Behind the desk sat a female staff member with a standard smile, her professional demeanor every bit as polished as Jiwa’s.
“Hello, I’ve traveled here from afar and am not very familiar with the procedures of this Class Hall. Could you please explain them to me?” Bai Xuan said, using his prepared cover story.
The staff member didn’t pry into his background, responding as smoothly as if she were handling a routine inquiry. “Welcome. If you wish to learn specific skills, you may enter the corresponding hall, where guides are available.”
“If you are here for Class enrollment, you must first undergo a basic attribute test. Based on the results and your personal preference, you will choose the most compatible Class direction for the induction ceremony.”
“As for the fees, Class enrollment for the physical branches and the learning of related basic skills typically totals around 2 gold coins.”
“For magic-type classes, due to the involvement of mana guidance and knowledge infusion, the fee is approximately 20 gold coins. The exact amount varies slightly by hall, and you can inquire further once you enter.”
Two gold coins. Twenty gold coins.
Upon hearing the latter fee, Bai Xuan’s heart was no longer calm.
This price was terrifying. Even after paying 50 silver coins just to enter the Inner Wall, there were even greater expenses for Class enrollment and skill learning.
Not to mention the attribute test she mentioned; that certainly wouldn’t be cheap either.
How many years would it take for an ordinary person to earn enough just to enroll in a Class and learn a single skill?
Only those with some family wealth could afford it, like the son of the innkeeper aunt.
Even if one obtained a Class and learned skills, most would only remain at the Paper Rank.
To rise higher, one had to take on dangerous adventure commissions. After encountering a life-threatening accident and looking back on the journey...
Perhaps it was better to just be an ordinary person and live a quiet, honest life.
Furthermore, the cost for magic-type classes was an astronomical figure.
The majority of his current net worth had been given to him by Colin; he had earned only a tiny fraction himself.
He estimated that even if he worked hard for several more months, he would barely reach the threshold for a magic-type class, and that was just the most basic fee.
Subsequent skill refinement, equipment, resources... it was a bottomless pit.
He finally understood why magic-users were so rare.
This wasn’t just a filter for talent; it was a filter for wealth.
Ordinary people might not save 20 gold coins in their entire lives, and the path of magic declared them excluded from the very start.
Even his own idea of enrolling as a common Healer felt pale and powerless before the 20-gold-coin price tag.
“It seems all problems eventually point to the same place...” he sighed inwardly. “Money.”
The rare materials I have could sell for a good price.
But those materials are hard to come by; they are the foundation for the equipment I’ll forge in the future, so I can’t just sell them off.
Wait!
He thought of the description for the 【Earth Element Heart】 in his Space Ring: A medium required for related Class changes.
Perhaps there was another way?
He probed in a casual tone, “Thank you for the introduction. I’ve heard that there are some special Class paths that aren’t obtained through the hall’s enrollment?”
“For example... through the use of certain special mediums?”
The receptionist’s perfect smile faltered for a moment, a subtle look of scrutiny and surprise flashing in her eyes, though she quickly recovered.
She straightened her posture slightly, her voice becoming more formal. “Indeed, unconventional enrollment paths exist. Besides the ‘compatible mediums’ you mentioned, there is also the even rarer ‘Bloodline Awakening.’ However,”
Her tone grew heavier, carrying a note of warning. “These paths often come with unknown risks, harsh conditions, or opportunities that can only be found by chance.”
“This hall does not provide such services. Related information is typically regarded as rare intelligence or secret inheritance.”
“If you are interested in exploring this, you may need to look for related commissions at the Adventurer’s Guild, or... wait for a stroke of fate.”
Her answer confirmed the existence of the medium path and even suggested an even more high-end, secret route.
Having obtained the key information, Bai Xuan thanked her and left the desk.
He walked to a bench in a corner of the hall meant for resting and sat down to organize his scattered thoughts.
There seemed to be three paths.
The most direct was to spend a few gold coins to undergo testing and enrollment here.
Whether it was a Warrior or a Ranger, he could immediately shed this ‘Classless’ status.
Two gold coins... he could almost hear his purse groaning.
Besides, would choosing a common physical class really be a good idea? It would be completely inconsistent with the healing magic he had already displayed.
Not only would it be a hassle to explain later, but its future growth potential was also uncertain.
Alternatively, he could grit his teeth and take the path of a Healer.
But that was the Divine Branch, and the price would likely be even higher. Even if he scraped the money together and officially entered the system of the Church or a temple, would it invite more scrutiny?
Would he be bound by rules, or would they even discover the anomaly of his power source?
By contrast, the medium path hinted at by the 【Earth Element Heart】 was like an enticing light in the darkness.
Powerful, rare, and potentially perfectly suited for him... but the receptionist’s words were clear: the risks of this path were unknown, and the information was hidden away like secret treasure.
Where would he find clues? And how much money and energy would it cost?
Bai Xuan rubbed his brow, feeling a familiar sense of helplessness.
After going in circles, the problem came back to the same things: gold coins and information.
But since I’m already here...
He stood up, a thought occurring to him.
I can’t enroll yet, but I can at least look, right?
He could wander inside, hear what those about to become Practitioners had to say, and get a feel for the atmosphere of different paths.
Perhaps he could catch some evaluation of mediums or the strengths and weaknesses of different Classes from idle chatter.
He smoothed out his white robe, which didn't have a single wrinkle.
He would start by checking out the most crowded Warrior Branch; after all, watching was free.
He really wanted to see what the ‘basics’ of this world looked like.
Just as he stepped toward the large door marked with the sword and axe crest, his figure about to be submerged in the shadows within...
On the other side of the hall, a figure dressed in an ordinary gray traveling cloak, who had seemingly been looking up at the faceless statue, turned their head away as if by accident.
The brim of their hood was pulled very low, making their face impossible to see.
Before stepping into the Warrior hall, Bai Xuan felt a faint, inexplicable sensation of being watched at the back of his neck. But when he quickly turned to scan the area...
He saw only the interplay of light and shadow in the hall, the flow of people, and the silent statue. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
He frowned slightly, assuming he was just being a bit paranoid in a strange, important place. Without further hesitation, he stepped through the door of the Warrior Branch.
Once Bai Xuan’s figure had completely disappeared, the gray-cloaked figure also turned around silently and flowed naturally into the crowd heading toward the exit.
As Bai Xuan entered the Warrior Branch, he felt a subtle difference in the atmosphere compared to the solemn, soul-soothing air of the main hall.
It felt like entering a different zone, as if some mechanism had sensed his arrival.
Before he could savor this strange feeling, the translucent panel that usually only appeared when he called for it suddenly popped up on its own.
A faint golden glow, which he had never seen before, flashed along its edges.
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