Mercenary Wars

Chapter 84 Trick
(The previous chapter has been slightly revised.)

The Level 3 professional assessment has many special significances. For individuals, it usually means the determination of their specialization.

For a region, Level 3 vocational skills assessment signifies a certain level of prosperity. The ability to conduct Level 3 assessments for all professions is a key condition for a region to be designated a city, and Nanhai Town is striving towards this goal.

Of course, the main focus should be on high-end professions, such as combat professions like mages and non-combat professions like enchanters. As for common professions like hunters, Southshore has long been able to hold Level 3 assessments.

Gao Jiano was the first to arrive at the firing range to participate in the assessment.

In addition to standard events such as archery, candidates are required to demonstrate four hunter tricks: three general tricks—rubber stick trick, trap camouflage, and scent blending—plus one specialized trick.

The corresponding spell for the Shooting specialization is Gaze, for the Beast Taming specialization it's Sniff, and for the Survival specialization it's Listen.

In fact, hunters have a fourth specialization, which is based on the "Far Travel" spell and is called "Ranger". This is actually a specialization between hunter and rogue, so it is sometimes regarded as a specialization of rogue.

However, since the Ranger specialization is relatively unpopular, most hunter guilds or thief guilds in most regions do not set up examiners or trainers for this specialization, and at most only provide the "Far Travel" spell skill book.

Gaucano learned all four specialized magic tricks.

After all, these tricks are somewhat useful, and they don't take much time to learn. It's just that the skill book for "Far Travel" is a bit expensive, more expensive than the basic tricks of the other three specializations combined.

For him, learning magic tricks was easy.

But for others, even magic tricks are quite difficult to learn, and some even have to get magic tattoos on themselves.

To some extent, magic runes are rather shameful, especially the tricks that hunters specialize in. These runes are usually only seen on the elderly, the weak, and the disabled. For example, some elderly people use "Gaze Rune" to cure their presbyopia, and some lame people use "Travel Rune" to improve their mobility...

The candidate in front of Gao Jiano was an old hunter with the Gaze Magic Mark tattooed on his forehead.

"Read the passage above." The examiner stood on the open ground of the shooting range ten meters away, randomly turned to a page of the "Holy Scripture of Light," and held it in his hand.

The old hunter stared intently for a long time before finally managing to stammer, "Could you...could you tell me which page it is?"

The examiner remained expressionless: "..."

The old hunter said, forcing himself to speak, "Mosa is my shepherd; I will not want..."

He was right.

The examiner didn't say anything, casually turned to another page, and then pointed to it: "This part."

Love is patient...

The examiner closed the book, waved his hand impatiently, and interrupted, "Go back and get an Eagle Eye tattoo, old man. The Gaze Technique isn't enough anymore!"

The old hunter wanted to say something, but obviously had no chance. Finally, at the prompting of a deacon, he reluctantly left the shooting range.

"Next, Gaucano."

It was Gao Jiano's turn. He used his gaze technique and could see the text ten meters away clearly, passing the test with ease.

The examiner nodded, looked at Gao Jiano's assessment certificate, and asked, "You've learned seven hunter tricks?"

"Yes." The examiner stamped the certificate and said, "If you're willing to challenge yourself, you can also take the tests on sniffing and listening."

Gao Jiano was taken aback: "Can I take the assessments for three specializations at the same time?"

“Of course.” The examiner handed him the certificate. “However, the difficulty is not the magic trick. At least for a young person like you, the shooting range test is not difficult at all. The real difficulty is the field test in Lower Stoneclaw Valley. Testing three specializations at the same time is much more difficult than testing only one specialization, and the possibility of unexpected risks is also much higher.”

Gaucano ultimately decided to take the tests for all three specializations of magic.

The test of listening skills involves determining the location and identity of a person by the sound of footsteps. The person could be a leisurely strolling kitten or a thief using the "silent walking" technique.

The test of the fine sense of smell required distinguishing several specific wild animals by the scent of a single hair. In fact, Gaucano completed this test by cheating.

He hadn't considered cheating, but as soon as he picked up the animal hair, the relevant information automatically appeared, and he had to pretend to smell it a couple of times.

In one day, Gao Gano completed all the assessments at the shooting range, registered with the assessment certificate full of stamps, and then prepared to leave the Hunter's Guild to wait for the field assessment seven days later.

He had only taken a few steps when a voice called out to him, "Please wait a moment."

Gao Jiano turned around and saw a burly man with a big back and a big waist walking over with a big smile: "My name is John, the vice captain of the Bremen family guard, a level 5 warrior and a level 2 hunter."

He shared the same name as John from the Grey Eagle Mercenary Group, but Gao Gano wasn't surprised at all, because this was the eighth John he had encountered.

There's no way around it; as one of the most important saints in Mosaicism, countless parents name their children after St. John, and in some places it's even said that one in five men is named "John."

Compared to the common name "John", the name "John" as a sacred name is relatively rare.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Gao Jiano asked politely.

John: "You passed the exams for three specializations of magic, right?"

Gaucano frowned slightly, but still nodded.

John: "My young master and I are both taking the Level 3 Hunter Exam. Would you be interested in teaming up with us?"

Gaucano was taken aback: "The Bremen family... hunters?"

The Bremon family is considered one of the most prominent families in Southshore, renowned for its magic. The family has produced an advisor mage to the Duke of Nordanron, a lecturer at Deepblue Academy, and the president of the Southshore Mage Guild.

The young master of a magical family actually wants to become a hunter.

John sighed: "Everyone has their own ambitions. Not everyone in the Bremen family wants to be a mage. Our young master is more interested in hunters, or more accurately, rangers. It's just that you can't get a ranger specialization in Southshore."

He didn't continue the discussion, but changed the subject: "In order to participate in the Level 3 Hunter Exam with the young master, I specially learned Hunter Tricks, but the master is still not quite at ease... so you should understand why I came to you."

Gao Jiano thought for a moment: "What exactly do you need me to do?"

“There’s nothing you absolutely have to do,” John said. “Just come with us. The team is full of capable people like you. If you help the young master along the way, such as saving him, the Bremen family will be very grateful to you.”

……

(End of this chapter)