Chapter 778
Chapter 778 - 764: Lawyer and the Magic Book
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[Beep, congratulations, Host! You have obtained the third-tier Scholar profession ’Lawyer’.]
[Lawyer profession modification: Slight increase in Physique, slight increase in Reflex, moderate increase in Spirit.]
𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
[Professional Skill ’Reading (Taboo)’ is above lv10, currently lv12, awakening profession ability ’Stenographer’s Shorthand (Upper Brass)’]
[Professional Skill ’Writing (Taboo)’ is above lv10, currently lv22, awakening profession ability ’Ma Liang’s Brush (Upper Brass)’]
[Current Status: Physique (Upper Brass), Reflex (Upper Black Iron), Spirit (Silver Lower level)]
Some improvements are subtle, while others are immediately noticeable.
When Lu Ping’an crossed this threshold, his Scholar series gave him actively usable profession abilities for the first time.
However, both still have the unique characteristics of Scholar series abilities, particularly ... "subtle".
Stenographer’s Shorthand can let you "contaminate" high-speed reading, shorthand, and writing, forming a temporary "stenographer’s record" for easier advancement, decoding, and reading later on.
This is extremely useful in many Exotic Realm explorations, ancient relics, and special environments, but in actual combat... well, for a Lawyer, it can also be used to record opponents’ ability characteristics and weapon features, so it can’t be said to be completely useless.
Ma Liang’s Brush is an advanced evolution of the "Pollution Pen." Compared to before...
"Interesting..."
Lu Ping’an stretched out his finger, drawing in the void, leaving a black trace in the air.
With this ability, he can output "pollution" more effectively, being able to "paint and graffiti" objects and the world... Just like the Pollution Pen, it is an essential prerequisite for painter, judge, and other Scholar series professions.
In Lu Ping’an’s hands, the heavy volume also became a silver-edged, ancient-style tome.
In the center of the tome’s cover, there’s a faint engraving of the Goddess of Balance, surrounded by silver and gold edges that ripple out, making it look more like a collectible than a practical item.
[Lu Ping’an’s Decree Record (Upper Brass Taboo Item)]
[Features: A4 paper-sized set of antique imitation books, inlaid with a string of silver chains, the cover is a bizarre leather texture, and the book is engraved with numerous curses and decrees. When holding the book, you will hear angry roars and wails from within.]
[How to describe this book and the legend of its creator? Lu Ping’an, a 17-year-old Lawyer, whose story is still ongoing...]
[He, and his book, are both growing...]
[Function 1: Lu Ping’an’s Unconventional Ideas (Silver Lower Ability): When holding this book, you will gain inspiration and thoughts boost based on your ’Taboo knowledge’ level. As long as your knowledge is extensive enough, you may become an extraordinary genius. However, if your ’knowledge’ accumulation is not sufficient, it will strip away your limited knowledge and common sense, in other words... An Intelligence-Reducing Curse at your service.]
As the effect emerged, Lu Ping’an was overjoyed.
It seemed that this ability didn’t restrict Lu Ping’an himself, but he felt the malice within it. If the "sufficient knowledge" were based on his outrageous 33 levels of Taboo knowledge, then even if other third-tier Scholars tried to use it...
"...I need a test... um, reference subject."
So he called for Meow...
"Meow? What’s up meow? Books? Meow doesn’t want to read!"
Trying to make a cat read is worse than killing it, but under Lu Ping’an’s description of it as a "wisdom-enhancing" taboo item, and the temptation of extra food tonight, the trusting Meow tentatively tried it.
"Mmmmeow? Meow, meow, meow! Meow, meow, meow!"
Immediately, she forgot how to speak human.
The next moment, her beastly pupils were revealed as she landed on all fours, scratching her face with her hind legs, her small tongue licking her tail, fully catified.
Then, she pounced on Lu Ping’an, showing her claws and little fangs, rubbing her head against him, and softly rubbing her forehead on Lu Ping’an.
"Meow, meow, meow." Next came a series of strangely accented cat language, the kind you hear but can’t understand.
"Meowrrr meow meow meow..."
It seemed that upon realizing Lu Ping’an didn’t understand, she meowed even more urgently, constantly rubbing against him...
"She said, mate Meow? Want to mate Meow? The cat in charge of food, Meow wants kittens and family Meow... Pft, so that’s how she sees you." A malicious "translation" came out of the big cat’s mouth, with undisguised evil cuteness.
In an instant, Lu Ping’an felt his hair stand on end and directly picked up the cat by the scruff of its neck, kicking it away.
At the same time, after being distanced and removing the book, Meow became normal again...
"Meow?! Wait, Lu Ping’an... Meow meow meow." The meow that had just come to its senses froze in sudden panic, only to stop speaking human language again.
Then, glaring fiercely at Lu Ping’an, it blushed and ran away directly.
This was too stimulating for the newly adult Meow... A grown-up human still acting like a "child," but not a cat.
Lu Ping’an took a deep breath and carefully picked up the magic book left on the ground.
In a sense, this thing truly is a big weapon.
Of course, merely having this one feature is not worthy of being a Lawyer’s lifelong treasure.
[Function 2: Lu Ping’an’s Decree Record (Lower Brass Ability): It contains 43 decrees; three are fully mastered, seven are partially mastered, 16 are understood to a certain degree, and the remaining decrees are both incomplete and insufficiently understood.]
[Note 1: The record is growing.]
[Note 2: You should have discovered that the pages can not only be written on but also torn off. How to use them is up to you...]’
This book is Lu Ping’an’s indispensable forbidden item as a Lawyer. Its strength is subtle, but it is essential.
Unsurprisingly, instead of the usual four or five professional Abilities Lawyer typically awaken to, Lu Ping’an did not get them all... His approach was unconventional, and he only obtained a "guarantee."
[Lawyer’s Self-cultivation (Lower Brass Passive Ability): Significantly enhance your analysis of ’decree,’ increase your innate perception of the weaknesses of decrees, and significantly improve your perception and resistance to forcibly controlling, rule-based decree abilities. This ability can take effect during battle.]
[Annotation: Using ’Speed writing method’, it can speed up the analysis of the opponent’s decree in the battle and incorporate its power ’into the book.’]
Having obtained this core passive ability, Lu Ping’an is now a part-time Lawyer. To some extent, this is the reason why most Lawyers have a secondary profession. The advantages are quite obvious in battles of the same rank.
Once engaged in actual combat, he can quickly analyze the opponent’s decrees, paths, and intuitively sense the prerequisites, weaknesses, and unfavorable aspects of their Abilities.
It still doesn’t have "combat power," but the importance of information in actual combat doesn’t need explaining.
What’s most important is that this characteristic is not limited to himself.
[Lawyer’s Paid Card (Lower Brass Professional Ability): The "Decree Abridgment" recorded with "Speed writing method" and passive characteristics can be transferred to other users to increase their understanding and resistance of specific decrees.]
Simply put, if Lu Ping’an records the core decree of a difficult opponent and then makes a small card and gives it to his comrades when they’re actually fighting the guy, the enemy’s use of decrees and Abilities will be all but transparent to everyone.
If the notes are detailed enough, upon lifting their hand, the record-holder will be able to sense the attack range, cost, special characteristics, and other basic abilities of their enemy’s Ability.
A somewhat inappropriate example would be when a BOSS is about to enter the next phase and use a wipe-out skill, there will be someone shouting, "Firewall, Firewall, Firewall," and pointing out how to dodge it.
If you can still get wiped out then, perhaps the battlefield isn’t where you should be.
Apart from the need for prior preparation and very targeted guidance on this ability, there are no drawbacks.
As the only active ability Lawyers can bring to the battlefield, it seems ordinary, but numerous decree masters have been killed by it. Its maliciousness is too strong, and it’s also the reason why Lawyers are feared... One moment you inadvertently offend a Lawyer, and the next day a group of mercenaries holding small cards come to make you die wrongfully.
A strong fourth-tier may only have one more core decree and two or three Silver-tier professional Abilities than their third-tier counterparts.
The powerful aspect of the decree often comes with a high "cost" and "burden." Once it is missed or completely seen through...
Usually, a Lawyer can awaken to what are called "Lawyer’s Four-Piece Suit (Five-Piece Suit)" professional Abilities, but Lu Ping’an is satisfied with only taking these two cores since they are the result of his exceptional accumulation.
So, he happily went out for a few rounds, searching for some fourth-tier Lawyers to try...
"...Lu Ping’an made two fourth-tier big shots cry."
And so, even more bizarre rumors surfaced.
— End of Chapter 778 —