Adventurer of Many Professions

Raymond stood outside the side hall, arms crossed, a deep frown settling on his face.

Arya had been inside for far longer than expected.

He knew exactly how the awakening ceremony worked, it was a simple, straightforward process. For most candidates, the whole thing took two to three minutes at most.

Yet, it had been almost five minutes since Arya had entered.

Raymond's gut tightened.

"Did something go wrong?"

Behind him, the other waiting candidates and their families exchanged whispers, their curiosity growing.

"Why is she taking so long?" someone muttered.

"The boy who awakened earlier didn't stay in there for this long."

"Could it be that she awakened as well?"

"It has to be! No one stays inside that long unless something unusual happened!"

The hushed speculation made Raymond pause.

And suddenly, it clicked.

He had been worrying for nothing.

If Arya had failed to awaken, she would have been sent out quickly, like the others before her.

The fact that she was still inside meant only one thing:

She had awakened.

And not just an ordinary awakening.

Something significant had happened in there.

Creak!

The heavy wooden doors of the side hall finally swung open.

Raymond's eyes snapped up immediately.

And then—

"Raymond!"

Arya's joyful voice rang out as she rushed forward, her entire face glowing with excitement.

She ran straight to him, beaming, and thrust her right hand into the air for him to see.

"I awakened!" she declared, her voice practically bursting with happiness.

Raymond's gaze locked onto the symbol etched into the back of her hand—

A bow with a fully drawn string.

The mark of an Archer.

For a brief second, he just stared at it.

Then, relief and excitement flooded through him.

"Arya, that's incredible!"

His genuine happiness showed through as he grinned widely.

Not only had Arya successfully awakened, but she had also gained a combat profession, one their team desperately needed.

This wasn't just good news.

It was perfect.

Just then, Raymond noticed movement from the side hall doors.

The female priestess who had conducted Arya's awakening stepped outside, her expression oddly neutral.

At first glance, she looked composed, but Raymond's keen hunter's senses picked up on subtle details—

Her eyes flickered to Arya for just a moment, as if checking her reaction.

And even though she tried to mask her emotions, Raymond caught the slight tightening of her jaw, the barely noticeable hesitation before she called out—

"Next."

Raymond's mind worked quickly.

Something happened in there.

Arya had been inside for too long and now the priestess's reaction?

She was hiding something.

As Arya turned back toward the priestess, thinking no one could see, she winked playfully at her.

Raymond raised an eyebrow.

The priestess took a deep breath, then resumed her stoic, professional demeanor, ushering the next candidate inside.

Meanwhile, Arya grabbed Raymond's hand.

"Raymond, let's go home!" she said brightly.

He could tell she was eager to leave and if Arya wanted to keep something quiet for now, he wouldn't press her.

At least, not yet.

So, Raymond simply nodded.

"Alright. Let's go."

As they stepped out of the temple, he knew one thing for certain—

Arya's awakening was far from ordinary.

And sooner or later, she would tell him the truth.

Just as Raymond and Arya were about to leave the temple's front hall, two figures emerged from the opposite corridor.

"Lorene, that's amazing!"

A young woman's excited voice echoed through the hall.

Raymond and Arya instinctively glanced over.

The speaker, a girl with short golden hair and bright green eyes, was practically bouncing with excitement.

She was talking to a slightly blushing girl beside her, who had a calmer, more reserved demeanor.

The excited girl, Sylph, looked both amazed and slightly disbelieving as she spoke.

"Lorene, I can't believe it! You've only been awakened for half a year, and the Sun Goddess has already granted you another divine spell?! That's incredible!"

Raymond's eyebrows lifted slightly.

Divine spells weren't something ordinary people received frequently.

Lorene, still flustered, shook her head. "The Sun Goddess is merciful… She must have seen that I'm not strong enough in the team yet, so she blessed me with this new magic to help everyone more."

Sylph grinned, giving her friend a playful nudge. "Come on, don't be so modest! You're amazing!"

Raymond and Arya exchanged a glance.

Clearly, they weren't the only ones who had witnessed something special today.

As Lorene spoke, a deep sense of reverence settled over her expression. She turned toward the nearly ten-meter-tall statue of the Sun Goddess, standing at the center of the temple's front hall, its golden glow casting a sacred light over the chamber.

With practiced grace, she bowed deeply, hands clasped in prayer.

Sylph, standing beside her, smiled warmly. "How can you say it's useless? You saved Raymond's life. Saving Raymond means saving all of us!"

Her voice was filled with genuine admiration, and as Lorene completed her bow, Sylph mimicked the gesture, tracing a small circle over her chest before bowing slightly in respect.

But as they straightened, something caught their attention.

A figure waving from across the hall.

Their eyes narrowed in recognition.

"Raymond?"

Sylph blinked in surprise before calling out to him.

Raymond, standing with Arya, simply motioned toward the temple entrance, a silent invitation to meet outside.

The message was clear.

Without hesitation, the four of them made their way out of the temple, stepping into the sunlit courtyard beyond.

The moment they were outside, Raymond took the lead in introductions.

"Arya, this is Lorene, the priestess of our team. Lorene, this is Arya."

Though this was their first time meeting face-to-face, neither of them needed further explanation, they had heard of each other before.

Arya offered a polite nod. "Lorene."

Lorene smiled gently. "Arya."

Sylph, standing beside Lorene, gave a friendly wave. "Nice to finally meet you properly, Arya!"

With introductions out of the way, Raymond turned his attention to Sylph and Lorene, his curiosity piqued.

"So, what brings you both to the temple today?"

Sylph huffed playfully, placing a hand on her hip. "Of course, we came here for Lorene!"

Then, she raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't you know? Priests who leave the temple must return every now and then to pray, or to seek divine blessings for new sacred spells."

Raymond nodded thoughtfully. "I've heard of it, but never really asked about the details."

His gaze shifted to Lorene, and with a smile, he asked, "So? Did the Sun Goddess grant you anything this time?"

At his question, Lorene's eyes brightened. She nodded enthusiastically, her previous shyness momentarily forgotten.

"Yes! The Goddess finally answered my prayers and granted me a divine spell!"

Raymond's eyes widened in surprise.

He had asked casually, but he hadn't expected her to actually receive a new spell.

Lorene had only been a priestess for about four months. It had taken over a month after her awakening before she had been granted her first divine spell; Healing Light.

And now, she had already received a second blessing?

Then again…

Raymond remembered her magic affinity of 2.4.

That kind of natural talent made it far less surprising that the Sun Goddess favored her.

Still, he was eager to know more.

"What kind of spell did you receive?"

Priests could receive a variety of divine spells, each with incredible supportive effects for a team.

"Healing Light" was already one of the most crucial spells, capable of restoring injuries instantly.

"Blessing of Strength" temporarily enhanced physical power, making even a mage hit as hard as a warrior.

"Blessing of Protection" fortified the body, reducing damage from attacks.

"Purification" could cleanse the body of poison, curses, and mental effects.

And then, there was one of the most rarely bestowed blessings, one that combined multiple enhancements into one spell.

Lorene lowered her voice slightly, as if hesitant to draw too much attention.

"It's… the Blessing of Courage."

For a second, Raymond simply stared.

"Blessing of Courage?"

Before he could even process the implications, Arya; who had been listening intently, gasped aloud.

"That's incredible!" she blurted out.

Her reaction was completely justified.

The Blessing of Courage was one of the most powerful divine spells a priest could receive.

Unlike individual blessings like Strength or Protection, this spell combined both, granting enhanced physical power and reinforced endurance at the same time.

Even better?

It wasn't just a single-target spell.

It was a group-wide enhancement.

The caster could bless up to five people at once, making an entire team stronger, tougher, and ready for battle without the risk of losing control over their strength.

Raymond had heard of the spell before, but he had never expected to meet someone who actually received it.

This changed everything.

Raymond finally exhaled, shaking his head in amazement. "That's… seriously impressive, Lorene."

Lorene blushed slightly, clearly unused to praise. "I was just lucky."

Sylph, on the other hand, was beaming with pride. "Lucky? Please! This is proof that the Goddess herself recognizes you!"

Arya, still excited, turned to Raymond. "This is huge! Lorene's spell makes your whole team even stronger!"

Raymond nodded in agreement.

Lorene had already been invaluable as a healer. But now, with Blessing of Courage, she had the ability to turn an entire battle in their favor. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire

With this kind of spell…

Their team's fighting power had just increased drastically.

And with Arya's new awakening as an Archer, they had gained even more strength.

For the first time in a long while, Raymond felt a surge of confidence about the future.

Their team was growing stronger.

And big things were coming.