I am the Arcane Archer, and all my skills are self-created.

【……3……2……1!】

Welcome back to The Realm of Origin!

Accompanied by the familiar system notification sound, the scene before Li Wu's eyes changed, and the next second, the magnificent underground city-state of Ironforge reappeared in front of him.

The enormous furnace spewed scorching flames in the heart of the city, illuminating the entire cave ceiling in a fiery red glow.

The clanging of blacksmiths echoed endlessly, a beautiful blend of power and order. Countless dwarves and human players traversed the wide streets, filling the city with vibrant life.

"What unconventional methods did you just mention?" Li Wu was still very curious about what other methods Hua Zitong might have.

Hua Zitong didn't answer but instead rummaged through her backpack. After a moment, she took something out.

It was a dark purple token, about the size of a palm, with intricate and ancient patterns engraved on it, exuding a mysterious and powerful aura.

Li Wu recognized this thing.

Isn't this the reward that Hua Zitong received after she fought her way through the third level of the trial away from the village, the "Corridor of Rules"? It was the reward that made her ecstatic and even a little out of control.

He obtained the "Lost Pages of Erlin," while Hua Zitong obtained the token.

He was curious at the time what it was that could excite her so much, but then he got too busy and forgot about it.

"This is..." Li Wu's heart began to race, and an unbelievable thought surfaced in his mind.

"That's right." Hua Zitong's lips curled into a smug smile as she waved the dark purple token in front of Li Wu.

"【Guild Creation Order - Unique】".

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"A hidden reward for clearing the third floor of the Tower of the Lost for the first time. There is only one reward per area. It does not require any money. You can use it directly once you reach level 30 and create a guild."

boom!

Li Wu's mind went blank.

He stared blankly at the token radiating a purple aura, and in an instant, all the clues connected in his mind.

He finally understood why Hua Zitong had fought so hard in the Rules Corridor and why she had said that the rewards there were "more important than any equipment."

So, this was her goal from the very beginning!

She had known all along that establishing a guild required an exorbitantly priced guild token, so she had planned ahead to pass this unique trial and obtain this one-of-a-kind token!

This woman... her scheme actually started so long ago!

Li Wu looked at Hua Zitong with an extremely complex expression.

He thought he knew this woman well enough. But now he realizes that what he saw was perhaps only the tip of the iceberg.

She is like an abyss shrouded in mist; you think you've seen her clearly and gotten closer, only to find that there is a deeper and wider world below.

"So, we're all ready now, just waiting for the right opportunity," Hua Zitong said casually as she put away the token.

The so-called "East Wind" naturally refers to the grade.

"Level 30..." Li Wu muttered to himself.

At this moment, the goal became incredibly clear and incredibly urgent.

"Let's go." Hua Zitong patted his shoulder, interrupting his thoughts. "Now that we have our tickets, the next step is to improve our own strength. Equipment and level, we can't afford to fall behind in either."

"First stop, career mentor. Let's go check out our job change quest." Hua Zitong's eyes shone with enthusiasm.

Li Wu nodded.

Without further delay, the two set off towards the central area of ​​Ironforge.

Their figures quickly merged into the bustling crowd on the street.

Ironforge truly lives up to its reputation as a town primarily focused on forging; the entire city's architectural style exudes a rugged and imposing feel.

Along both sides of the street, tall dwarf statues can be seen everywhere, holding giant hammers and glaring angrily, as if they are guarding the city.

The air was filled with a faint smell of sulfur and burning metal, which was not unpleasant at all; on the contrary, it gave people a feeling of excitement.

The two walked through the bustling central square and soon found the warrior class's advancement hall—the Glory Barrier.

It was a massive building made entirely of obsidian, with two rows of heavily armored dwarven guards standing at the entrance, wielding tower shields, exuding an imposing aura.

"I'll go in and get the mission first. Wait for me here," Hua Zitong said to Li Wu.

Li Wu nodded.

Hua Zitong walked straight in, and the guards at the door only glanced at her before letting her through.

Li Wu stood outside, watching the NPCs coming and going, but he was troubled.

Hua Zitong is a warrior, so naturally she would choose to change classes and go to the Warrior's Hall.

But what about him? He's an Arcane Archer, a class that's only described in textbooks as "the worst hidden class." Where is he supposed to find a job change mentor?

He opened his job panel and looked at it over and over again. Apart from the skills and attributes, there was absolutely no information about job change.

He tried searching his memory for the game information he had previously read, but the result was the same.

All the materials only mention the job advancement process for the seven basic professions, and make no mention of the hidden professions, especially the unique "Arcane Archer" profession.

A familiar sense of powerlessness welled up in my heart again.

This profession is undeniably powerful, but it's also incredibly troublesome. You have to figure everything out on your own, and even changing jobs is difficult; it's like being a wild child without parents.

Just when Li Wu was at his wit's end, Hua Zitong walked out of the Glory Barrier.

She glanced at Li Wu, who was frowning, and immediately guessed what was bothering him.

"Can't find a tutor?" she asked.

Li Wu nodded somewhat dejectedly: "There's no indication on the job panel, nor in the information."

"I asked for you," Hua Zitong said, her face expressionless, but Li Wu still caught a hint of "I knew this would happen" in her eyes.

"My mentor said that a warrior's glory belongs to the battlefield, and he sent me to the Black Iron Mine outside the city to kill the Black Iron Dwarf Overlord and obtain his insignia, which would complete my job change quest."

"As for you..." Hua Zitong paused, looking at Li Wu, "He said that the inheritors of forgotten professions like Arcane Archers usually don't appear in noisy places like this."

"He told me to tell you to go to the city lord's mansion. He said the city lord of Ironforge is a knowledgeable elder, and perhaps he knows some clues about ancient traditions."

City Lord's Mansion?

Li Wu was stunned for a moment.

That's the power center of Ironforge, equivalent to the mayor's office of a city, a place that ordinary players wouldn't even dare to dream of at this stage.

"Can we go in?" Li Wu asked uncertainly.

"Yes," Hua Zitong replied decisively, "Don't forget our reputation."

Li Wu then remembered that they had accumulated over 3,000 reputation points in the starting village by completing a series of unique quests and achieving first kills. After choosing Ironforge as their main city, the system converted this reputation into 33,000 Ironforge reputation points at a ratio of one to ten.

This number allowed them to skip the "Neutral" and "Friendly" reputation levels and reach "Honored".

A "respected" level of reputation means that they are considered "important" figures in this city.

Not only can you get a 20% discount when buying things in stores, but more importantly, you can access many core NPCs and quests that are inaccessible to ordinary players.

For example, entering the heavily guarded city lord's mansion.

"Let's go, don't waste time," Hua Zitong urged.

Without further delay, the two set off immediately for the city lord's mansion, located at the highest point of the city.

The architectural style of the City Lord's Mansion is completely different from that of the Glory Barrier. It is more like a palace carved directly out of the mountain, magnificent and solemn.

The guards standing at the gate were even more elite than those of the Glory Barrier; their armor gleamed with runic light, clearly not ordinary.

As Li Wu and Hua Zitong approached, two guards immediately crossed their halberds and blocked their way.

"The City Lord's Mansion is a restricted area; unauthorized personnel are not permitted to enter!" One of the guards' voices boomed like a bell, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Hua Zitong didn't speak, but simply showed the badge on her chest that represented Ironforge reputation.

The silver gleam on the badge, representing "respect," shone brightly in the firelight.

The moment the two guards saw the badge, their attitude completely changed. They sheathed their halberds and gave the two men a standard military salute.

"So you are the esteemed adventurer. Please come in. The city lord is waiting in his study."

The guards' attitude made Li Wu realize once again the benefits of high prestige. This thing was even more useful than an ID card.

Guided by the guards, the two walked through a long corridor and arrived at the door of a huge study.

The door was open, and a scent mixed with the smell of old books and ink wafted out.

"Go in, he's inside," Hua Zitong said softly.

Li Wu nodded, and with a mix of nervousness and anticipation, stepped into the study.