Chapter 159: New Profession - "Unemployed Vagabond"

"Final Observer"

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 25

Trust Value: ∞

Profession: Unemployed Vagabond

Profession Trait: Reduces the appetite of sorcery spirits, halving feeding needs.

Innate Talent - Sorcerer's Compendium (Intermediate): Allows the logging of other operatives into the compendium. Experience gained by others is shared proportionally based on bond level. Currently, pages used: 1/2 (unlockable upon power advancement).

Personal Skill - Wandering Soul: Effect unknown.

Silver Blessing - Observer's Veil: Grants a deceptive appearance, causing others to subconsciously ignore you unless you act abnormally. In the Void, this blessing strengthens, making you unrecognizable to anyone without close bonds.

Possessions: "Honey-Tongued Blade," Void Telescope, Alchemist's Distillation Flask.

Controlled Sorcery Spirits: Heartblade, Substitute, Flow, Earthblade, Windwall...

Swordsmanship Sphere: Silver Rank.

Radiance Sphere: Silver Rank.

Water Sorcery Sphere: Silver Rank.

Mind Sphere: Silver Rank.

Void Exploration: 1.022%.

Knowledge Curses: Whirlpool Toxin, Expulsion Toxin, Golden Fish Toxin.

Ash sat in Sheline's chair, staring at the text floating in mid-air, deep in thought.

Although he had lost his chip and could no longer summon a holographic interface, the Aurora's Sorcerer's Handbook game wasn't bound to the chip—it was bound to him. He could still call up the handbook interface, albeit with reduced clarity. The once 4K resolution was now a pixelated 360P. While Sword Maiden's portrait had shifted from a sultry allure to a cartoonish style, the functionality remained intact.

Yet, something had changed.

His profession, once listed as "Cult Leader/Ancient History Scholar", now read "Unemployed Vagabond"!

The game offered no notification of the change, and Ash hadn't checked his status recently. After all, with Sword Maiden's portrait devolved into a cartoonish form, he'd been avoiding the interface altogether, let alone diving into his profile.

Ash wasn't certain if the shift was a result of Sheline's ritual miracle or merely a consequence of his escape. Technically, his transition from a state-employed, all-expenses-paid inmate to a roaming fugitive aligned perfectly with the new title.

After some thought, Ash decided to stop pondering the issue.

The new profession seemed oddly appropriate. Compared to the old one, which granted niche buffs like +10 to Luck Checks and +5 to Artifact Recognition, the new trait—halved sorcery spirit feeding costs—was significantly more practical.

It was as if the spirits sensed Ash had lost his cushy "iron rice bowl" and decided to adapt, cheerfully proclaiming, "I don't eat much, honest!"

Closing the game panel, Ash turned his attention to the dossier Sheline had left behind: the "Ash Heath Profile."

The file contained an exhaustive account of Heath's life: his foster home records, school awards, part-time jobs, peer evaluations, photos spanning every age, and even his browsing history within the Frame. It was an impressively detailed compilation.

Reading through, Ash pieced together the trajectory of Heath's life:

 Born with an "elite-level" aptitude rating and sent to a prestigious foster institution.

 Ranked 36th in middle school entrance exams, later scoring average marks to enter Caymon Integrated University's History Department under the Time Faculty.

 Post-graduation, Heath founded a missionary initiative based on a pyramid scheme.

 Abstained from sugar, gambling, and illicit cafes, with a Frame voting record of zero.

Outside of his apartment and school, Heath's favorite destination was a convenience store downstairs. He frequently purchased books, including titles Ash found oddly familiar: The Crowd, How to Trigger a Void Storm with Bare Hands, and Criminal Law.

Friends described Heath as "low-profile (unremarkable)", "respectful and polite (boring conversationalist)", and "highly capable (not a team player)."

But what unsettled Ash most was Heath's browsing history: meticulously curated research on politics, history, military tactics, sorcery, religion, and race relations—without a single trace of explicit content.

Not even a hint of human women. No orc-on-ogre fanfics. Absolutely nothing.

The closest thing to anything risqué was his interest in the "Amazonian She-Orc Regimental Corps," notorious for hunting male orcs during mating season, rendering them limbless "gas stations."

But female orcs? Ash doubted even Heath held a license for that.

In summary, Heath was a 25-year-old anomaly. His lack of interest in the carnal demonstrated he was anything but normal.

The file hinted at no extraordinary encounters, save for a puzzling record: Heath's two-week leave of absence during high school, marked in red ink by Sheline.

This coincided with an archaeological expedition Sheline had undertaken eight years prior, during which records of the Four Pillars' liturgy surfaced—only for most findings to vanish in a Void Storm.

Seventeen-year-old Heath couldn't possibly have been involved… could he?

Ash sighed. He'd hoped to uncover the mysteries surrounding Heath. Instead, he'd opened a nested doll of secrets.

Moreover, Sheline's claims might all be lies designed to mislead the Scourge Division. Memory alteration existed in this world, and knowing Heath could betray him, Sheline could've rewritten his own memories to appear as a devout patriot, neatly shifting all blame onto Heath.

Confused but resolute, Ash set aside further inquiries into Heath's past. As Heath's self-proclaimed biggest critic—and secret admirer—Sheline's dossier was likely the most comprehensive. For now, this would suffice.

If Heath held untold secrets, they lay either in his dreams… or the Void.

Ash felt a gnawing sense of inevitability. Even if he fled Bloodmoon, Heath's story would continue to haunt him. Like a gun mentioned early in a detective novel, Heath's meticulous machinations couldn't simply culminate in Ash's cozy imprisonment.

"Four Pillars. Heath. Touch. Ritual…" Ash jotted down these clues. If the Void presented answers—or threats—he'd wield his Sword Maiden ruthlessly.

Next, Ash turned his attention to loot. He found:

 4 gold coins.

 5 silver coins.

 A heap of luxury goods, likely pawnable.

 5 Sorcery Spirit Cocoons.

However, the spirit cocoons were locked with "chastity mechanisms"—an advanced form of containment featuring combination locks that, if tampered with, would self-destruct along with the spirit.

Recognizing the impracticality of transporting or unlocking them, Ash opted to "feed" the cocoons to his game system for points.

 +8 points gained!

 +20 points gained! x3

 +40 points gained!

"Seriously? Only 40 points for a three-wing spirit? Highway robbery…"

After scouring for more valuables and coming up empty-handed, Ash stumbled upon the reports he needed most: escape routes meticulously planned by Sheline in his pursuit of "Ash Heath."

One caught his attention:

"Report on Observation Point #53 (Classified)"

April 30, 1668, 5:36 PM.

"Rabbit" returned. Opposite end of the Void passage is an uninhabited wilderness. Safe. Suitable for hunting expeditions.

A smile crept across Ash's face. "Looks like you planned my escape for me, Professor."