Players' NPC Big Daddy

On the way to Lai Kaion City, Greenland and Blaze sat on the roof of the carriage, discussing the assassination of the Deputy Lord.

Based on the known intelligence, there was something seriously wrong with the Deputy Lord. He was fifty years old. He had his first son at nineteen, and to date, he had fathered at least fifty children.

The previous Lord, who was the same age, had ”died” shortly after leaving behind his only daughter, Audrey. Yet, the Deputy Lord remained alive and well.

Before Arcadia’s Secret was revealed, this wouldn’t have raised any suspicions. But after the revelation—upon learning that Arcadians who lost their purity would quickly be swallowed by their own bestial nature and turn into Filthy Werewolves—the Deputy Lord was essentially walking suspicion from head to toe.

Combined with the fact that, as his level increased, Werewolf Romeo gradually became adept at speaking human language, it was highly likely that the Deputy Lord had already been devoured by a werewolf’s soul and turned into a complete Filthy Werewolf.

”It’s highly likely that the Deputy Lord has transformed into a state similar to Romeo’s. The difference is that, due to his special quest, Romeo possessed an Undying Body until the requirement to break the Curse was met. Here, however, the special quest can only be completed upon the Deputy Lord’s death,” Greenland said. ”Even so, we must take into account the possibility that he cannot be killed through normal means, and that we might need to fulfill some special requirement to defeat him.”

Greenland spoke with such clear logic that even Blaze, who had seen many powerful Foreigners, couldn’t help but marvel.

”You’re so experienced.”

”Heh. I’ve saved over two thousand worlds, after all.” Greenland crossed her arms, proudly lifting her chin. ”I once spent twenty-eight minutes defeating the Demon King to save the Ze— *cough*... the Princess. Then I spent another hour defeating the resurgent Demon King, saving the world and the Princess all over again. I’ve also rebuilt new homes in post-Doomsday wastelands. I’ve even traveled beyond this world, building civilizations in one primitive world after another.”

Blaze was so astonished that he didn’t know what to do other than applaud. No wonder Foreigners were so powerful—they were professional Saviors who saved worlds by the hour. But at the same time, he was also confused.

”Having saved so many worlds, why would you become a Vice Alien?”

”Because life forced my hand.” Greenland lowered her head, muttering bitterly under her breath.

Blaze couldn’t understand what Greenland was mumbling, but he grasped the general idea. Foreigners had to pay to save the world. They needed to purchase—and sometimes even pre-order—the opportunity to be a hero. To continue saving worlds endlessly, Foreigners had to work hard in their own worlds. And becoming a Vice Alien was simply a part of Greenland’s job.

Foreigners... what great, merciful, and loving beings they were.

”Alright, let’s not talk about these sad, trivial matters anymore.” Greenland patted her cheeks and put on a serious expression. ”If luck isn’t on our side tonight, it might just be the two of us infiltrating the castle. Therefore, we need to have the most basic teamwork. It can’t be like when we fought Romeo, where I was just unilaterally supporting you.”

”No problem.” Blaze nodded.

During the battle against Romeo, the Foreigners had been the ones adapting to him. When all six of them teamed up, it was fine, but with only Greenland present, the pressure multiplied. Without a doubt, his reckless fighting style was dragging her down. If things were like that against the Werewolf that Romeo had transformed into, it would be even worse against the Deputy Lord, who was likely an even more powerful entity.

”Let this Professional Player, who has been through countless battles, teach you some combat Skills.”

”Oh!” Blaze sat up straight.

This time, the things Greenland taught were incredibly practical. It was no longer a joke like ’attack the glowing spots on the enemy’s body.’ Instead, it was extremely hardcore and meticulous, detailing every single breath and every single use of a Skill.

Greenland instructed Blaze not to use continuous-action Skills like [Butterfly Dance] and [Bee Sting Fist].

”These types of Skills will auto-correct the user’s movements, dealing damage with a standardized posture. This isn’t a good thing. In fact, it’s a fatal weakness that can’t be avoided, no matter how perfect your timing is.”

Greenland gave Blaze a demonstration. First, she dodged nimbly, but then her body suddenly stiffened up as she stood in place and threw a punch.

In their previous cooperative fights, Blaze had constantly used the [Butterfly Dance] and [Bee Sting Fist] Skills, causing the otherwise fluid combat to become jarring and clunky. Blaze’s face flushed bright red. He had always been so proud of his ability to proficiently use those two Skills, but it turned out that, in the eyes of a Foreigner, it was comical and held them back.

”This is exactly your NP— *cough*! Your inherent mindset. You can use Skills far more naturally than us Foreigners, so you habitually rely on them.”

Greenland told Blaze to use [Butterfly Dance] and [Bee Sting Fist] once. Even in the extremely confined space on top of the carriage, Blaze was still able to move nimbly. However, the moment he activated [Butterfly Dance], Greenland acted as if she had predicted the movement long ago. She stepped right into his guard, pressing a sharp cat claw against his neck.

”In the eyes of Foreigners with solid strength, using attack Skills is tantamount to exposing a flaw.”

Blaze shuddered. This was something that had never happened when fighting Monsters. He remembered now. The reason he was able to defeat Black Beast Knight Blaze was precisely because he had recalled the dodging maneuvers the Foreigner had performed in front of him. Perhaps there was a hint of luck involved, but he had indeed dodged the attack and delivered the final blow to the Black Beast Knight by relying on those routine-like movements.

”In combat, you should use your body more freely instead of being controlled by your Skills. If you can execute a move relying on your own consciousness and body, then don’t rely on a Skill.” Greenland withdrew her finger, taking a step back as she spoke seriously. ”Though even I will inevitably use certain continuous Skills in battle to correct my movements. Therefore, you need to observe during combat and seize the exact moment your opponent uses a Skill.

”Of course, this heavily relies on experience and trial-and-error. You can start by attacking second, beginning with observation and accumulating experience.”

”I understand.” Blaze’s eyes lit up, looking as if he had just achieved an epiphany.

Greenland felt a slight sense of foreboding. Thinking it over carefully, she broke out in a cold sweat. If Blaze adopted her style later—prioritizing observation to judge the opponent’s Skills, then counterattacking the instant a Skill was used—wouldn’t that just be the absolute worst kind of [Read Command] AI?!

”D-Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”

”No, on the contrary, your words have completely awakened me.” Blaze bowed his head to Greenland in utter sincerity, while Greenland wore a stiff expression, waving her hands repeatedly.

”J-Just don’t tell anyone that I taught you this!”