Ascension from Dual Professions

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Life is a Series of Choices

Jon silently climbed a snow-covered rock, the scene below instantly coming into view.

In the mud on the road below, a luxurious two-horse carriage was stuck fast, its wheels locked by the mire.

The horses that pulled the carriage lay dead before the shaft, their necks and bodies pierced by several crude arrows. Their warm blood melted the snow beneath them.

Not far away, the driver and a guard wearing iron-studded leather armor lay in pools of blood, evidently shot and killed in the initial ambush.

Around the carriage, two more guards were down. The last one stood at the carriage entrance, frantically swinging his Sword and Shield to fend off a pincer attack from three bandits before him.

On both sides of the road, two more bandits holding bows stared coldly at the carriage.

It appeared to be an attack by five bandits on a noble’s carriage with four guards.

But from Jon’s experience, things weren’t that simple.

Because even though these ”bandits” were all disheveled and played the part, they were far too professional!

True, in a world with supernatural Power, you couldn’t make a living as a bandit without some skill. But what kind of bandits used battle formations to besiege a single person?

The three attackers—two close-range and one from a distance—advanced and retreated without the slightest hesitation. Though they were clearly weaker than the guard, they had him completely suppressed.

This was obviously the result of long-term coordination.

To say nothing of the two archers watching the carriage. They were positioned on opposite sides, completely cutting off any angle of escape!

’Either veteran soldiers or the private army of some great noble.’

’This is a political assassination or a kidnapping!’

Jon privately assessed what was happening below.

Then a question presented itself to him.

Should he get involved or not?

Handling this kind of situation well could bring great rewards, but the risks were equally high.

He had heard too many ”amusing” stories of players who, lacking sufficient strength, rashly intervened in noble disputes only to get completely screwed over. Not only did they fail to receive their due rewards, but they were also framed as ”spies, agents, and traitors” and thrown in jail.

Such things were amusing when they happened to others, but Jon didn’t want any part of it if it was him.

Until he had enough Power to make these nobles show him some respect, it was better to keep his distance.

Having thought it through, the outlander made his decision without much hesitation.

’The risk outweighs the reward. There’s no need to get involved in this mess. I’m out!’

As for the noble in that carriage?

The young man could only silently put his hands together and pray for them.

’May your noble god protect your soul. Amen.’

Before leaving, he took one last look at the situation below.

The guard, in the end, couldn’t withstand the relentless assault of the three ”bandits.” They exploited an opening and slashed his sword hand, causing his Longsword to fly from his grasp. With his guard now broken, he was knocked over by another attacker, falling into the muddy water with a wail of pure despair.

The attackers swarmed him.

The outcome was decided. There was nothing more to see.

Jon turned to leave.

He could already hear the sound of the carriage door being violently broken open. The person inside must be scared to death, or even—

BOOM—!!!

Before the thought could fully form, a tremendous roar suddenly erupted! It was immediately followed by a wave of hot air that swept over him. Even from this distance, he could feel a searing heat wash over his entire body!

’Holy shit! What the hell was that noise? Did someone just cast a Flame Burst Skill?’

The young man was shocked. Covering his ringing ears, he turned back to look at the scene of the crime.

The luxurious carriage, and everything within a five-meter radius of it, had completely vanished. In its place was only a neat, scorched circle and a man-high, slowly burning ball of golden-red fire.

Just from the color of the flames, Jon recognized what had caused the massive explosion.

It wasn’t the violent, high-output Magic [Flame Burst Skill] commonly used by Mages, but—

’The Solar Domain, Advanced Level Divine Technique [Flare Shield]... a high-level skill you can’t learn until level 85. Damn...’

Jon’s eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on the dazzling golden-red fireball as he pondered.

’No, this Divine Technique couldn’t have been cast by the noble in the carriage. If he had that kind of Power, he’d be a diocesan bishop at the very least, someone who ranked high in the entire Sun Saint Court. He would never have ended up in this situation.’

’And if he didn’t cast it himself, then things get interesting. To be able to store a trigger-based Flare Shield, even a single-use one, would require an Azure, Perfect Level item or piece of equipment at minimum...’

’The number of nobles in all of Heta County who could afford to use something like this can be counted on one hand...’

As his thoughts turned, the scales in his mind quietly began to tip.

Maybe he could make a move.

It wasn’t that he’d had a sudden change of heart, but that he knew one thing for sure—followers of the [Scorching Sun God, Po Ao] were rarely bad people.

After all, not just anyone could carry a trigger-based Divine Technique item. The Power of a Divine Technique comes directly from the Deities. An evil person, even if they wore such an item, would not receive the deity’s protection. They’d be lucky not to be incinerated by it.

Even Priest players in Yino, after choosing the Domain of the Sun God, had to abide by his various commandments—such as not to deceive, not to kill wantonly, to punish evil, and to promote justice.

Violating these commandments would result in punishments ranging from ”persistent weakness” to ”revocation of Power,” depending on the severity of the transgression!

Normally, players weren’t happy about such restrictions—but the Solar Domain was just that strong!

As long as you could follow the teachings of the Scorching Sun God, the Power of the Sun would never disappoint you. Whether in combat or other aspects, it was a top-tier existence, rivaled only by its counterpart, the Lunar Domain.

And as it happened, the one who presided over that Domain, the [Pale Moon God, Neso], was Po Ao’s twin sister. Her commandments complemented the Sun’s, and they also guided people toward good.

The two great righteous Deities, Sun and Moon, with their sheer overwhelming stats, upheld the moral bottom line for a considerable portion of the player base.

And for NPCs, the commandments of the Deities they believed in were not just empty words, but things they had to actually do.

In short, such a person was worth helping.

As long as he handled it properly, even if there was trouble later on, it would most likely not involve him.

Besides, the quest prompt had already popped up when he arrived, just waiting for him to make a choice.

——

[An InterceptionⅠ (Ordinary - Timed Random Quest)]

[You have witnessed a shameful interception. What will you do?]

[Option 1: Help the ambushed party]

[Option 2: Help the ambushers]

[Option 3: Attack both sides simultaneously]

[Option 4: Do nothing]

[Option 5: Other]

[Basic Reward: 500 Universal Experience Points]

[Additional Reward: Unknown]

”Note: Doing nothing is considered abandoning the quest, and you will not receive any rewards.”

——

A chain quest, and a multiple-choice one at that.

There seemed to be many options, but Jon already had his answer.

The young traveler looked down at the two ”bandits” who had escaped the blast thanks to keeping their distance as archers, but were now scared out of their wits by the power of the Divine Technique, and muttered to himself.

”Two of them. I can definitely handle that.”

His fingers reached for the underside of his Arm Shield. There, five spikes, each as thick as a pinky finger, were lined up in a row, glinting coldly.

”Perfect. A good time to test the throwing power of this new gadget.”