Recruitment Frenzy in Turbulent Times
Kim's Fame: 24
Killing Zhang Jiao has drawn major interest from Cao Cao.
Killing Zhang Jiao has piqued the curiosity of Sun Jian.
Killing Zhang Jiao has earned admiration from Dong Zhuo.
Suddenly, a flurry of messages scrolled past the Status Window.
'Ah. Damn.'
It was a mixed bag—good and bad all at once.
Fame. In a game set in the Three Kingdoms, a sprawling drama of intertwined lives, it was an essential element. Fame was exactly what it sounded like: a measure of how renowned you were in this world. It ticked up whenever you pulled off notable deeds. Stack enough of it, and factions would roll out the red carpet when you joined them, or their attitudes would shift. No matter the job—merchant, freelance wanderer, general, or strategist—fame mattered. It was distinct from reputation, the concept Dong Zhuo's forces had tanked into the gutter before. Fame was the absolute value of reputation. Even if your rep hit rock bottom in the negatives, fame still climbed. Infamy counted too, after all.
Anyway.
'But stack too much, and it becomes a hassle.'
Sudden, obsessive recruitment pitches from factions. You could brush them off, sure, but some bastards might kill you out of fear you'd go to their rivals instead. Plus, more NPCs recognizing you and picking fights. That was the fun of open-world games, but living here as a real person? Not so much. Here, Kim wasn't a player—he was a living, breathing resident.
"Ah!! So you're the heroes who crushed the Yellow Turban Rebellion!"
Cao Cao grinned, eyeing Kim and Guan Yu.
"Haha!! Impressive skills! You sliced right through the crowd and beheaded Zhang Jiao on the spot!"
Sun Jian approached them too.
"Hmph. My boys couldn't pull that off if they came back from the dead. I thought they were sharp, but damn, they're sharper than I figured. Haha!"
Dong Zhuo stepped up competitively.
"Everyone cleared the path through the Yellow Turban rabble, letting us take down their leader, Zhang Jiao."
Guan Yu humbly deflected.
Arrogant by nature, but she knew when to play modest—and she played it well. Not out of true humility, mind you. There was a deeper reason: it let her show off even more effectively. A monster born of competitive spirit and a thirst for recognition—that was Guan Yu, the Magnificent.
Anyway, psychoanalyzing Guan Yu could wait.
"My little brother Kim found a secret passage into the castle! That's how it went so smoothly!"
Guan Yu giggled, spilling what she shouldn't have. It was like watching an overproud big sis bragging about her family. She shot Kim a look like, 'Pretty good, right?'
No. Her intentions were pure, but... that was a blunder.
"Ho ho."
"Hmm."
"Hrm."
The three talent-starved warlords turned their gazes on him in an instant. Kim felt like prey cornered by predators.
"It's a shame talents like you are still out in the wild without office."
That's when Dong Zhuo stepped forward with exaggerated flair.
"I, Dong Zhuo, the Northern Imperial Legion Commander, will take you to the capital. Won't you lend your strength to stabilizing the Han?"
Dong Zhuo smirked at them. Mostly targeting Kim and Guan Yu, but aiming to rope in Liu Bei and Zhang Fei too. They saw their group as a combo meal deal.
"Haha! Sounds good!! I'll take you to the capital and recommend you myself!! I'd love to introduce you to my good friend Yuan Shao too!"
Cao Cao flexed his connections, no slouch compared to Dong Zhuo, and went for the recruit.
"Hmph. The capital's fine, but... you're warriors of exceptional skill. Warriors find opportunity on the battlefield. How about coming to Jiangdong? I've got solid ties there. I can help you rack up merits and rise fast."
Sun Jian's face flickered with urgency before pivoting to his strengths. No central government pull, but he'd let them live large locally.
'Sun Jian's weakness.' That's why he'd always bowed low to Yuan Shu his whole life. A Jiangdong native, he lacked capital ties. That flaw passed to Sun Ce and Sun Quan, dooming them to hole up in Jiangdong. Off the beaten path.
Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, Sun Jian. It was a total trainwreck quiz show.
Dong Zhuo first: destined to be the realm's arch-villain. Joining his army was like signing up for the villain alliance—hunted as traitors forever.
Sun Jian: short, intense prime, but dies chasing the imperial seal during the Dong Zhuo campaign.
'Could convince him not to go after the seal...'
But success rate? A flat 2%. Could burn destiny points on it, but why bother?
Liu Bei or Sun Jian—both solid options, but differences mattered.
'Sun Jian's already got his cartel.' Deep-rooted mafia vibes in Jiangdong, super hierarchical. Old guard like Cheng Pu, Han Dang, Huang Gai already packed in tight. Joining Sun Jian Co. meant hazing and no room to breathe.
Liu Bei's crew would get cliquey later, but right now? Kim was practically a founding member. Seniority meant comfort.
'And... Jiangdong's no place to settle.' Rich land, sure, but settling down? Nah. Rivers crawling with pirates, brutal wildlife everywhere.
Suddenly, Bu Yong-hwa's face flashed in his mind. Him, her, kids filling the home. He'd zoned out picturing domestic bliss.
If building a family for happiness, Jiangdong lost appeal. Muggy, watery—malaria central in this era. Tropical diseases galore.
'Wait. What am I even thinking?'
He shook his head clear. Bu Yong-hwa had snuck into his thoughts unbidden.
Am I... whipped?
What about Cao Cao? Big corp, but zero work-life balance. Under that warmonger? Endless frontline grinding. Wife gets the "Choi" treatment mid-tour, then discarded like "Sun Uk" once useless.
'Maybe stick with Liu Bei and bail later? Rational play.'
Liu Bei suddenly looked like a goddess! Kim's eyes drifted to his benevolent face. Look at that healing vibe.
"Apologies, but Yellow Turban remnants remain. We can decide our path later—plenty of time."
Liu Bei smiled warmly. As the group's big bro figure, his words deflated Cao Cao and Sun Jian.
But... true obsessives don't take no for an answer.
"Whatever. I'm asking Kim."
Dong Zhuo strode up, flashing a seductive smile.
"Well? Won't you follow this body? I can give you anything you desire."
Dong Zhuo closed the distance.
"Wealth, honors—trifles like that."
Her fingers trailed her tight battle robe, accentuating her curves.
Gulp.
Man's instinct kicked in—his eyes water-slid over her form.
"I can even grant a man paradise."
Her words melted his ears. He nearly caved... then chaos erupted, snapping him back.
"Ow!! You damn horse!! Behave!!"
Bu Yong-hwa was dragged in by Kim's wildly bucking horse.
"Hiihihihihing!!!"
The horse reared threateningly at Dong Zhuo, going berserk.
"Ha..."
Dong Zhuo flinched back.
Purrrrrng.
The horse glared ferociously.
"Ah... sorry. My horse has a nasty temper."
Kim forced a wry smile, unhitching Bu Yong-hwa from the reins.
"You okay?"
He checked her over. She'd been handling the horse alone, it seemed—should've stayed in the tent, but she insisted on tagging along.
"Ah... I'm fine. Gaga."
She snuggled into his arms.
The commotion cleared his head.
'Dong Zhuo's a no-go.'
No desire to join the villain squad and get chased as traitors forever.
"Sorry, but for now, I'll stick with Lord Xuande to chase leads on my parents' killers. Thanks for the offer, but I'll wander a bit longer."
He shut it down flat.
Yeah. Liu Bei, this is for you. My excuse: 'parents' killers'. Remember? Let me off easy!
"Ah, your parents' killers..."
In this Confucian world, it was a cheat key—the others hesitated.
"As expected of Kim!! The man's got righteousness..."
Zhang Fei nodded, convinced on his own.
"Hmph."
Dong Zhuo glared daggers, then whipped her head away. Ego bruised by rejection.
After that, Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Dong Zhuo shelved the overt recruiting. Instead, they all raised cups to celebrate the victory.
Kim couldn't bail amid the festivities, so he joined the drinking.
But... shit got intense unexpectedly.
Smooth.
Dong Zhuo pressed against him under the table, stroking his thigh.
"Hehe. Good eater."
She fed him forcefully, glued to his side. This sultry beauty leaning in constantly? Impossible not to react.
"Gaga!! Here."
Bu Yong-hwa plopped on his free right thigh, showering affection—and multitasking to glare-check Dong Zhuo nonstop.
A bit away, Guan Yu chewed leather-tough dried meat with a pissed-off scowl, ready for war.
A fantasy scene of flowers surrounding a man... but these were all carnivorous plants.
"Ooh... adult love triangle drama... perfect for next playtime..."
Sun Quan, glued to Sun Jian's side, watched with sparkling eyes.
No. Kid, you're too precocious. Bad for development.
Kim glanced at Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Zhang Fei. The four dudes laughed heartily in pure male bonding bliss. Pure comfort.
Ah. I wanna join that...