Becoming a General
While peering into the Status Window for his Heavenly Mandate and planning his future build, Guan Yu suddenly popped up out of nowhere.
"Whoa! You scared me."
It was partly because his pretty big sis had poked her head in so abruptly, but also because he'd just been through a whirlwind of a fight—his whole body was splattered in blood. It felt a bit like he'd dumped a bucket from the Tomato Festival over his head.
"Kim, you sometimes make that dazed face," Guan Yu said with a laugh.
"Ah! Right! That blank, dopey expression!!" Bu Yong-hwa laughed as she dragged over Rampage. That damn horse never listened to him, but it obeyed Bu Yong-hwa like a charm.
I guess I do make that face when checking the Status Window. Yeah, staring intently at something only he could see in his vision would probably leave him looking pretty vacant. Like a bit of a dead-fish stare.
"It's cute... that expression." Bu Yong-hwa grinned with an entranced look on her face.
"Mm. That's true... no, it's not!" Guan Yu started to agree, then shot a glance at Bu Yong-hwa.
"Lady Bu, it's still dangerous out there. There might be Wuhuan remnants lurking. Stay safely in the rear."
Guan Yu put on a stern face as she addressed Bu Yong-hwa.
"Ahh... I just couldn't help myself seeing Gaga." Bu Yong-hwa shook her head, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Tch. Mind your place... Lady Bu. Didn't Kim say he wasn't taking any women yet? Acting on your own like that is rude, isn't it?"
"Oh my. But isn't this between Gaga and me?"
Guan Yu and Bu Yong-hwa launched into their usual WWE routine.
Eh, it was the same old thing anyway. Kim half-watched them out of the corner of his eye while scanning his Status Window, deep in serious contemplation.
In this game's job change system, you could choose your Heavenly Mandate at level 10. They dressed it up fancy calling it the "will of heaven," but it was just a class.
His goal was to become a ronin—unaffiliated with any faction, but with the stat bonuses to live freely.
He already knew how the Three Kingdoms storyline would unfold, so his plan was to ride out the chaos as an ordinary citizen until the storm passed.
But for the time being, traveling with Liu Bei was the issue.
Delaying the Heavenly Mandate choice is a loss. Once chosen, you got exclusive skills and stat bonuses for it. Best to pick right at level 10. Waiting meant losing out on that time.
If joining a faction, the path inevitably led to General. You'd become a general for that specific faction.
And the requirements were simple, too.
General's Heavenly Mandate Available
Undertake military action under orders from your faction leader.
Way easier than the ronin quest with its conditions. Even simpler than Merchant, which required owning goods worth 5,000 nyang.
No helping it.
He steeled his resolve and hit accept on the Heavenly Mandate quest in his Status Window.
"Lord Xuande."
He called out to Liu Bei right away.
"Ah, Kim Gong." Liu Bei looked at him with a warm smile. The expression was gentle, but the blood covering his body made it a bit horror-movie-esque.
"What should we do from here?" With those words, he drew out Liu Bei's orders.
Come to think of it, Liu Bei rarely gave direct commands. Their volunteer army had mostly operated on ad-hoc decisions.
Liu Bei's forces still lack a real brain. He realized there was no one to paint the big picture. Total shitshow. And here he was, trying to enlist in that shitshow faction. Life really sucked.
"Ah. For now, we've smashed the largest outpost near Ji. Sending 5,000 troops to hold it would make sense, but that's not efficient manpower use."
Liu Bei knew basic strategy and spoke fluidly.
Yeah, the whole Youzhou area was already devastated by the Zhang Brothers' rebellion. Holding one spot with 5,000 like some cosmic defense wasn't effective.
"The way is to swiftly eliminate the root of the problem. Our detachment is strong. We'll have to drive the troops forward, knocking out nearby outposts one by one to expand the safe zone."
Liu Bei said.
"Meanwhile, Brother Gongson will rush to Liaodong and handle the rebel leaders, quelling the chaos."
Just then, Zhang Fei hurried over and whispered something to Liu Bei.
Gathering info from locals about nearby Wuhuan was Zhang Fei's job. The guy had surprisingly good people skills.
"Mm. Yide says there's another Wuhuan outpost to the southwest from here. We'll head there, wipe out the enemy, and check the situation around Nanpi."
Liu Bei issued the orders.
Nanpi area, huh. Back to that hotspot marketplace between Youzhou and Ji Province.
Best to swing by and take Bu Yong-hwa home while I'm there. He roughly sketched the plan.
Neutralize the Wuhuan group near Nanpi.
"As you command." He immediately cupped his fists in the bao quan salute, accepting the orders.
"Hah! What's this? That stiff tone outta nowhere." Liu Bei chuckled and patted his shoulder.
With the decision made, they madly drove their forces toward Nanpi.
The Wuhuan supplies and horses were left with the Ji locals. The commoners cheered like mad, seeing them off. Liu Bei steadily winning hearts everywhere.
His on-the-fly call to push hard was spot-on.
Rumors of the smashed Ji-area Wuhuan hadn't reached Nanpi yet. So the Nanpi Wuhuan didn't flee at all—they openly underestimated them and charged with cavalry.
Clop-clop!!! Clop-clop!!!
The madly charging Wuhuan horsemen were pretty intimidating.
Kim rode Rampage too, eyeing the moment to dismount.
[Equestrian 5] Riding double with Bu Yong-hwa had tamed Rampage enough to raise his skill to 5, but it was still shaky. He watched the enemies ahead, timing his drop.
Normally, cavalry were the strongest unit, no debate. But knowing counters exposed their weaknesses.
"Everyone!! Form the square formation!!" Veteran, seasoned against nomads, had his infantry slant their spears wide into a defensive line.
"Fire!!!" Liu Bei swung his arm, ordering the rear archers to shoot.
It sounded like commanding tens of thousands, but their volunteer archers numbered about 100.
Anyway, 100 skilled shots loosed arrows forward.
Thwuk!! Thunk!! Pfft!!
He saw cavalry tumbling from arrow hits.
Pfft!! Clang!! Thunk!!
The lucky dodgers slammed into Veteran’s ironclad square and met their end.
That neutralized cavalry's one-tool shock power.
Now it was their stage.
"Urgh!!! Advance!!!!" The volunteer army's counterattack began.
Defense first, then counter—underdog strat, but if it worked, it worked.
"Kkkiyaaaak!!!" This was the General Heavenly Mandate quest. Had to win. He bellowed with spirit, swinging his sword to cleave foes.
[Wuhuan Warrior]
[Level 8]
Early-game trash mobs around level 8-10. Fiercer than Yellow Turbans, but still just mobs.
Whoooosh!!
A Wuhuan soldier thrust his spear at him.
Normally, he'd twist away from a polearm stab.
But now he wielded Taiji Swordsmanship's Flowing Water. His parry judgment was way up.
Tiiiiing!!!!
Confident, he smacked aside the short wind-up thrust like swatting a fly.
Stagger.
Seizing the Wuhuan spearman's imbalance, he lunged, slamming his full weight into the blade.
A huge hole tore in the Wuhuan's throat; as he crumpled, Kim kicked his chest free and yanked the sword out.
Spluuurt!!!
Realizing their momentum faltered, the Wuhuan general hastily blew his horn for retreat.
He bolted first, scrambling onto his horse for evasion.
Would Zhang Fei and Guan Yu handle him...? Nah, they were busy carving through the front.
No choice. Kim ignored surrounding foes and charged straight across the field. Over half the Wuhuan were already fleeing—no one marking him.
"Die!!!" He swung at the guy fumbling onto his horse.
Spluuuk!!!
The slash carved deep into the horse's thick thigh.
"Hiiihiin!!" The horse bucked wildly and collapsed.
"Ugaaak!!" The general predictably tumbled off.
Falling cavalry were always wide open.
Clang!
Shoving his sword into the guy's neck as he dropped was easy.
"Ukyaaaaak!!!" Fueled by the thrill of beheading the enemy leader, Kim roared unwittingly and hoisted the head high.
Seeing their chief dead, the Wuhuan dropped weapons and surrendered en masse.
Some bolted, but watching them turn to mincemeat up close made the rest kneel.
"Spare those who surrender!!" Liu Bei ordered, swiftly mopping up.
Total victory, no question.
Not some epic like Guandu or Red Cliffs, but winning still felt great.
Call of the Heavenly Mandate
The Path of the General has opened.
For now... let's job change to General. With a sigh, he resolved to do it.
Ding.
With the Status Window's cheerful chime, his Heavenly Mandate was set.
Level 11: General
Affiliation: Liu Bei Army
[Troop Organization Learned]
[Command 1 Learned]
[Sword of Loyalty Learned]
Sword of Loyalty: While enlisted in a faction, +5 Strength, Agility, Vitality. Reduced damage and stamina loss from fodder enemies.
[Duel Challenge Learned]
Challenge enemy leaders to one-on-one duels.
Notifications of his new General skills filled his vision, making everything dizzying in more ways than one.
Dizzy, right?