Chapter 14

An outsider sees the spectacle, while an insider sees the subtleties. To the average person, blacksmiths seem to be just randomly hammering away, but only Stan, who had been forging iron for half his life, understood the profound forging skills behind Rodi's work.

The strength, accuracy, and control of the fire, the steps in the grinding process—these were not things that could be learned just by talking about them. Stan admitted to himself that he might not be able to achieve Rodi's level of perfection.

Fortunately, Rodi was only making modifications and not forging weapons; otherwise, it would have taken weeks, not just a few hours. But even just making the most basic modifications to the two knives took Rodi three to four hours.

Late at night, he finally completed the modifications, and Stan had been standing there the whole time, never leaving. After a long day of work, Rodi felt sore all over, as his physical condition was far from what it used to be as a ranger. However, looking at the two satisfactory curved knives in his hands, he felt more confident about the upcoming battle plan.

After stretching his stiff body, Rodi picked up the two curved knives and walked out of the blacksmith's shop. Under the moonlight in front of the shop, he performed a set of the most basic dual-knife combat moves—slashes, cuts, parries, and various practical combat techniques used on the battlefield. Although he was only level 2, the heavy and serious aura in his every move was something that scouts who only knew flashy techniques could never learn.

He was adapting to the weight of the two curved knives, unaware that Stan, who had been watching silently, was completely pale from being scared by Rodi's set of combat techniques.

What is a soldier?

In simple terms, a soldier is a killing machine. This is the most fundamental aspect, the ultimate purpose for which every soldier is trained.

However, among the scouts in Nolan Village, except for Ruger, none of the young people could meet the standard of a "soldier"—this was Stan's previous conclusion. But now, looking at Rodi under the moonlight, he felt that this young man was the most "thorough" killing machine.

Watching Rodi's figure, Stan was lost in thought, finally sighing inwardly, shaking his head for some reason, and then turning to leave. Not long after, he returned with a bundle—Rodi had already sheathed his knives and was wiping the sweat, preparing to return the tools to Stan and thank him, but the blacksmith handed him the bundle.

"This is..."

Rodi looked down and saw a uniquely styled arm guard in the bundle.

Typically, metal arm guards are not equipped to soldiers other than heavy infantry. Knights wear full heavy armor, and ordinary infantry only have a simple leather armor, making arm guards a rare item for most soldiers. However, their role is not significant for ordinary soldiers because heavy arm guards can slow down their sword swings. Experienced veterans often do not wear arm guards even if they have them, but Stan's decision to take out this set was not simple.

For Rodi, who wielded two curved knives, he could not use a shield like ordinary soldiers to defend. The only way to block attacks was to dodge or parry with the curved knives. With this set of arm guards, his defensive capabilities would significantly improve.

"I don't think I'll ever wear it in my lifetime, but seeing you, I believe this arm guard shouldn't be eroded by time..."

Stan looked at the arm guard, recounting his story with a sense of nostalgia—his grandfather was once a heavy infantryman in the kingdom. When this unit was first formed, the kingdom selected the strongest young men, but after Stan's grandfather died in battle, no one in the family could meet the requirements for heavy infantry again. Among the inherited equipment, only this arm guard was still usable. Stan's father did not inherit the kingdom's glory, and Stan himself became a blacksmith for life. His son died of a serious illness three years ago. Seeing Rodi's strength, Stan, feeling a bit bitter, finally made this decision.

Giving away this arm guard might also be Stan's way of burying a past寄托... The sorrow of a white-haired man sending off a black-haired one, Rodi could understand, but he could not truly comprehend it.

After Stan finished speaking, Rodi was somewhat dazed—because a line of invisible text appeared before his eyes: "Stan's wish (completed)."

In the past, Rodi would not have even glanced at Stan; he was always a pure player, acting based on interests and ignoring everything else. But now, holding the arm guards in both hands, he did not know what to say.

All the illusions of the past became reality before his eyes. Rodi, who used to deal with NPCs wearing masks in the game, suddenly felt a bit dizzy. Looking at Stan's dejected face, he even felt a strange sense of sadness. In the end, he accepted the arm guards, bowed in thanks, and said goodbye to the blacksmith, who he knew would eventually die in the war, like an ordinary young man.

War is merciless, and Rodi increasingly felt this. In the past, he only understood it through the game, but now that it had become reality, his mood had become heavy in a way he had never experienced before.

Carter, Ruger, and even the quartermaster Dick, these NPCs had now become vivid characters in his life. They had their own stories and emotions, their own troubles and dreams. Rodi increasingly felt himself slowly integrating into this dreamlike world.

Putting away the arm guards, he prepared to gather some items he would need—now, the only thing Rodi could do was to do his best to achieve every goal in his mind.

As a former life player, even in a situation of scarce materials, he could still make some food that improved attributes. Fortunately, after Ruger agreed to the next day's operation, the entire scout team, including the quartermaster Dick, recognized Rodi's "temporary leadership." So, he easily obtained the materials from the still-sleeping Dick and used his skills to make some "bandages."

These were the most basic skills in "first aid," but they could truly save lives in certain situations. After preparing everything, Rodi went to sleep, waiting for the dawn of the next day.

...

Nolan Village was somewhat cold in the morning, everything looking the same as usual. Farmers carried hoes on the dirt roads, occasionally complaining about the lord's heavy taxes. Women returning from milking carried wooden buckets, their heads covered with veils, chatting about village gossip.

The only thing a bit different was the scout team members.

The usual banter and laughter among the soldiers were gone. In the bustling small square, they silently organized their gear.

For them, the enemy they would face today was so powerful that it made their legs weak. Except for veterans like Ruger, the young scouts could not hide their nervousness, their faces pale, their legs weak, and their armor straps tied too tight... All these signs told the yawning Rodi that the combat effectiveness of this army was lacking.

But who is a born elite soldier? Rodi knew this very well, so today's mission had more of a "training" aspect for him.

"Soding has already gone to Holier City."

After a quick breakfast, Carter had already found out the movements of their "superior." This news clearly indicated that their actions would not be detected by that ambitious and greedy man for at least five days.

The soldiers felt a strange feeling upon hearing this—hoping Soding was there? Then they might not have to face the orcs; hoping he wasn't? Then they might become heroes who saved the border villages.

Before the expedition, these rookies had many thoughts, but the veteran's heart was numb... Ruger silently polished his sword, clearing his mind as if he were preparing for a battle in his youth, focusing only on the task at hand.

But Rodi did not rush to lead the entire scout team out. He counted the numbers, fifteen people in total, including himself, and realized that they could not charge head-on against a group of 25 orcs. So, after gathering all the scouts, he gave a very simple and surprising order—"Rest, stay here."

"We will attack at night, which will increase our chances of success. Before it gets dark, I will teach you how to face these green-skinned brutes."

Rodi spoke with no trace of his former timidity, full of vigor and confidence. "A leader must have charisma," and this was indeed embodied in the reborn Rodi—his confidence came from countless battles against orcs.

Ruger and Carter looked at each other, not understanding what Rodi was doing. Teaching combat skills at this point was like "grinding the ax at the last minute," wasn't it?

But Rodi did not care about the surprised looks. After instructing Dick to prepare some items, he took over a dozen soldiers to the training ground and began this temporary training.

In Rodi's view, a group of humans who had never faced orcs in real combat could not imagine how powerful these creatures were. His job was to tell them the weaknesses of the enemy.

Including the orcs' combat style, fighting techniques, movement rhythm, and action habits—these were experiences summarized by countless people on the battlefield. Remembering three or four of these could often increase the chances of survival several times over. So, in Rodi's view, this "temporary training" was necessary.

"Orcs are very strong, never try to block with your weapon, not even with a shield, because by the time you realize your arm is broken, it will be too late to dodge."

"How to judge their attacks? Stare at their shoulders, and if they move, immediately step back..."

"Orcs turn slowly, don't try to face one alone. When three people attack an orc, always learn to circle around him!"

After a few simple points, Rodi even demonstrated how to face orcs in battle—this sounded like a tall tale and even seemed ridiculous, but only a true tech enthusiast would understand how important these things were... Rodi's research on orcs was so thorough that he could write a professional-level paper: different attack intervals, attack styles, weapon attack routes, movement habits, and even their language and writing, Rodi had studied in depth.

Rodi, the tech enthusiast, relied on this research to rise from a life player to the forefront of PvP players in just a few years.

His experience could help a group of young people who only practiced with wooden swords on the training ground understand how to deal with the seemingly powerful but stupid green-skinned brutes in a short time.

This seemingly last-minute preparation not only provided "combat skills" but also gave the soldiers enough confidence to face the upcoming battle—understanding what they were facing and knowing what to do was the reason veterans were stronger than new recruits. Most people died on the battlefield before they understood this, and Rodi was using his experience to accelerate this process.