Chapter 53

Sodelor tried hard to catch his figure, but his gaze always seemed to fall short of locking onto Rody. Only the scouts watching from the side could clearly see how Rody used swift steps to always stay behind Sodelor...

He was like a butterfly constantly circling around, his longsword not eager to strike, but relying solely on his footwork to always remain behind Sodelor. If an attack was blocked, he would close in, then take advantage of the moment when Sodelor's movements stiffened, silently and stealthily slipping behind him...

Rody learned such skills from his former wood elf ranger mentor. Before obtaining the "Berserker" secondary class, Rody had put a lot of effort into learning such footwork. "Shadow Dance" is a custom skill of the "Ranger" class—because it is a custom skill, it can be imitated even at a low level. However, this imitation, which is not the actual skill, is merely a facade, with effects far less than one percent of the original skill.

However, using it to deal with Sodelor, whose attributes were more than half lower than his own, was still effortless.

The "clack" of wooden swords colliding echoed continuously, making the surrounding scouts widen their eyes as if witnessing a miracle—clearly, they had never seen such incredible footwork and swordsmanship before...

In most cases, a sword duel usually determines the winner within a dozen seconds, and it is rare for both sides to remain unscathed after a few minutes of intense fighting. After Sodelor struggled for over a minute, the scouts were left with nothing but amazement...

Sodelor's exquisite swordsmanship had already left a deep impression on them, but compared to Rody's seemingly carefree and reckless offensive stance, they felt that Rody was not using his full strength, but rather just toying with Sodelor!

As the party involved, Sodelor did not feel any shame or anger at this moment. He felt that each of his parries was a superlative performance, yet even so, he never had the chance to launch a truly effective counterattack...

He had never felt such a sense of dread in a sword duel before. Although this was a practice with wooden swords, Rody's strength had genuinely made him feel a chill in his heart!

At this moment, he was thoroughly intimidated by Rody's strength. He even believed that if he encountered such an enemy on the battlefield, he would have no chance of winning, just based on the absolute power Rody had displayed!

This display of footwork was, for Rody, a form of "showing off." Sodelor hardly managed to catch his figure a few times in a minute, and this spreading fear would directly implant an image of "mysterious and unfathomable" in the opponent's mind, generating even more awe.

And what Rody needed was precisely this awe.

The longsword sped up, and Sodelor's parries and dodges began to slow down. Rody's footwork quickened again, and he lunged forward. Just as Sodelor raised his hand to block, the longsword changed direction, passing through from the other side of his blade, easily pressing against the young lieutenant's neck.

Sodelor, drenched in sweat, froze, and for a moment, he seemed to be in a daze. When he finally saw the sword in Rody's hand, he sighed and surrendered.

There was a moment of silence on the scene, and a few seconds later, the surrounding scouts reacted and cheered loudly—their exclamations and cheers were genuinely heartfelt, as Rody's terrifying strength had truly exceeded their original expectations!

The wooden sword was thrown aside, and the coldness on Rody's face gradually faded. He looked at the seemingly dazed Sodelor and asked, "What do you think of this result?"

"...I have only one question."

After a while, Sodelor came to his senses and asked in a somewhat weary tone, "Why would someone as powerful as you be content with being a scout captain?"

This was the hardest question for Rody to answer. He couldn't use reasons like leveling up and changing equipment, but fortunately, Rody had already prepared for such questions—

"I'm also curious why you would be content with being a lieutenant. With your skills, you should be able to handle a captain or even a major. The fools at Condon Fort are no match for you."

This statement was somewhat exaggerated, as Sodelor's current level was at most 8, while a lieutenant required at least level 10. However, in terms of swordsmanship and combat awareness, Rody was not flattering at all.

In the three duels just now, it seemed that Rody had the absolute advantage, but in reality, he had taken a "shortcut"—the first two rounds were purely based on strength, and the third round relied on his current "agility" attribute. In terms of swordsmanship, Rody was actually surprised that Sodelor could hold out for a minute purely based on intuition and combat awareness...

If they were on the same attribute level, in a one-on-one fight, Rody admitted that he would not be Sodelor's match, and this was undeniable.

Sodelor was immediately speechless when asked by Rody. Clearly, he realized that his question was somewhat inappropriate. The noble's descendant almost immediately bowed in apology, showing a level of manners that made Rody feel somewhat embarrassed—

"Captain Rody, I did not mean to offend, I just felt... a bit reflective."

"Understandable," Rody nodded, putting aside the slightly sharp question and changing the topic, "Finks Village no longer exists, and the scout team will be reorganized. Nolan Village needs capable hands. So if you want to become stronger, want to kill orcs, and want to carve out your own territory—I think... you can consider bringing your people here."

Rody lightly tapped the hunter's chest armor adorned with mithril armor pieces, confidently saying, "I can give you a satisfactory answer."

At this point, Sodelor had no more hesitation, and a strange excitement even welled up in his heart...

He understood that the opportunity he had earned independently, by giving up the "care" of the old duke, was now right in front of him.

The scenes of his family's destruction flashed before his eyes, the bodies of the wolf riders still vivid in his mind, and Rody's words echoed in his ears... These things ultimately led Sodelor to make a life-changing decision:

"Then, I'll wait for your news, Captain Rody."

He solemnly saluted and immediately turned to leave, riding towards Broy Town without any hesitation.

The scouts watched the lieutenant leave, and Rody, standing in the crowd, was slightly lost in thought, pondering the next steps—how could he make this talented person shine?

At the same time, there was a sense of "discomfort"—because Rody inevitably worried that if Sodelor's growth was too fast, exceeding his expectations and control, what would he do?

He couldn't predict the future, as he had little control over the situation. Currently, besides the dozen or so scouts behind him, Rody's other hope was on Sally, who had just escaped danger.

After his thoughts settled and his mood calmed, he resumed his usual demeanor and turned to say, "Carter!"

"Here!"

"Put the equipment aside for now, gather everyone, I have a few words to say."

"Yes!"

The Nolan Village scouts almost immediately threw everything they were holding aside and lined up in two rows in front of Rody, not a single word of complaint.

Clearly, the sword duel with Sodelor had left a deep impression on these scouts... In their minds, Rody was gradually transforming from a mere "superior" to an "idol" and a "hero."

Coughing lightly, Rody looked at these young faces and said with a touch of emotion, "Everyone, you don't need to pay for these armors and weapons, so don't feel too burdened. But about these things, I only have one thing to say, and I hope you all remember it well."

He picked up a longsword and casually performed a sword flourish—

"The sword and armor are ultimately for killing."

And so, in early May of the year 588 in the Elon calendar, in this quiet little village on the border of the Kalen Kingdom, Rody ignited the first spark of what might become a raging fire for his seemingly unreachable dream.

...

Starting from the morning of May 8th, the scouts, who used to wake up late, seemed to begin a new routine.

As soon as it was light, the soldiers would put on their full armor and start running around the village, followed by patrols. The scouts, who previously had a lot of free time, now, after completing their patrols, began rigorous physical training.

Including Ruge and Carter, everyone strictly followed the training plan Rody had arranged—lifting stones to build muscles, practicing sword strikes with wooden swords, and practicing riding skills around the village.

On the other side, Rody was making new plans for the next goal.

The thirty sets of longswords and light metal chest armors he bought on the way back cost him nearly fifty gold coins, a huge sum.

To say that these items cost fifty gold coins, in fact, more than half of it was obtained by trading the scraps of Kermala beast scales. In this era dominated by a "natural economy," currency was not as widely used as in modern times. Large cities like Holier generally used currency transactions, but in small towns and villages, "barter" was the most common form of trade—Rody had to put in a lot of effort to obtain these practical equipment.

The reason for buying so much equipment was that Rody understood that the tasks he needed to accomplish next required the cooperation of these scouts. In the days of future upgrades and struggles, they would likely be his earliest "core team."

Among the three factors that determine strength—"level," "equipment," and "skills"—the "equipment" of this "core team" was roughly in place. What Rody needed to do next was to lead them to improve their skills and levels.

Without strength, all his ideas would be empty talk. But where would the strength come from?

Rody's gaze gradually turned to the other end of the vast grassland...

---

Starting from the morning of May 8th, the scouts, who used to wake up late, seemed to begin a new routine.

As soon as it was light, the soldiers would put on their full armor and start running around the village, followed by patrols. The scouts, who previously had a lot of free time, now, after completing their patrols, began rigorous physical training.

Including Ruge and Carter, everyone strictly followed the training plan Rody had arranged—lifting stones to build muscles, practicing sword strikes with wooden swords, and practicing riding skills around the village.

On the other side, Rody was making new plans for the next goal.

The thirty sets of longswords and light metal chest armors he bought on the way back cost him nearly fifty gold coins, a huge sum.

To say that these items cost fifty gold coins, in fact, more than half of it was obtained by trading the scraps of Kermala beast scales. In this era dominated by a "natural economy," currency was not as widely used as in modern times. Large cities like Holier generally used currency transactions, but in small towns and villages, "barter" was the most common form of trade—Rody had to put