I Reincarnated into a Game Filled with Mods

There’s a saying that while you may not know if a person is there, you can quickly tell if a place is. However, just because Inerma has left doesn’t mean the atmosphere of the knight order sank drastically.

Iris and Erica expressed a few words of concern, but that was the extent of it. They claimed that Inerma left the castle by her own choice, so she’d have her own thoughts on it, and they respected that.

When I mentioned I was going alone to subjugate the Headless Armored Cavalier, they could have shown some respect instead of teasing me with that remark. Iris’s cheeks flushed bright red.

“Well, it’s a little different in my case compared to Inerma’s.”

I focused back on leveling up. My top priority was reaching level 20 to unlock rune slots.

I could proceed with the main story or have a brawl with the boss if I wanted, but I chose the safe path instead of the fast one.

This isn’t a speedrun, and there’s nobody to praise me for finishing quickly. Plus, I have only one life. With a safe path clearly set before me, I didn’t want to unnecessarily engage in dangerous activities.

After that, I waited impatiently, counting down until the mobs respawned, and after a full day, I finally achieved the long-desired level 20.

[Stats]

[Level] 20

[Health] 1

[Mana] 1

[Faith] 1

[Stamina] 1

[Skill] 1

[Power] 1

[Magic] 10

[Divine Power] 10

[Durability] 2

I used my stat points to max out my magic at 10 and boosted my durability to 7 because I wouldn’t need much more than that to wield the weapon I wanted later.

Now, all that was left was to wait for Iris to mention the dungeon with the rune. There was no point in going to the dungeon early since it wouldn’t be accessible yet.

This was a forced event of sorts, meaning the player had no choice in the matter.

Considering that the Silver Dawn Knight route was essentially a storyline for newbies just starting Brightest Darkness 4, it was probably better to have things laid out like this.

“Hey, sis, stop bothering the newbie. What are you doing sticking to him since morning?”

That evening after hitting level 20, Erica sighed deeply as she observed Lize clinging to me on the way to the dining hall.

Lize, undeterred, poked my cheek with her finger.

“Bothering? I’m giving him all my attention. Look, the newbie likes it, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s great, so let’s hurry to the dining hall.”

Humans are said to be creatures of adaptation. Fortunately, I had developed a slight resistance to the physical contact Lize was offering.

Regardless of my inner feelings, I was relieved that I could maintain a calm facade instead of the panicking I used to exhibit.

‘Still struggling to adapt to the differences in appearance and personality, though.’

Lize has a chilly, haughty impression; you wouldn’t draw blood if poked with a needle. It suited her perfectly. I thought Erica would fit better in that role.

‘If I told Erica that, she’d probably hit me.’

In truth, Erica treating me like Lize treated her was a sign that we had become closer friends.

Lize’s playful antics continued as we made our way to the dining hall, and Erica sighed, trying in vain to separate the two of us.

Of course, it had no effect.

“Wow, newbie! You’re already hanging out with two girls? Impressive!”

Upon entering the dining hall, Claudia waved at us while downing a beer from a mug bigger than her own head. Next to her were two empty mugs the same size.

‘Just like in the game.’

Claudia’s original NPC form was a gigantic, two-meter-tall muscle-bound man with a jovial personality who was always drinking.

Although her appearance had changed to that of a thin, gender-ambiguous beauty with short, cute pink hair and pink eyes, her personality remained the same as the other knights.

“Claudia Knight Commander!”

Erica screamed as she was treated like Lize. Claudia laughed heartily, claiming it was a joke, and took another big gulp of her beer.

‘Wonder if she realizes how she seems to others.’

Claudia was too focused on scolding Lize to notice, but from the perspective of the three of us, it did indeed appear as if I were sandwiched between Lize and Erica.

Lize had noticed this long ago and kept a knowing smile while remaining silent.

“Drink moderately and lower your voice, Claudia. And you too, Lize, keep a distance from the newbie.”

Iris, who had been quietly munching on bread at the head table, chimed in.

The head table was where Claudia, as the ranking member of the Silver Dawn Knights, was supposed to sit. However, she had given it up to Iris, claiming she couldn’t eat comfortably in that spot.

Even Iris’s words seemed to have some weight, causing Lize to step back obediently. Erica frowned at the sight.

‘If I don’t eat, I could starve, but I’m not particularly hungry… What a strange balance.’

I grabbed a piece of bread and a bowl of soup on my way to the table. Lize, meanwhile, had already sat down, clutching seven pieces of bread and three bowls of soup, devouring her meal.

I joined her at the table. Our seating arrangements were practically set. Iris sat at the head; Lize and I lined up on Iris’s right, while Erica and Claudia took the left.

It wasn’t that anyone had organized it this way, but since Iris was at the head and Lize always sat with me, it had naturally become a routine.

“Hey, newbie. Before you get up, I have something to say, so wait a moment.”

As our meal, filled with Claudia and Lize’s antics, began to wind down, Iris suddenly opened her mouth. Curious, I turned my eyes to her.

“Do you know what runes are?”

‘Finally, the moment has arrived.’

As soon as I heard the word “rune,” I straightened my posture.

“Looks like you’re familiar with them based on your reaction.”

“I know a bit.”

“In that case, the story will proceed faster. We’re heading to a dungeon tomorrow. A cliff of a mountain collapsed, revealing a hidden dungeon, and based on the magical energy readings, it’s believed there’s a high probability of runes being present. Aurora requested us to investigate.”

Iris continued, flatly stating.

This was the story of the “Vigor Enhancement” rune, which players obtain first in the Silver Dawn Knights route. I had been waiting for Iris since the only way in was when the cliff collapsed to unveil the dungeon.

Runes could be understood as passive abilities in Brightest Darkness 4.

Once equipped, they grant semi-permanent buffs to the character until swapped or removed, making the difference between having runes or not monumental.

Even just combat fatigue, for instance, could increase total gauge amount, reduce the value that stacks per hit, or speed up natural recovery, among countless enhancement effects.

Especially in the Darkness Light mode, where bosses appear with all kinds of unreasonable patterns, effectively utilizing the right runes became practically essential.

“So, if there are indeed runes there, I’ve already discussed giving them to you with the Knight Commanders.”

“To me?”

That was unexpected.

In games, the player usually goes in solo while the Knight Commanders stay at the castle.

But here, it was clear they would act as a group, so I had worried about ownership of the runes later on, but apparently, it would be a straightforward resolution. Honestly, I was a bit surprised.

Iris nodded.

“I mentioned before that we’re here to provide you with the maximum support we can. This too is just part of that support. I can’t guarantee the usefulness since we don’t know what type of rune will appear, but…”

‘Ah, right. They wouldn’t know what would come out of there.’

I might know everything by heart, but they’d have no concept of repeated playthroughs, so they’d naturally think it was random.

“Why do you look so unfazed? Did you know what runes are all along, newbie?”

Having polished off all the bread and soup, Lize looked at me with a clean face, curious.

I wondered how she could eat so much. Despite being small and having no excess weight, where did all that food go?

Glug.

“……”

I had a feeling I might know. Before Lize could catch on, I quickly turned my head away. From the sound of giggling beside me, it seemed I was already too late.

Finishing her words, Iris stood up with her finished bowl in hand and added one last comment.

“Do you have any questions, newbie?”

“No, none.”

Of course not. I picked up my empty bowl and rose from my seat.

It was finally time to hunt the boss that had been most notoriously insulted in Brightest Darkness 4.

---