My Professions Have Too Much Personality - Chapter 98 - 95: The Name Has Arrived Before the Person

Chapter 98: Chapter 95: The Name Has Arrived Before the Person

“I thought you said it was difficult for news to travel between cities,” Su Chen asked in a low voice.

Gu Bing, who was standing in front of him, turned around. Looking slightly exasperated, she lowered her voice and said,

“But the Third Judge had to be notified that you became Elder Xia’s student. Elder Xia acted without getting approval first and even threw in a City Lord position for you. I bet that has the Third Judge absolutely fuming.”

“Besides, given Elder Xia’s special status, your name is probably already known by quite a few people.”

“Fair enough,” Su Chen sighed.

The others nearby, who had been straining to listen, couldn’t hide the envy on their faces. As for any jealousy, they could only keep it concealed.

His reputation had preceded him, and he was already making waves in Yingfeng. Who wouldn’t be envious of that?

Gu Bing clapped her hands. “Alright everyone, there’s still some time before the Judicial Court assessment. I’ll arrange accommodations for the regular students from the Southern Academy, and City Lord Yuan will cover the basic expenses. As for everyone else, you’re on your own.”

Du Yu and the others didn’t mind. They had money and were carrying various precious metals, just waiting for a chance to spend them.

“Su Chen… you aren’t a member of the Judicial Court yet, so you’ll have to stay outside too,” Gu Bing added, speaking directly to him.

Su Chen nodded, but his gaze fell on Yang Yan, who was walking out holding a small metal case.

’The Holy Word Stone is in there…’ A thought struck Su Chen, and he called out, “Judge Yang…”

Yang Yan paused. Su Chen hurried over to him. “Are you heading to the Translation Department?”

“Yes,” Yang Yan nodded. “The Holy Word Stone has to be delivered to the Translation Department.”

“May I go with you?” Su Chen asked, quickly adding, “My Teacher Yuan specifically told me that when the Holy Word Stone was delivered to Yingfeng, I should make sure they don’t forget about Southwind.”

“After all, the Profession this time is something extraordinary.”

When Subordinate Cities excavate a Holy Word Stone from a ruin that they can’t decipher themselves, they can send it to Yingfeng. After Yingfeng deciphers it, the information is shared back with them.

But the Translation Department holds a revered status. If they deem a Profession unimportant, they might just toss it aside after deciphering it, and no one dares to pressure them.

The Subordinate Cities are helpless and can only suffer in silence, at most sending a few messages to inquire about the status.

“Yuan Chenyang… honestly…” Yang Yan shook his head with a wry smile and paused to think. “You’re Elder Xia’s student. I suppose it’s fine for you to come along.”

It wasn’t Southwind’s official request that got Su Chen the invitation, but his status as Xia Hanshi’s student.

“Thank you.” Su Chen nodded. He was quite curious about the Translation Department, especially after discovering the Morning Star Tier Profession—Great Venerable Red Flame Thunder Resonator.

Since Profession information could be inscribed on the outer rings of Yingfeng, the city’s inner institutions must hold even more. The Translation Department was the most likely place to find it.

And then there was that “Saint” requirement. He remembered that, too. The first requirement to become a Great Venerable was a Profound Purple Level Talent, and he was only at the Red Gold level.

As he followed Yang Yan away, the others watched their backs with complicated expressions.

On the journey over, Gu Bing, the “big sister” of the group, had occasionally chatted with everyone. Yang Yan, however, had barely shown his face, and was cold and distant when he did.

Only Su Chen seemed capable of getting him to soften his attitude.

After leaving the docking bay, Yang Yan led Su Chen down an elevator to a lower-level parking garage. Once he completed the necessary procedures, he retrieved a black hovercar.

“…A Translator isn’t a Profession…” Yang Yan motioned for Su Chen to fasten his seatbelt before answering his earlier question. “It’s strange, isn’t it? Almost every trade and industry has evolved into a Profession, but translating the Holy Word Stone, specifically, has not.”

“Translating a Holy Word Stone requires looking up a vast amount of information. It relies more on accumulated personal knowledge. There are no shortcuts, though some special Professions can help by boosting memory or comprehension.”

“So it’s purely based on accumulated knowledge…” Su Chen murmured.

“Right.” Yang Yan elaborated, “The Translation Department’s duties aren’t limited to just translating Professions. They’re also needed to decipher texts from many ruins. Otherwise, even if we discover some kind of Magic Technique or technological data, we wouldn’t be able to use it.”

Listening to him, Su Chen began to truly understand. The Translation Department’s status didn’t come just from translating the Holy Word Stones; it was, in a way, the very cornerstone of civilization’s revival.

It was just that translating Professions made up a huge portion of their work.

The records on a Holy Word Stone were, in essence, a form of text—just an encrypted one.

“…However, besides dedicated Translators, there’s another method of translation.”

The hovercar started up and merged into a traffic lane. Seeing Su Chen’s curiosity, Yang Yan was willing to elaborate.

“Oh?” Su Chen’s interest was piqued.

“You know how some people have an affinity for specific Professions, right?” Yang Yan asked.

“I know about that,” Su Chen nodded.

Yang Yan thought for a moment, apparently trying to figure out how to explain it.

“Take the Holy Word Stone in the case back there as an example. We don’t know what’s specifically recorded on it, but if you had a special affinity for the Profession it contains, it might mysteriously reveal some information to you.”

“It can do that?” Su Chen’s eyes lit up.

“It can,” Yang Yan said with a sigh. “A Holy Word Stone isn’t just a simple Stone Slab. The symbols and text on it are constantly changing.”

“Someone at the Translation Department recorded it once. Even for the simplest Tier One Profession, the total number of changing symbol combinations exceeds one hundred thousand.”

“What’s more, the Deceitful God Sect can use it to reduce the cost of communicating with the Deceitful God. The Holy Word Stone itself is an extremely precious material.”

“Maybe they really were used by gods…” Su Chen couldn’t help but remark.

“The Translation Department actually has a similar theory,” Yang Yan replied, not dismissing Su Chen’s comment as nonsense.

The two chatted idly as they passed through the prosperous Yingfeng District. A dense web of multi-level traffic tracks, like a surging river, flowed between the clusters of buildings, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Holographic advertisements were projected onto the glass curtain walls of the skyscrapers, and the designs of the hovercars grew increasingly fantastical.

The black, biomimetic coating on Yang Yan’s car shimmered with a scale-like pattern as its speed changed, all to reduce friction.

The journey took much longer than Su Chen had anticipated. It was completely dark by the time they reached their destination.

A round, silver moon hung high overhead, casting down its silvery glow.

“We’re here.”

“The moon…” Su Chen murmured as he stepped out of the car. He looked up, a feeling of both strangeness and familiarity washing over him.

Yang Yan retrieved the metal case from the back of the car. “I hear there was something like this in the sky before the fog rolled in,” he said wistfully. “It’s hard to imagine.”

Su Chen’s expression was unreadable. “You can say that again.”

“Let’s go,” Yang Yan called out. Su Chen snapped out of his reverie and turned his attention to the Translation Department before them.

It was a sprawling complex, a forest of blue-gray alloy buildings. The outer walls of each structure were etched with a honeycomb-like pattern.

The security on the perimeter was even stricter, with sentry patrols at regular intervals.

Yang Yan parked the car outside. As they walked, he warned in a low voice, “Once we’re inside, watch your words.”

“The people at the Translation Department are an arrogant bunch. Remind them not to forget Southwind City, but only do it once. Whether they seem dismissive or annoyed, it’s best not to repeat yourself.”

“I thought the Yingfeng Judicial Court was the top dog around here,” Su Chen muttered.

Yang Yan shot him a look and explained quietly, “That’s true, but their scales are completely different. The entire Translation Department, including apprentices and official staff, barely numbers a hundred. That’s not even enough to form a single squadron in the Judicial Court.”

“But the value of each individual there is much higher. If a Chief Judge came, things would be different, of course. But we’re just regular Judges.”

“Identification.” Expressionless guards standing on either side of the main gate stopped them. They wore thick, black combat armor that looked far more technologically advanced than the armor back in Southwind.

“Yang Yan, Fourth-level Judge, Punishment Court of the Judicial Court.” Yang Yan produced a magnetic ID card. “Here under orders to deliver a Holy Word Stone.”

The guard took the card and tapped it against a device on his forearm. A virtual screen popped up. It had a privacy filter; from Su Chen’s angle, the screen was just a blur.

’Even the gatekeepers are Professionals. This is Yingfeng, after all…’ Su Chen mused.

“You may enter.” The guard’s expression softened slightly, but he did little more than step aside to clear the path.

Inside the complex, there were a fair number of people moving about. They all stood on fast-moving, silver metal discs that zipped along intersecting pathways.

Yang Yan collected a metal disc from the gatehouse. After they both stepped on, a virtual screen appeared. He swiped on it for a moment to lock in a destination, and the disc shot forward with a WHOOSH.

They quickly arrived in front of a metal building on their left.

The lobby was vast and open, with a silvery-white floor stretching into the distance.

Yang Yan walked up to the reception desk opposite the main entrance and asked politely, “Excuse me, is Professor Sang Hanhai available?”

The receptionist was an exquisitely beautiful woman, so much so that she seemed unreal. A shimmering blue ripple spread across her pupils, and her voice was completely devoid of emotion. “Apologies. Please wait…”

“Is that…” Su Chen said, surprised, as he carefully examined the “woman” before him.

Yang Yan didn’t seem surprised at all. “Understood. Please schedule an appointment. This is the Holy Word Stone from Southwind.”

“Appointment scheduled.”

After receiving the confirmation, Yang Yan led Su Chen to a waiting area off to the side. Noticing Su Chen still sneaking glances at the receptionist, he explained, “It’s a mechanical puppet. They’re mainly used for auxiliary tasks.”

“The Translation Department has a special status, so ordinary people aren’t allowed in. But having a High-tier Professional work as a receptionist isn’t realistic either.”

Yang Yan explained, “These things are quite popular in Yingfeng. They can help take care of a lot of miscellaneous tasks, but they aren’t cheap.”

’I wonder if this thing counts as a Secret Artifact,’ Su Chen mused.

The two continued to chat idly.

“The upper limit for Professional Tiers?” Yang Yan shot him a surprised look, then shook his head. “Who knows? The most powerful Profession I’m aware of is only Tier Seven Middle…”

“As for the limit… Tier Nine, Tier Ten, a hundred Tiers… anything’s possible,” he said, talking nonsense.

Su Chen was speechless. He had been trying to subtly fish for information about the “Morning Star Tier,” but it turned out Yang Yan didn’t know much either.

Seeing Su Chen’s speechless expression, Yang Yan actually grinned. “I know you young people are full of aspirations for High-tier, Top Level Professions, but that’s not necessarily a good thing.”

“Some information on High-tier Professions is, in itself, toxic. Mere exposure to it can cause you harm.” As he said this, his expression turned solemn.

“Toxic?” Su Chen was taken aback, his expression turning inquisitive. He had never heard of such a thing.