My strength increases by one percent every day; I can destroy stars with my bare hands.

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

When reinforcements from the Great Yan Dynasty arrived, the barbarians fled in disarray, and Li Xuancang, who was on the verge of despair, also escaped.

After the barbarians retreated, Li Xuancang thought he would receive medical treatment, but more than an hour passed and no one even glanced at him.

The deep, bone-revealing wound on his shoulder had become so painful that he was numb. The only saving grace was that he had received a 1% boost, and the bleeding had stopped. Otherwise, he would have died from blood loss long ago.

Even so, his injuries are not optimistic. If he does not receive treatment as soon as possible, he will surely die if he becomes infected.

"I can't give up, I have to stand up."

Li Xuancang exerted all his strength, his indomitable will driving his body to move.

Every movement brought excruciating pain, causing him to grimace and contort his face, but he could only grit his teeth and persevere.

"There's still someone alive there; bring him back to the camp."

Seeing that Li Xuancang was still alive, the soldiers of the Great Yan Dynasty were somewhat surprised, but they still walked towards him.

Li Xuancang had reached his limit; cold sweat poured down his face, his body staggered, and his vision blurred.

He vaguely saw soldiers of the Great Yan Dynasty walking towards him, and a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart. Then everything went black, and he collapsed completely.

When Li Xuancang opened his eyes again, he had already left the battlefield and was in a dilapidated room.

The room was bare, and the roof even revealed a gloomy sky. A fierce wind blew in, and Li Xuancang instinctively huddled up.

"what!"

The slightest movement sent a sharp pain through me.

"Kid, you're awake. You're really lucky to be alive. You managed to wake up from such serious injuries. If you had waited even a day longer, they would have thrown you into the wild to become a feast for those wild beasts."

A man in his thirties standing next to Li Xuancang was quite surprised to see him wake up.

Upon hearing the man's words, Li Xuancang's heart clenched, and he became even more aware of the cruelty of this world.

This is a chaotic world where demons devour people, and ordinary people are like ants; only strength can ensure survival.

These ordinary people who were forcibly conscripted were just cannon fodder; even if they were injured, they could only receive some basic treatment.

If the body cannot be cured, the military camp will abandon it, not even bothering to dispose of it, and simply dump it in the wilderness to become food for wild animals.

"Sir, how long have I been unconscious?"

Speaking aggravated Li Xuancang's wounds, causing him excruciating pain.

He asked the man who spoke how long he had been unconscious.

"You've been sleeping for a whole day and night."

The man did not hide anything and answered truthfully.

"Thank you, brother."

Li Xuancang thanked the man, and at the same time knew that he had survived not because of the army's treatment, but because his body had been strengthened again.

"As long as you survive, anything is possible."

Li Xuancang was determined that as long as he survived, he could change his current predicament.

In chaotic times, the only way to survive is through strength and military merit.

Corporal, centurion, battalion commander, general...

The higher the military rank, the more generous the benefits and the greater the privileges.

Once he reaches a high position, he can exempt his family from taxes, allocate troops to guard the village, and free his parents and sisters from hunger and fear.

Once a thought takes root, the obsession becomes increasingly firm.

Over the next few days, Li Xuancang's injuries healed at a visible speed.

"No, no, I can still be saved! Please don't throw me away..."

Pleading voices echoed in the room as an injured soldier was forcibly carried away.

His injuries were less severe than Li Xuancang's, but after several days, they did not improve at all; on the contrary, they became more serious.

The military camp decided to abandon him and dump him in the wilderness.

Seemingly aware of his fate, the wounded soldier, disregarding his injuries, desperately pleaded with his last ounce of strength to live.

The soldiers showed no mercy and carried the person away without batting an eye.

"Ugh!"

Upon seeing this scene, the other wounded soldiers in the room looked sorrowful, feeling a sense of shared grief.

Li Xuancang clenched his fists. This scene shocked him greatly; it showed that people were not treated like human beings at all.

The Great Yan Dynasty was plagued by a multitude of exorbitant taxes and levies, and its oppressive policies were more ferocious than tigers. Forced labor and military service were just some of the problems it faced.

The people were forcibly conscripted to serve in the army, but the court only provided them with rudimentary weapons and some simple food, without any salary.

There were over a thousand people serving at the beginning, but after two years, only a little over three hundred remain, which shows how brutal the battlefield is.

After this incident, everyone in the room fell silent and stopped talking casually.

Even the most talkative Lao Du became silent, and the atmosphere was very oppressive.

Several more days passed, and Li Xuancang had been in this world for ten days.

His injuries have mostly healed, his body has been enhanced, and his strength has reached 1.1 times, which is not much different from that of an ordinary person.

"It will take some time; hopefully, war will not break out."

What Li Xuancang lacks most right now is time. If he were given another ten days or half a month, he would be able to protect himself on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Three days later, the barbarians attacked again, and a great battle was about to break out.

"Thump, thump thump thump..."

A sharp, urgent gong suddenly rang out, echoing throughout the entire military camp.

"All personnel assemble! All conscripts, laborers, and soldiers, immediately report to the drill ground. Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to military law and executed on the spot!"

The harsh voices spread out in layers, cold and ruthless.

The faces of the wounded soldiers changed drastically. Without the slightest hesitation, they endured the pain, picked up their crude weapons, and stumbled toward the central training ground.

Li Xuancang also quickly arrived at the training ground, his heart heavy.

On the training ground, a man clad in heavy armor, with a cold and stern expression, stood with his hand on his sword.

Behind him, several fully armed elite soldiers stood in a line, their eyes cold as they looked down at the crowd who were like ants.

In this world of demons and monsters, human life is the cheapest thing.

These conscripted soldiers, including Li Xuancang, were never considered true soldiers of the Great Yan Army.

They received no salary, no benefits, and no one would claim their bodies when they died. While alive, they were merely expendable supplies used to fill the battle lines and act as shields against enemy attacks.

Battalion Commander Wang Tianshan's gaze swept across the entire room, and he spoke sharply.

"In the last battle, the barbarians suffered heavy losses, but they were not defeated."

"They gathered a large force and launched a massive attack, intending to raze the lakeside post station and slaughter all of us."

After he finished speaking, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Many soldiers were trembling, their eyes filled with despair.

The barbarians are cruel and bloodthirsty, and their methods are ruthless. Once their camp is breached, everyone will be slaughtered, leaving no trace of their bodies.

Wang Tianshan continued coldly, "You are conscripted soldiers, not regular soldiers. You receive no pay, no benefits, and no special privileges."

Wang Tianshan's words echoed in everyone's ears, and some people clenched their fists, their hearts filled with resentment.

In every battle, they were always the ones who rushed to the most dangerous places, facing near-death experiences.

But they are the ones who work so hard, yet the credit goes to others. How can they not feel resentful?

Wang Tianshan noticed the dissatisfaction and resentment among the crowd, and changed the subject.

He suddenly raised his voice and made a promise that was sure to make everyone's hearts flutter.

"The rules have changed for this great battle."

"In every battle, those who kill a barbarian will be recorded as meritorious and rewarded with food and medicine."

"After killing three barbarians, he was directly admitted to the regular army and became a formal soldier of the Great Yan."

These words caused an uproar in the entire room. Countless numb eyes suddenly lit up and stared intently at Wang Tianshan.

In this dark world where ordinary people are as worthless as weeds, becoming a regular soldier is a dream that countless people at the bottom of society yearn for.

Wang Tianshan slowly revealed the treatment that everyone desired most, each word incredibly tempting.

"Once enlisted in the regular army, they will receive a monthly salary and be equipped with fine armor and weapons."

"They were freed from the status of lowly people and were spared from being arbitrarily beaten and oppressed by officials."

"They can stay in military barracks, receive rations and meat, and no longer suffer from hunger."

"There will be pathways for future promotions to squad leader, platoon leader, and centurion."

"Family members can also have their taxes and corvée labor reduced or exempted, and will not be bullied by local gentry or rebel soldiers."

Upon hearing Wang Tianshan's vision of a bright future, everyone's eyes turned red and gleamed with excitement. Many were already filled with fervor and couldn't wait to rush to the battlefield and slay the enemy.

A cruel promise, starkly tearing apart the rules of a chaotic world.

Want stability? Want to eat your fill? Want to protect your family? Want to escape the status of a subjugated person and no longer be at the mercy of others?

Then go kill, fight desperately, and exchange your blood and flesh for your future.

Li Xuancang was no exception; he slowly clenched his fists, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.