Chapter 11: First Battle

The Barbarian units were indeed strong. Even a level one Barbarian Militia had the Robust trait. After becoming a Barbarian Warrior, they would also gain the Berserk skill. It was only at this stage that a Barbarian could truly be called a Berserker.

Su Lun’s team currently had only one Barbarian Champion. A Barbarian Champion not only had the Robust and Berserk traits but also gained Tenacity and Whirlwind Slash. Only at the level of Barbarian Champion could one qualify as a killing machine—at least when it came to low-level monsters.

Robust (Beginner): You are naturally strong. The power in your blood gives you a sturdy physique, permanently increasing your strength by 2 points and your constitution by 2 points.

Berserk: Through long battles, you awakened the power in your blood. In a state of anger or extreme excitement, you could enter a Berserk state. In this state, pain sensation was reduced by 70%, strength increased by 20%, movement speed increased by 10%, and rationality decreased by 50%.

Tenacity: Through long-term training and battles, your body gradually transcended the ordinary. You gained greater vitality, weakening the harm from common injuries. Your health permanently increased by 10 points, stamina by 10 points, and stamina recovery speed by 20%.

Whirlwind Slash: Using your body as the axis, you spun 180 degrees or more, swiftly swinging your weapon. A faint sword aura was attached to the weapon, dealing heavy damage to surrounding enemies.

Since there were no Archers in the army, and the rough Barbarians were not skilled with bows, Su Lun equipped them with Hand Axes as ranged weapons. As expected, these brutes had a special preference for axes, achieving perfect accuracy within thirty paces.

“Stop advancing!” Su Lun pulled the reins and said. The moving convoy quickly halted.

“Johnson!”

“I’m here, boss.”

“Take your men and eliminate those tails as quickly as possible!”

“Understood.” Johnson rubbed his shiny bald head and grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. He then turned and yelled with a rogue-like tone, “Brothers, grab your weapons! We’ve got work!”

“Grab your weapons!” the other Barbarians echoed.

Led by Johnson, thirty-five Barbarians picked up their axes and charged toward the back of the convoy. Their formation was chaotic—even the newly trained recruits of Karlt City were more organized after three months of training. However, underestimating them would lead to great trouble.

“Thirty paces ahead, ready your Hand Axes!”

“Throw at will!” The Barbarians, tall and long-limbed, closed the thirty-pace distance before the Kobolds, Goblins, and Gnolls could react. By the time the monsters tried to move, it was already too late.

A Gnoll leader frantically commanded the monsters to charge. They did not believe that a mere thirty humans could be a match for them. Their overwhelming numbers made them overconfident.

Over thirty Hand Axes spun through the air toward the monster crowd. The first to be hit was a tall Gnoll, struck squarely in the head by a Hand Axe. The immense force nearly split its skull in two. The axe blade sank deep into the Gnoll’s head—such a severe injury would be fatal even for an Ogre, let alone a Gnoll.

Due to the close distance and the dense formation of Gnolls, Goblins, and Kobolds, there was no time to dodge. The front-line monsters were hit one after another. The lucky ones only had limbs struck by the flying axes, writhing on the ground in agony. The unlucky ones were directly split open, dying without even a chance to scream, their souls returning to the underworld.

Two consecutive volleys of flying axes stunned the monster group. At least one-third of the monsters died on the spot, with many more injured. After the two volleys, the Barbarians charged into the monster crowd. Equipped with brand-new gear, the Barbarians faced these ragged Wilderness monsters and vividly demonstrated overwhelming combat power.

Facing the monsters’ clubs and claws, the Barbarians did not dodge at all. They simply crashed into the Gnolls and Goblins.

Their sheer strength sent the outer Gnolls and Goblins flying. Some with weak constitutions had their chests caved in, blood gushing from their mouths. They were dead before they even hit the ground.

After sending their enemies flying, the Barbarians did not stop their charge. They swung their sharp axes, cutting through flesh as if it were cloth. Clubs and claws were utterly useless. Gnolls, Goblins, and Kobolds fell in rows, like grass being mowed down. Splattering blood and flesh soon dyed the ground red.

Especially the big bald one leading them, wielding a War Axe the size of a millstone. He charged into the crowd like a “windmill,” and wherever he passed, Gnolls, Goblins, and Kobolds were gutted. Behind him, he left a trail of blood paved with dismembered limbs.

The heavy casualties instantly terrified the Wilderness bandits. The surviving bandits fled in all directions at the fastest speed of their lives, afraid that if they ran too slowly, they would be cut down by the Barbarians. The entire battle, from start to finish, lasted only a few minutes.

The Barbarians pursued for a short distance before turning back. The Leather Armor and axes they carried slowed them down considerably, making it impossible to catch up with the panicked Wilderness bandits.

Next, the Barbarians began to clean up the battlefield. The Hand Axes Su Lun provided were not disposable. Each Hand Axe, forged from Refined Iron, cost one Gold Nar. Su Lun was not wealthy enough to discard dozens of Gold Nar in a single skirmish.

As usual, the Wilderness bandits were poor, offering almost no loot. It was essentially a thankless task.

As soon as the battle ended, Su Lun received a prompt from the System:

A glorious victory!

Your army has just won a battle. In this battle, you obtained: Iron Ingot 1.

Casualties: 0; Enemies eliminated: 87.

Experience gained: 576; Bonus experience: 300.

Other attributes showed no changes, but the army’s morale directly rose from eighty-five to one hundred.

After the battlefield was cleaned up, Johnson came to report the results.

“Was anyone injured?”

“Boss, this equipment is amazing. Only two guys got minor scratches, but it’s nothing serious. We’re used to it,” Johnson said excitedly, patting his Leather Armor.

“Were all the Hand Axes retrieved?”

“All of them.”

The Barbarians, like Johnson, treated their weapons with great care. After all, these metal weapons were something they could only dream of before. Their tribe was once similar to the bandits they had just defeated, with the best weapon being a rusty axe. Now, they regarded these weapons as family heirlooms.