PFC Chapter 1: Mount & Blade Players' Daily Life: Being Captured?
Chapter 1: Mount & Blade Players' Daily Life: Being Captured?
The chains chafed the flesh on his wrists, and scabs of blood clung to the shackles. His bare soles were already worn raw, and every step on the rough gravel felt like stepping on a red-hot iron, causing excruciating pain.
Roger trembled uncontrollably, not only from the pain in his body, but also from the fear that had eroded all his courage.
Three days ago, Roger was a working-class man who worked from 8 am to 10 pm, constantly being bullied and worn down by life.
On a whim during the weekend holiday, I started a new Mount & Blade game in Pendor that I hadn't played in years. Somehow, in a daze, I ended up here.
Rogue, still bewildered from his new arrival, was unexpectedly picked up by a group of slave traders...
……
The scorching sun overhead made his bare back feel incredibly hot; he was only wearing a pair of faded old underwear.
If these underpants hadn't served him for so many years, worn out and faded, he probably wouldn't have been able to keep even this only piece of clothing covering his body...
In front of and behind him were a string of civilian prisoners tied together with hemp ropes. They were all dressed in rags, with empty eyes and haggard, desperate faces.
On either side of the group, more than twenty fierce-looking bandits, carrying swords and knives, scanned the surroundings with menacing eyes.
At the very front of the group, the bandit leader, wearing an inappropriate off-white shirt, rode on horseback; it was Roger's pure cotton shirt.
Rogue's true form has traveled through time!
He initially couldn't believe it, until several unbearably hot whip marks appeared on his back...
……
Numbly following the group's movements, his consciousness had long since left his body, Roger still couldn't believe that this was a dream where his consciousness was perfectly clear.
He tried shouting to "wake himself up," and was nearly beaten half to death by the thugs...
Under the scorching sun, he felt a burning pain from the whip marks on his back, a pain that tore his heart apart! He gritted his teeth, not daring to utter a single groan, and with his head bowed, he staggered forward with the last bit of strength he had left.
Roger kept his head down, not daring to stand out in the slightest, for fear of becoming the next target to be arbitrarily beaten by the bandits.
Having grown accustomed to the stable life of modern society, this was the first time in his life he had come so close to death.
Fear washed over him like a tide, repeatedly eroding the understanding he had developed in peacetime.
"Cough cough~"
A violent cough suddenly broke out in the prisoner ranks. The rough-looking boy walking in front of Rogge stumbled and collapsed onto the gravel ground.
The boy had already reached his limit; he was completely exhausted and could no longer hold on.
As he fell, Roger was also pulled along and stumbled a few steps.
Upon seeing the boy fall to the ground, Roger instinctively reached out to help him up.
But he stopped abruptly, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the bandit with a scar on his face striding towards him with a gloomy expression.
"Useless trash! Get lost!"
The moment the angry curses subsided, the scarred bandit raised his hand and lashed Rogge's battered back with a whip.
He was struck hard on the back again, and a sharp, tearing pain spread throughout his body, making him almost suffocate.
"Ouch! Holy shit!"
Roger cursed Scarface's ancestors to the eighteenth generation in his mind, but when he turned his head and met Scarface's fierce eyes, his anger receded instantly like a tide.
He ultimately didn't dare to utter a curse, silently lowered his head, and quickly moved away.
Seeing that Roger was very cooperative, Scarface finally let him go and turned to the side of the fallen boy.
"stand up!"
"Leave or die!"
While cursing, the scarred-faced bandit kicked the boy repeatedly, lashing him mercilessly with his whip.
With his head bowed, Roger could see the boy's face clearly. The boy's chest was rising and falling slightly, but he was already unconscious and could not be awakened no matter how hard he was hit.
The bandit leader turned his horse around and approached. He glanced at the boy on the ground and then spoke coldly:
"It's ruined."
"Get rid of it."
Roger shuddered; in this sweltering heat, a bone-chilling cold shot straight up from his tailbone to the top of his head.
He lowered his head even further.
Upon hearing this, the scarred bandit in front of him immediately tucked the whip back into his waistband, drew his curved knife, grabbed the boy's hair, and cleanly slit his throat.
Hot blood gushed out and splattered all over Roger's leg.
Upon seeing this, Roger was greatly shocked; his heart began to pound uncontrollably, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"waste!"
As the scarred thug cursed, he wiped the blood from his knife wound on the boy's clothes and spat on the boy's lifeless body.
The boy's body was dragged to the roadside and dumped, and the group continued on its way.
The intense physiological reaction triggered Roger; his legs went weak, and he couldn't stop dry heaving, only able to vomit acid.
He was so hungry that his stomach was practically sticking to his back, and there was no food left in his belly.
……
The terror he experienced along the way left Roger mentally exhausted.
Over the past three days, according to his observations, the entire group consisted of nearly thirty prisoners tied together and more than twenty bandits.
The bandits were all armed with sharp blades, and most of them didn't even have basic armor. They were only wearing coarse, yellowed linen clothes, yet they appeared exceptionally fierce.
Some of the bandits had several pieces of hard leather trim sewn onto their chests and shoulders, giving them an overall impression of being a patchwork of shabby and crude individuals.
The bandit leader, riding at the very front, was the only one among the bandits wearing chainmail. His armor was also tattered and worn, as if it had been taken from a dead body.
"Boss, is there any chance that he can still be saved? It's a shame to just kill him..."
"What a waste! Keeping it would only be a waste of food."
Stop arguing, time is of the essence, let's hurry and get to Singar as soon as possible!
"Give that black-haired one some water, but don't beat him badly. He's a top-tier catch at the slave market; he could fetch at least ten thousand kava copper coins!"
"I know, boss. I held back when I hit him, otherwise I would have killed him long ago!"
His skin is so fair and delicate, could he be some young master from somewhere?
Those Singar witches who love this kind of thing must be green with envy! We're going to squeeze them dry this time!
Ten thousand kava copper coins... That's more money than those poor peasants could earn in ten years...
The faint sounds of bandits chatting reached my ears.
Roger had long discovered that he could understand these unfamiliar languages, and he could even speak them, which is why Roger initially did not believe that he had come into this world.
Roger has truly fallen into this dog-eat-dog world!
Although these bandits wanted to sell him for money, they wouldn't kill him indiscriminately...
But learning from past mistakes, once I fall, I will be completely worthless like that boy, wantonly killed, and my body abandoned in the wilderness!
These bandits kill without blinking an eye. At this moment, his life is not guaranteed at all. Even if he manages to reach his destination, he will be sold like livestock!
With a bleak future ahead, unbearable pain all over his body, and fear and confusion filling his mind, Roger racked his brains but couldn't figure out how to change his current situation. He gradually sank into confusion and despair.
Roger had considered completely giving up and going all out to resist.
Perhaps death will end this nightmare!
However, in the end, the fear of death overwhelmed all impulses. He was just an ordinary person and could not face death calmly.
Once you've hesitated and backed down, it becomes even harder to make a decision.
Moreover, as things stand, Roger, this young man from the modern world, has no means of fighting back. If he were to resist, he would only be hacked to death!
"God, I don't want to die!"
"I can't just die like this, having come all this way for nothing!"
"My cheat code, where the hell are you? If you don't come soon, I'm really going to die!"
"Help me!!"
Just as Roger was pleading, complaining, and despairing in his heart, it was as if God had heard his call.
A message appeared silently in his mind.
[Mount & Blade Panel: Enabled!]
[Rogge (Level 0)]
[Combat Power: 45 (Tier 1)]
【Strength: 5】
[Agility: 5]
[Physical Fitness: 5]
【Intelligence: 15】
【Charm: 18】
[All Weapon Proficiency: 10]
[Evaluation: The modeling is acceptable...]
Your physical condition is weak and lacks exercise, so there's huge room for improvement! You can address your weaknesses to enhance your overall physical abilities!
Note: Based on your weapon proficiency, you are only capable of swinging and slashing upon acquiring the weapon...
Note: Levels 10 and below constitute Tier 1. Tier 1 has a broad range and its strength varies (due to body size); farmers, migrants, and urban commoners are mostly in Tier 1.
[Note: For an average adult male (naturally developed, without training), the baseline values for the three-dimensional (strength, agility, and physique) attributes are within a range of five points!]
"Intelligence" is not entirely equivalent to IQ or logical thinking ability. Cognitive ability influences "intelligence," and "intelligence" can be improved through extensive reading.
(Improved overall physical fitness, with a slight increase in intelligence!)
……
[Module 1 Loading: Eye of Insight (RTS Free View)!]
【Insightful Eye: 150-meter radius centered on yourself (increases with intelligence).
It can actively identify non-hidden basic information of individual units (identity, level, attributes, equipment), but cannot read names, private memories, or deliberately hidden factions.
Note: Keeping "Eye of Insight" active will consume a lot of stamina!
[Mod 2 Loading: Overlord - Blacksmith Shop!]
【Functions: Smelting, Refining, Forging】
Note: This ability must be used in conjunction with a specific blacksmith workshop.
[Module 3 Loading: Experience Candy!]
【Function: Experience gained through daily training, combat, and other means can be cashed out in the form of experience candies】
Effects of the "Experience Candy": Pushes the limits of human nature and enhances overall physical fitness!
You can manage the experience gained by highly loyal subordinates (comrades), and withdraw their increased experience points (without affecting their level advancement). The efficiency of withdrawal is affected by the level difference between the two parties!
Note: Consuming experience-enhancing candies can improve overall physical fitness in a short period of time, gradually and continuously.
Due to the physiological enhancement, people will experience a strong sense of pleasure, satisfaction, and happiness!
Note: Experience Candy has negative effects. Due to its short-term, continuous, and minor boosting effect, it keeps the person in a state of excitement during the boosting period, increasing physical exertion.
Negative effects include, but are not limited to: heightened mental state, rapid energy depletion, and stronger, longer-lasting erections during the enhancement period… (No impact on normal states; please avoid external stimuli!)
……
Roger's face contorted with surprise, and he could hardly contain his ecstasy.
Fortunately, he managed to control himself and did not show any obvious emotions.
With the command given, the "Eye of Insight" suddenly opened!
The next moment, in his consciousness, dozens of light and shadow figures of different colors appeared around him like a three-dimensional image.
Red and white.
As if he had opened a third eye or activated a sixth sense, the specific locations and figures of people behind him appeared in his consciousness!
Rogge selected the pale red dot to examine it:
[17 Robbers]
[Level: 10]
【属性：力 7-10、敏 7-9、体6-9】
[Combat Power: 78~102 (Tier 1!)]
[Equipment: Studded Leather Armor (+12 Armor), Leather Pants, Leather Leggings, Worn Cloth Shoes]
[Weapons: Short sword, split small log shield, throwing axe]
Armor Value: 12
……
[Elite Bandit Leader x1]
[Level: 20]
[Attributes: Strength 15, Agility 14]
[Combat Power: 654 (Tier 2!)]
[Equipment: Damaged Light Chainmail (+25 Body Armor), Leather Leggings, Worn Light Leather Boots (+13 Leg Armor)]
[Weapons: One-handed sword, medium wooden shield, light crossbow, 2 sets of crossbow bolts]
Armor Values: +25.8 Body Armor, +13 Leg Armor
……
Rogue briefly went through most of the light spots and completely understood the function of the Eye of Insight:
He can analyze and view other people's performance information and general professional information.
From his perspective, the light red figures were all hostile bandits: nine slave traders and eighteen robbers, totaling twenty-seven bandits.
The white dots likely represent a group of neutral prisoners, and Rogge had no idea where the bandits had kidnapped them from.
Most of the prisoners had mediocre stats, with none exceeding double digits...
Upon closer inspection, two white dots instantly caught Roger's attention!
【Mettenheim Adventurer x2】
[Level: 15]
[Attributes: Strength 12, Agility 10]
[Combat Power: 420 (Tier 2!)]
[Equipment: None] (Non-armor, inner lining is not included in the statistics!)
[Weapon: None]
Armor Value: 0.1
"Two adventurers from Mertenheim?!"
Just as Rogge was filled with doubt, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him, and he almost fell to the ground.
With his last shred of consciousness, Roger clung tightly to the rope to steady himself. Shaking his groggy head, Roger broke out in a cold sweat.
Continuously using the Eye of Insight is consuming so much energy?!
His already dwindling physical strength was completely exhausted in this rash action!
Roger had basically finished looking at the white dots of light, but he hadn't found any ability or information that could change the current situation.
Lacking water and food, and feeling weak and powerless, Roger knew very well that once he collapsed from exhaustion, just like the boy not long ago, only a cold blade awaited him!
Roger struggled to maintain his balance through sheer willpower, but his extreme weakness made it increasingly difficult for him to control his body. His vision blurred, and he swayed precariously.
The scarred thug who had slit the boy's throat had noticed Rogge's unusual behavior and was slowly approaching with a grim face!
……