In fact, when facing the army, level 15 Rowland only lasted five seconds before dying in battle.

At that time, Rowland couldn’t change anything.

That was also the only time Rowland died in his gaming career, and it was just to save a ‘virtual data girl’ who didn’t even exist.

For ordinary players, this was nothing, but at the time, Rowland was working for a game studio, a professional player who valued efficiency and profit.

So this incident became a running joke among his colleagues; everyone thought Rowland was too obsessed. Because of this, the boss even gave Rowland three days off.

But fate is strange like that—Rowland actually came back, returned to a year before the orc invasion.

Here, it was no longer a holographic game; here, it was the real world; here, there was a real Vivian.

Most importantly, all of this wouldn’t begin for another year!

Rowland looked down at his skinny, bony hands and slowly clenched his fists: “Vivian, I’m back!”

Chapter 4: Potions and Scrolls

If at first, deep down, Rowland still treated this place as a game, now, after seeing Vivian, he knew he had to give it his all.

But first, he had to pay back the usurious loan from that scoundrel Marlow, which required money—twenty silver coins.

This place was completely different from the game.

In the game, even during the newbie phase at the very start, this amount of money was nothing to Rowland.

Back then, he was born as a full-fledged warrior, with a complete set of basic equipment. Although the gear wasn’t great, he had a sword, shield, chainmail—everything. The total value of his gear was over one gold coin. He started out as a rich and handsome guy, and beneath the warriors, there was a whole crowd of common folk… But now, he belonged to that group of commoners, and he was at the very bottom—a pauper among paupers, with a net worth in the negatives.

So what should he do?

Not pay back the money? Default on the debt? Then Marlow would definitely show his true scoundrel nature, toss him into the sea for three days and nights, and then sell him to a brothel as a boy toy… That guy would absolutely do something like that!

Work as a laborer at the docks? Earn fifteen copper coins a day, less than five silver coins a month—this plan was just as hopeless.

He had to think of something else.

Rowland sat on the stone railing by the dock, racking his brains for a solution.

Do quests to earn gold coins? He remembered there were several quests in the game with generous rewards. These classic early-game quests had helped him a lot, and Rowland still remembered them quite well, able to recall some details now.

But he immediately dismissed the idea, because he didn’t have the strength to take on those quests.

In the game, when he took those quests, he was at least level five.

A level five warrior was already a somewhat notable figure. By the time of the orc invasion, level 15 Rowland had even earned the favor of Lord Primo, who praised him as “not especially strong, but a rare smart one.” You could tell from the fact that Rowland managed to secure a spot on the retreating ship.

In the game, just like in real life, only when you have the strength will others give you the corresponding tasks.

Now, he was just a nobody, a wandering soul no one would care about if he died—who would bother with him?

So, taking on high-reward quests was out of the question for now, at least for the time being.

What about treasure hunting?

The valuable treasures were all in dangerous wetlands outside the city, guarded by extremely dangerous people or monsters, and he couldn’t remember many of the details. Going there now would be suicide.

“If I had to compare the difficulty, I’m definitely playing on hell mode right now!” Rowland complained to himself.

No matter how he thought about it, Rowland couldn’t find a way out. The game was rich and full, but reality was harsh and bare-bones. Every opportunity for advancement was fiercely contested, and there were very few chances left for Rowland.

“Maybe I should find a dagger and sneak over at midnight to take out Marlow.” Desperate and with a bleak future, Rowland really wanted to risk it all.

Just then, he overheard a conversation.

“Hey, did you hear? The Hamlin ran aground and sank in Mali Bay—all the cargo is gone.”

This news immediately made Rowland perk up his ears. He knew Mali Bay was just outside the Port of Vendôme.

“Serves them right. Who told the captain to set sail in the fog… Now Hamlin the miser is going to kill that guy for sure.”

“That’s none of our business. I heard Hamlin is looking for people to salvage the cargo, offering a generous reward—one silver coin for every crate brought up. You’re such a good swimmer, why don’t you give it a try?”

“I’m not going. The water in Mali Bay is at least twenty meters deep, there are sharks and deadly seaweed at the bottom. I have a wife and kids to feed—I’m not risking my life for that money.”

The speakers were two dockworkers, chatting as they walked by, not noticing Rowland at all.

Rowland’s eyes lit up: “Diving for cargo? One silver coin per trip… The water’s too deep, it’s dangerous, no one wants to go, they can’t find anyone… alchemy potions.”

One word after another popped into his mind, quickly forming a plan. This time, his alchemy skills were going to come in handy!