Not sure if I want to go back to trading.
I even sold my cargo racks for hull reinforcements
But you never know.
Maybe if the climb from Deadly to Elite in combat gets too steep I may get bored and go back to trading or try some exploration
You should absolutely do what you enjoy. There's no requirement to get ranks just because they are there, or indeed do any activity that doesn't interest you - and definitely don't chase credits!
Getting to combat Elite won't really be difficult, just a lengthy process. Unlike the other ranks, it's not measured by credits but by combat experience (xp) which you get by blowing up ships.
As your own rank increases, so the xp (points essentially) you get for destroying ships that aren't high rank goes down, so you either need to destroy a lot of high ranking ships - at Deadly rank you really want either Elite or Deadly ranked kills - or even more lower ranked ships! All kills do count for something nowadays, but destroying lower ranked ships will be hardly noticeable on the percentage bar, you'll need to destroy lots before you see the number go up.
Anyway, to be clear, not trying to put you off, just preparing you for what at first may seem like very slow progression. But as I said before, do what you enjoy, it is after all a game, not a job.
And seeing ships explode can be very satisfying.
