Who Says I'm Not a Proper Adventurer?
Chapter 20: Large-Scale Joint Sweep Commission

Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Large-Scale Joint Sweep Commission

Upon reflection, he surmised that the difficulty of increasing his Attributes was related to his own base stats.

When he first arrived, both his Power and Constitution were at 4 points.

Back then, with just some casual training, his Attribute Points shot up as if they were free.

However, the Attribute most likely related to Archery was Perception, and his Perception was already higher than the average person’s 5 points.

’Perhaps simply reaching Master Level (Level 2) isn’t enough to gain the related Attribute anymore,’ he guessed. ’I probably need a higher Level.’

He could also faintly sense an invisible ceiling.

It might be at 10 points, or it might be at 12.

Once he reached that threshold for mortals, simple physical training alone likely wouldn’t be able to produce any more breakthroughs.

’The only way to break through this bottleneck is probably through the Professional system.’

’Only by completing the initiation ceremony can I unlock my body’s limits and continue to climb higher.’

As for whether becoming a Professional meant one could only grow stronger by raising their Professional Level, or if other methods of enhancement existed, Lance currently had no idea.

’Looks like I need to find a way to get some intel.’

Those common introductory books from the bookstore clearly weren’t enough. He needed more core information on Professionals.

’Even if it’s fragmented information about a Profession, my panel seems to be able to piece it together.’

Just as he was wondering where he could go to gather information...

CREAK—

The door to Supervisor Grayson’s office opened behind him.

Lance turned around instinctively.

Nia was struggling to walk out, a huge roll of parchment in her arms.

The scroll looked quite heavy. Juggling it along with a few boxes of thumbtacks made her stagger as she walked.

"Hey! Lance!"

The moment Nia looked up, she saw Lance spacing out. Her face lit up as if she’d seen her savior, and she happily freed a hand to wave.

"Quick, come give me a hand! This thing is too heavy!"

Lance gave a helpless smile, stood up, and walked over, taking the huge scroll from her.

It felt heavy in his hands. The parchment’s thickness and texture far surpassed that of the usual commission forms, and its header was stamped with a conspicuous Guild wax seal.

"What’s this?"

Lance asked as he followed Nia toward the most conspicuous notice board in the center of the hall.

"The latest Guild announcement."

Nia rubbed her slightly sore wrist and took a thumbtack from the box.

"The Guild President, that old man, finally couldn’t sit still any longer. He’s planning to make a big move."

It was still early morning, and only a handful of early-bird Adventurers were in the hall organizing their gear. Few people noticed what was happening.

Lance unrolled the scroll in the very center of the notice board, helping Nia pull the four corners flat.

As the scroll was spread out, its contents appeared clearly before Lance’s eyes.

The title was written in striking red ink, giving off a grim and serious air.

[Copper Creek Forest Area · Large-Scale Joint Clearing Operation]

Lance quickly scanned the main text.

It was a call to arms, addressed to all registered Adventurers in the entire Guild.

Unlike the scattered, small-scale jobs of the past, this time the Guild had clearly defined combat zones and even established detailed routes for advancement.

Lance was astounded. This was a localized war against the Demons of Copper Creek Forest.

Standing before the notice board, Lance’s gaze traveled down from the red title as he read the entire call to arms in detail.

’He had to admit, for a Guild President who usually seemed obsessed with counting every Copper Coin, this was a massive investment.’

’That shrewd old man had even spared no expense, pulling a group of veteran Professionals from the more profitable Underground City to serve as the main force.’

The notice also clearly stated that all Free Adventurers had to register as part of a team.

The Guild would then divide Copper Creek Forest into different combat zones and assign teams to advance along predetermined routes, sweeping through the entire area as if with a fine-toothed comb.

However, after carefully studying the map of the advance, Lance realized the Guild President wasn’t arrogant enough to attempt a complete sweep of the entire Copper Creek Forest.

’That would be unrealistic—a feat only a proper army could accomplish.’

The operation’s objective was very clear: to push the boundary of human activity five kilometers deeper into the forest, focusing on eliminating the Demon nests and hidden lairs that threatened the outer regions.

’This scale of operation...’

Lance rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

This methodical, step-by-step approach made him seriously suspect the Guild President had served in the Kingdom’s army in his youth.

Lance was actually quite looking forward to this operation.

After all, if the sweep succeeded, the danger level in the outer part of Copper Creek Forest would plummet, and the area would become much more stable.

Then, whether one was gathering herbs or hunting stray Demons, it would be significantly safer.

"I heard it’s because the Guild President reached a cooperative agreement with Violet Academy."

Nia remarked casually from the side as she tidied up her box of thumbtacks.

"The old man is making such a big fanfare this time probably because he wants to clean up the area before that group of pampered students arrives."

"After all, it would be hard to answer to the Academy if those students got themselves killed right after arriving."

"Students?"

"Why cooperate with them?"

Lance asked, confused.

He hadn’t been part of the Adventurer community for long, after all, so there was still a lot he didn’t quite understand.

"You forgot about the Magic Power surge in the Underground City a few months back?"

Nia sighed and wagged a finger in front of Lance.

"The ones who suffered the most casualties back then were the Mages."

Lance nodded. The incident, with its heavy casualties, had occurred not long after he first joined the Guild, and the memory was still fresh in his mind.

In an Adventurer party, Mages might have powerful attacks, but they’re also the most fragile. When faced with sudden danger, their survival rate is often the lowest.

That disaster basically wiped out a generation of Gray Rock Town’s local Mages. Nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone on the street who can even conjure a fireball.

"But you can’t do a clearing mission without Mages," Nia explained.

Lance froze for a moment, then immediately understood the implications.

In a standard Adventurer party, a Mage’s importance is irreplaceable.

Even Mage Apprentices who had yet to officially choose a Profession possessed Basic Spells with an area-of-effect destructive power that physical Professions couldn’t hope to match.

This was especially true when facing a swarm of monsters like Goblins, which rely on numbers to win. A single Mage’s Fire Ring Skill was often more effective than three Warriors hacking away for ages.

And that didn’t even cover the professional clearing missions.

Destroying Demon nests, purifying tainted land, dispelling poisonous gas from caves—all of this dirty work required a Caster.