The rest of the team was exhausted and had to take a temporary break. They had been in the Black Earth for nearly two days now, and as the full moon approached, they could increasingly feel the surging power of darkness in this place. It wasn't just Cecilia who could sense it anymore; even the others could feel the energy.
The most apparent sign was that the skeletons in the Black Earth were becoming more challenging to deal with. Normal attacks were no longer enough to shatter their skulls in one strike.
Another crucial factor was that the team's attributes were noticeably weakened due to the interference of dark power. If they had a profession like a priest, they could easily solve this problem. Unfortunately, when Durun approached the priests for assistance in entering the Starfall Forest, no one was willing to come, no matter how high the reward was.
However, Sean hadn't come completely unprepared. He had already anticipated this situation, so he had some emergency supplies in his backpack.
The cup of fragrant clear water distributed to everyone at this moment was one of the things Sean had prepared.
"Is this the Clear Spring of Awakening?" Durun, being from a magical kingdom, had a good understanding of anything related to magic, albeit with varying degrees of detail. His face showed eagerness and excitement.
The Clear Spring of Awakening was a precious magical potion. It could quickly restore the magical power of spellcasting professions and maintain their mental stability.
After all, any spellcasting profession would consume both magical power and mental energy when casting spells, leading to exhaustion and a slight decline in their spellcasting abilities.
However, after consuming the Clear Spring of Awakening, not only would magical power quickly recover, but mental state would also improve and even maintain a focused and stable state, without any negative effects.
Therefore, the Clear Spring of Awakening was exceptionally valuable. Even in the Kingdom of Portoroa, renowned for its magical knowledge, it was not something that could be easily obtained. Occasionally, when a bottle appeared on the market, it would be snatched up at exorbitant prices.
Sean was well aware of the rarity of the Clear Spring of Awakening, but unfortunately, his secondary occupation was not alchemy. "It will clear your mind, but it won't restore your magical power. However, it can maintain mental stability... This small cup is enough to sustain your condition for a day. After drinking it, you can sleep without worrying about not waking up."
Upon hearing Sean's words, everyone drank the transparent and clear liquid in their hands without hesitation.
The effect was almost immediate. In an instant, everyone's spirits improved significantly, and their gazes towards Sean became somewhat peculiar, particularly Durun and Harvey.
In fact, they were both curious about how Sean could acquire such a potion after going outside for a while.
After all, this was a genuine alchemical product that couldn't be produced without the necessary equipment.
Harvey even thought of a deeper implication.
If spellcasting professions were to consume this potion before battles, it might greatly enhance their spellcasting speed and accuracy.
The value of such a potion would naturally be extremely high, and spellcasting professions were never short on money.
If Sean could provide a stable supply, his position within the guild would undoubtedly become more solid.
When Harvey brought up this idea to Sean, he immediately realized it. In the game, after a player with alchemy as a secondary profession accidentally invented this potion, it quickly became one of the essential items for almost all players. The key difference between players and NPCs lay in their adventurous spirit.
However, there were numerous places in the game, like the Black Earth, that could interfere with or even erode one's mental fortitude.
Not every place could be purified by the divine magic of priests, which made this potion highly sought after. Almost everyone knew how to brew it.
But they were currently in a world that wasn't the game; it was another real world. Besides Sean, there was no one else who knew how to brew this potion.
Sean held a monopoly over it. Moreover, the most crucial point was that brewing this potion didn't require alchemical tools or extensive knowledge.
It only required blending the ink-like withered flowers into highly concentrated alchemical solvent until it melted and mixed evenly.
These two materials, apart from the former being only obtainable in places where a large amount of deathly and dark energy converged, the highly concentrated alchemical solvent could be easily obtained even at a regular apothecary for a silver coin per bottle.
So, if Sean desired, he could easily brew numerous alchemical potions that maintained clarity, focus, and resistance against the corruption of dark energy.
In this expedition to the Starfall Forest, Sean not only aimed to gather experience points but also to collect materials.
Throughout their journey, except for the unexpected incident with the Wind Marked Black Wolf, the developments were largely as Sean had anticipated.
So, when he discussed the matter with Harvey, he became quite interested.
After all, no one would refuse an additional source of wealth. Especially considering that a single vial of this alchemical potion could be split into five and sold separately, and as a shrewd merchant, Harvey wouldn't price them too low. Therefore, Sean and Harvey quickly reached an agreement.
However, considering the need for a large quantity of these alchemical potions for the expedition, Sean only gave Harvey two vials for now. It could be seen as equivalent to ten vials when divided further.
Since the initial supply was scarce, Harvey didn't intend to sell them immediately. He planned to negotiate with the guild after this expedition and see if they could be auctioned at the annual Polar Silver Auction. Perhaps the selling price would be even better.
With the matter settled with Harvey, Durun had already arranged the personnel for night watch, following the same rotation of three people per shift, to prevent attacks from the undead creatures of the Black Earth.
The first shift consisted of Harvey, Sean, and a guard. Durun, the archer, and another guard would handle the second shift, while the final shift would be managed by Durun, Cecilia, and the last guard.
There wasn't much else Sean wanted to discuss with Harvey at the moment, so he approached the guard.
Seeing Sean approaching, the guard nodded politely and smiled. Over the past few days, Sean had proven his strength and value through his actions.
While he might not be the strongest among them, without his leadership, none of them would have survived to this day.
For individuals like guards and Old Peter, who lived by the sword, Sean was the one truly deserving of respect.
"I heard that you were a highly skilled warrior before becoming a guard," Sean started the conversation straightforwardly as he took a seat.
To become a warrior, the best way was to join the Brotherhood of Homunculi.
It was the gathering place for mercenaries across the entire Miraculous Continent, and almost anyone who chose the mercenary profession at the first-tier jobs felt some sense of connection to the place—except for players.
However, in the Starfall Forest, there wouldn't be any branch of the Brotherhood of Homunculi.
If Sean didn't join now, he wouldn't gain any experience. That's why he approached the guard for information.
Obtaining information about joining from others who had previously held the "Warrior" profession was one of the ways to initiate the joining process, which was a method used in the game Miracle.
However, due to the past experiences of these individuals, they usually shared some insights and tips, making the joining process slightly more challenging than the regular method.
For example, to join the Brotherhood of Homunculi as a warrior, reaching level ten as a "Mercenary" was sufficient. But triggering the conditions for joining through the accounts of these guards would likely require meeting certain personal attribute criteria.
However, Sean's personal attributes were already close to reaching their maximum limit, so he didn't mind. The only thing he needed to know was whether this guard had advanced from the "Warrior" profession.
"Warrior..." Hearing Sean's words, although he didn't know why Sean was talking about this, it truly brought back memories for him. "That was a long time ago. I was young, just like you..."
As Sean listened to the guard nostalgically recounting the past, a faint smile appeared on his lips. The excitement he felt now surpassed even the moment he obtained "Surviving in Desperation." Because he knew he had made the right bet, and before long, he would become a second-tier "Warrior," following the exact script he had envisioned!
[You have triggered the "Warrior" job change. You meet the requirements for job change. Would you like to proceed?]
Almost as soon as the guard's words fell, a emotionless electronic sound resonated in Sean's mind.
If it weren't for the fact that his existence already defied common sense, he would probably have been startled.
However, he had heard this electronic sound many times in the game, and after losing everything from his previous world when he suddenly arrived in this one, he felt a sense of loneliness and unease.
Now, hearing this electronic sound, Sean's heart was stirred with emotions.
But the answer to the question of the electronic sound was obvious, without a need for hesitation.
Sean silently replied in his mind: Yes.
[The "Warrior" is an advanced occupation of "Mercenary." Proceeding with the job change will replace the current occupation. The new occupation will start at level one. Would you like to proceed?]
Yes.
As soon as Sean finished his response, his blood surged through his veins like a ripple caused by a drop of water falling on a lake. However, these ripples were Sean's blood, and the surge of blood flow made his heart beat violently, as if an infinite power was surging out from within him. His whole being instantly became extraordinarily energetic, even more so than the effects of drinking that special potion!
But this sensation came and went quickly. In the blink of an eye, the feeling of blood and power surging vanished completely, leaving only a vibrant state of mind, assuring Sean that everything he had just experienced was not an illusion or hallucination.
At this moment!
He had finally become a "Warrior"!