The most important thing was…
You would have no future if you were still lacking in strength to pass the assessment of the Professional Alliance despite reaching the tenth level and meeting the basic requirements to leave the city.
Probationary professionals who weren't permitted to leave the city would almost always be stuck at the tenth level.
These types of professionals were reduced to workers who collected materials every day.
Because…
The items for the fifth-level breakthrough were easy to get. They were inexpensive, and there was a chance of them dropping from the invasion events and dungeons in the city.
On the other hand, a tenth-level breakthrough would require items that were only obtainable in the secret labyrinth outside the city.
If professionals wanted to buy them directly, they would have to prepare at least the price of a house in the main city's school district and also bid with other rich people who needed them.
This wasn't something an ordinary person could bear.
Therefore, the best opportunity for commoners was to pass the two rounds of assessment by the Professional Alliance and become a "Professional Civil Servant". They would then receive free items for a breakthrough from the Professional Alliance.
Or perhaps...
Meeting a noble was also possible.
The other person could bring a futureless rookie to play with.
Another option was to join the Professional Army formed by the Professional Alliance. Accordingly, the members would receive resource subsidies from the organization and be given the opportunity to train and level up outside the city.
It was a much safer option than venturing out alone. The members could always rely on the help of fellow comrades in the army, the life-saving aid distributed by the army, and the personal protection of the big shots in the army.
Naturally, the leveling speed would also become increasingly fast.
However, being a member of the Professional Army came at the cost of obeying the arrangements of the Professional Alliance, joining the City Guard or the Field Investigation Team, and giving up your youth to protect the safety of the people in the city.
No one would be allowed to quit halfway.
By the time members retired from the army, in addition to complying with the standard enlistment age, they would also have to destroy all the bound equipment and forget all the skills they had learned to prevent any information leak and preserve the absolute dominance of the army in the society of professionals.
This meant that...
It would take a few years.
Apart from leveling up their profession, getting extra attribute points, and receiving subsidies and assistance from the Professional Alliance, the members wouldn't receive anything else. They needed to start anew.
Basically, only professionals with poor family backgrounds would choose this path.
Moreover, they would not choose to leave after joining...
Zhang Yun had previously considered whether he should join the army and raise his upper limit since he had such a poor awakened talent.
But before he could think it through, Brother Shadow awakened.
This?
Hehe!
Zhang Yun had no choice!
He could only reluctantly become a freelancer!
The upper limit was high. The benefits were good. And it was cost-free! Freelancers could take a break anytime and anywhere, and most of the rewards they got from clearing dungeons would belong to them alone. They didn't have to hand them over to others. They didn't have to experience the tough military training and do things they didn't want to do!
How comfortable was that?
Furthermore!
The most essential crucial thing was!
Zhang Yun could eat the delicious chicken soup prepared by his aunt every day!
Ah, the scent!
It was so fragrant!
His two cute younger cousins were infinitely adorable!
Zhang Yun could stay with them!
He would hear them call him "Brother Zhang Yun" in childish voices!
He could touch their little heads!
Just like petting a cat!
…
'Cough, cough. Alright, I'll put aside my beautiful future for now. I need to replan my goals ahead.'
First of all...
Zhang Yun had intended to give up on the two assessments of the Professional Alliance.
He decided to create his own fifth-level breakthrough resource himself.
By then, he might get stuck at the tenth level and grind low-level dungeons every day. He would earn as much money as he could. If Zhang Yun couldn't anymore, he could just sit around and wait for death.
Fortunately, Zhang Yun had an invincible shadow. He definitely could not let it go to waste.
These two "certification" assessments had to be included in the itinerary.
Zhang Yun would try his best to obtain the qualifications to leave the city.
With that...
Only then would Zhang Yun be able to come into contact with the world of professionals.
Secondly…
Zhang Yun needed to understand the major events of the Ice Kingdom's era.
As long as a dungeon or hidden realm related to the Ice Kingdom appeared in the city, those scholars who liked to study the history of other planes would definitely have information about the past history of the Ice Kingdom in their hands.
After all...
Whether it was a dungeon, an underground city, or a secret labyrinth, they were all illusions created from other real otherworld planes, not a false space-time that appeared out of thin air.
It was similar to a real mirage.
Once you enter, you could carefully explore.
It was easy to find relics or documents about that world and its era.
Naturally!
Zhang Yun was not interested in the history of the Ice Kingdom.
He didn't want to become a historian.
Zhang Yun just wanted to find out the identity of the purple-cloaked mage assassin.
How would Zhang Yun be able to counter the other party?
Zhang Yun failed to handle it well.
Fjolm's next four chances of "Ascension" might end up wasted.
Zhang Yun didn't dare to open the other three paths.
Thirdly…
Zhang Yun had to earn money.
He was trying his best to make money.
The society of professionals had its own legal and economic system.
Sure, you could abuse your power and bully ordinary mortals with no abilities… As long as you were not afraid of the consequences.
So.
Most of the professionals were good five-star citizens who followed the law.
It was also about fair trade.
It would be difficult to blatantly torment ordinary mortals in public.
In this process, money was the hard currency. The more you had, the more things you could do.