Chapter 3

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A Miraculous Outcome

Calmly.

Calmly surveying the surroundings and organizing the situation.

First, I looked at the levels of the slave traders who had attacked first.

【Lv3.】

Most of them were level 3, the level of ordinary soldiers. If they weren't the desert's great warriors, there was a chance to survive.

“Gasp!”

“There, there are too many hydragons!”

The problem was those monsters. Three level 5 raid boss monsters, which were formidable.

‘My level is 1.’

In contrast, I was level 1. All of them were higher than me.

No matter how I thought about it, it was a conscienceless quest. To survive in the middle of such a battlefield at level 1?

Moreover, boss monsters have additional effect judgments beyond their levels.

‘Hydragons have poor eyesight and can't move their bodies and heads simultaneously.’

But in this world, if you know the strategy, even a level 1 can defeat a level 5 boss monster.

Hydragons were designed to be defeated by 12 level 1s working together.

The real difference in levels and ranks starts at level 7.

So, before that, it's possible to overcome it somehow.

‘I can do it.’

It's too early to be discouraged at level 1.

The most important thing is that I am a veteran among veterans in this game.

I can handle 12 people's worth on my own. If I can do it, that's all.

Clang!

A sword and a scimitar clashed.

A soldier had already approached, exuding a killing intent right in front of me.

‘This is a real situation.’

It's not a game.

Swinging a sword and using my body can't be resolved with a single click.

This is a battlefield where flesh collides, is cut, and torn. I have to move my body to survive.

It seemed hopeless, but there was hope.

‘I can see the sword paths.’

Is it the effect of 【Weapon Master】?

I can see the sword paths. The exact places I need to swing my sword are clearly read.

Moreover, as soon as I held the weapon, I became proficient. It felt as if I had swung it tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of times.

The actions I needed to take were vivid in my mind.

And my body reacted before they were even fully formed in my mind.

Crack!

I deflected the sword at an angle and punched the soldier's jaw, breaking it.

I beheaded the soldier, who lost his balance and staggered.

There was no hesitation, no fear.

The sword paths and all the combat paths were already projected in my eyes!

*

The snake princess looked at the center of the battlefield with a peculiar gaze.

Erasing this place was her mission, an absolute command from the desert queen.

It wasn't a difficult task.

She was the second strongest after the queen, and their numbers were far greater.

But one of the slaves suddenly started slaughtering his own soldiers.

Even more astonishing was that he had killed a hydragon.

He was sweeping through the battlefield alone.

“... What is that guy?”

*

“Huff! Huff! Haaak!”

My heart felt like it was about to burst.

Each time I exhaled hot breath, it felt like a knife scraping the roof of my mouth.

I couldn't even tell if the drops falling from above were blood or sweat.

But one thing was clear: I was still alive.

Clang!

The sword blade, which had clashed hundreds of times, broke.

The net surrounding me began to tighten even more.

Among them, the spear-wielding soldiers were particularly troublesome.

“His sword broke! Kill him!”

“It’s now or never!”

Fortunately, they weren't regular troops. They didn't move in unison like an army.

A spearman, intoxicated by the desire for victory, approached, disrupting the formation.

“Ugh!”

I rolled toward the spearman and swept the ground. The spearman tripped and fell, dropping his spear.

I grabbed the spear before it hit the ground, and as I did, the soldiers swung their swords.

I turned the spear and caught the tips of the flying swords, using the recoil to deflect them. The soldier lost his balance.

“Gasp!”

I pierced the soldier's neck with the spear, killing him instantly. With a squelch, I pulled out the spear and turned it to block the incoming movements. The surrounding soldiers were stunned by the acrobatics of a spear master, as if I had trained with the spear my whole life.

Due to 【Iron-Blooded Warlord's Heart】, I could calmly survey my surroundings and not tire easily. And one of the hidden traits, 【Weapon Master】, allowed me to wield any weapon like a master without proficiency.

It even synergized with 【Dexterity】.

<Your sword proficiency has been upgraded to 6Lv!>

<Your spear proficiency has been upgraded to 6Lv!>

The hidden trait 【Dexterity】 is related to skill proficiency. While 【Weapon Master】 allows you to wield any weapon and starts you at 5Lv proficiency, 【Dexterity】 helps you advance to higher proficiency levels more easily.

Skill proficiency also has a cap at 10 levels. Level 6 proficiency represents the skill level of a renowned knight who has honed their abilities throughout their life.

I achieved this as soon as I held the weapon.

Hidden traits can also work together and create synergies. Of course, this is known by only a few. Hidden traits are not well-known even among players.

I used swords, spears, knives, bows, scimitars, and maces without discrimination.

“Monster!”

“That monster is tired!”

“Kill him!”

The net tightened with all kinds of praise.

The attackers numbered 500. Even though I had killed a hydragon, it was overwhelming for one person.

I had done all I could. I had killed thirty soldiers and a hydragon, conserving my movements and using all weapons to distribute my stamina.

If another player had seen this, they would have been shocked. Even veterans would have marveled at the possibility.

Still, I was reaching my limit.

But it was a limit.

<Level up!>

<Health and mana are restored.>

<Fatigue is restored.>

A smile formed on my lips.

I had been waiting for this.

‘Round 2 begins.’

I relaxed my shoulders. My rapid breathing gradually steadied. The movements of the approaching soldiers seemed slow. It felt like awakening.

“Stop.”

Rumble—

At that moment.

A woman's voice struck my eardrums, reverberating across the battlefield.

The soldiers froze, stiff as boards.

‘She’s finally here.’

The soldiers parted like the Red Sea.

A woman atop a hydragon, calmly surveying the front. Unlike the desert warriors, she had pale skin. She approached with a cat-like, elegant gait, making me whistle.

I had anticipated her appearance.

“H-Her Highness, the princess, stepping in...”

The centurion mustered the courage to speak to the snake princess, who sneered.

“He isn’t tired. He was just pretending.”

“... That’s impossible. His breath and sweat...”

“Look closely. Does his breathing look labored?”

“...”

The centurion's eyes turned to me.

Seeing me catch my breath, he frowned. ‘What kind of monster is this guy?’

“Pretending to be tired... to lull us into a false sense of security?”

“Yes.”

It seemed the level-up and stamina recovery were interpreted that way by the snake princess.

I greeted her with an unchanged expression.

“Indeed. It’s rare to face someone who remains unchanged.”

I sensed a momentary surge of killing intent, but I was unaffected by the “Iron-Blooded Warlord's Heart.”

A being who could judge others by their aura. I looked above her head.

【Lv 8】

Level 8. A level that would be considered the “strongest” anywhere!

The dividing line for strong characters in Pangea is level 7. From level 7, the differences become significant, and the level gap is almost impossible to overcome.

Level 8 is a level that only the leaders of famous organizations can achieve. In a city of a million people, there might be one or two.

‘Is there such a strong character in Faisalmere?’

There is. The queen of Faisalmere. But as far as I know, there are no other named NPCs who have reached level 8.

This place is just the starting city, a starting point.

Yet, for some reason, the woman before me seemed strangely familiar.

Familiar or just a feeling of familiarity. It felt as if I had a deep connection with her in the past.

She approached and spoke.

“What is your name?”

What is my name?

‘I didn’t even create a nickname.’

I realized I hadn’t even created a nickname. Could this be the branching point for creating a nickname?

‘Moreover, the quest isn’t over.’

There was no sign that the main quest had ended. It meant the survival task was still ongoing.

It must be because of the snake princess. Combined, everyone here couldn’t match her. With a clear threat to my life, the survival quest couldn’t end.

‘Then...’

This ‘name’ is also important.

“Randolph.”

“... The great wolf? Are you from the desert?”

Randolph means ‘great wolf.’ The snake princess raised an eyebrow, surprised that I knew a word that only desert natives would know.

But that was all.

“Why is a desert native with the central continent’s expeditionary force?”

Open contempt.

Desert people describe the central continent’s humans as devils.

If captured, they are used as slaves until they die.

I am no different. Once the novelty wears off, I’ll be killed.

But it was puzzling.

‘I know they are an expeditionary force. And yet, they were wiped out.’

It was unprecedented to wipe out an expeditionary force before using them as slaves.

Even the same desert tribe members were all killed.

‘Covering up evidence. They want to hide that the expeditionary force reached the desert.’

The 8 heroes and the expedition... It must refer to the great expedition to the demon world I initiated with eight unique pieces of equipment.

But I failed the expedition. Despite all the preparations, I couldn’t cross the threshold to the demon king’s domain. There were several reasons, but mainly because the demon king was too strong.

‘Out of fear of the central continent.’

I concluded.

The queen of the desert fears the connection between the expeditionary force and the desert.

She knows that if the failure of the expedition is linked, it will cause a bloodbath. Soldiers were drafted from almost all major cities on the continent, but Faisalmere was excluded.

This place is the perfect setting for a witch hunt.

So, she is eliminating anything that could connect, even by 0.1g.

After assessing the situation, I spoke.

“I was observing the central continent’s movements.”

“... A spy for the central continent? Who sent you?”

“I went on my own.”

“On your own? That doesn’t make sense. Most importantly, I’ve never seen a warrior like you in this desert. Your skin color is different, and you don’t have any tribal marks. If you’re trying to bluff with something you overheard...”

“The stars told me.”

Snap!

The snake princess’s entire body froze as if in disbelief.

Then, with a strange look, she asked.

“... The stars?”

Confusion, surprise, and a hint of desperation.

‘It seems I’m on the right track.’

Her reaction confirmed why she felt familiar.

The snake princess is a character I know.

And the reason for her reaction is simple.

The stars are her ‘weakness.’

Simultaneously, they are my only way to survive.

With certainty, I began my ‘act.’

“Star Seer. I am not bound to any tribe. I never claimed to be from the desert, but I don’t understand why you assume so.”

“...!!!”

Star Seer. One who reads the stars and is guided by them.

They are seers and one of the few true wanderers in the world. They move, follow, and pray for the stars.

And it’s a name the snake princess needs.

“Snake Princess Isabella. Isabella von Dersian.”

“My... my full name? How do you know?”

“Star Seers can hear the voice of the stars.”

The stars told me.

Of course, that’s not true.

Star Seer is a class that players can’t obtain. Only chosen NPCs can have it, and players must find them when they need to reach level 10 and obtain the stars.

Isabella von Dersian is a similar case.

She wanted to escape the desert more than anyone.

She was bound by the queen’s curse. She wasn’t from a desert tribe. But to escape, she needed the stars, the blessing of the stars.

How do I know all this?

‘Why is my character the snake princess?’

I didn’t expect it, but sometimes the unexpected happens.

The worst starting point.

I created this character for experience and gave up when I realized there was no way to grow in the desert.

More precisely, due to the queen’s curse, there was no way to progress without the ‘blessing of the stars.’ But finding a Star Seer in the desert was impossible, so I gave up.

Now, this abandoned character is the snake princess before me. How could I not be shocked?

At that moment.

<‘Main Quest 1: Survival’ has been completed.>

... A notification that I had survived.

Despite killing dozens of soldiers and a hydragon, the quest hadn’t been completed until now.

That’s not all.

<Calculating the results.>

<Historic! A result beyond perfection.>

<Total score: 220 points. The main quest - ‘Hall of Fame’ will be updated.>

<Rookie’s luck! The ‘Constellation of Fortune’ smiles. The rewards are upgraded.>

<The ‘Constellation of Battle’ scratches its nose in approval. The rewards are upgraded.>

<Obtained ‘Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule’.>

<Obtained ‘Hydragon’s Soul’.>

<Obtained ‘Mikela’s Blade’.>

...

I couldn’t help but be stunned by the rewards.

“... Insane.”

The rewards were so incredible, the words came out naturally.