Siege of Gyesung (3)
"Kkkiyaaaak?!!!"
Screaming his lungs out, he raised his sword as high as he could.
"Kuh…."
"Krugh…."
The Yellow Turban bandits nearby, wearing their yellowish hoods, fumbled with their weapons and staggered backward. That bought him a few precious seconds. It was just a shout, but it had real benefits. Anyone would flinch at an enemy howling like a beast. There was a reason animals in the wild roared before fighting.
Those few seconds of hesitation were his chance to strike first.
Whooooosh!!!
Putting strength into the big toe of his left rear foot, he pushed off with all his might and stomped with his right. At the same instant, he swung his sword—that was the key.
Spluuurt!!
The blade cleanly sliced through the neck of the Yellow Turban right in front of him.
'Damn, this thing cuts like a dream.'
Five-star gear was on another level. Even a casual swing cleaved the enemy apart.
Splaaash!!
The cut was so clean that there was no resistance when he pulled the sword back. It felt just like slicing tofu—okay, maybe a bit of an exaggeration.
'Stamina's down about an eighth.'
His level had gone up a bit, so he was reaping the rewards of increased stamina.
Thud.
He shoved the corpse aside roughly and sliced another enemy while steadying his stance. His swordsmanship proficiency was mid-teens, and the related stats were around there too, but the weapon itself was so superior that he could one-shot these Yellow Turban grunts.
In a melee, you had to watch for enemies coming from all sides… but no worries there.
Behind him was the Yellow Turban Dismantler Trio—Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, swinging their weapons like madmen and turning the bandits into mincemeat.
The bandit thieves were throwing everything they had at the three, but anything entering their range got obliterated and scattered. The trio was just that strong.
'No wonder the villagers mustered the courage for an uprising… They knew what they had.'
With skills like this, it really would be a waste to let them rot. They could actually accomplish something if they stuck together.
The biggest perk of teaming up with aces? He only had to deal with the enemies right in front of him.
"Urraaaah!!!"
He cut down the ones in his sights one by one. Keeping calm in the chaos, he focused straight ahead.
"Die!!"
A Yellow Turban with extra gusto charged wildly, swinging his axe like a maniac.
'Good thing it's a game pattern.'
The scene was pure reality, but the grunts' patterns were straight out of the game. A simple overhead axe chop.
Cliiing!!
He angled his beloved sword, the Far East Blade, just enough to deflect the axe. The enemy had used a heavy attack, draining a quarter of his stamina.
"Kuh…!"
Perfectly timed parry—it threw the burly bandit's stance way off.
Splaaaash!!!!
Right after, a wide swing severed the thief's neck completely.
"Hoo…."
A brief breather let him scan the surroundings.
"Urgh!!!"
"Form ranks!!"
"Filthy thieves!!!"
Boosted by Liu Bei's buffs, perhaps? Their volunteer militia started forming lines and slowly pushing the enemy back.
"We won't be outdone!!! We'll uphold the Han imperial dignity here!!"
Cui Zhen rallied the demoralized official troops and began counter-pushing the bandits.
With just 1,500 men, the battle's momentum shifted. The Yellow Turbans were visibly crumbling. Numbers meant nothing against a rabble.
"Heeheeheeheeheeng!!!!!"
But surprisingly, one was racking up kills: the horse he'd dismounted earlier. It was rampaging like it was on drugs, pounding the Yellow Turbans like ground meat.
"Kwaaaak?!!"
"B-block that thing!! Ugaaak!"
The bandits were fleeing from the horse unilaterally.
'What the hell is that thing?'
It was fighting better than him. Wham!! A back kick exploded a bandit's skull in spectacular fashion.
The tide was turning. Even in the enemy-surrounded melee, he could feel it.
As if on cue, the tightly shut gates suddenly burst open with a clamor from inside.
Woooong!
The siege rams battering the walls swung uselessly into empty air for a moment, then a horde of cavalry and infantry charged out from within, roaring.
"Wipe them all out!!!"
A man who looked like Liu Yan led the charge, bellowing at the top of his lungs.
"Woooaaargh!!"
The troops sprinted forward with all they had.
Official forces pouring from the city gates, plus the 1,500 striking from outside. The Yellow Turbans were now caught in a pincer and getting crushed.
They had the numbers, but couldn't use them. At this rate, victory was theirs! The certainty surged through him.
"Tch!!! Don't waver!!!"
Then, a yellow-hooded man bellowed, brandishing a massive sword and planting himself firmly.
"Any brave soul, come at me!!!! I'll take you all on myself, Deng Mu!!!"
The guy roared thunderously.
Got it. With the situation going south, he was calling for a duel.
'Classic national rule.'
It was that unavoidable event in every Three Kingdoms game. An elite officer challenging one-on-one. Winner's side morale soars, loser's crashes. High-risk for the desperate or confident.
"Who will take that man's head?"
Liu Bei immediately exuded boss energy.
He'd grown into a proper commander leading an army.
"Brother!!! I'll go!!"
Zhang Fei whooped, twirling his spear.
"…I'll do it."
Guan Yu tried to jump in boldly but was a beat late. Maybe her throat was dry from fighting—her voice cracked a little.
Whoosh.
Guan Yu's cheeks flushed faintly. A pretty girl blushing like that? Adorably lethal. TS Guan Yu form is insane!
"Then, Yide. Go."
Liu Bei nodded.
"Hot!!! My body's itching for it!!!"
Zhang Fei spurred his horse straight toward Deng Mu.
"Deng Mu? More like Deng Stupid?!! Your mug suits 'Deng Idiot' better!!!"
Zhang Fei cackled, carving through the bandits toward him.
"Ha!! Sharp tongue on you!!!"
Deng Mu laughed, gripping his sword and charging on horseback. Brimming with confidence.
'Well, we're all ragged beggars.'
Even if the volunteers had scraped together weapons, their clothes were pure peasant. Zhang Fei's getup didn't scream general, so Deng Mu seemed to underestimate him.
"Urgh!!!!"
Deng Mu swung confidently.
Shing.
But Zhang Fei's spear thrust was far faster. His bulky frame was misleading—Zhang Fei was an agility build. Didn't the Zhangba Snake Spear give it away? Quick hands were his specialty.
Spluuuurt!!!
Deng Mu's neck was pierced by the thrust spear. With a real-time fountain from his throat, he tumbled under the horse.
Yep. Scripted outcome.
No way an extra like Deng Mu beats Zhang Fei.
'Guan Yu would've done the same.'
That was an extra's fate.
"Come on!!! Anyone else wanna try?!!"
Zhang Fei bellowed crisply, hoisting his spear high.
"Hiiik…!!"
"R-run!!!"
Their one decent fighter dropping dead shattered the bandits' formation.
"Now!!! Charge!!!"
"Kill them!!"
Enemies showing backs— their side's morale exploded.
Liu Bei's 1,500 volunteers plus Liu Yan's 5,000 officials. This tiny force was butchering 50,000 Yellow Turbans. Unbelievable, but happening right there.
The massacre's end.
With so many enemies, it took ages to finish them off.
'Whew….'
He was drenched head to toe in blood. Just exhaling brought the fishy stench.
But the gains were solid.
Level: 7
Strength: 19
Agility: 18
Vitality: 18
It was basically mob farming, so EXP poured in.
Other stats shot up nicely too. Wandering solo as a mercenary never would've netted this.
This doomed faction or not, following Liu Bei was the right call. Sticking close to the kids meant safe farming in warzones.
'Stick with 'em for now.'
Yeah. Bail when the time's right.
"Kim. You're totally blood-soaked."
Guan Yu approached with a smile. Beauties stay pretty even covered in gore. Memo.
"Hahat!! Knew you had it in you!!"
Zhang Fei strode over, face maxed on dopamine.
"Kim!! You fought like a beast!! Screaming those war cries and all!"
Zhang Fei roared with laughter, slapping his shoulder.
"…."
Oh yeah, he'd done that. Embarrassing.
"Heh. Never doubted my siblings for a second."
Liu Bei joined with a warm smile.
Yeah. That rush of underdogs banding together and pulling off a miracle.
'Shouldn't feel this good….'
Getting attached would spell trouble.
'Stay sharp.'
This was a faction to ditch eventually. He steeled himself with that reminder.
They were basking in victory with the volunteers when—
"I salute your courage."
A refined, resonant voice turned all heads. A scholarly-looking man approached—good or bad connotation.
"I am Liu Yan. A mere village scholar bearing the title of colonel from the Han court."
The man introduced himself politely.
'So that's Liu Yan.'
The recurring name from Three Kingdoms, now in charge of crushing Youzhou's Yellow Turbans. For the freshly rebelled Liu Bei crew, he was the guy to impress.
'Gotta milk him good.'
Grind his quests(?) faithfully to build rep—priority one.
Liu Bei, sensing it, revved up his charm engine with a friendly smile and small talk.
He, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei exchanged glances and trailed behind without interrupting.
Thus, after washing blood with blood, they finally entered Gyesung.