a golden scroll filled with mysterious patterns.
Wen Yu looked at the item before him, feeling as if all strength had been drained from his body. Large tears welled up in his eyes and began to fall.
Wen Yu was not afraid of death, but he definitely didn't want to die, especially when Heaven had given him a second chance at life.
This scroll before him had saved his life.
Wen Yu recognized the patterns on the scroll; they were the markings found on a profession-change scroll for a hidden profession.
In his previous life, a year after the apocalypse began, professionists with hidden professions had started to appear en masse, all thanks to items like this.
In Mudanjiang City's largest gathering place, within a treasure land that had existed for three months, a profession-change scroll for a hidden profession—the Chilly Ice Warrior—was produced in large quantities.
Wen Yu had been extremely envious of this item because it was a warrior-type hidden profession he could have changed into.
Unfortunately, no matter how common hidden professions had become, they were still not something a cannon fodder like him could have obtained.
However, the profession-change scroll for the Chilly Ice Warrior was white.
Professions were the fundamental means by which humans grew stronger in the post-apocalyptic world.
The Exchange Stone Pillar offered three basic profession conversions:
Warrior: Excellent in close combat and possesses strong survival abilities.
Archer: Long-range attacks, high lethality.
Mage: Summons the power of elements, extremely destructive.
Hidden professions were not necessarily more powerful than regular ones; the decisive factor of strength lay not in the profession itself, but in its skills.
After a human changed their profession, they would directly ascend to become a Level 1 professionist. Their combat power would be greatly enhanced, and they would gain one skill or talent. Talents could also be considered Passive Skills.
However, the three basic professions all granted the poorest F-Class skills at Level 1.
Of course, these could be erased using a skill forgetting scroll and then replaced with stronger ones via a skill scroll.
The hidden profession Wen Yu had been so eager for in his previous life—the Chilly Ice Warrior—was desirable because it provided a basic C-Class skill.
Skill forgetting scrolls and skill scrolls were not items a cannon fodder could afford.
Every level-up added one skill slot. This meant a Level 10 warrior would possess ten types of skills or abilities. This was the decisive factor for strength in the post-apocalyptic world.
The gap in skills was massive. The lowest-level skills were F-Class, while the highest were SSS-Class. High-level skills could even allow professionists to crush others at the same level.
Trembling, Wen Yu picked up the scroll. Information about the item appeared in his mind.
"Haha, hahaha! It's true that if you're not meant to die, you'll always find a way to live! I should thank that beast, hahaha!"
Hope had emerged from despair, leaving Wen Yu almost overwhelmed by the sudden shift.
Wen Yu laughed wildly, tears still streaming down his face. If anyone else had been there, they would have thought Wen Yu was mentally ill.
Ignoring everything else, Wen Yu quickly tore open the profession-change scroll.
The profession-change scroll transformed into a golden light that swiftly surged into Wen Yu's body.
Simultaneously, Wen Yu felt a warm power envelop him. His minor wounds healed rapidly, and even his severed limbs began to regenerate quickly.
This was an ancillary benefit of changing professions. Each level-up could heal one's physical injuries. A profession-change scroll, in essence, signified a promotion from Level 0 to Level 1.
As Wen Yu felt his wounds healing, an enormous power surged wildly within him, and his physical Attributes instantly doubled compared to those of a normal human.
Then, a succession of notifications echoed in his mind.
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully changing professions. Your current profession is: Soul Master."
"Ding! Please note: Each person can hold only one profession at a time, but you can use other profession scrolls to change professions."
"Ding! You are currently a Level 1 Soul Master with a basic Attribute of 2. You have gained the profession's exclusive skill: Soul Realm (No Level, Exclusive Skill, Unforgettable and Irreplaceable)."
"Soul Realm: A Soul Master and their soul pets fight as one, allowing the Soul Master to gain immense power. The Soul Realm is a survival space for soul pets, where their injuries will heal at an accelerated rate. For each level-up, the Soul Master will unlock a new Soul Realm."
"Ding! Please note: Due to the uniqueness of the Soul Master profession, Soul Realm is the Soul Master's only skill. The Soul Master cannot obtain other skills in any way."
"Ding! The Host has obtained the Soul Master's Lifespan Soul Pet: Soul Beast (the contract cannot be terminated), automatically occupying the Host's 1st Soul Realm."
"Soul Beast: The Soul Master's companion, it is also the Soul Master's greatest trump card and reliance. As long as the Soul Master lives, the Soul Beast is Inexterminable."
"Soul Beast: Can devour Soul Crystals of different attributes to grow and achieve Evolution. Please note: Skills acquired during level-up will be automatically generated according to the attributes of the Soul Crystals devoured by the Soul Beast. Current Soul Beast Attribute: None."
"The Soul Beast has no combat power itself but has two forms: Non-Combat Form and Combat Form. The Soul Beast cannot be recalled into the Soul Realm."
"Non-Combat Form: It manifests as a glowing sphere, its appearance changing according to the Soul Beast's Attribute and level, hovering over the Host's shoulder."
"Combat Form: The Soul Beast undergoes Union with the Soul Master, greatly enhancing the Soul Master's combat ability. The Soul Master's base Attribute changes to the sum of the Soul Master's and the Soul Beast's Attributes. Simultaneously, the Soul Beast's skills are amplified for the Soul Master."
"In the Soul Beast's Combat Form, the Soul Realm skill changes to: Soul Pet Augmentation."
"Soul Pet Augmentation (No Level, Soul Master's exclusive skill): In the combat state where the Soul Master and Soul Beast are in Union, any released soul pets can no longer enter the Soul Realm, and any soul pets within the Soul Realm cannot be released. All soul pets existing in the Soul Master's Soul Realm can each grant one of their own skills to the Soul Master."
"Current Soul Beast Attribute: 2. Skill 1: Soul Strike (S-class, Passive Skill): In Combat Form, every attack by the Soul Master inflicts damage on the enemy's soul. The damage effect depends on the Attribute difference between both sides. It is completely ineffective against enemy units whose Attributes exceed the Host's by ten times."
"Current Host Attributes:
Name: Wen Yu
Race: Human
Profession: Soul Master
Skill: Soul Realm (Soul Pet Augmentation)
Soul Pet No. 1: Soul Beast
Attribute: 2"
Wen Yu read through the notifications in his mind word by word. The longer he read, the wider his eyes became. By the end, they were so wide with surprise they almost seemed to pop out.
In his mind, Wen Yu contrasted the Soul Master profession with the warrior profession he was most familiar with. He almost instantly concluded that there was no comparison between them at all.
Looking purely at basic Attributes, there was no difference between the two. In fact, Wen Yu knew that the basic Attributes of any profession were the same: starting at 2 and peaking at 10 at Peak Level 1.
However, once he was in Union with the Soul Beast, his basic Attributes would immediately far surpass those of other professions.
If at Peak Level 1, the basic Attribute of other professions was 10, his Attribute in the combat state would be 20. As levels increased, the gap between them would only grow wider.
With this alone, he would crush others of the same level in the later stages.
Moreover, his Soul Pet Augmentation in the combat state would grant him more skills than others; the higher his level, the more extra skills he would possess.
The advantage this created was far more significant than his physical Attributes merely doubling, and it would make his fighting style unpredictable.
There might even be situations where his soul pet turned out to be stronger than his own combat power in the combat state.