Chapter 6

After all, the Roddy from before the穿越 wasn’t exactly a good guy. Among the things he had done, there were many that could send chills down one's spine—successfully assassinating the guild master of an enemy camp alone, infiltrating behind enemy lines to massacre a large number of orc mid-level officers, or completely dismantling a guild that tried to hunt him down due to a verbal disagreement... He could do these things and do them thoroughly.

However, now, Roddy, squatting at the entrance of Nolan Village, had finally made several plans in his heart. It must be said that humans indeed have a strong ability to adapt. After figuring out the situation, he quickly adapted to his current role and made plans for everything he was going to do next.

Of course, the so-called plans could be summarized in his heart as follows:

1. Find that little wizard who originally died in the Mogura village, and then... never let her leave again.

2. Let those damn orcs die.

3. Let those damn undead get lost.

4. Let those damn traitorous lords all go to hell.

But Roddy thought for a moment and felt that it would be better to eat a good meal before doing these things.

The scouts were treated better than the hardworking farmers. In Nolan Village, where most people didn't eat breakfast, the scouts were among the few who had food in the morning, even if it was just some coarse grains. Roddy, who was used to eating boxed meals or fast food at home, endured the hard and black bread and the tasteless ale, pondering how to start his "revenge mission" while he hadn't even finished eating when he heard someone calling him.

"R... Roddy, Captain Carter just assigned a new mission. The team will set out in two hours. This time, the patrol area is expanded. Captain Carter sent me to inform you."

"Understood. The orcs won't let it go when they find the bodies without heads. We might encounter them today, so be prepared," Roddy originally just wanted to nod, but then he realized this wasn't a game. He immediately warned these guys who would also be going to battle to be careful—understanding that he was now a "legion soldier," he knew that to level up, he had to continue on the scout path within this organization. If he defected privately, once the lord revoked his identity, he might even lose his basic class, which would be no fun.

After a simple breakfast, the scout team, due to the deaths of several members the previous day, needed to be reorganized into two teams. This meant that the three scouts originally from Team One would temporarily join Roddy's Team Two and follow them on the mission. Deputy Captain Carter's attitude towards Roddy had done a 180-degree turn, and his words were full of care. Seeing the deputy captain's badge on his chest become a full captain's badge, Roddy didn't regret his decision yesterday. After the team was reorganized, he approached Carter alone and politely said, "Captain, can I take a look at that horn bow? You know, if we encounter orcs again, that bow... might be more useful."

In Roddy's memories, Carter was a typical soldier of this era—gossiping about village women during his free time, lamenting the harvest, teasing the tailor's daughter, and telling dirty jokes. He was mediocre in ability, had no great ambitions, and was rather kind-hearted, living day by day.

So when the position of "captain" suddenly fell on his head, Carter was actually nervous and indecisive. Hearing Roddy's request and recalling the holes in the orcs' heads from yesterday, his "official demeanor" immediately vanished, and he quickly replied, "Take it and use it. Get as many arrows as you need from Dick, and say I approved it."

He hesitated for a moment, then took out a few copper coins, looked around, and whispered, "This is my way of thanking you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be seeing the sun today."

This was his kind-hearted side. As a villager, Carter could only offer these copper coins. Seeing Roddy hesitate, he simply pushed the coins into his hand, his expression full of gratitude and sincerity.

Roddy ultimately didn't refuse. In the memories of "Roddy," the always boastful Carter had never shown such a side. The few copper coins weren't much, but for a scout's salary, it wasn't a small amount—perhaps this battle had really changed him a bit.

Such simple and honest people... Roddy couldn't help but sigh.

After saluting and leaving, he didn't dwell on these interpersonal relationships. After all, the most important thing now was to have enough strength to deal with whatever might happen next.

Looking at the crude horn bow of the orcs, Roddy inwardly lamented that these green-skinned brutes were truly wasting good materials. Lifting his head, he squinted, recalling his leveling experience here. After a moment's thought, he walked towards the blacksmith's shop on the east side of the village.

In the game, Roddy had relied on his life skills for a long time, and "bow making" and "leatherworking" were at the top level of "grandmaster." Therefore, he knew how to maximize the accuracy of the orc horn bow with just a few glances. If needed, Roddy found that he could skillfully tan and make bows... and the quality and craftsmanship of the items he made would certainly be ahead of the times.

This was perhaps one of the few good pieces of news since his rebirth.

His mind was working hard to adapt to this incredibly real world as he walked to the clanging blacksmith's shop. The blacksmith, Stan, recognized Roddy and was quite willing to lend him the tools. Soon, Roddy had removed the bowstring, began to reshape the bow, adjust the arrow rest, and file a smaller bow window. After about an hour, he completed everything and went to the quartermaster, Dick, to get arrows.

Nolan Village was small, and the lord spent less than three days a year here. However, as one of the villages on the very edge of the border, it would inevitably face the threat of orcs. Roddy's gaze swept to the horizon—on the other side of the endless grassland was the orc nation. In his memory, these guys had been harassing the borders of the Kalen Kingdom since the game started. Judging by the timeline, Roddy believed that the orcs wouldn't be idle now, and raids would likely occur during bad years.

How could a level 1 character like him stop the orcs?

The goal was big, but for Roddy, it wasn't an impossible task. He thought about it and stopped in front of a slightly dilapidated warehouse on the side of the village.

"Fifty arrows, Captain Carter has already given the okay," Roddy said humbly. Building a good relationship with the quartermaster was essential. Although he was using Carter's name, based on "Roddy's" memories, Carter and this quartermaster didn't get along well. So, he also offered three copper coins.

Quartermaster Dick was one of the few fat men in Nolan Village. Seeing the copper coins, his furrowed brows immediately lifted, and he smiled, "Captain Carter? Today's mission seems tough. I heard he killed six orcs yesterday... tsk tsk, he really is a hidden expert."

What a damn hypocrite. Roddy smiled, inwardly sighing.

"Captain Carter's sword skills are amazing. Those orcs were no match for him, just a bunch of trash..." Roddy felt even more hypocritical, but he had done this kind of thing before and wasn't uncomfortable.

Dick turned and busied himself, bringing out two bundles of arrows from the musty warehouse. Roddy eagerly helped, and in a low voice, asked, "I have another request... can you cut a piece of old leather for me?"

"Old leather? I don't think—there's any left," Dick's eyes flicked up, his movements paused, and he looked at Roddy sideways. Roddy cursed inwardly but smiled and took out two more copper coins, silently handing them to the other man.

"Cough, maybe there's some left. I'll check for you."

Dick put on a grand air, and Roddy couldn't understand how such a small village could have such a pompous quartermaster. Did the quartermaster of the Holier City Knight Corps think he was the lord?

That's what he said, but he couldn't deny that he was just a scout now, so Roddy had to accept it.

Dick soon returned with a piece of leather the size of a palm and asked, "Is this okay?"

Roddy quickly thanked him and prepared to cut it himself.

He needed the leather to make a sturdy finger tab for drawing the horn bow. The poundage of this horn bow was much higher than the standard short bow for scouts, and the finger tabs provided to scouts were simple thin leather, which couldn't withstand the force of the horn bow. If the finger tab wasn't sturdy enough, the numbness and pain in the fingers would greatly affect accuracy after just a few arrows.

Finally finding what he needed, Roddy turned around but almost bumped into someone's chest.

"What are you doing here, brat? When did the quartermaster start letting you take things?"

This scolding made Roddy raise an eyebrow. He looked at the man in front of him and remembered that it was the middle-aged, muscular man, Rugar, who had been yelling at him the previous night. Rugar was broad-shouldered and solid, with a steady demeanor. His triangular eyes always carried a hint of disdain, and perhaps because he had been in the village's scout team for a long time, he never took young people like Roddy seriously. He didn't even bother to make eye contact with Roddy.

In "Roddy's" memories, Rugar was the captain of Scout Team One and the most difficult veteran to deal with in Nolan Village. He was skilled in both archery and swordsmanship, and because he had experienced wars with orcs, he was arrogant and unruly in front of the younger generation. While not entirely bad, he was certainly disliked.

Quartermaster Dick also disliked Rugar, but he knew the man was tough to handle. He awkwardly chatted a bit, trying to change the subject.

But Rugar waved his hand, "Don't give me that crap."

Ignoring Dick's embarrassed expression, he looked at the horn bow in Roddy's hand, his eyes lighting up, and reached out to grab it. However, Roddy lifted his hand, making him miss.

For Rugar, who had never been challenged, this action was like a fuse, instantly igniting his temper.

"You bastard, you're rebelling? You can even use a horn bow?"

The veteran Rugar always spoke harshly to those of lower rank and less experience, poking Roddy's chest repeatedly. "Let me tell you, you brats are only good for hunting rabbits. I advise you to give this to me honestly."

The poking hurt, but Roddy stood still, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Roddy's gaze lingered on Rugar's captain's badge for a moment, thinking for a bit, and then suddenly lifted his head. At that moment, the vengeful ranger Roddy seemed to reappear from a distant time, though he no longer had his former body and face, the cold and intimidating aura was clearly felt even by the quartermaster Dick.

Roddy looked into Rugar's eyes, his gaze like a target: "If you can shoot more accurately with it than me, I'll admit you're right."

This one sentence made the atmosphere instantly cold.

Dick, who had been trying to play the good guy, immediately shook his head and stepped back. He knew this matter... probably wouldn't end well.

Although he had only killed thousands of enemies in the game, the long-term persistence and solitary combat had given Roddy a cold and intimidating presence. Before his rebirth, he wasn't a high-ranking guild master, so his "dignity" wasn't much, but the posture his body naturally took revealed a dangerous signal.

For humans, a social species, "solitary" always came with a higher cost. Roddy's ability to survive alone in the dangerous "Rift" continent and rise to the top of players spoke volumes...

One important point was that the bloody battles he had experienced were far more brutal than the noisy group battles of dozens or hundreds of people.

Rugar raised his hand to take the horn bow, but at that moment, he was suddenly startled by Roddy's gaze. He wasn't a new recruit and had been on the battlefield, so he was very sensitive to this kind of aura. For a moment, he even wanted to step back.

But he quickly cursed inwardly and puffed out his chest, not believing in the evil eye.

As a scout captain, Rugar had seen the old duke's guardian knight from afar in Holier City. The knight's every move exuded a mountain-like dignity, but the Roddy in front of him seemed to have only a "tough" aura.