"This is…"
Su Yu held his breath, his eyes widening with shock!
[Profession System Bound]
[Profession Panel Unlocked]
[Scanning host's current capabilities for evaluation… Evaluation complete.]
As the final message appeared, the virtual screen flickered as if refreshing, then displayed three new options:
[Currently mastered skills:]
Lv.1 Basic Combat Arts – Eligible for foundational profession: Brawler
Lv.3 Basic Firearms Proficiency – Eligible for foundational profession: Gunner
Lv.4 Basic Mechanical Repair – Eligible for foundational profession: Mechanic
[Please select your desired profession.]
"My golden finger…?"
Su Yu took a deep breath, staring intently at the panel. With a thought, he asked:
"What's the system's main function? What happens after choosing a profession?"
"Ding! This system assists the host in improving profession related skills and achieving the highest professional accomplishments. After selection, the host will gain experience from daily work and life, increasing profession and skill levels."
Raising skill levels improves work efficiency. Raising profession levels unlocks core skills and advanced profession transitions. Additionally…
Once a foundational profession reaches max level and meets certain conditions, the host can transition to a Tier-1 profession.
Example: Mechanic (Primary) + Gunner + ??? = Tier-1 Profession: Battle Mechanic.
Su Yu's pupils constricted.
A line of text continued to appear:
Each profession level-up grants varying physical enhancements, depending on the profession type!
Physical enhancements!
That alone erased any hesitation. His gaze locked onto the three options:
Brawler –Each level-up would maximize physical stats, especially disease resistance, directly countering his radiation sickness.
Gunner – A combat class, likely boosting firearm damage. Physical gains might be slightly weaker than Brawler but still significant.
Mechanic – Focused on repair skills, clearly a support class. Physical boosts would likely be minimal.
Yet, after a brief consideration, Su Yu decisively chose Mechanic.
Why?
Brawler and Gunner required him to have combat experience something he couldn't sustain with his frail, sickly body. Joining a hunting team now would get him killed before he leveled up.
Mechanic, though offering weaker physical gains, was safe and reliable. Experience came from steady work, not life-threatening fights.
Plus, he simply preferred tinkering over fighting.
Still, he asked one last question:
Will I be able switch to other foundational professions later?"
"After maxing your current profession (Lv.10), you may select another."
With that confirmed, Su Yu declared:
I choose Mechanic!"
Ding! Congratulations, host. Profession selected: Mechanic (Lv.1: 0/1000).
Core ability unlocked: Mechanical Affinity (Lv.1). Grants heightened perception of mechanical constructs and accelerated learning of mechanical knowledge.
As the notification faded, Su Yu felt an invisible shackle in his mind shattered.
Though untested, his memory, comprehension, and learning speed noticeably sharpened. A surge of energy revitalized him though the physical boost was minor compared to mental gains.
But the real surprise came when he checked his right arm.
The radiated tissue had receded slightly!
The fatigue from radiation sickness also lessened, buying him at least an extra month of time.
1,000 EXP to next level…
Su Yu eyed the progress bar, excitement burning in his eyes.
Nono, let's get to work!
At his call, a small repair bot resembling the robot "WALL-E" from his past life lit up its display screen eyes in the corner.
Received. Commencing work. Commencing work!
Its monotone voice chirped as it toddled over, passing tools and disassembling weapons with practiced efficiency.
But now, Su Yu worked faster than ever.
With every repaired firearm, the system chimed:
[Repaired makeshift firearm (Simple). Difficulty: Easy. +5 Mechanic EXP. +10 Basic Mechanical Repair EXP.]
By noon, Su Yu had completed what usually took a full day's work.
Even better his Basic Mechanical Repair skill leveled up!
A flood of knowledge surged into his mind: some familiar, some entirely new. Yet, with [Mechanical Affinity], he absorbed it all effortlessly.
When he reopened his eyes, his focus wasn't on the repaired guns.
Instead, he strode to the workshop's bottom cabinet—where junk parts and broken pre-Collapse tech gathered dust.
These were scraps his mentor left behind, or salvage he'd kept after handing over repairs to the shelter.
Rummaging through the pile, he pulled out two relics: A chain-powered rotary saw and a lead-gray, dual-range shotgun.
Both were his mentor's collection, their core mechanisms long decayed. They'd sat forgotten for years. But now, Su Yu smiled.
"Time to bring them back to life."