Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Body Refining and Profession Synergy Early the next morning, before the sky had fully brightened. Ron was sleeping soundly when a series of rapid but not too forceful knocks on the door startled him awake. He almost immediately became alert—a conditioned reflex developed at Ralph Manor, after all, one never knew when his father might pay a surprise visit. "Ron, are you up?" Andre’s slightly hoarse voice came through the door. He was about to respond when he heard the other party lower their voice and continue: "Don’t make a sound, that lunatic Darrend next door has been researching Sound Wave Magic; too much noise will disturb him." When Ron quietly opened the door, he found that Andre’s condition was quite poor. The usually well-groomed Prince was now disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, and even his typically tidy apprentice robe was stained with several scorched marks. "Your Highness, you are..." "Shh." Andre raised a hand to stop his inquiry, signaling for the two to leave the dormitory area first. It was not until they had walked a distance away that Andre let out a long breath: "Don’t mention it, there was a little accident last night while researching alchemy." He took out a Magic Stone Fragment and gestured: "I blew a hole in the wall next door, and fixing the rune cost me ten fragments. If I hadn’t reacted quickly, I might have already been sent to the lab as material." Ron caught the underlying implication—in the Black Mist Jungle, any form of "accident" could be used by Wizards as a reason to requisition experimental materials. Andre pulled out a crumpled notebook from his coat and flipped through it rapidly: "However, this incident reminded me, the first use of Hot Oil, the location is crucial." He looked up at the sky: "Now the sun is just rising, it’s the best time for Body Refining." The two of them proceeded along a secluded path. The morning chill carried a faint but discernible stench, unique to the Black Mist Jungle. When passing a patch of Fluorescent Bacteria, Andre intentionally slowed his pace: "These are markers left by Pathfinders, they fade in sunlight, so Wizards use them to guide their way." A few minutes later, the two arrived at an open space. A few broken stone pillars stood crookedly, with some blurry runes carved on the tops. Andre patted the nearest pillar, stirring up a cloud of dust: "The Black Mist Jungle isn’t very large, so abandoned experimental sites by Wizards are common, and usually, no demons or abominations dare to come near, making it relatively safe." In the morning light, the runes occasionally flashed weakly. "Moreover, although the runes are damaged, they can still isolate magic power fluctuations." He crouched down to carefully examine the ground: "Back then, who knows how many test subjects died here, the tiles have been stained by various energies to this color." Ron noticed that the ground was indeed showing a strange bluish-gray hue. The color was not painted on but seeped out from within, as if the tiles themselves carried some sort of curse. "But precisely because of this, it has become a safe place for us." Andre stood up and dusted off his hands; he signaled Ron to sit on the bluish-gray stone platform in the center: "Take off your clothes until you’re only in your boxers." "What?" Ron was taken aback, the morning chill making him instinctively hug his clothes tighter. Did he hear wrong, back in the Kingdom, there was no word that this Thirteenth Prince had a fondness for men, right? "Don’t overthink it." Andre rolled his eyes: "I’m not one of those perverted Masters who like to prey on handsome boys; the Hot Oil needs to be applied directly on the skin, especially on certain important..." He paused, seemingly contemplating the right words: "According to the Wizards, they’re called acupoints." "Are all these pieces of knowledge passed down from Otherworlds?" Ron asked while unbuttoning his shirt. Much of the mysticism knowledge here has extremely complex origins, primarily because Wizards are particularly keen on absorbing transcendent knowledge and cultivation systems from Otherworlds. "Not sure." Andre shook his head: "The royal records say this Breathing Technique is a revelation from the Sun God, but in my view, rather than dwelling on its origins, it’s better to focus on what’s in front of us." He opened his notebook, carefully verifying something: "According to records, the first Body Refining should target the crucial areas of the heart, spine, and limb joints. The order is important, any slight mistake..." At this moment, a prompt suddenly appeared in the interface: [Detected in use—Extraordinary Item - Hot Oil Upon use, the first Body Refining will begin, entering the transition process to Combat Profession - Knight’s Squire] [Combat Profession - Knight’s Squire (One Star) After transition: 1. Attribute growth: Magic Power growth (One Star) Physique growth (Two Stars) Spirit growth (Half Star) 2. Unlock profession skills—Basic Swordsmanship, Breathing Body Refining] 3. Special bonus: Increased skill experience points gain speed for martial arts-related skills Slight improvement in Physique training efficiency] [Transition conditions: 1. Physical Attribute reaching 0.5√ 2. Complete a session of Breathing Technique Body Refining] [Warning: The first Body Refining will determine the basic attributes of the Knight Profession] [Hint: Magic Potion Apprentice Profession detected, can trigger profession linkage for additional benefits] "There really is profession linkage..." Ron lowered his head, revealing a slight smile. This kind of linkage bonus effect was precisely what made that game so appealing. Players were willing to spend substantial time and money just to discover the most perfect profession combinations. And now that he had unlimited profession slots, what did that mean? The attribute stacking, skill complementation, and growth bonuses between different Extraordinary Professions... these would all become his exclusive advantages. Back in the game, players could have at most three professions at the same time, whereas his potential now was limitless. Given enough time, he could leverage this profession linkage effect to its fullest, building a perfect growth system. This might be his greatest support in this perilous world. Ron ended his train of thought and glanced at Andre, who was deeply focused on his notes, seemingly checking every detail. This caution reminded him of last night’s "almost blew up the dorm" accident. In this world full of danger, any small mistake could be deadly. "Alright." Andre finally closed the notebook: "I need you to listen to every word I say with full concentration; during the application of the oil, you might feel an intense burning sensation and might even hallucinate..." His voice suddenly became extraordinarily serious: "No matter what happens, don’t struggle or move. Once the oil penetrates inside you, it will start affecting your meridians. This process must be completed, otherwise..." Ron nodded, sensing the gravity in Andre’s words. This wasn’t merely a simple Body Refining, but a crucial choice that would determine his future path. "Just to make sure you’re prepared, I’ll tell you in advance that I’m about to start." Andre picked up the bottle of Hot Oil and poured some into his palm. Ron noticed that the pale gold liquid began emitting a peculiar glow the moment it contacted the air, along with a faint sulfuric odor.