Calmly observing the surroundings and organizing the situation.
First, I looked at the levels of the slave traders who attacked first.
【Lv3.】
Most of them were level 3, the level of ordinary soldiers. If they weren't the great warriors of the desert, there was a chance to survive.
“Gasp!”
“H-Hydragons are too many!”
The problem was those guys. There were three level 5 monsters, classified as raid boss monsters.
'My level is 1.'
In contrast, I was level 1. All of them were higher than me.
No matter how I thought about it, it was a conscienceless quest. To survive in the middle of such a battlefield at level 1?
Moreover, boss monsters have additional effect judgments beyond their levels.
'Hydragons have poor eyesight. They can't move their body and head simultaneously.'
But in this world, even a level 1 can kill a level 5 boss monster if they know the strategy.
Hydragons were originally designed to be hunted by 12 level 1s.
The real difference in levels and ranks is felt from level 7.
So, it means that levels before that can be overcome somehow.
'I can do it.'
It's too early to be discouraged at level 1.
The most important thing is that I am a veteran among veterans in this game.
I can handle 12 people's worth on my own. I'll just do it.
Clang!
A sword and a scimitar clashed.
A soldier who had approached was now in front of me, exuding killing intent.
'This is a real situation.'
It's not a game.
Swinging a sword and using my body can't be resolved with a single click.
This is a battlefield where flesh collides, is cut, and torn. I have to move my body to survive.
It seemed hopeless, but there was hope.
'I can see the sword paths.'
Was it the effect of 【Weapon Master】?
I can see the sword paths. The exact places I need to swing are clearly read.
Moreover, the moment I held a weapon, I became proficient. It felt as if I had swung it tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of times.
The actions I needed to take were vivid in my mind.
And my body reacted before they were even fully formed in my mind.
Crack!
I deflected the sword diagonally and punched the soldier's jaw, breaking it.
I beheaded the soldier, who lost his balance and staggered.
There was no hesitation, no fear.
The sword paths, and all the battle paths, were already projected in my eyes!
*
The Snake Princess looked at the center of the battlefield with a peculiar gaze.
Erasing this place was her mission, the absolute command of the Desert Queen.
It wasn't a particularly difficult task.
She was the second strongest after the queen, and their numbers were far greater.
But one of the slaves suddenly started slaughtering her soldiers.
Even more astonishing was that he had killed a Hydragon.
He was sweeping through the battlefield alone.
“...What is that guy?”
*
“Huff! Huff! Haaak!”
My heart felt like it was about to burst.
Each time I exhaled hot breath, it felt like a knife was scraping the roof of my mouth.
I couldn't even tell if the drops falling on my head were blood or sweat.
But one thing was clear: I was still alive.
Clang!
The sword blade, which had clashed hundreds of times, broke.
The net that had been closing in on me began to tighten even more.
Among them, the spear-wielding soldiers were particularly troublesome.
“The sword broke! Kill him!”
“Now’s the time!”
Fortunately, they weren't regular troops. They didn't form a military formation and move as one.
A spearman, intoxicated by the desire for victory, approached, disrupting the formation.
“Ugh!”
I rolled toward the spearman and swept the ground. The spearman tripped and fell, dropping his spear.
I grabbed the spear before it hit the ground, and as the soldiers swung their swords, I used the momentum to deflect them. The soldier lost his balance.
“Gasp!”
I pierced the soldier's neck with the spear, killing him instantly. With a tearing sound, I pulled out the spear and turned to block the approaching movements. The surrounding soldiers were stunned by the acrobatics of a spear master who had trained with a spear all his life.
Thanks to 【Iron-Hearted Warlord’s Heart】, I could observe the surroundings calmly and not tire easily. And one of the hidden traits, 【Weapon Master】, allowed me to handle all weapons like a master without any proficiency.
It even synergized with 【Handiness】.
The hidden trait 【Handiness】 is related to skill proficiency. While 【Weapon Master】 allows handling all weapons and starts proficiency at 5Lv, 【Handiness】 helps advance to higher proficiency levels more easily.
The maximum proficiency level for skills is 10. Level 6 proficiency represents the skill level of a renowned knight who has honed it for a lifetime.
I achieved that the moment I held a weapon.
There are hidden traits that work together and create synergy. Of course, this is known by only a few. Hidden traits are not well-known even among players.
I used swords, spears, sabers, bows, scimitars, and maces without discrimination.
“Monster!”
“That monster is tired!”
“Kill him!”
The net was closing in, accompanied by all kinds of praise.
The attackers numbered 500. Even though I had killed a Hydragon, it was overwhelming for one person.
I had done enough, being level 1 and killing thirty soldiers and a Hydragon. It was thanks to conserving my movements to distribute stamina and utilizing all weapons.
If another player had seen this, they would have been shocked. Even veterans would have been amazed at the possibility.
Still, I was reaching my limit.
But even at my limit.
A smile formed on my lips.
I had been waiting for this.
‘Round 2 begins.’
I relaxed my shoulders. My rapid breathing gradually steadied. The movements of the approaching soldiers seemed slow. It felt like awakening.
“Stop.”
Rumble—
At that moment.
A woman's voice struck my eardrums, resonating across the battlefield.
The soldiers froze at her voice.
‘She’s finally here.’
The soldiers parted like the Red Sea.
A woman on top of a Hydragon, calmly observing the front. Unlike the desert warriors, she had unusually pale skin. She approached with a cat-like, elegant gait, making me whistle.
I had anticipated her appearance.
“H-Her Highness will even...”
The centurion mustered the courage to speak to the Snake Princess, who sneered.
“He wasn’t tired. He was just pretending to be.”
“...That’s impossible. His breath and sweat...”
“Look closely. Does his breathing seem labored?”
“...”
The centurion's eyes turned to me.
Frowning, he saw that I had already caught my breath. His expression and gaze conveyed, 'What kind of monster is this?'
“Pretending to be tired... to lull us into a false sense of security?”
“Yes.”
It seemed the level-up that restored my stamina was interpreted that way by the Snake Princess.
I greeted her with an unchanged expression.
“Indeed. It’s rare to face someone who remains unchanged before me.”
I sensed a momentary killing intent but remained calm and composed thanks to “Iron-Hearted Warlord’s Heart.”
A being who could judge others by their aura. I looked above her head.
【Lv 8】
Level 8. A level that would be called the 'strongest' anywhere!
The standard for strong characters in Pangea is level 7. From level 7, the real differences start to show, and the level gap is almost impossible to overcome.
Level 8 is a level that only the leaders of famous organizations can achieve. In a city of a million people, there might be one or two.
‘Is there such a strong character in Faisalmer?’
There is. The Queen of Faisalmer. But as far as I know, there are no other named NPCs who have reached level 8.
This place is just the starting city, a starting point.
However, for some reason, the woman in front of me seemed strangely familiar.
Familiar or just a feeling of familiarity. It felt like I had a deep connection with her in the past.
She eventually approached and spoke.
“What’s your name?”
What’s my name?
‘I didn’t even create a nickname yet.’
Thinking about it, I hadn’t even created a nickname. Could this be the branching point for creating a nickname?
‘Moreover, the quest isn’t over yet.’
There was no sign that the main quest had ended. It meant the survival task was still ongoing.
It must be because of the Snake Princess. Combined, everyone here couldn’t match her. With a clear threat to kill me, the survival quest couldn’t end.
‘Then...’
This ‘name’ is also important.
“Randolph.”
“...The Great Wolf? Are you from the desert?”
Randolph means 'The Great Wolf.' The Snake Princess raised her eyebrows in surprise when I used a word that only someone from the desert would know.
But that was all.
“Why is a desert native with the central continent’s expeditionary force?”
Blatant disdain.
The people of the desert describe the humans of the central continent as demons.
If captured, they are used as slaves until they die.
I would do the same. Once my interest wanes, I’ll kill them.
But it was puzzling.
‘She knows it’s an expeditionary force. Yet, she wiped them out.’
It was unprecedented to wipe out an expeditionary force before using them as slaves.
Even the same desert tribe members she captured were all killed.
‘Evidence destruction. She’s trying to hide that the expeditionary force reached the desert.’
The 8 heroes and the expeditionary force... It must refer to the great expedition to the Demon World I initiated with eight pieces of 'unique equipment.'
But I failed the expedition. Despite all the preparations, I couldn’t cross the threshold to the Demon King’s domain. There were several reasons, but mainly because the Demon King was too strong.
‘She’s afraid of the central continent.’
I concluded.
The Queen of the Desert is afraid of the connection between the expeditionary force and the desert.
She knows that discussing the expedition’s failure could lead to a bloodbath. Most major cities across the continent contributed soldiers, but Faisalmer was an exception.
This place is the perfect setting for a witch hunt.
So, she’s eliminating anything that could connect, even by 0.1g.
After roughly assessing the situation, I spoke.
“I was observing the central continent’s movements.”
“...A spy from the central continent? Who sent you?”
“I went on my own.”
“On your own? That’s ridiculous. Most importantly, I’ve never seen a warrior like you in this desert. Your skin color is different, and you don’t have any tribal marks. If you’re trying to bluff with something you overheard...”
“The stars told me.”
Snap!
The Snake Princess’s entire body froze as if in a trance.
Then, with a strange look in her eyes, she asked.
“...The stars?”
Confusion, surprise, and earnestness.
‘It seems I’m right.’
Her reaction confirmed why she felt familiar.
The Snake Princess is indeed the character I know.
And the reason for her reaction is simple.
The stars are her ‘weakness.’
Simultaneously, they were my only way to survive.
With confidence, I began my ‘act.’
“Star Seer. I am not bound to any tribe. I never claimed to be from the desert, but I don’t understand why you have this misconception.”
“...!!!”
Star Seer. One who reads the stars and is guided by them.
They are seers and one of the few true wanderers in the world. They move, pray, and act for the stars.
And it was a name the Snake Princess needed.
“Snake Princess Isabella. Isabella von Dersian.”
“My... my full name, how...”
“Star Seers can hear the voice of the stars.”
The stars told me.
Of course, that wasn’t true.
Star Seer is a class that players can’t obtain. Only chosen NPCs can have it, and players must find them when they need to obtain a star at level 10.
And Isabella von Dersian was a similar case.
She wanted to leave this desert more than anyone.
She was bound by the queen’s curse. She wasn’t from a desert tribe. But to leave, she needed the stars, the blessing of the stars.
How did I know all this?
‘Why is the character I created the Snake Princess?’
I thought it was unlikely, but unlikely things happen.
The worst starting point.
I had created a character for experience, but I didn’t understand why it was now in front of me.
The limits were clear, and there was no way to grow further in this desert.
More precisely, due to the queen’s curse, there was no way to progress without the ‘blessing of the stars.’ But finding a Star Seer in the desert was impossible, so I gave up.
Now, seeing that abandoned character as the Snake Princess in front of me, how could I not be shocked?
At that moment.
...Survival notification.
After killing dozens of soldiers and taking down a Hydragon, the incomplete quest finally announced its completion.
That wasn’t all.
...
I couldn’t help but be shocked when I saw the content.
“...Crazy.”
The reward was so outrageous that it made me say it out loud.