Chapter 3

The person speaking was using Brinjara, the common language of the human world. Having played "Riftland" for seven years, Rody was naturally very familiar with the languages of this world. He was a tech enthusiast, and one of the defining traits of tech enthusiasts is their incredible perseverance in achieving remarkable accomplishments—while Rody was not a master of eight languages in real life, in the game, he was one of the few players who could directly communicate with NPCs in Brinjara.

"Riftland" is a game that emphasizes realism, to a great extent. The advanced technology, including neural pain sensation interfaces, far surpasses the traditional mouse and keyboard-based online games. The languages used in the game are entirely original, with a level of completeness comparable to Klingon from "Star Trek" or Elvish from "The Lord of the Rings." There are dozens of unique languages in the game, eight of which can replace any native language for communication—however, most players choose to use the in-game language translator to talk to NPCs, few are willing to spend time learning complex languages and forgo leveling up, fighting monsters, and grinding for equipment.

But Rody was one of those rare exceptions, and it was precisely because he had studied the game's history and languages that he ultimately achieved far more than the average player.

"I'm fine, Captain."

Rody certainly wouldn't say something like, "You bunch of idiots were chased by the green-skinned savages like a pack of dogs, and you still have the nerve to ask if I'm okay." At least not within this mission instance. He knew what to say—this game places a great emphasis on "RP," not the abbreviation for "reputation," but for "role-playing." It means that the more your actions and words fit the game's setting, the higher your interaction rate with NPCs will be.

Rody had once studied "An Actor Prepares" to improve his acting skills. While he might not be on par with Hollywood actors, intimidating NPCs was a piece of cake for him.

He quickly adjusted his state and whispered like a regular team member, "Captain, there's not much equipment left by the enemies. I think we should bury our fallen comrades. After all, we don't have enough horses to carry their... bodies back."

Rody tried to sound mournful and humble. He had already identified the other man as the deputy captain from the emblem on his chest, and the body of the captain, marked with the main captain's emblem, was not far away. The team was now under the deputy captain's command. As for the "fallen comrades," it was purely role-playing dialogue—Rody didn't even know the captain's name, but he was clear that before understanding the nature of this instance, he shouldn't act as a leader. He needed to gather clues from interactions with NPCs before making decisions.

Hearing Rody's fluent Brinjara, Deputy Captain Carter quickly signaled the scouts behind him to help collect the bodies. However, he was deeply puzzled by Rody's sudden display of strength—those actions were not something a new recruit could perform. Using a shortbow to strangle someone? Even veterans from the border war years ago couldn't do something so unconventional.

Looking at the fallen orcs, all of whom had arrows in their throats, eyes, or mouths, any soldier would understand what such archery skills meant.

Shooting a stationary target from twenty meters away, many scouts could achieve high accuracy in training, but on the battlefield, if they could maintain a third of their usual accuracy, they would be considered elite soldiers for Lord Kirk!

The orcs they had just faced were moving and strong, not stationary targets with red hearts painted on them. How could he shoot so accurately?

Of course, Carter didn't know that the young man he called "Lody" was actually a 115-level ranger player in "Riftland."

In "Riftland," player levels are calculated cumulatively: "base class level + advanced class level." Rody had two advanced class levels, 59 as a "Ranger" and 31 as a "Berserker," with his base class "Legion Soldier" at level 25.

The cap for the base class is 25, so his "Legion Soldier" was maxed out. Advanced classes have no cap but are limited to two. However, levels 30 and 60 are significant thresholds, as they require not just enough experience points but also the completion of a series of difficult and dangerous trials. Level 60 is particularly challenging, almost preventing 99% of players from advancing, but once crossed, players gain a significant boost in power.

This shows Rody's strength—his 59 and 31 levels in advanced classes mean he is among the top-tier "professional players" in "Riftland."

However, now Rody found that his equipment, skills, and even titles had all disappeared, leaving him looking like a new recruit, probably the lowest in rank. Looking at his faded military uniform, he knew this wasn't due to frugality—logistical officers in the military system naturally target the weakest, and unfortunately, he seemed to be the weakest.

Carter, standing in front of Rody, swallowed hard, unsure what to say. He had noticed Rody's transformation. Before, Rody was just a kid to be bossed around, but now?

Although Carter was just a village scout deputy, he had dealt with the impressive knights in the territory and considered himself well-informed. So, he felt that it would be best not to offend this suddenly powerful individual.

Realizing this, Carter decided to be cautious. Seeing Rody prepare to help bury the fallen comrades with the other two, he immediately said, "Lody, if it weren't for you, we would all be in the presence of the goddess Skaia... I see you are quite injured, so you should rest first."

His words were extremely polite, but he knew that just the day before, he had been calling Rody "kid" and "brat" and bossing him around...

Lody?

Rody's hearing was excellent, and he frowned, not believing that the deputy captain had called his name wrong twice by coincidence. If he had to make a correct judgment, it was that his current identity was not the player "Rody" but a new recruit named "Lody."

What kind of instance is this? Although Rody's doubts were increasing, he still politely replied, "My injuries are not serious, Captain. What is our next task?"

"Task?" Carter was taken aback, thinking it was obvious—they needed to leave this place as quickly as possible! But he changed his words to, "We will cut off the orcs' heads and take them back to Nolan Village. I hope Lieutenant Sordin will understand the heavy price the enemy paid... I believe your contribution will earn you some rewards."

Although he was jealous, Carter knew that Rody deserved some commendation, as he couldn't have killed so many orcs alone. However, Rody's next words made his eyes widen. "Captain, I am just a regular soldier. You personally killed six orcs, and I only sustained minor injuries while protecting you, didn't I?"

Rody had dealt with similar NPCs countless times. In such situations, foolishly seeking credit would only lead to unnecessary trouble. Instead, by giving the credit to the captain, he would still receive his due rewards from the system—don't offend NPCs, especially friendly ones—this was one of the most important lessons he had learned from playing the game for seven years.

Although Carter was somewhat afraid of Rody's strength, he still showed a "you're on the right track" expression, reluctantly accepting the credit and becoming even more polite. He offered Rody his flask of wine, and Rody, pretending to be deeply grateful, took a swig, his face turning red and coughing for a while before returning it. This scene made Carter laugh, pat Rody on the shoulder, and the two seemed to grow closer.

The remaining scouts brought the horses, and the four survivors, carrying the remains of their fallen comrades, began their return journey.

Where were they returning to? Rody, who was complaining about the taste of the wine, felt a bit dizzy—hadn't he drunk in-game wine before without getting drunk?

"Riftland" interfaces with the nervous system but cannot simulate the effects of alcohol, which Rody was aware of.

But whatever... just follow the NPCs. Rody, feeling a bit dizzy on the horse, noticed that his surroundings were still empty—his usual plugins, default skill bars, and mini-map were all gone. He then realized with great frustration that he couldn't remember where in the Neshemian Plains they were.

Rody had a bad feeling. The sensation of riding the horse also seemed strange—wasn't it less bumpy in the game?

How so realistic? Could the game have updated with a new patch?

The scouts in the group were unusually silent due to the loss of their comrades. Besides Carter, the other two were young, around twenty years old, and clearly not skilled. They had weapons but lacked the spirit to fight, typical of those who couldn't handle the battlefield. As a "veteran high-level player," Rody had the right to judge them, but while observing them, he discovered a more troubling fact.

The soldiers' uniforms were clearly old-style uniforms of the Calen Kingdom. He hadn't noticed it in the previous battle, but now he saw the emblem on his and the other soldiers' shoulders: the head of a wolf, a side-profile wolf head.

Why was this emblem here? The "Wolf's Head" was the symbol of the Luciferon family of the Calen Kingdom, a family that had been in decline since the game began. Players born in the human empire would receive many quests related to this family from the starting village, making the name "Luciferon" well-known.

However, as the game progressed, internal and external conflicts within the kingdom led to its division, and the Luciferon family became the symbol of the "traitor faction," eventually disappearing in the chaos.

So, who were these people? Remnants of the traitors?

And what about me?

Rody looked down and found the same emblem on his shoulder.

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