Chapter 3

"First, the surname to be inherited is based on the paternal or maternal lineage of the Polhem family's collateral branch. Please make your choice."

‘Maternal lineage is also an option? That would mean becoming a son-in-law, right? But in this game’s world, there’s no prejudice against such a thing, otherwise it would be unfair to female players. But I’m a man.’ As a member with a somewhat patriarchal tendency, Su Chen decisively said, "Paternal lineage."

"Please select the paternal lineage identity."

Immediately, many options appeared on the parchment in front of Su Chen.

First option: A hundred-battle elite, selected into the city lord’s guard as a distant relative of the collateral branch. An elite figure with exceptional talent, effort, and luck. Players who choose this will possess superhuman physical strength and a physical advantage.

Second option: A seafarer, with the port of the Polhem territory known for its thriving maritime trade, a famous trading hub in the Western Continent. The player’s ancestor was a sailor and merchant, a true son of the storm. This background grants +2 to Navigation (Professional) and +2 to Commerce (Appraisal), and eliminates penalties for fighting on a rocking or slippery deck, while also providing a +1 bonus to Defense when fighting on a ship.

Third option: A master blacksmith, with the Polhem territory being a dwarf settlement known for its excellent metal forging techniques. The player’s elder is a remarkable smelting craftsman. This background grants +4 to Smithing (Craft) when forging weapons and armor, and provides a higher advantage for items crafted by the player compared to similar fine items.

Fourth option: A natural merchant, growing up in a bustling port and being exposed to trade from a young age, typically leading to a life of commerce. The player comes from a wealthy family with extensive trade connections in a prosperous city. This grants an additional 300 gold coins at character creation, and a +2 bonus to all Commerce-related skills such as Appraisal, Negotiation, Bluff, and Insight. Additionally, the player can often get a good "internal price" when buying or selling items, though this privilege can only be used once a month.

300 gold coins are equivalent to 300 credit points, and this alone caught Jiaojie’s attention. The commercial skill boosts and merchant connections, along with the monthly internal price, make this a highly favored background for players, even those not planning to become merchants!

The options of seafarer and master blacksmith are also quite good. The former is suitable for naval combat, and according to Su Chen’s memories of the Polhem territory, sailors are a high-income profession in the early stages. Pairing this with the "Orderly Military" identity makes it easy to join the navy or pirate assault teams, making it a promising start. The latter, as a key equipment provider, offers substantial benefits!

In essence, the last three options are all very lucrative professions, and Su Chen hesitated for a while. After all, one of his main goals in the game was to earn credit points.

‘Why are the descriptions of the latter options so detailed, while the first one is vague? Is there something fishy here?’ Recalling the reaction when he proposed the bloodline inheritance, Su Chen wondered if there was something amiss. ‘The theme of this world is the strong ruling the weak. In terms of gaining benefits, isn’t great strength more likely to bring substantial rewards? Relying solely on these talents to make money seems too short-sighted.’

After some internal struggle, Su Chen made his decision: "I choose the first option."

The hooded man tried to persuade him: "Are you sure? The other options are also quite good. Young people shouldn’t always think about fighting and killing..."

"No! I choose the first one." Su Chen confirmed his suspicions: ‘As expected of the government’s top artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, such诱导 (inducement) has little effect on a shrewd person. Although the government said the game’s operation is entirely entrusted to a super system to exclude human interference, the pre-set mode is to make us ordinary players work for the so-called ‘VIP’ users! In that case, I should recharge some credit points to avoid unnecessary trouble. Pre-investment is very important.’

Thinking and acting, Su Chen didn’t wait for the game attendant to respond and made his request: "If I use credit points, can I rely on the maternal lineage for character assistance?"

"Your wish is our command. Please choose one!" Indeed, the attendant’s attitude did a 180-degree turn. The original options on the parchment disappeared, replaced by a large number of new options.

‘Sure enough, they are all about money. It seems that investing some credit points might reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble. I will definitely exchange enough credit points to make the designers bleed in the future.’ Su Chen immediately set a goal in his mind.

The options now available to Su Chen were numerous, far more than a small parchment could hold. Fortunately, the parchment was essentially a liquid crystal display in disguise.

As Su Chen scrolled through the options, he felt a chill: ‘This is definitely not something a poor person can choose! Fortunately, I still have some savings!’

What Su Chen didn’t know was that these options were not even available to VIP users at this stage. These were choices reserved for the second generation. Wealthy VIPs wouldn’t be willing to be guinea pigs, and other testers wouldn’t have as many or as strong options as Su Chen, as they were determined based on the tester’s personal career during the testing period.

‘5000 credit points, that’s two years of living allowance for a slum resident! Spending years of savings in one go is really painful!’ Su Chen’s heart bled as he tapped the parchment, and the other options disappeared.

"Selection complete. Player, please name your character."

The parchment then displayed ‘·Polhem’. Inheriting the bloodline naturally means inheriting the surname, and it’s normal for non-nobles to not have a middle name.

"Naming? I’m not good at this. An Eastern name in the Western Continent feels strange." Su Chen hesitated.

"Right, I’ll name him Barrett!" Suddenly remembering something, Su Chen chose this name to commemorate a certain immortal who gave him a unique opportunity.

The attendant’s voice sounded again: "So, the initial alignment choice!"

"Lawful Neutral. I’m essentially a rule-follower." Su Chen nodded.

"Alright! Enjoy the game, player." The attendant’s tone seemed to improve slightly, perhaps due to the credit points.

The heavy obsidian door slowly opened, and a white light from behind enveloped Su Chen, making his consciousness hazy.

The warm morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, shining on Su Chen’s face, now Barrett Polhem. Raising his left hand to shield his eyes from the bright light, he saw the painted wooden ceiling.

With a swift movement, he sat up and scanned the unfamiliar room. This was his new home. He looked outside.

The morning sun hung in the east, casting a long shadow of a tall monument across the square. Rows of wagons were parked in front of the church and the town hall, not far from the square. New players without backgrounds were arriving in these wagons, one after another.

‘This world is incredibly realistic! If they approach it with the mindset of a typical online game, they will definitely be in for a rude awakening.’ Barrett immediately opened his character sheet:

Identity: Collateral branch of the Polhem family.

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Strength 18 (+2 racial)

Dexterity 12

Constitution 18 (+2 racial)

Intelligence 14

Wisdom 10

Charisma 10

Racial Traits:

- Hardy: +2 to Strength and Constitution.

- Type: Humanoid, Multiracial sub-type.

- High Spell Resistance: Spell resistance equal to 11 + character level. (Maternal lineage enhancement with credit points.)

- Darkvision: 60 feet darkvision (can see up to 60 feet in darkness, and 30 feet in magical darkness).

- Favorable Size: Special size allows the character to be treated as one size larger in many situations. In size-based checks (such as grapple, bull rush, trip), if being large is advantageous, the character is treated as large. This also applies to determining the effectiveness of special attacks (such as constrict, swallow whole). The character can use weapons made for large creatures but retains the current size for space and reach. This advantage stacks with size-changing magic, abilities, and feats (except for Bracers of Armor).

- Trained [Regional Feat]: Your race is praised for honesty, bravery, and clear thinking, making you hard to sway by magic or physical attacks. +2 bonus to Will saves and +2 bonus to Concentration checks.

- Background 1 Fencer: Whether your parents paid for your fencing lessons or you learned from a retired swordsman, you have been trained in swordsmanship since childhood. +1 background bonus to attack rolls when making attacks of opportunity with daggers, swords, or similar weapons.

- Background 2 Intimidating: Your legendary bloodline adds a fearsome aura. +1 background bonus to Intimidate checks. If your bloodline is linked to a specific creature type, this bonus increases to +2 against that type.

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