Chapter 1: I Want to Switch to Martial Arts

In the Human Realm, Dao Shi City.

Inside a small, dilapidated wooden house, in the living room, a young man and an old man were seated on a couch. In front of them was a 3D projector displaying battle scenes from various professions.

The old man’s name was Old Zhu.

At this moment, he was staring at the projection screen, speaking passionately:

“Sword Master—when you switch professions, you gain evolving sword intent. Whether it’s agility, speed, or lethal power, you can focus on what you like. At the same cultivation level, a Martial Artist is no match for a Sword Master!”

Then, the image flashed to another scene.

Old Zhu continued, “Spear Master, the God of War on the battlefield. When you switch professions, you gain spear intent. Fighting a Martial Artist is like an eagle catching a chick.”

The projection continued to change.

“Fire Master, the most common profession in the Human Realm. After switching, you gain a random flame essence.

“They’re versatile warriors, and the employment opportunities are vast. Whether you’re an alchemist, a blacksmith, or part of any other high-paying industry, all of them need Fire Masters. From every angle, they’re a thousand times better than Martial Artists.”

The more Old Zhu spoke, the more animated he became, but the young man beside him, Li An, looked drowsy, as if he wasn’t paying attention at all.

At this point, Old Zhu adjusted the screen and shook Li An awake.

“Look!” he said.

“This is the most suitable profession for you.

“Battlefield Strategist, also known as Military Advisor, now simplified as Strategic Master. It’s a profession with incredibly high entry requirements. After switching, a powerful strategist will grant you an exceptional legacy!

“You have three more years of battlefield experience than your peers, and your talent lies primarily in mental strength, which is more than enough to pass the threshold for becoming a strategist!

“If you choose to switch to a strategist, your future prospects will be limitless.”

“So, have you thought it through? Which profession will you choose?”

Old Zhu fixed his gaze on Li An. He had been trying to convince him for three hours now.

It had to work this time!

But Li An replied without hesitation, “Martial Artist.”

“What the—!” Old Zhu, his hair already streaked with white, cursed loudly. Clutching his chest, he nearly lost his breath.

What kind of profession was Martial Artist?

It was practically extinct!

In today’s world, Martial Artists had no career path other than performing in cage fights for show.

And in daily life, what could fists do?

Everyone has fists!

On the battlefield, no commander would ever want a Martial Artist on their team!

A row of Spear Masters, a row of Mechanics, a row of Sword Masters, and a row of Fire Masters—that was a perfect lineup.

Why would anyone need a Martial Artist with negative attack range?

Old Zhu tried reasoning again, “Even ordinary people know the saying, ‘No matter how skilled a fighter is, they’re no match for a knife.’

“Martial Artists are practically handicapped compared to other professions.

“Have you ever seen a Martial Artist on the battlefield?

“Or maybe in daily life?

“Or on the star network?

“There’s no room in this world for Martial Artists to survive!

“The high authorities in the Human Realm are already considering removing this profession entirely!”

Suddenly, Li An said seriously, “Of course I understand how much Martial Artists are despised in this era.

“But this situation hasn’t just appeared overnight.

“The Human Realm still hasn’t abolished the Martial Artist profession, which means it must have its own unique merits!

“That’s the first reason.

“The second reason is this:

“I believe that every profession represents a different path. The more people choose a profession, the more competition you face.

“All those professions you mentioned are overcrowded.

“But if I choose Martial Artist, no one will compete with me for resources.

“Isn’t that great?”

After hearing Li An’s logic, Old Zhu couldn’t help but laugh angrily.

“You’re such a genius!

“No one picks this profession, not because it’s rare or powerful, but because it’s useless!”

But Li An was stubborn and firmly decided to choose Martial Artist.

In the Human Realm, every child’s talent would fully develop by the age of twelve.

At twelve, they would all undergo talent assessments.

Though there were millions of different talents, they could mostly be categorized into three major types: elemental, physical, and mental.

For example, Li An’s talent was called Dream, which originated from mental strength.

After turning twelve, he could have chosen to train his mental strength and become a rare and powerful Mind Master.

If his talent were physical-based, he could become a Warrior.

If it were elemental-based, he’d be an Elementalist.

By the age of eighteen, everyone would have a deep understanding of their specific type of power. At that point, they had to choose a profession.

For instance, Warriors could switch to Sword Master, Blade Master, Spear Master, Archer, and so on.

Elementalists could switch to Fire Master, Water Master, Earth Master, etc.

Mind Masters could become Strategists, Psychologists, or other mentally demanding professions.

After switching, they would gain the unique powers of their chosen profession, with different rewards for each.

Those who achieved great mastery could undergo a second switch and eventually form their own path, becoming a supreme expert capable of extraordinary feats.

Li An’s talent, Dream, was an exceptionally powerful mental ability.

He could train alone in dreamscapes, creating opponents, essentially carrying a built-in training arena. The results of his dream training would even feed back into the real world.

If he did 100 push-ups in his dream, it would have the same effect as doing them in real life.

Moreover, time flowed ten times slower in his dream than in the real world. For others, a day had 24 hours, but for Li An, a day had 240 hours.

By now, six years later, Li An had further developed his talent.

He could extend his dream into the real world, making everything in his vision appear ten times slower. However, his own movements would also slow down.

Anyone who had played competitive games or sports knew how game-changing this ability was.

Take a penalty kick in soccer, for example.

With Dream activated, the world in Li An’s eyes would slow down by ten times, giving him ten times the time to predict where the goalkeeper would dive.

Such a talent was remarkable.

In Old Zhu’s eyes, Li An was born to be a strategist.

Once he reached maturity, he could stand atop the Great Wall overlooking the battlefield, slow everything down in his vision, and effortlessly detect the enemy’s flaws and schemes.

What a perfect choice that would be.

Yet, he insisted on choosing Martial Artist, a profession seen as useless!

And it wasn’t just any switch—it was a Warrior’s switch.

Li An was a Mind Master, and the powers granted by this switch clashed with his innate talent!

Old Zhu had been trying to convince him for a whole year now.

He couldn’t take it anymore!

Old Zhu glared at Li An angrily. “Are you determined to ruin everything by choosing Martial Artist?”

Li An’s eyes were resolute. “I have a reason I must choose Martial Artist.”

“What kind of nonsense reason?”

Old Zhu struggled to his feet, his legs emitting mechanical sounds. He stared intently at Li An and demanded, “Is it because of your father?”

Seeing Li An lower his head in silence,

Old Zhu’s tone suddenly rose sharply.

“Tell me, is it?”