ATPnovel Chapter 6 A Dream of Roaming the Western Sea
Chapter 6 A Dream of Roaming the Western Sea
They turned around and returned to their resting place.
The stench of blood filled the air as the bandits' corpses were dragged into the ditch and were now burning.
These slave traders didn't deserve to be buried, and the fact that they were burned alive is the greatest leniency the common people could offer.
Upon reaching the center of the field, the people were so hungry they were practically starving, and they couldn't care less about anything else.
Some people gathered in twos and threes, took out the dry food and water they had taken from the bandits' bags, and began to wolf it down.
Roger's stomach growled at an inopportune moment, his stomach feeling empty and he felt a wave of unease.
He looked up and glanced around, and soon saw God and Virgil sitting on a large rock, each gnawing on a piece of hard, dark bread.
Gold, just as he met Roger's gaze, grinned and casually pulled a piece of black bread from the cloth bag beside him, tossing it toward Roger.
Roger quickly caught it, nodded to the two men, and then sat down on the open ground next to them.
The bread was as hard as a rock. Roger took a big bite, and the rough bread was almost impossible to swallow in his parched mouth.
Rogge munched on his food while checking his stats.
["Gained 150 experience points, you have leveled up two times!"]
[Rogge (Level 2) (Experience: 0/200)]
[Combat Power: 51 (Tier 1)]
[Strength: 5]+
Agility: 5+
[Physical Fitness: 5]
【Intelligence: 15】
【Charm: 18】
[All Weapon Proficiency: 17]
[Honors: 0]
[Reputation: 0]
Honor: A "predictable code of conduct" under the feudal system—your bottom line will not be crossed, and your promises will be kept! (You don't have honor yet!)
Reputation: Your "benchmark of group influence"—based on your influence and behavior, reflecting how society perceives you. (You don't have reputation yet!)
[Withdrawable Experience Points: 150! (Withdrawable Experience Candy x1)]
(Killing bandits +100 points;)
Active combat engagements grant +50 points.
[Gained 2 attribute points (can be used to enhance attributes!)]
【
Note: Physical fitness and intelligence can be slightly improved by using experience candy externally!
Strength: Represents the strength of the body's tissues and organs, such as muscles and bones.
The stronger an individual is, the greater their carrying capacity, melee damage, and throwing distance...
Agility: Represents reflexes and is associated with a person's reaction speed, motor coordination, and other comprehensive physical data.
Individuals with higher agility are more skillful in combat and can more easily dodge attacks...
Physical constitution: corresponds to an individual's vitality, resilience, recovery ability, endurance, and ability to withstand blows.
Individuals with higher physical fitness are healthier, more resistant to injury, and have higher immunity.
Intelligence: corresponds to an individual's energy and logical ability, cognitive knowledge, etc.
The higher the intelligence, the faster the mental recovery, and the stronger the resistance to bewitching and temptation. The weaker the resistance to inexplicable corruption...
(For every two points you increase in your Intelligence attribute, you will gain an additional Skill Point! You do not yet have the relevant skill!)
Charm: A fixed attribute, but it fluctuates. Please take care of yourself...
】
……
As he munched on a hard, dark loaf of bread, the chatter of the commoners around him drifted into Rogge's ears:
"I plan to head north. With knights clearing the way, this is the safest route..."
"I'm going to a town in the north too. My sister is married there, and I'm going to stay with her family!"
"We're on the same road, let's travel together! I hope we arrive safely..."
What's the use of relying on relatives?
These days, lords are at war every day; where can they find a peaceful life?
"It's good enough that we're alive."
"I have nowhere to go. My village is gone, my family is gone. I heard there's a big businessman working as a bodyguard for an investment promotion team. I'm going to try my luck there..."
The sound of conversation gradually reached Rogge's ears.
Some were grateful to be alive, some were planning to seek refuge with relatives, and many more were whispering in bewilderment about the future.
Roger munched on his black bread, listening to the conversation, and his heart felt as if something was blocking it.
He was different from these people; at least they still had something to hold onto.
But what about him?
With no relatives or friends, on this unfamiliar continent, there wasn't even a place to shelter from the wind and rain.
In this place where human life is cheaper than grass, he didn't even know how much longer he had to live.
When I was with my family, we would always argue over trivial things.
Back then, Roger always thought of staying far away and never seeing them again.
However, at this moment, he might never see them again in his entire life.
In just a few days, he became obsessed with missing his hometown and everything that used to be there.
He didn't know if he would ever see his loved ones again in his lifetime.
An endless emptiness was slowly swallowing him up.
With the future uncertain, what should he do?
Roger was so depressed that he could no longer taste the sourness of the dark bread in his hand.
The two men from Mettenheim standing next to him noticed that something was wrong with him.
The two exchanged a glance, then stood up simultaneously and sat down on either side of him.
"Brother, thank you for saving us today!"
Virgil looked at Rogge, his tone full of sincerity.
"Brother Rogge, you look quite different. Where are you from?"
Roger paused for a moment, then came to his senses and smiled at the two of them:
"I should thank you. If it weren't for your help yesterday, I probably wouldn't be where I am today!"
I come from... from the far East!
"East? Is it the Kingdom of Fierce Lions?"
As far as we know, most of the people in the Lion Kingdom have brown or blond hair. They are all very arrogant and look down on us Mertenheimers…”
Gold talks much more; once he starts talking, he can't stop.
Virgil, on the other hand, was quieter, but listened attentively and intently throughout.
"No...you've misunderstood."
As Gold's explanation became increasingly distorted, Roger quickly denied it.
"Is that further east?"
I've heard that a race called elves lives in the vast forests to the east... Brother, you wouldn't happen to be from there... would you?"
Virgil looked Rogge up and down, his eyes full of surprise.
"None of those... So stop guessing. My hometown is far from here, a place you've never heard of..."
Roger tried to brush it off with a laugh. He really didn't want to delve into the topic or fabricate any lies. After all, to cover up one lie, you need countless more to fill the gaps, and if you keep making things up, the holes will be everywhere.
Gold wanted to press further, but Virgil noticed Rogge's embarrassment and quickly nudged Gold, stopping the conversation.
Rogge had only had a superficial understanding of the continent of Pendor many years ago, and now that he was truly delving into it, he knew nothing about many of its geographical features.
Virgil was much more composed, and it was only through his narration that Roger was surprised to discover that...
These two burly men, with weathered faces and thick beards, were actually only twenty years old!
According to the two men, they arrived in Pendor by ship with a mercenary corps.
They were the lowest-ranking soldiers in the legion, separated from the main force after a defeat in battle, and captured by these bandits during their exile.
The two chatted back and forth about their past experiences, with Roger listening quietly and occasionally interjecting a word or two.
He never imagined that the two of them, at such a young age, would have already experienced so many life-and-death situations!
From their calm tone, Roger sensed the endless danger hidden within.
The two tirelessly shared their stories, providing Roger with immense psychological comfort.
"Brother Rogue, we're not planning to go back to the mercenary group. We finally managed to leave."
We decided to become adventurers, to search for treasures in secret realms and explore unknown lands.
We want to become a revered presence on this continent!
We're going to build our own adventure team and make an inexhaustible fortune...
We also need to buy the biggest ironclad warships and throw all those damned Vanscare pirates in the West Sea into the ocean to feed the fish!
We will dominate the Western Sea and become its kings!
"Brother, would you like to travel with us?"
Gold's impassioned declaration did not immediately move Rogge, but at least he emerged from his longing for his hometown.
Their unrestrained lives and spirit of exploration greatly inspired him and pointed Rogge in a direction.
……
After finishing his black bread, Roger patted the crumbs off his hands. His modern short-sleeved shirt had long been stolen by the bandit leader, and he had no idea where it was now.
Roger had no interest in looking for it.
In this world where divine and royal authority coexist, that incongruous garment will only bring him endless trouble.
If the church misunderstands and arrests him as a heretic, then he will truly face certain death.
He patted his linen robe, trying to shake off the dust.
But just then, a soft sound was heard, and a shiny object fell out of the pocket of the clothes...
……