Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Hardworking Pay-to-Win Knight
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Soldiers were lined up in formation.
The territory's population, which had started at around a thousand civilians, had grown even after the war claimed a significant number of casualties, reaching a final count of 1,700. Of those, slightly over five hundred were women and the elderly who couldn't fight, leaving the rest as men from their late teens to early fifties.
'The already skewed gender ratio has gone completely off the rails. It's like one woman for every four men.'
Our territory had started with bandits, then mercenaries, pushing the ratio off-kilter from the beginning, but why was Red X Territory in such a state?
The reason came from the refugees.
“Waaah! Those monsters took my mom!”
“M-my daughter... ugh...”
Unusually, they said the goblins didn't kill women—they abducted them. A late check confirmed it had happened in our territory too. Orcs killed men without mercy but took women alive.
'Ah, this feels ominous.'
Even as I thought that, I asked Steelstone.
“How many soldiers?”
“981 including the recruits.”
“Elites?”
“314 passed the trials in the end.”
Nearly a third. A ratio no other territory could dream of. Considering how harshly we tested physical and mental prowess, this was a military force worthy of a count's domain.
“Unit breakdown?”
“58 shieldbearers. 55 sword-shielders. 161 spearmen. And 40 archers.”
Shieldbearers wielded massive shields made by combining three leather shields (common) and riveting iron plates to them—walking fortresses.
We picked the biggest, heaviest guys among the soldiers for it. Equipped with steel breastplates and steel boots, plus leather coats covering their heads, they had almost no gaps.
They moved sluggishly and had negligible attack power due to all the gear, but their defense was unmatched.
Sword-shielders were armed with leather shields (common) and bone longswords (common). They wore steel breastplates and steel boots but were lighter-armed overall, balancing offense and defense for combat, shielding, or solo fights.
Spearmen wielded spears over 2.5 meters long. They lacked the bulk or sword skills for shieldbearer or sword-shielder roles, but as elite trial passers, they boasted impressive combat prowess.
Archers were those who'd passed archery trials. They only had shortbows for now, and their skill was lacking, but ranged attacks were essential, so we were raising them.
'Well, they're all half-baked at this point.'
Even the massive shields with layered leather and iron plates were too heavy; even the burly shieldbearers sweated like it was pouring after 100 meters. They could train somehow, but real combat like this would be insane.
Sword-shielders struggled with the weight of steel breastplates and boots too. In a war now, they'd struggle even against equals.
Of course.
I had no intention of going to war like this.
“Good.”
I approached the lined-up soldiers. The one at the front was familiar even to me.
“Swordsman.”
“Yes sir! Greetings, my lord.”
Swordsman was a deserter who'd joined me back when I was just a fresh bandit leader.
'He showed up like a gift when most of my men were slash-and-burn folk.'
He'd since gone bandit to mercenary to soldier, leading his men all the way.
With his affable personality, he managed his subordinates well and lived up to his name with his sword skills. In seniority and age, he was a lot like Steelstone.
'Just lacks the talent.'
No matter how much I taught him the mental techniques I knew by heart, he couldn't awaken aura. Calling him 'talentless' for that was cruel.
'He's just average.'
Those born with mana talent are rare as can be. Without Earth-like [Forced Awakening] facilities, no amount of effort gets you to superhuman levels normally.
'He's basically Steelstone's inferior in every way. Clear limits... but not anymore.'
Proof was me. No matter how untalented he was, he couldn't be worse than me with [Dump Stat Mana Aptitude].
With class card buffs boosting mana and mana power, he might awaken aura—or at least touch superhuman realms with skills.
“As of this moment, I appoint you top senior soldier of the Wolf Regiment and centurion. I grant you the rare class Highlander, the Battle Cry manual, and the Warrior's Two-Handed Sword. Fulfill your duty with unyielding fighter's spirit.”
With that, I handed him a card and a book. The instant he took them—
Flash!
A blue light signifying rare grade burst out, and every lined-up soldier watched with eyes full of envy and admiration.
Over the past fortnight, we'd spread plenty of info on classes. Some had even leveled up with jobs already, so the soldiers had gritted their teeth through training to make elite.
Flash!
This time, green light. He'd acquired the warrior common skill Battle Cry (Advanced) (Active).
[Battle Cry (Advanced) (Active)]
Roar a battle cry to boost mental and physical abilities. Consumes 10% of max mana, increasing strength, stamina, and vitality stats by the amount of mana spent.
A common skill, but not popular. Flawed enough that people call it a [skillbook for dismantling]—acquire and scrap.
Consumes 10% max mana to boost stats by that amount.
More mana means more power, but it's [warrior common], not [universal common].
'If mages could use it, it'd be at least heroic. Instant stat balloon for melee too.'
But warriors lack stat points for mana/mana power after dumping into strength, agility, stamina, vitality. Low efficiency.
Plus, self-buffs rarely stack, so higher skills replace these.
'But having one skill versus none is worlds apart. Especially for those who can't handle their new mana from class effects.'
Why I started hunting in the Killians Mountains. Battle Cry was the most versatile to hand out immediately.
And gear.
“Loyalty! I shall serve!”
Swordsman saluted, holding the Warrior's Two-Handed Sword (Advanced)+6.
[Warrior's Two-Handed Sword (Advanced)+6]
Weapon Damage +16(+6)
Strength+1(+3), Stamina(+3)
Material: Iron
Weight: 3.7 kg
Bought it off the exchange. Unlike rare gear costing tens of thousands of won base, advanced gear is cheap. Minimum 10 dia listing is like 1,000 won cash.
“Hardrock. As of this moment, I appoint you company commander.”
“Big Man. As of this moment, I appoint you company commander.”
“Hunter. As of this moment, I appoint you company commander.”
I'd bought extra packages and class cards with my ten-million-won monthly salary. If I wanted, I could class every civilian.
'But I won't.'
Humans undervalue easy gains. They'd thank me for strong bodies at first, but if everyone got it, it'd be 'normal.'
'Plus... the job itself isn't that big a deal.'
Job stat buffs are great, but the real point is integrating them into Revenge's system.
Especially level-ups.
Giving jobs to those who can't fight properly is as good as wasting them.
“Stick. As of this moment, I appoint you squad leader.”
That was the class distribution.
Centurions: rare jobs, advanced skillbooks, +6 advanced gear.
Company commanders: advanced jobs, skillbooks, no-enhance advanced gear.
Squad leaders: advanced jobs.
Elites: common jobs.
I faced every regular soldier, called them by name, and granted jobs. It took ages, but it was necessary. They'd remember this day forever.
“Well done!”
“Well done? Pick 500 centered on elites. We're marching.”
“Yes sir!”
After granting classes to all and finishing the send-off, the soldiers saluted till their throats hurt and bustled into action.
They shouldered boar-hide packs, armed with longswords, spears, shields, etc.
A hassle, but their faces flushed with excitement.
“Man, this sword's light as a feather.”
“That heavy shield feels light now...”
“Power's overflowing! Amazing!”
“And this power... classes grow every time you kill a monster, right?”
“Ah, I must be crazy. I'm looking forward to war.”
Kids' stats are single digits usually, adult women around 20 points.
Healthy 180cm adult male: 30 points. Over 40 is elite athlete level.
'Strength 40 lets you bench 400kg.'
And.
Common-grade class cards boost main stat by 40 points.
From 40 strength to 80.
From 400kg bench to 800kg body capability.
'I know better than anyone how that feels.'
“No need to carry shields! Into inventory!”
“H-how do you...”
“Hold the shield and drag to that screen!”
Soldiers fumbled the new system at first but adapted quickly.
It's a game, after all.
Game UIs have evolved user-friendly over time. Unlike sims like [Great War] or [Real Stage], Revenge's was designed for office workers to pick up, play, and pay instantly. Medieval folk doing it seriously would adapt fine.
“Inventory... insane. Holds up to 50kg.”
“Ah! Packs don't go in!”
“Has to be in the [Item] category.”
“Shield won't... oh! Remove strings, and it fits. Guess combined items count.”
As soldiers chattered and mastered the interface, their personal gear bulk shrank dramatically.
'Good. They're taking to it.'
But this was just the start.
The systems they needed to embrace went beyond inventory.