The rhythmic sound of "ding ding" echoed like an alarm clock, waking Kevin from his sleep. He rolled over and got up from the bed, walking into the middle room. As he pulled back the curtain, the sound of "sizzle" rang out and a wave of steam rushed into his face. Kevin waved his hand to dispel the steam and saw the man, shirtless, putting the glowing iron ingot into a tub of water. The middle room was the man's workshop, where he set up a forge and crafted materials like iron into weapons for sale, as well as repairing damaged weapons. "Uncle Tang's Weapon House" was the nickname for their home in this residential area. People who went out to hunt monsters would come and purchase or repair weapons here from time to time. The exchanged goods could support the family's expenses for a long time. However, recently, Uncle Tang had used the supplies obtained from the last exchange to trade for some precious materials from others, causing the family to be low on supplies and needing to be frugal.
"I went to the church, this time make sure to lock the door," Kevin said as he casually closed the outer door behind him. "I got it, be careful on the way," came Don's loud voice along with the sound of another round of pounding from inside.
Kevin walked in one direction along the road and arrived at the church entrance in about twenty minutes. The large doors were already open, and inside the church appeared spacious and empty. Where there should have been many chairs, only a few scattered ones remained in their original positions, while other areas were cleared out to make room for beds of varying heights.
A blond man with a tidy appearance and wearing a short shirt and a clean but faded long robe was organizing a medical kit on a table.
"Sorry, Father Daniel, I seem to have been a little late," Kevin said.
"I don't think that's a problem, Kevin. The people who went out hunting monsters haven't arrived yet," Father Daniel said with a faint smile, indicating that he didn't mind Kevin's slight delay.
"And you've been helping out every afternoon these past few days, treating the wounded and making my life a lot easier. I really appreciate your kindness. But have you really thought about becoming a priest?"
"Yes, Father. These days I've seen you use priest skills to heal many simple injuries that ordinary treatments can't fix, and they're fast and effective. Whether it's the healing spell that can restore wounds, the blood circulation spell that can accelerate the body's self-recovery, or the dispelling spell that can deal with some toxins and minor curses, they're all very useful skills."
"That's true, but I also know that you've been working hard on something else, and Don, who used to be a great warrior and your mentor, wouldn't you like to have more powerful strength like him?" Father Daniel asked Kevin with a puzzled expression.
"If I want a strong body, I can achieve it through my own hard work and training, although I may not be as strong as a warrior," Kevin shrugged and replied.
"Why don't you try to become a mage then? Although the awakening condition is to meditate on a specific element clearly in your mind, which is quite difficult, I think a smart and hardworking child like you can do it. Isn't it more powerful for a mage to manipulate the power of fire or frost?"
"I think in this world, the power to protect life is more important than powerful and destructive force. For me, the most important thing is to stay alive, and that's why the healing ability of a priest is necessary, isn't it?" Kevin's words revealed his firm belief.
"Well, since you have your own ideas, I won't say much more. Besides, I'm also a priest myself. After you obtain the priest profession, I believe many monster hunting teams would be willing to invite you to join them," the priest said.
"Among the awakened priests in this area, Father Daniel is the most powerful. You were not only the first to awaken this profession, but you have also been healing people for over a decade. I heard that all large-scale monster hunting teams would bring you along. Do you have any advice for me?" Kevin asked sincerely.
"You're right, I am the best here. Let me think about any advice I can give you," Daniel was obviously pleased with the compliments. "Oh, there is one thing you must pay attention to. When you go hunting monsters with others, you must be mindful of when and what skills to use. Our magical power is limited, and it can only be restored through meditation during quiet moments. Skills like healing spells are very draining on our magical power, so don't release them just because of some injuries that may seem serious. The consumption of magical power must be noted."
"Okay, I got it. Thank you, Father Daniel," Kevin kept Father Daniel's words in mind.
"Is anyone here? Father and Kevin are inside!" Three men walked into the church from outside. The man at the front was wearing a vest and carrying the upper half of his armor in his hand.
"This damn weather! It's torture to go out on such a hot day," the man grumbled.
"So, Frank, you got the wound on your upper arm this time because you didn't wear armor while hunting monsters due to the heat, is that right?" Father Daniel said unkindly.
"I wouldn't dare! It's just that the beast we encountered this time was very strong, and the armor on my arm was torn open," Frank smiled and lifted the armor on his hand to show them. The iron plate on the left upper arm of the half-body armor had been pierced by three claw marks, revealing the other side of the armor.
"What kind of monster did you encounter this time? The devil wolf shouldn't be able to tear through Tang's armor," Daniel frowned.
"It was a devil wolf, but a bigger one. The skin of that beast was much harder than that of an ordinary devil wolf. I suspect it was the leader of the devil wolf pack," Frank said with a hint of pride. He glanced at Kevin, who was staring at the armor, and said, "Kid, this armor is seriously damaged. I think I need to go to your dad to fix it. I have to say, Tang's craftsmanship is really good. If it weren't for this armor, my left arm would probably have been broken from that attack. Cheer up, kid, your family can eat well these days."
"Do you know we haven't had much to eat these days?" Kevin asked in confusion.
"Of course, after all, a few days ago, Tang used your family's supplies to exchange for materials with me. I found them outside. As soon as Tang saw them, he immediately exchanged them back. But today, I'll also need a lot of things to go to Tang's place to fix the armor, although I feel a little heartbroken." Frank paused, a bigger smile appeared on his face. "But the harvest from killing that wolf today was huge, I made a lot of money."
"Alright, stop showing off, Kevin. You go help him with his wound, I'll go check on the others," Daniel interrupted Frank's boasting.
Kevin took out disinfectant and bandages from the medical kit and began to tend to Frank's wound.
Suddenly, there was another voice at the door, "Hey, Kevin, are you there? I awakened today," a boy about the same height as Kevin ran in, with blood stains on his upper body.
"Really? Eric, did you get the warrior profession?" Kevin asked in surprise.
"Yes, I went out with Wood and the others today, and I awakened while fighting a goblin," Eric straightened his chest and said proudly.
"Did you defeat the goblin?" Kevin asked.
"Although they killed the goblin, I think I would have defeated it if I hadn't stopped for awakening," Eric looked a little regretful.
As Kevin finished wrapping the bandage, he suddenly felt something else flowing through his body. Could it be magic? He quickly closed his eyes and was pleasantly surprised to see a panel appear in his mind, which read:
Name: Kevin Tang Profession: Priest Skills: Healing, Blood Circulation, Dispelling
"I awakened a profession too, and it's a priest. That's great," Kevin thought to himself.
Frank noticed Kevin's unusual behavior and asked, "Did you awaken too, Kevin?"
"Really, Kevin, did you awaken? What profession did you awaken to?" Eric asked excitedly.
"Yes, I just awakened, and isn't it a priest here?" Kevin replied.
"That's great. Robert awakened too, and with you, we can form a team to hunt monsters outside tomorrow," Eric suggested enthusiastically.
"Is this okay? We're all just awakening professionals," Kevin hesitated. "Let's go to a closer place, where there are only weak and pitiful goblins. There won't be any problems," Eric said anxiously. "Okay, see you tomorrow," Kevin agreed to his proposal. "See you tomorrow!" Eric rushed out after receiving the response. "Kevin, since you've decided to go out and hunt monsters tomorrow, don't you need to go back now?" Father Daniel asked with concern. "No, it's fine, Father. I think the time I have tonight is enough to prepare. I'll stay here this afternoon and help out. It's not that tiring," Kevin replied calmly. "You're a steady child, I think you'll be successful tomorrow." Kevin stayed here for his own thoughts. Most of the people who came here for treatment were injured while hunting monsters outside. They would talk about what happened while being treated, and he took this opportunity to learn more about the recent situation outside. The day passed quickly, and Kevin was ready for the hunt.