The condition for an unawakened to undergo an awakening was to kill a native from any of the dimensions connected to Earth via the Gates.
Ben had just done that, so now he was going to awaken a profession.
But he didn't feel excited.
He couldn't level up.
In other words, even if he awakened a profession, he wouldn't be able to grow stronger or look better.
Every profession came with a set of perks unique to it. After awakening, he would only be able to enjoy those perks, nothing else.
[You have awakened the Gamer Profession!]
Ben blinked.
He had no idea what type his profession belonged to, as he had never heard of anyone awakening the Gamer profession before.
There was no information about it on the internet either, meaning he was likely the first person to awaken such a profession.
Professions were divided into two types.
Combat and Support.
Awakened individuals with combat-type professions were called fighters. Similarly, those with support-type professions were called supporters.
Society placed more value on fighters than supporters for several reasons.
Fighters were responsible for fighting invaders, exploring the different dimensions connected to Earth, establishing bases within them, and even colonising those hostile worlds. They were rewarded generously for their efforts in the form of special privileges and wealth. It was precisely because of this that combat professions were the most coveted.
However, while triggering one's awakening could be timed, the process itself was completely random. If you were lucky, you could awaken a combat profession. If you weren't, you ended up with a support profession.
Supporters possessed the ability to create consumables and equipment imbued with supernatural effects, capable of temporarily and in rare cases permanently boosting attributes such as strength, stamina, and so on.
However, creating such items required special materials that could only be harvested from monsters or obtained from the dangerous dimensions they came from. Such materials were rare and expensive. Without powerful backing, supporters simply could not afford to make full use of their abilities.
Moreover, supporters were weak in direct combat. Especially during the early stages, they had to rely on others to survive and level up. Because of this dependence, they were looked down upon.
"This is the most unimpressive status screen I have ever seen," Ben muttered as he stared at the holographic screen that suddenly popped up in front of his eyes moments after he awakened. The information displayed on it in stark white stood out against its dark blue edges.
[Name: Benjamin
Profession: Gamer
Title: None
Level: 0 (Max Level Reached)
HP: 60 / 100
Energy: 40 / 70
Attack Damage: 70
Physical Defence: 50
Magical Defence: 0
[STATS]
Strength: 7 / Agility: 10 / Stamina: 7 /Constitution: 5 / Potential: 0]
There was no mention of the perks provided by his profession on the status screen, but it was the same for every awakened, so he knew what to do.
Through tests and trials, he needed to discover the hidden effects of his profession, but what test should he conduct?
He didn't get to think any further on this topic as the club's window shattered and in came trouble.
Ben's eyes twitched as he saw who it was.
It was a monster who looked eerily similar to the one he had killed moments ago
This is the second one today.
Has a Gate opened nearby?
An announcement rang in his mind.
[A quest has been triggered. Hunt the monster who wants to kill you. Reward: A random power up.]
The quest didn't seem challenging to him. Having killed a similar monster before, he knew the monster that had broken into the club wasn't as tough as it looked.
He hurled the chair at it as it drew near.
Impacting against the chair, the monster was knocked out of the air
Seeing it fall onto the table, Ben kept striking it with another chair he had grabbed from around the table until it was reduced to the same grotesque state as the fool who had tried to kill him previously.
[Quest completed. You have drawn a unique skill.]
[Plunder (Rank: Unique): You can plunder skills, stats, equipment, and transformation from the creatures you kill at random.]
"What an amazing trait, and it doesn't cost a thing to use." Ben was delighted as he had received a very powerful reward for completing his first quest.
He used his new skill on the monsters he had slain.
[Plunder successful. You have gained +1 Potential. Your level cap has increased by 1.]
[Plunder successful. You have gained a weapon.]
[Blood Drinker's Proboscis (Rank: 9) (Durability: 100/100) (Attack Damage: 150): You can summon a rapier imbued with the special characteristics of the Blood Drinker race. Every time you kill someone using this weapon, a portion of your HP will be restored. If your HP is full, your stamina will be restored.]