Alex Knight added another log to the burning hearth and stretched out his hands, letting the warmth of the flames thaw his fingers. The stove, made entirely of black stone, absorbed the heat perfectly, radiating warmth that made the surrounding temperature feel at least 10 degrees warmer.
Seated on the now warm stone stool, Alex checked the system's loading progress.
**World information collection complete, generating profession.**
87%
"Still only 40% after nearly an hour of chopping wood and building a fire," he thought. "Looks like it'll take another half-hour to finalize my extraordinary profession."
"I can't just sit around," he reasoned, reluctantly rising to gather more wood. His current supply wouldn't last long.
He returned to the supply box, pulled out his long knife, and began chopping. This time, he wasn't concerned with making thin, easy-to-burn pieces; as long as it would catch fire, it was good enough.
**Bang ~ Crack**
**Bang ~ Crack**
Wood chips flew as Alex paused every six or seven chops to catch his breath, collecting the chopped wood blocks into his backpack.
For half an hour, he continued to dismember the supply box, stopping only to add wood to the stove once. He swung the knife about 40 times, each requiring nearly all his strength.
Now, he was panting heavily, his chest muscles stung from overexertion, his lower back ached, and his arms felt numb from the impact of chopping. His hands felt foreign, as if they no longer belonged to him.
He was exhausted.
If not for the survival necessity, he would have given up long ago. But his labor was for his own benefit; the effort would pay off.
The box was now completely dismantled, and his backpack held over 40 kilograms of wood blocks. This supply would extend his survival time from two days to four, doubling his chances in this world.
After collecting the firewood, Alex returned to the stove, his mind focused on the system's text.
**Profession generated. Player, please confirm whether to take up the profession.**
"What if I don't confirm? Can you change it for me?" he quipped mentally, then confirmed the profession with a thought.
As anticipation built, Alex's mind raced with possibilities. What profession awaited him?
Would he become a Qi Cultivator, living off the elements, transforming into a rainbow, and achieving immortality through Qi?
Or a Mage, mastering magic and controlling the elements like a deity?
Even a Fighter would be exciting; cultivating fighting qi, becoming a Fighter King who could summon a horse with his qi, or a Fighter Emperor with beauties at his side.
At the very least, he could hope to breathe fire, right?
**Player confirmed. Hunter profession loading.**
His fantasies shattered as the system text appeared.
As the system's text faded, Alex closed his eyes, and a scene formed in his mind.
In a snow-covered forest, a hunter clad in a thick cotton coat and a dog fur hat had frost clinging to his eyebrows and a nose reddened by the cold. The hunter slowly raised a wooden bow, drew the string, and aimed at prey he'd tracked for a day and night through wind and snow.
Of course, this wasn't a system-generated scene; it was Alex's mental image, a blend of movie scenes and his understanding of the hunter's role.
As the scene dissolved, Alex felt his eyes brighten.
Even with his eyes closed, a silvery-white light seemed to glow in the darkness.
A white orb of light appeared, its surface wrapped in silver flames, resembling solar flares, like a burning silver sun, mysterious and grand.
Then, the sun rolled up a silver tongue of fire and surged toward him.
With a boom, Alex felt his consciousness lift.
In an out-of-body experience, he saw himself.
His body was wrapped in silver flames, yet his clothes remained unscathed, and there was no pain.
His flesh and bones turned translucent in the silver flames.
From above, Alex's consciousness observed his pale brain.
Through his brain and collar, he saw flowing blood and pulsating internal organs.
After about 10 minutes, the flames gradually extinguished, turning into starlight that merged with his body.
As the flames dissipated, his consciousness returned.
Alex quickly checked his body; the warmth assured him everything was fine.
So this was the profession loading? While the Hunter profession didn't sound grand, the loading process was thrilling to witness.
He had to admit, Alex now felt an indescribable comfort and lightness in his body.
All soreness and fatigue vanished, and his hands felt filled with boundless strength. His entire body was light, as if he could soar with little effort, and his mind was clearer than ever.
Sitting on the stone chair, Alex eagerly opened his attribute panel to review the changes.
The light screen unfurled, revealing altered numerical data.
---
**Name:** Alex Knight
**Age:** 20
**Identity:** Player
**Dimensional Backpack:** 1 cubic meter [hunter's notes, burnt phone remains, one-handed sword, spoiled healing potions x6, dried rations x2, Hunting Knife, binoculars, broken Paralysis Trap, wood scraps 42 kg]
**Equipment Slots:** 0 / 3
**General Talents:**
- **Civilization:** Constant Language Comprehension, Text Comprehension. Can understand the current world's text and language.
- **Truth Eye:** Perceives basic information about an object when gazing at it.
- **Learning:** Quickly learns knowledge and masters skills through pictures, text, videos, and self-practice.
**Body Attributes:**
- **Strength:** 6
- **Agility:** 7
- **Constitution:** 6
- **Spirit:** 7
**Body quality has reached the peak for the current age group.**
---
**Extraordinary Profession:** Hunter
**Level:** 1
**Experience:** [0 / 100]
**Professional Talents:**
- **Killing (Unique):** Killing prey refines blood to generate bloodstones and extracts souls to generate soul crystals. [Consuming bloodstone increases strength, absorbing soul crystal enhances spirit]
**Professional Skills:**
- **Current:** None
**Professional Quest Generated:**
- **Novice Hunter's First**
- **Description:** Conduct a hunt and acquire the novice's first prey.
- **Quest Reward:** 10 experience points, Hunter Professional Skill Crystal.
---
Reviewing the attribute panel, Alex could only exclaim, "This is amazing!"
His golden finger was truly powerful.
His attribute values alone increased by 6 points.
No wonder he felt an inexhaustible strength; he had gained physical qualities he could never have imagined before, all from one profession loading!
No wonder everyone wanted a golden finger; a slight move could change one's fate against all odds.
If these attribute points continued to increase through the Hunter's talent, what would he ultimately become?
Superman or Homelander?
Oh, it's so hard to choose, he chuckled.
Alex unconsciously laughed out loud, filled with newfound hope and excitement.