Riverwood Town

The mist dispersed.

The town, sealed away for many years, reappeared under the sunlight once more. With the death of the Shadow Phantom, the shadows that had bound it for so long dissipated as well.

Rhode sheathed his longsword and gazed at the pile of white dust on the ground before him—all that remained of the Shadow Phantom. Under the sun's rays, the remains emitted a soft glow. Rhode fell silent for a moment, then crouched down to retrieve a translucent, milky-white gemstone from the pile.

Soul Core.

It was no surprise that a boss-level creature would drop a Soul Core. After all, any creature qualified to be a boss possessed a certain degree of potent magic. Years of accumulation made it easier for their bodies to condense a Soul Core compared to ordinary magical beasts, and now, this had become Rhode's spoils of war.

However, Rhode did not waste much time on these items. He packed them away hastily, then turned and walked toward the entrance of the plaza with weary steps. Although the battle with the Shadow Phantom had not consumed much of his physical strength, it had been mentally exhausting. While Rhode's face betrayed no expression, his slightly heavy gait revealed as much.

Seeing Rhode's figure reappear, Lize and Mace finally breathed a sigh of relief. They hurried forward, anxiously asking about his condition. Unexpectedly, Rhode's mood did not seem very high; he gave a few flat, perfunctory replies before steering the conversation away, clearly unwilling to discuss it further.

Seeing Rhode's demeanor, Lize and Mace exchanged curious glances but did not press the matter. They could tell Rhode was not in the best of spirits, and though they did not know what had transpired while facing the Shadow Phantom in the thick fog, it was obvious he did not intend to talk about it.

Lize was a bright and clever girl, and Mace was a seasoned merchant; since Rhode was in a bad mood, they were sensible enough to keep their mouths shut and ask no more questions.

In truth, their confusion regarding the Shadow Phantom did not linger long, as they soon shifted their focus to another matter—they were finally going to leave this godforsaken place!

To be frank, only two or three days had passed since the Airship crashed and the three of them set out from the mountain pass, but the perils of the journey made it feel as though dozens of days had gone by. The dangerous forest, the sudden attacks, the eerie town—all these invisible pressures had been suffocating.

Precisely because of this, when the three of them saw the town at the foot of the mountain, even the usually calm Rhode displayed a look of relief, to say nothing of the panicked merchant who felt as if he had escaped death, or the ecstatic Lize.

Riverwood Town was located at the foot of the Paffield mountain range. Situated in a border region, it was a very peaceful place. In the game, because it was near the Dusk Forest, it had always been a gathering spot for novice players. Rhode had spent some time here back in the day, so he was naturally intimately familiar with every blade of grass and tree. He could even rattle off the names of most of the people here—though, walking through the quiet streets and looking at the characters who had once belonged to a game now transformed into living, breathing humans, Rhode's feelings were rather strange.

Although there was much to be done, for now, a soft, comfortable bed and delicious food were their top priorities. After filling their stomachs at the town's inn, the three of them couldn't wait to collapse onto soft beds, quickly falling into a deep slumber.

When Rhode opened his eyes, it was already the afternoon of the following day.

The sunlight outside the window was soft and warm, spilling through the wooden frame onto the floor, bringing with it a comfortable, languid atmosphere.

"Huu..."

Rhode let out a breath. He reached out, carefully examining the scars on his hands while stretching his body. A dull ache still lingered in his left chest, pulling his once-hazy consciousness back to reality.

This was no dream.

For the first time, Rhode felt a genuine, tangible sense of living in this world.

The previous days had been chaotic and dangerous, leaving him with a vague sense of unreality. Several times, Rhode had woken from his sleep thinking he was still dreaming, believing those battles and monsters were merely subconscious reflections from playing too many games. But now, as the danger receded and a peaceful life reappeared before his eyes, this sense of reality became increasingly strong.

So, where should he go from here?

Knock, knock, knock.

A low, rhythmic knocking interrupted Rhode's thoughts. He looked up toward the door.

"Come in."

Following Rhode's voice, the door slowly opened, and the golden-haired girl walked in, carrying clean bandages and a basin of clear water. Seeing Rhode sitting on the bed, the girl first offered a gentle, lively smile before asking.

"Mr. Rhode, how is your body feeling?"

"I'm fine. No issues."

Facing the girl's concern, Rhode gave a slight nod in return. Although his demeanor wasn't particularly warm, Lize was clearly accustomed to Rhode's reactions, so she simply smiled lightly and, without saying anything more, came to his side to begin preparing the bandages.

Watching the girl lower her head, Rhode felt a bitter smile in his heart. In truth, it wasn't that he didn't want to appear warmer; putting on a poker face wasn't interesting, and he was long past the age of trying to look cool—it was pointless.

But Rhode couldn't change it; it stemmed from deeply ingrained habits. When he was very young, because of this face that resembled his sister's, he was often mocked by friends and classmates for "looking like a girl," which was clearly not a compliment for a boy. Rhode had always been sensitive about his appearance, so when he entered the Dragon Soul Continent, he didn't choose the advanced "scan and recreate" technology many players used, but instead chose the game's default character model. At the time, the young Rhode had no way to fight back, so he simply tried his best to act cold and rarely smiled to prove he was a man, not some fragile female.

This was the "chuunibyou" phase everyone goes through. As he grew older, Rhode stopped obsessing over such trifles, but unfortunately, he soon discovered it had become a habit he couldn't change. Furthermore, after he became the guild leader of the most powerful gaming guild in the Dragon Soul Continent, he was forced to adopt a calm and reserved demeanor to lead and manage the guild. Now that his personality had fully formed, changing it was no longer so easy.

But these were just minor issues.

The pain from his wounds pulled Rhode back to the present. He watched the girl gently wiping the scars on his chest and recalled something else.

"Lize."

"Yes? Is something the matter, Mr. Rhode?"

"What are your plans for the future?"

Hearing Rhode's question, the girl's body trembled slightly, and her movements paused. She sighed softly, lowering her head in resignation.

"To be honest, I'm not sure, Mr. Rhode."

"What about your companions? Do you not have a place to return to?"

"Even if I go back, I'm the only one left..."

As she spoke, Lize's tone grew heavy.

"Besides, the mercenary group is about to be disbanded."

I see.

Hearing Lize's explanation, Rhode finally understood her situation.

In the Dragon Soul Continent, mercenary groups were divided into three tiers. The lowest level was the Mercenary Squad, usually consisting of five or six adventurers, with a maximum of ten. This organization was very loose and had no special regulations; as long as they registered with the Mercenary Association, anyone could form such a squad.

Next were the Mercenary Groups, which required at least ten members. Compared to the loosely organized, ragtag Mercenary Squads, Mercenary Groups were on a more formal track. They not only had to submit formal documentation to the Mercenary Association but also received some assistance from the association and could even possess their own headquarters.

Above them were the Mercenary Guilds, which had over a hundred members. These Mercenary Guilds were not only powerful, possessing their own strongholds and fortresses, but also received direct support from officials or merchant associations. Some massive Mercenary Guilds even held their own territories and cities, wielding significant influence.

This hierarchical division of mercenary groups was not merely a matter of strength and reputation; it also affected their assessment when accepting missions. A Mercenary Squad could never accept a Guild-level mission; even if they wanted to, the Mercenary Association would reject them outright. Even if they somehow completed the mission, it would not be recognized—though, naturally, an ordinary Mercenary Squad wouldn't have the strength to complete a Guild-level mission anyway.

Although Mercenary Groups and Mercenary Guilds enjoyed many privileges, they were not without pressure. The Mercenary Association would score them based on the danger and completion rate of the missions they undertook. After one year, if their mission completion points were insufficient, the Mercenary Association would forcibly disband those Mercenary Groups that failed to meet the passing grade. Even Mercenary Guilds would be forcibly demoted to Mercenary Groups.

Lize's despondency was related to this; the mercenary group she belonged to had originally been a small-to-medium-sized outfit of a dozen or so people, but now, due to this mission, she was the only survivor left, and even their leader had perished. In such a state, the mercenary group could no longer be sustained. Although it was still spring and there was a long time left before the end of the year, Lize had no way to support a mercenary group on her own, not to mention that she was merely a Spirit Master with no combat capability. Even if she wanted to go it alone, her heart was willing but her strength was lacking. From the current outlook, Lize's mercenary group had no choice but to disband, and with the Spirit Master being a unique support profession, it would not be difficult for the young girl to join another team.

However, it seemed that Lize had no intention of leaving.

"You don't want to leave?"

Faced with Rhode's inquiry, the young girl nodded with great certainty.

"Yes, Mr. Rhode. After all, they were the first to take me in, and here, my relationship with everyone was just like family... I, I really don't want this mercenary group to disappear just like that."

At this point, Lize's eyes reddened, but she bit her lip and did not waver because of it.

"They have already left, but at least... at least I hope that what they worked so hard for can remain."

"But looking at the current situation, if you cannot find enough manpower, then the dissolution of the mercenary group is only a matter of time."

"Yes."

Lize did not evade this point; she was very clear about where the problem lay, yet the young girl had no intention of giving up.

"However, I still don't want to give up, Mr. Rhode. Just like you said to me before, since I am alive, I must do something meaningful. Although I don't know to what extent I can achieve this right now, I still hope to give it a try."

Watching the young girl's determined expression, Rhode suddenly thought of an idea. He remained silent for a moment, then spoke up.

"In that case, I have a proposal."

"What proposal? Mr. Rhode?"

Hearing Rhode's words, Lize hurriedly raised her head, looking at him nervously. Although she had only been in contact with Rhode for a few days, his erudition and formidable strength had left a deep impression on her. Whether it was the Wind Serpent, Silver Wolf, or Wraith, they were monsters Lize had never encountered, or even heard of. Not to mention her, Lize could be certain that many mercenaries had likely never seen these monsters before, yet Rhode knew their weaknesses and habits like the back of his hand—it was simply unimaginable. She did not have the idle time like Mace to guess what Rhode's true identity was; among adventurers, there was no need for that. Knowing that he was very powerful was enough.

Although Lize thought she had prepared herself mentally, Rhode's next sentence still made her eyes widen in shock, leaving her speechless.

"If you are willing, hand the mercenary group over to me."