Who Says I’m Not a Legitimate Adventurer?

Lance’s heart trembled—was this the method of a high-tier professional?

To think they could directly interfere with the flow of Aether elements in the real environment.

He did not dare to be careless. Seizing this opportunity, he immediately followed the method recorded in the manual—no longer absorbing new Aether elements from the outside, instead controlling his breathing rhythm to gradually calm things down.

As the rhythm slowed, the surging heat rampaging within his body finally began to subside.

The temperature on his skin gradually dropped, and the scorching sensation of being inside a furnace faded away.

“Huu…”

Lance let out a long breath, swaying slightly as he feigned a sense of exhaustion after surviving a disaster.

He cast one last glance at the system panel.

【Dragon-Hunting Breathing Technique LV1 (126/400)】

Looking at that number, excitement flickered in Lance’s eyes.Ordinary Adventurers couldn’t do this.

But he could maintain low-power operation at all times—even while walking or eating.

This rate of proficiency accumulation would reach a terrifying scale.

At this pace, it might not take long to reach LV4.

He remembered clearly that when Castro Swordsmanship reached LV4 (Proficient), it granted him the practical specialty 【Trench Rat’s Bite】.

Then for this even rarer and more powerful Breathing Technique—

What kind of extraordinary specialty would it provide upon reaching that threshold?

It was truly something to look forward to.

And moreover…

He glanced at the side of his character attribute panel, where a new status bar had quietly appeared.

【Aether Energy Pool: 0.1 Units】

That Azure Dragon Ultimate Flow could finally begin to show its effects.

The two returned the training shortswords to the weapon rack.

Lance followed behind Necros back into the luxurious and comfortable lounge outside.

The moment he relaxed, a powerful wave of weakness surged over him like a tide.

Lance took the cup of water handed by Necros and gulped it down.

The cool water slid down his throat, yet it could not extinguish the burning hunger raging in his stomach.

“Grrr…”

His stomach let out a thunderous protest.

Clearly—

Although this domineering Breathing Technique could unleash power by burning Aether elements, the physical body as its vessel still required a massive amount of biological energy to sustain operation.

If he wanted to keep this technique active as a constant state, relying solely on black bread and roasted meat would probably stuff him to death.

Lance wiped the water from the corner of his mouth, his brows slightly furrowed.

It seemed he would have to find some high-energy compressed rations, or some kind of alchemical potion that could rapidly replenish nutrients to carry with him.

That would be another considerable expense.

Just as Lance was pondering what he should buy, Necros’ voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Since your performance far exceeded my expectations, it’s time for me to fulfill my earlier promise.”

The old man pulled open the drawer of his mahogany desk and rummaged inside for a moment.

Then—

He took out an unremarkable small object and casually tossed it over.

“Catch.”

Lance subconsciously raised his hand and caught it.

Resting in his palm was a silver ring of ancient design.

The band was not wide, and no gemstones were embedded on its surface. Instead, it was densely engraved with extremely intricate magical patterns.

These patterns did not shimmer under the light—instead, they appeared subdued and restrained.

“This was given to me by my old captain back when I wasn’t yet a professional.”

Necros leaned back in his chair, a nostalgic smile appearing on his face, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

“Put it on, and you’ll know what it is.”

Lance looked at the ring in his hand, then at the guildmaster’s open expression.

Since someone of this level had spoken, there was clearly no need to suspect a fake.

He no longer hesitated and directly slipped the silver ring onto the index finger of his right hand.

The ring had seemed slightly loose at first, but the moment he wore it, it appeared to sense the size of his finger and automatically shrank to the perfect fit.

The next second—

A familiar blue screen began to rapidly scroll before Lance’s eyes.

【Detected Key Information: Aether Silence Demon Swordsman Advancement Requirements】

【Class: Aether Silence Demon Swordsman (Rare)】

【Prerequisites:】

【1. Base Attributes: Perception 11, Spirit 9, Constitution 9】

【2. Skill Requirements: Any heavy sword technique reaches LV5 (Expert), any Breathing Technique reaches LV4 (Proficient), “Mana Perception” and “Spell Identification” knowledge reach LV4 (Proficient), construct five zero-ring spells】

【3. Trial Requirement: Without wearing any magical defensive equipment, endure 33 spell attacks exceeding one’s own tier】

【4. Additional Reward Condition (Legendary Origin): Fall in love with a Witch】

Lance immediately noticed the final additional condition—fall in love with a Witch?

In his mind, the card 【Confession of the Phantom Iris】 given to him by Amber instantly surfaced.

The creator of that item was a Witch.

Could it be that the creator of this class was the lover of a Witch?

Writing one’s personal life directly into class advancement requirements—this was far too willful.

Pure dog food.

Before Lance could sort through these chaotic thoughts, Necros’ voice sounded again.

“This ring has ten spell models embedded within it.”

The old man’s gaze rested on the ring in Lance’s hand, his tone turning gentle.

“They were engraved by the creator of this ring so that, when she wasn’t around, her lover could still take care of himself.”

“What?”

Hearing this, Lance’s heart jolted. He quickly pulled his attention away from the cluttered class description and focused instead on sensing the ring in his hand.

So the class information he had just seen was not the ring’s true function.

As expected—

The moment his consciousness touched the ring, a faint yet clear sense of connection emerged.

The ring was like an external port, directly linking to the 【Aether Energy Pool】 he had just unlocked within his body.

Ten tiny yet precise spell models clearly appeared in his mind.

Like ten triggers already loaded—requiring only energy input to activate instantly.

Ten kinds?!

Lance sucked in a cold breath.

In this world, magical items with built-in spell slots were synonymous with high value.

For a non-spellcaster, this meant he could enjoy the convenience of casting spells without studying obscure knowledge or calculating complex mana formulas.

Even so-called “zero-ring spells,” commonly known as cantrips—

They were still spells!

Lance quickly scanned through the ten spells.

【Cleanse】, 【Light】, 【Create Water】, 【Repair】…

All of them were survival and logistical spells—essential skills for any Adventurer.