"Excuse me, could you move aside?"

"My apologies."

Gauss had been standing there in a daze for quite some time. Only when he heard the noise behind him did he realize he was blocking the staircase entrance and quickly stepped aside.

The lady ascending the stairs gave him a polite smile.

Gauss returned the gesture, though internally he felt somewhat embarrassed.

But then again, this reaction was understandable - every new professional visiting for the first time probably went through the same process.

Perhaps the scenery here wasn't breathtaking enough to warrant such distraction, but one's emotions naturally amplified every sensation.

If even he reacted this way, those newcomers who had struggled for years or even decades before becoming professionals must experience these mixed feelings with far greater intensity.

"First, I should find a spot to organize my current information while observing my surroundings."

The hall was filled with tables and chairs for resting.

Gauss chose a seat with excellent visibility and no nearby occupants, then began settling his thoughts.

First, accounting for yesterday's sold spoils, the commission just collected, and the 5 gold coins from the newcomer gift package, his current cash amounted to 14 gold and 35 silver coins.

Regarding other items:

- The Life Magic Stone was worth about 2.5 gold coins

- The Teleportation Scroll: 4 gold coins

- The Healing Scroll: 3 gold coins

Including these three higher-value items, his total assets reached approximately 24 gold coins.

Ideally, he'd prefer to keep both scrolls.

Considering the Life Magic Stone's effects had diminished significantly since his official professional promotion, barely providing any bodily nourishment now, he could sell it if urgently needing funds.

That would leave him with roughly 17 gold coins of immediately available money.

"I need to purchase several cantrips, which will likely cost a few gold coins. I wonder if I can find affordable spatial storage magic items."

Gauss's gaze swept across the surrounding shops.

Perhaps because they were affiliated with the Adventurers Guild, the stores lacked flashy decorative elements, maintaining a minimalist aesthetic overall.

The signs featured exquisite icons paired with text clearly indicating each shop's specialty:

- Sundries

- Equipment

- Magic Potions

- Magical Items

- Skills

- Books

- Commissions

This design allowed new adventurers to immediately understand each establishment's function.

"But no need to rush into shops yet. First, let's review the books I just received."

Gauss pulled out one volume - the Adventurers Guide.

He'd actually wanted to browse it downstairs but couldn't find a quiet spot.

Now with some leisure time, gathering information became the priority.

Truthfully, despite his professional promotion, he remained largely ignorant about:

- Professional ranks

- Adventurer levels

- Subsequent promotion paths

- Class changes

And other such matters.

Andni had explained some basics, but her knowledge wasn't systematic, having been away from the frontline for so long.

As Gauss quietly read, a uniformed guild attendant brought him a complimentary drink from behind the service counter.

This simple gesture gave him an unexpectedly pleasant sense of tranquility, almost like returning to his past life's library reading sessions.

Time flowed gently.

Eventually, Gauss looked up from the book, his expression showing newfound clarity.

He'd now gained fundamental understanding about the professional ranking system.

First, professional levels:

- Regular: 20 levels total

- Elite: Levels 1-5

- Master: Levels 6-10

- Transcendent: Levels 11-15

- Epic: Levels 16-20

- Levels 21+ belonged to a realm virtually inaccessible to ordinary people

Adventurer ranks generally corresponded to:

- Bronze: Equivalent to professional levels 1-5

- Iron: Levels 6-10

- Silver: Levels 11-15

- Gold: Levels 16-20

The small hexagram star on his identification badge marked him as a Bronze One-Star adventurer.

However, while adventurer ranks roughly aligned with professional levels, they weren't perfectly equivalent because adventurer progression also depended on mission records.

For example:

A level 10 professional could potentially rise quickly to become an Iron-rank adventurer, but couldn't jump directly to Iron Five-Star without completing any commissions.

The ultimate Platinum rank corresponded to level 21+ power.

For ordinary people, Silver-rank adventurers already wielded unimaginable might, while Gold and especially Platinum-tier figures might as well be legendary deities.

Many of the world's extraordinary landscapes - mountain gorges, river valleys - were reportedly shaped by Platinum-level professionals.

Every Platinum adventurer served as a national pillar. Their overwhelming power meant they rarely intervened directly, making public sightings exceptionally rare. Consequently, they'd grown increasingly mythical in folk legends.

Regarding class advancement - a more complex process:

Most basic professions (Warrior, Mage, Warlock, Ranger, etc.) had advanced specializations.

For example:

- Warriors could become Storm Warriors or Berserkers

- Warlocks could evolve into Dragonblood Warlocks or Banshee Warlocks by awakening bloodline powers

Advanced classes gained specialized abilities:

- Storm Warriors developed wind affinity, their sword energy resembling tempests

- Dragonblood Warlocks obtained draconic scales and dragon-related powers

Theoretically, Gauss's Magician class could also advance.

However, being a non-mainstream profession meant its progression path wasn't as clearly mapped as conventional classes.

This wasn't necessarily problematic, since class advancement proved extremely difficult for most adventurers anyway - even with established paths for common professions.

Knowing the requirements didn't guarantee achievement:

- Physical benchmarks

- Special advancement items

- Professional rituals

- Auxiliary tools

- Success rates

Countless complex factors came into play.

It resembled Gauss's previous life's college entrance exams - every student knew ranking in the provincial top scores meant admission to elite universities, but how many actually achieved it?

Thus, most professionals spent their entire careers in basic classes, with advanced versions remaining aspirational goals.

Fortunately, Gauss's Magician class was already exceptional.

Since his promotion, he'd sensed his combat capabilities far surpassed regular Mages and Warlocks.

The guide also addressed the core question of level progression:

Level advancement connected to one's Rank manifestation - unique for each individual.

For Gauss, it took form as that small, perpetually swirling magic cup.

A Warrior might manifest as a greatsword instead.

Regardless of form, Rank progression tied directly to professional activities:

- Accumulating relevant experience

- Adventures

- Combat

- Skill training

- Sparring

- Life-or-death battles

- Travel

Any suitable method could contribute to Rank experience and eventual level-up.

Post-upgrade, professionals might gain:

- Enhanced physical attributes

- Improved abilities

For spellcasting classes, the most common upgrade involved mana quality improvements.

Higher mana quality meant better spell effects at identical casting levels - something mere mana quantity increases couldn't achieve (which only allowed more castings).

Gauss closed the book.

He hadn't finished everything, but had covered his current interests thoroughly enough. The remainder could wait until later.

Returning the guide to his pack, Gauss stood and approached the shops.

His first stop was a skills store selling spell-learning scrolls.

The shop saw relatively few customers - understandable compared to:

- Frequently replenished potion shops

- Regularly maintained equipment stores

Most professionals wouldn't revisit skill shops often after initial purchases.

The store organized sections by profession:

- Warrior

- Ranger

- Rogue

- Mage