Chapter 3

"Phew…………"

It was only at this moment that Rod let out a long breath and lay back down again.

After chatting with the girl, Rod had already confirmed that this was indeed the world of Dragon Soul Continent. Moreover, this was not the era he had experienced before, but an even more distant past—the Twilight Years, which, in game time, was the period when the Dragon Soul Continent game had just started its open beta.

How did I end up here?

Rod sighed, shook his head, and stopped thinking about these strange and mysterious things. No matter what, he had already arrived here, and that was a fact. So what should he do next?

First, Rod decided to try and see what he could currently do. As soon as he thought about it, a clear and familiar system prompt appeared before his eyes, displaying his current status and attributes:

Rod

Level 1

Race: Hybrid (??)

Talent: Unsealed

Race Bonus: Unsealed

Race Traits: Unsealed

Class: Summoner Swordsman (Hero Class)

Class Skills: Spirit Summoning (Proficiency E)

Sword Techniques: Moon Shadow Sword Technique (Proficiency E) (Available Skill—Blade of Shattered)

Side Job: Alchemist (Specialization in Arcane Artifacts)

Held Skills: Concentration Shaping (Proficiency E)

This was a very normal yet very abnormal attribute list, especially when he saw the first item, Rod almost cried out.

Hybrid? How could I be a hybrid?

In the Dragon Soul Continent, the term "hybrid" did not refer to mixed-race humans like on Earth. Instead, it generally referred to the offspring of humans and other races. However, Rod was very clear that he was human, and even in the game, he had never chosen any other race. So why did his attribute list now show him as a hybrid? The question marks in parentheses indicated that his bloodline had not fully awakened, and thus his race bonus and traits were sealed. This meant that Rod had to understand what kind of blood he possessed and awaken the dormant power within his bloodline to gain these bonuses.

This was a problem for Rod because typical race bonuses were provided when a character was created. For example, human race bonuses included shortened skill learning times and various bonuses based on ethnicity, such as resistance to poison and reputation boosts. But now, these bonuses and traits were unavailable to Rod.

However, there was also a pleasant surprise. In the sections for sword techniques and alchemy, Rod found that the dozen or so sword techniques and alchemy skills he had learned as a player were not forgotten but were listed below, though they were darkened, indicating that with his current abilities and level, he could not learn or use them. However, Rod didn't worry about this; as his strength increased and he met the conditions, he would regain the ability to use these techniques and skills. Of course, the only downside was that their proficiency levels had been reset to the lowest E level, rather than the SS level.

However, Rod didn't dwell on these minor issues because he valued these skills not for their proficiency but for their origins. Many sword techniques were extremely difficult to learn, requiring not just level increases or attribute improvements but often completing a series of quests, enhancing reputation, or even finding hidden items by chance. These required a lot of money, time, and luck. In the game, it wasn't until the last year of his time on Dragon Soul Continent that Rod had fully developed his character, giving him the confidence to challenge the Void Dragon.

Unfortunately, there were both joys and concerns. The issue with sword techniques was resolved, but Rod soon discovered that what had been reset was not just his experience, level, and proficiency. The most crucial element for a Summoner Swordsman—summoned spirits—had also been reset.

In the game Dragon Soul Continent, the Summoner Swordsman was a highly controversial class. Initially, it was introduced as an exclusive player class and received a lot of attention. However, after players started using it, the Summoner Swordsman was criticized for its half-baked attributes, which made it neither a strong mage nor a strong warrior, the complexity of summoning spirits to assist in attacks, and the high experience point cost during leveling. It was often referred to as one of the most frustrating classes.

On the surface, the summoning skills of a Summoner Swordsman and a Mage seemed similar, but in reality, they were vastly different. A Mage's summoning skill involved consuming their own power to tear open a spatial rift and summon creatures from a sub-plane, using magic to control them. In contrast, a Summoner Swordsman lacked the ability to tear open spatial planes. All their summoned creatures came from the present world. One of their abilities was the unique "Spirit Summoning," which could awaken the souls of ancient, mystical, and soul-infused items and reseal them through a contract.

While this sounded powerful, it also came with many complications. Initially, many players were misled by this skill and chose the Summoner Swordsman, thinking that they could buy damaged ancient items from ruins or guilds at low prices, use Spirit Summoning to awaken the souls of these weapons, and seal them to obtain powerful artifacts effortlessly.

Unfortunately, the reality was harsh. Not only did ancient weapon fragments require high-level Spirit Summoning to activate their dormant souls, but as soul entities, they were much weaker without their physical forms. For example, the quasi-artifact "Wrath of the Dragon King" that Rod had used in the game required him to be at max level to extract the soul from a weapon fragment. Even then, the weapon he condensed was not as powerful as a similar-level weapon crafted by a master blacksmith. It took Rod two years of traveling across the Dragon Soul Continent, from the heavens to the earth, to finally reactivate all the fragments' souls and restore the weapon to its original state. The dangers and challenges of the process were enough to deter many.

Additionally, the Summoner Swordsman's spirits could be obtained in three other ways. One was to use the soul core of a magical creature after its death to awaken and make it a summoned spirit. However, this could vary based on the holder's attributes and the environment. For example, if a Summoner Swordsman killed a fire snake and obtained its soul core but awakened it in an icy environment or while wearing dark-attribute equipment, the resulting spirit could have unpredictable attributes. If it was a powerful nine-headed hydra, that would be fine, but if it was a weak monster due to attribute conflicts, the Summoner would be in trouble.

The second method was to defeat non-human creatures and, under certain conditions, sign a contract to seal them as summoned spirits. This was a common method for Summoner Swordsmen, but the drawback was that these summoned creatures had strong autonomy and could rebel against their summoner's commands based on their own judgment. This was not popular, as no one wanted their summoned creatures to cause more trouble than help.

The third method was to awaken the attribute adjustment talent at level 10 and fuse multiple summoned spirits to create a higher-level spirit. This method reduced the unpredictability of summoned spirits, as long as the Summoner was familiar with their characteristics, races, and attributes. However, the drawback was that the new spirit's level was unpredictable. Fusing two high-level spirits could result in a level 1 new spirit, or a spirit far above the Summoner's level, which they couldn't use. In the latter case, the Summoner just needed to level up, but in the former, they might have to start over.

Summoned spirits gained experience from their holder, which was why Summoner Swordsmen leveled up more slowly than other classes. Other classes only needed to focus on their own experience, but Summoner Swordsmen had to share it with their spirits. Balancing this was difficult, as giving experience to spirits could help them level up and evolve, but the evolution could be influenced by the environment, the holder's will, and external factors, sometimes resulting in spirits the holder didn't want.

Due to these "frustrating" characteristics, the Summoner Swordsman was voted the "Most Frustrating Class" on the Dragon Soul Continent's official forum. Some players described Summoner Swordsmen as either newbies deceived by the game's introduction and CG, casual players who didn't care about advancement, gamblers who relied on luck, or … Rod.

The fact that Rod, with his Summoner Swordsman, achieved numerous firsts on multiple servers and even conquered three new eras, made other players feel a mix of admiration and frustration.

Most players disliked the randomness of the Summoner Swordsman, as it made them feel out of control. However, Rod enjoyed the challenge precisely because of the unknown. This was why he chose the Summoner Swordsman. In his long gaming career, he had encountered almost all the "frustrating" aspects of the class, but he never gave up, as conquering these challenges gave him a sense of satisfaction.

However, now, after seven years of effort, the dozens of top-tier summoned spirits he had cultivated were all gone. The mysterious summoning array on the back of his right hand still existed, but Rod could no longer sense any spirits within it. But then again, it was understandable, as this body was not his game body, and he couldn't expect too much.

However, ...

Thinking about this, Rod's heart stirred. He reached out and touched his chest pocket. Sure enough, he soon felt a card.

It was a white card with a depiction of a long sword wrapped in thorns, entirely pure white, with intricate and ornate engravings. The guard was a pair of beautifully detailed wings, and just looking at it was pleasing to the eye. At the four corners of the card were different markings. In the upper right corner was a white half-circle, and in the upper left corner was a small "X." Looking down, the lower left and right corners had the number "3." On the back of the card, elegant and mysterious text slowly appeared.

[Eternal Holy Sword, Tenth Position: Star Trace, No Attribute, Fusable—The dust of history cannot obscure its brilliant light]

It's still here?

Looking at the card in his hand, Rod was slightly stunned. This was a Summoner Swordsman's exclusive equipment, a summoning card. He was very familiar with this one, as it was a rare card given to him by the game company during an in-game event. After leading his guild to the top of the server for two consecutive quarters, the game company made this card to honor him. While similar cards were plentiful, Rod didn't waste money on things he couldn't use, so he only had this one, which he carried as a good luck charm.

Originally, it was just a common commemorative prize, unique in the world, but now, it was glowing faintly in his hand.

Should I try it?

Rod hesitated for a second, then gripped the card. The magic array on the back of his right hand suddenly lit up, and blue magic lines spread out, extending to each finger. The white card then burst into a bright white light and disintegrated into particles, disappearing into the air.

At that moment, a system prompt appeared before Rod's eyes.

[Obtained Eternal Deck 1/10, Eternal Holy Sword, Tenth Position—Star Trace]

"Phew……"

Looking at the system prompt, Rod sighed with a mix of emotions. Although he didn't know why a card that was just a common item in the original world now functioned as a summoning card, for the current Rod, this was the most useful assistance. In the game, finding a +2 ability weapon before level 15 was rare, and "Star Trace" had an initial +3 attribute, making it comparable to a regular swordsman. Its fusable trait meant that with the right spirit, it could become an attribute weapon. While it required the holder to consume soul power to use, which made it slightly inferior to normal weapons, its attack power alone made it a rare and powerful piece of equipment.

However, Rod found it hard to get too excited, as the situation he was in was too bizarre.

Is this a game, or reality? If it's reality, what should I do next?

"Knock, knock."

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

Rod looked up and saw a middle-aged man push the door open. He wore an adventurer's leather armor, with long, bright red hair casually styled back. Seeing Rod, the man smiled.

"Hello, sir, I am the leader of the Star Moon Mercenary Group, Carter."