Chapter 3 Forward

The Ironwood Forest is not a pleasant place to wander.

It is the remnants of the former Serpentfolk Kingdom.

where the forest's edge boasts lush green trees, creating a falsely pleasant facade

However, within its depths lie Numerous venomous snakes lurk beneath dense vines and bushes.

Mists frequently shroud the forest, and wild beasts roam freely, with ancient relics hidden beneath the ground.

During the savage era of conflicts between dragons and giants, the serpentfolk, once enslaved by dragons, retreated to the Northlands after the dragons' defeat, turning the Northlands into a refuge for these venomous snakes.

The dangerous serpentfolk, demonstrating their dominance, have declared the Ironwood Forest a deadly forbidden zone.

The cruel serpent race delights in throwing anyone daring to step into the forbidden zone alive into snake pits, serving as nourishment for their offspring.

In the era of colonization, the Northern Elves, led by their Elven Queen, expelled the serpentfolk.

The Ironwood Forest became the dwelling place of the Elven allies, the Centaurs, and some other natural races. 

Despite the absence of the dangerous serpentfolk, the Ironwood Forest remained a wild and savage region, much like the path Lorvik is currently traversing, which is exceptionally terrifying.

He led Elenia, shuttling through the deep night, relying on the ability to move like the wind. Gradually, clusters of pine trees disappeared on both sides of them.

In its place were dense vines, and a thick mist permeated the surroundings.

No one knew if the next step would lead to a swampy quagmire.

Elenia followed behind, feeling a cold sweat forming on her forehead.

The path led by Lorvik was, in essence, a route through perilous terrains, some of which were impassable.

One misstep could mean death, but at every difficulty, a new path would emerge.

The reason he was so familiar with this route was that he had once watched a gaming video.

It featured a Northern Elf player who, unlike others who enjoyed leveling up, preferred the thrill of parkour.

The reason for choosing the elf race is because of the characteristics of elves, allowing one to enjoy the fun of parkour at low levels, traversing mountains and valleys, and moving through the wilderness.

He is also somewhat famous on YouTube and TikTok. He has uploaded many videos, and one of them is about the Ironwood Forest.

This shortcut is Lorvik learning from his parkour videos in the Ironwood Forest.

Just like that parkour enthusiast said:

I know leveling up can be interesting, but it's not really fun.

When you're decked out in god-tier gear, ridiculously high level, with all sorts of skills at your disposal, and you don't take damage even if you jump off a cliff from a thousand feet, what's the point?"

"This is my hobby. I don't like PK , I enjoy running dungeons. I don't like doing quests; I prefer parkouring in various dangerous places. In reality, my body and the environment don't allow me to do such things, but in the game, I hope to find a way to break free from mundane life and do something crazy."

Lorvik is starting to feel it now because this sensation... is truly exhilarating!

The gale swept from both sides, and the ears were filled with a roaring sound.

Despite the heavy burden on his weakened body, at this moment, it seemed to transform into the raging wind.

The seemingly insurmountable obstacles ahead were climbed over, relying on both hands at his disposal.

Pushing the limits!

He came to a halt, reaching out to touch his forehead and neck, both drenched in sweat.

Having decided to rest in place, he casually found a rock to sit on.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, he noticed a yellow number appear on his hand!

It was... stamina points!

In the game, this was the appearance of stamina recovering during rest.

"Oh, could it be..." Lorvik pondered a possibility. "Could I have come with a game template?"

Your revised version is clear and concise. It effectively conveys the protagonist's internal conflict and acceptance of the situation. Well done!

Lorvik shouted in his mind a few times.

Suddenly, a virtual template appeared in front of his eyes.

Name: Lorvik (Oryphus)

Race: Elf (Northland)

Occupation: Sword duelist

Status: Weak (Attributes -2)

Level: 9

Upon seeing this, Lorvik smiled wryly.

Indeed, it was a weak state, but he didn't know the specific attributes. He continued reading.

Strength: 3.2 (5.2)

Agility: 2.7 (5.7)

Intelligence: 1.5

Willpower: 5

Perception: 2.3 (4.3)

The values in parentheses represent the peak state figures.

In the game, attribute values are not fixed and can decrease due to factors such as hunger, injuries, and illnesses.

Currently in a weakened state, all attributes except Intelligence and Willpower are reduced by 2.

However, when Lorvik saw the Intelligence value, he couldn't help but chuckle. Intelligence less than 2...

Luckily, in the game, Intelligence isn't directly tied to IQ. Otherwise, Lorvik would be tempted to mock the previous owner.

An Intelligence score below 2—does that mean the brain is filled with muscle?

He thought about other templates, such as the mission template.

Suddenly, the template in front of him vanished in a vortex and unfolded again.

A new template appeared.

The mission template is divided into daily, ordinary, epic, legendary, and mythical.

Daily tasks are recurring, routine missions, while ordinary tasks are more rewarding and challenging than daily tasks.

Epic tasks are relatively rare and often involve the influence of races and faction wars.

Once completed, they not only provide substantial experience and rewards but also increase reputation significantly.

Legendary missions impact the entire game progression.

As for mythical tasks, despite Lorvik having played the game for so long, no one had ever received one.

There are many speculations about what these tasks entail.

Lorvik scrutinized and noticed that most of his task bar was shrouded in darkness, which was normal.

However, "ordinary" and "epic" tasks were illuminated!

Ordinary Task

Dangerous Dispatch:

Escort Elenia Amastasha to the Centaur village in the Ironwood Forest and inform the Centaur Druids of the impending danger.

Time is life, survive!

Reward: The gratitude of the Centaurs is something everyone looks forward to.

This is an interesting aspect of the game; accepting a task doesn't immediately reveal the specific rewards, but based on the task details, you can make educated guesses.

Rewards with gratitude are quite common in the game.

For instance, a mysterious wizard's gratitude might yield a magic scroll or potion.

The sincere thanks from the blacksmith uncle provide 30 free equipment repairs and some sharpening potions.

As for the Centaur's gratitude, it probably involves racial reputation and something unique to the Centaurs.

But Lorvik didn't expect to receive an epic-level mission.

Epic Task:

Era: Prosperity and the Summer Year 234, Second Era

After the long and arduous era of colonization, the long-standing peace of the Northern Elves faces a new crisis.

Fueled by the golden Tower of Heaven as a mediator, the Holy War Army from the four nations has breached the Northern Elves' defenses.

Heroes! Fellow kin! In times of danger and terror, heroes and warriors emerge. How can our homeland allow the enemy to trample upon it?

We shall take up the weapons of our ancestors and drive the enemy out of our homeland!

This kind of epic mission is not something Lorvik expects to complete at the moment; he understands the inherent difficulties.

Moreover, he is well aware of the current state of affairs.

The front line has been breached, and most of the Northern Elves' battalions have been scattered.

During this period, there is a military vacuum, and only by enduring through this time can there be a chance for a counterattack.

However, achieving this is easier said than done. The Northern Elves haven't experienced war for fifty years, and the prolonged peace has made people forget about blades and blood.

Even though they have sensed the fervor within the four nations and have seen through the enemy's military movements, most people didn't anticipate the intensity of the attack.

They habitually rushed battalions to the front line, forming a weak defense line, but there was no proper defense.

As a result, the front line was breached, the army was scattered, and the enemy swiftly entered the hinterland.

The Northern Elves are now trapped in the cities, forced to endure the onslaught.

Facing the Holy War Army of the four nations, in his previous life, Lorvik did not participate in this war.

Instead, he acted as an elven ranger, exploring overseas to discover a new continent.

The journey across the vast sea was arduous, filled with dark gods, sea monsters, and terrifying foreign tribes.

When he returned, the war had already ended, and everything had become the past, but he still knew the details of the conflict.

What made the memory more vivid for him was that, unlike previous so-called "Holy Wars" waged by the Four Nations Alliance for their own interests, with the golden Tower of Heaven merely bestowing a nominal title and never calling upon believers, this time was different.

It was a call to all believers to engage in war.

Many conservative elves, in the face of defeat, sought to negotiate with the kings of the Four Nations.

However, it was futile.

The Four Kings were themselves coerced into this conflict.

The believers beneath them willingly engaged in the Holy War.

This was a true Holy War! Even if the casualties were severe, even if the war was perilous, not a single believer would retreat.

Such a war, with religious fervor at its core, was the most terrifying.

Mountainous piles of corpses,blood transforms into lakes.

Burning away the culture of the heretics, killing the children and women of the heretics — these are the characteristics of every religious war.

And the Dawn's Calamity is the name for the Holy War Army, they suddenly pour forth like the radiance of dawn, yet they bring disaster to every elf."

Lorvik took a deep breath. When he returned from overseas and saw the vast ruins, witnessed the panic of the fleeing Northern Elves, the hatred in his heart was no less than that of other elves whose homelands had been destroyed.

Shaking his head, he pushed aside these thoughts. Regardless, he didn't need to dwell on such distant matters.

The current Holy War Army wasn't the Dawn's Calamity, and the Northern Elves weren't entirely powerless. 

Once, they had a tradition of iron and blood, and they feared no enemy. As the mission stated, "We will pick up the weapons of our ancestors." Many other factors contributed to their subsequent defeat.

With these thoughts, Lorvik noticed that the stamina points pulsating on his body had disappeared.

He knew his stamina had recovered sufficiently. The stamina points would vanish after reaching sixty percent recovery.

"Let's go," Lorvik called out to Elenia, who was still resting beside him.

He patted off the dust from his body, ready to continue the journey.

Elenia, currently in meditation, opened her eyes upon hearing his words.

Surprisingly, Lorvik glimpsed a hint of resentment in her gaze.

She stared coldly at him, tightly biting her lips. "Do you think a sorcerer is like a muscle-bound gorilla like you? Just a little time to rest."

In her mind, she thought fiercely, regretting a bit. Most of the magic she learned was inclined towards attack, with little assistance. For a journey like this, it didn't provide much help.

But ultimately, she straightened up, bit her lip, and continued walking. She couldn't complain or admit fatigue.

The two pushed forward through the night.