C3 I Am Walking Towards the Peak Why Should I Hide?!

Shen Lang chuckled softly as he turned his attention to the final Level SSS talent.

Blessing: An exclusive Level SSS talent for Beastmasters

This passive talent allows the use of Beastmaster-exclusive skills without consuming mana, no cooldown periods, and a whopping +500% effectiveness!

Undoubtedly, this was yet another incredibly potent talent!

A Beastmaster's primary combat strength came from their beasts. While the Beastmaster themselves might not be particularly strong, their beasts' prowess in battle was significantly enhanced by buffs from their master, such as increased attack power and mana regeneration.

In essence, the Beastmaster played the role of a caretaker for their beasts, providing crucial support!

This made the sheer power of the Blessing talent crystal clear. In future battles, Shen Lang could freely stack various skill buffs on his beast without worrying about mana consumption or cooldowns, all while boosting the skill effects by an astonishing fivefold!

With this in mind, Shen Lang quickly glanced at the skill section of his interface, noting he had four skills at his disposal.

One was a basic skill, and the other three were exclusive to the Beastmaster class.

Inspect: A basic general skill for all Classes

Activating this skill allows one to view a target's level information, provided the target's level does not exceed the user's by more than 10 levels.

Such basic general skills are common to all Classes, designed to facilitate the assessment of a target's fundamental details.

Regrettably, as a general basic skill, it did not benefit from the Blessing talent. Otherwise, Shen Lang would have been able to inspect targets up to 50 levels above his own.

Contract Technique: A foundational skill unique to Beastmasters

This skill enables the formation of a master-servant pact with a beast, with the success rate hinging on the level disparity between the beast and the Beastmaster.

"The greater the level gap, the slimmer the chances of a successful contract, and vice versa."

"However, with my Bloodline Insight and Bloodline Reversion abilities, there's no need to seek out higher-level beasts. I just need to find one with a potent bloodline!"

"Plus, Blessing enhances the Contract Technique, quintupling the success rate!"

Mulling over these thoughts, Shen Lang's gaze drifted downward as he continued to review the remaining two exclusive Beastmaster skills.

Summoning Magic: A fundamental skill exclusive to Beastmasters

This skill allows the summoning of a familiar from the Beast Taming Space or the recall of a familiar engaged in battle back to one's side, at the cost of basic mana.

The concept is simple and clear-cut, yet Shen Lang, blessed as he is, can disregard this mana cost entirely.

Healing Technique: Another foundational skill for Beastmasters

It enables the restoration of both the Beastmaster's and their familiar's mana and vitality. The effectiveness of this healing increases with the Beastmaster's Class level, though it requires the expenditure of basic mana.

While a standard ability for Beastmasters, it's unremarkable—except to Shen Lang, whose eyes spark with potential.

Under the influence of the Blessing passive talent, Shen Lang is exempt from mana costs and cooldowns. This means he can continuously apply the Healing Technique to his familiar, multiplying the effects of mana and vitality restoration fivefold. His familiar can thus maintain peak condition, engaging in combat without sustaining damage.

The caveat, of course, is that the familiar isn't defeated in a single enemy strike; no amount of healing can counteract an instant defeat.

Yet the familiars Shen Lang intends to contract in the future will undoubtedly possess superior bloodlines and achieve their most powerful, ancestral forms. Divine beasts are merely the starting point. Within the Class Community, it's unlikely there are many who could vanquish such a creature in one blow—if any at all.

Besides, Shen Lang isn't foolhardy enough to needlessly antagonize other Class holders.

Shen Lang then turned his attention to the general skills—abilities accessible to all before choosing a Class. These skills can be enhanced through experience, bolstering their combat effectiveness.

After three years of diligent practice, Shen Lang's swordsmanship has ascended to Level 7, and his combat skills to Level 10, surpassing many lower-tier Class holders. Yet for a Class holder, these general skills are merely an embellishment, and for a Beastmaster like him, they're even less applicable.

If Beastmasters were meant to charge into battle themselves, what use would they have for a beast? That would be absurd.

Regarding Shen Lang's four-dimensional attributes, they are somewhat above average, a testament to his years of dedicated effort.

Shen Lang pored over the information on the panel several times, gaining a deep understanding of it. His confidence in his role as a Beastmaster was unshakeable.

"If I can't make it with this," he mused, "I might as well find a block of tofu to keel over on!"

Yet, before he could soar, there was the persistent issue of money. Buying a beast required cash. While it was possible to find a savage beast in the wilderness outside the city to tame, he was still a Newbie Class until he reached Level 5. Newbie Classes lacked the privilege and the prowess to venture beyond the city walls. The city's dungeons did offer savage beasts, but those were solely for leveling up and couldn't be contracted as beasts.

Thus, Shen Lang's only option to acquire a beast was to purchase one at the city's professional trading market. Money, that slippery devil, was something Shen Lang was short on at the moment.

But the problem wasn't insurmountable. Dean Soong had assured him that neither the academy nor the nation would let a gem like him go to waste.

Indeed, the policies in this world, three centuries later, were commendable. Otherwise, survival would be a challenge for someone of his meager means, much less attending the prestigious Fete Class School. Scholarships were plentiful, particularly for those in professional classes.

Naturally, the state had no interest in supporting the inept. If one's potential was scant, so would be the financial aid.

"With my Beastmaster profession and the talents I've awakened, I ought to secure a substantial sum," Shen Lang speculated.

He wasn't asking for much—just a million or two to kickstart his ascent would suffice.

The thought of revealing his talents was something Shen Lang had contemplated seriously. He knew all too well the adage about the tallest tree catching the most wind. Shining too brightly before he had the strength to back it up could bring unwanted danger, a common trope in web novels from three centuries past.

Yet for Shen Lang, powerless and without influence, even if he wished to conceal his abilities, it might prove impossible.

With his level of talent, any attempt at obscurity was bound to fail. The discerning could easily pick up on the slightest hint and expose him. Rather than risk that, he figured it was safer to let his potential shine. In the spotlight of public scrutiny, he would actually be more secure.

Moreover, I'm on my way to the summit, so there's no need for secrecy!

Still, Shen Lang wasn't foolish enough to lay all his cards on the table. It was essential to keep some aces up his sleeve.

While Shen Lang pondered his future path, the academy's class advancement ceremony wrapped up flawlessly. Dean Soong Yuan finally made his way back to his office.

"Shen Lang, have you been waiting long?"

Soong Yuan entered his office, closing the door behind him, his face blooming into a chrysanthemum smile—a stark contrast to the worried frown he wore at the start of the ceremony. It was evident that the recent advancements had yielded a number of impressive combat and supplementary occupations.

Shen Lang rose to his feet, replying, "Not at all, it was just a short while."

"Please, take a seat. Let's talk."

Soong Yuan motioned for Shen Lang to sit as he himself settled into the chair across from him. His smile softened as he began, "Shen Lang, you've always been a shining example for our academy. This time, you've lived up to expectations by awakening the hidden occupation of Beastmaster. Excellent, truly excellent! The Beastmaster occupation can be challenging, but rest assured, the academy and the government have support systems in place. Yes, there are scholarships for hidden occupations."

Shen Lang nodded, choosing not to interject.

He was quite familiar with the scholarship system before the occupation change. After the change, however, he wasn't as informed.

Soong Yuan went on, "Upon awakening a hidden occupation, the government will award a scholarship of one million yuan. Our academy will contribute an additional five hundred thousand yuan. That's the basic reward— one and a half million yuan. Moreover, depending on the level of talent awakened, there will be extra incentives!"

"For C-level talent and below, the reward is one million yuan."

"A-level talent receives three million, S-level talent gets five million, and SS-level talent a whopping ten million!"

Pausing, Soong Yuan looked at Shen Lang with a smile and inquired, "Shen Lang, what level of talent have you awakened?"

Generally, the talents associated with hidden occupations are quite exceptional, typically ranging from B to A-level.

Clearly, Soong Yuan believed that Shen Lang was likely in the same boat, mentioning the reward for a Level S talent with only a glimmer of hope.

As for Level SS and Level SSS, there was no point in discussing them. The rewards would undoubtedly be higher, but the odds were incredibly slim. It was rare to see even a handful globally in a year. To disclose the specific amounts only for Shen Lang to realize he couldn't attain them would be like twisting a knife in his heart.

Upon hearing that a Level S talent came with a ten million yuan reward, Shen Lang was ecstatic. That sum was more than enough for him to purchase a Level One or Two beast. He simply needed to seek out a beast with a strong bloodline; there was no need to pursue those of a higher level!

Regrettably, it seemed he didn't possess a Level S talent—his was at the very least Level SSS. Such a shame!

Internally smirking at his own good fortune, Shen Lang turned to Soong Yuan with a serious expression and inquired, "Dean, I'm curious, what's the scholarship amount for a Level SSS talent?"

"A Level SSS talent, the scholarship for that level is..." Soong Yuan began to respond casually, but mid-sentence, he abruptly rose from the sofa, staring at Shen Lang in stunned silence.