Infinite Hunter

Cheng Yijiu tapped his fingers, "The easiest way is to take it from him—before he can activate it. I can buy it or rob it. If I buy it... I don't think I'd be a very good businessman." Cheng Yijiu was a little troubled—Griffith was very smart, and he was able to build a mercenary group from a poor man, and he looked like an aristocrat. This showed that this person's ability to read people's expressions was extraordinary...

If he were to learn the importance of the Overlord's Egg in his possession, the consequences would be unpredictable. Furthermore, given the fatalistic tone of this world, Cheng Yijiu might not even be able to purchase the Overlord's Egg from Griffith. He couldn't even say if he would lose Behelet, having already seized it. "The only option left is to sever fate," Turgen said, more decisively than Cheng Yijiu. "Since, as you say, this world's underworld is filled with malice, and this person will eventually become the 'Evil' God's Hand, wouldn't it be better to simply kill him while he's still human?"

"Yeah, that's still the best." Cheng Yijiu decided, "So how about forming a mercenary partnership?" Turgen showed a rather sinister smile, "The old tricks will do."

Of course, they agreed. They could just go straight to the Empire. After all, the two sides had been fighting along the border, centered around a few important fortresses, for over a decade now. Given the military standards of this world, there was no possibility of bypassing them and attacking deep. Everyone was attacking and defending at key points, with only a few major battles occurring.

After making their decision, the two men moved at a breakneck speed. They used their money to buy a carriage, loaded it with rations and camping gear, and set off. Thanks to years of war, the main road leading to the battlefield was actually quite well-built. The carriage moved very quickly, and while there were still thieves, these two were both excellent warriors, so any thieves who dared to take action became their targets.

Turgen, in particular, practiced combat with his scimitar, a newcomer to the cold iron blade, and needed to familiarize himself with it once more. Many thieves attacked at night, and this was when Turgen would practice his "cavalry combat." The centaurs could easily and silently decapitate their prey before they could see clearly and flee in terror. While this agile cat wasn't good at long-distance sprinting, it was a formidable killer when it came to short-distance pounces and leaps.

As a seasoned hunter, Cheng Yijiu couldn't agree more. "This guy is just an oversized tiger. He doesn't need to chop people; his pounce alone is enough to kill them." As for the scimitar on his upper body? That's the icing on the cake. Turgen's tiger body is definitely more powerful than other tigers of the same size. Cheng Yijiu is absolutely certain of this—because tigers don't do the triangle jump like Turgen does; that's a leopard's specialty.

As for Cheng Yijiu himself, he usually stayed out of the fight. Even when he did, it was mainly for sparring with Turgen. It was no surprise that when Turgen was in human form, his dual-sword style was no match for Cheng Yijiu. In a fencing match, he could easily deliver a fatal blow before the two swords could unleash their power. Cheng Yijiu was clearly superior in swordsmanship. However, during their evening sparring, the situation was more difficult, and the two could only be described as evenly matched. Neither side was prepared to fight to the death.

However, the fact that Cheng Yijiu was able to do this against cavalry on foot showed his strong swordsmanship.

A new battle was about to begin. They crossed the border in the darkness and were spotted by patrolling Imperial soldiers in the morning. "We are mercenaries. Where are they recruiting?" Cheng Yijiu asked, jumping from the carriage Turgen drove. He jumped out of the carriage out of courtesy, of course, to show that he was harmless. These patrolmen were light cavalry. Perhaps because they noticed the weapons the two mercenaries were carrying, the Imperial light cavalry were quite polite.

Although he was a bit arrogant, he at least told them to follow the road and that there were mercenaries recruited at the castle. The two drove the carriage forward. "I thought we were going to kill them all, but thankfully," Turgen said. "Patrolmen should at least have good eyesight. I think they're pretty good." Cheng Yijiu agreed. If something really happened, these two could definitely kill these light cavalry in a very short time.

With Turgen's strong bow, these people can't escape.

Fields and villages began to appear around them, and some farmers were working—even on the front lines, people still needed to eat to survive. Before them stood a massive castle, majestically perched atop a hill, overlooking the road below—a road that continued through the castle. The castle's moat connected to a real river, with bridges and docks across it, all within the castle's control.

Cheng Yijiu casually glanced over and spotted rusted arrowhead fragments in the dirt beside the road. "This truly is the site of a long, drawn-out battle," Turgen exclaimed with a breath. Cheng Yijiu knew he was a veteran mercenary, fully aware of the "murderous aura" of the place. As for Cheng Yijiu himself, he found the sunny and warm spot unlikely to resemble a battlefield. However, the scattered arrowhead fragments on the ground disproved this.

This is the battlefield - continue along the river, and you can vaguely see a little tower on the side of the Mitlan Kingdom. That is the border city of Mitlan. All the wars have been fought between these two cities. Both sides want to capture the other's city so that they can directly control a large area.

Chapter 20 Going to War

There are many mercenary groups here. The century-long war between the Yoda Empire and the Mitlan Kingdom has attracted countless hyenas from the battlefield to compete for food. The two most powerful countries in the Papal Circle have long been sworn enemies. However, Cheng Yijiu knows that the eastern Kushan Empire, a vast empire far superior to both countries, is still eyeing this land and is about to invade this continent. "Based on Europe, the Kushan Empire is the Ottoman Empire." Cheng Yijiu and Turgen both expressed this view during their conversation.

Along the entire length of the battlefront, large, medium, and small mercenary groups each performed their duties, while the regular armies of both sides were rarely moved—it was much more cost-effective to hire these scavenging mercenaries to die for a little money than to deploy a full-scale army. It was not impossible for outstanding mercenary groups to obtain official status; many mercenary groups became royal or royal knight orders. Cheng Yijiu said that Griffith was one of them.

They definitely couldn't register as a mercenary group, as there were no two-person groups in the world. However, they could make a name for themselves by hiring individual soldiers. So, they registered their names with the Yoda Empire's recruitment department and, without further ado, stayed in an inn outside the city—most solo mercenaries or small teams gathered together, pitching tents in designated camps.

This place was chaotic and filthy, filled with thieves, prostitutes, and small merchants. The mercenaries were all about living the life of the moment, spending their money recklessly. As a result, it attracted a lot of people, making it the busiest place outside the city. Of course, to make money and cater to the more demanding and wealthy mercenaries, some people opened taverns and inns nearby, selling spiked water and providing decent rooms.

"At least we can still get our sheets changed once a week and have laundry service, which is pretty good." Cheng Yijiu was quite satisfied with this two-story hostel. Of course, the fees were higher, so he and Turgen each had a room. Neither of them was short of money, nor was it likely that they would be short of money. Cheng Yijiu was invulnerable to swords and spears, not to mention that he was covered in lion skin. He had already checked Turgen's arrows, which were one meter long and weighed over 150 grams, making them truly heavy arrows.

To be able to accurately shoot an arrow like that from a distance of a hundred meters, one can only imagine how powerful Turgen must be. Cheng Yijiu had also tried to pull Turgen's bow, and while he could pull it fully with some effort, he couldn't pull it fully continuously. "There's a trick to this. This bow is actually a magical device, and the arrows it shoots are blessed by the wind spirit. Otherwise, how do you think it can shoot so far? Hahahaha."

So that's how it is. This thing needs to be used in conjunction with the ring on Turgen's finger. Otherwise, if he uses force like Cheng Yijiu, he can shoot an arrow up to 70 or 80 meters, but the trajectory won't be as good. With this weapon, Turgen, like Cheng Yijiu, is a terrifying monster on the battlefield. If his true form is revealed, he can even be said to be a terrifying shock cavalry on the battlefield.

In other words, it's just a sudden attack. The endurance of a centaur is not as good as that of a centaur, and its ability to charge and trample is also - after all, cats have big soft pads on their paws...

There was business soon. The Bluebird Mercenary Group recruited by the Mitlan Kingdom tried to occupy the small fortress ahead - yes, for the convenience of the war, both sides built many small fortresses in this area, which could accommodate more than a hundred soldiers. These fortresses could control the surrounding areas, store food, and of course serve as front-line command posts. Therefore, in most cases, the battles were fought over these small fortresses.

The blood of mercenaries was shed here...

This was a typical tug-of-war. Fort No. 9 was originally garrisoned by a squad of archers from the Flying Feather Mercenaries—a long-standing, semi-official mercenary group. They received generous supplies, mercenary pay, and missions. This morning, the squad, stationed within the fort, was attacked by assassins from the Bluebird Mercenaries. The Bluebird Mercenaries, presumably employing assassins from the Bakiraka clan, successfully inflicted casualties on the archers within the fort, effectively seizing the fort.

Now it was time to rally the mercenaries for a counterattack. The Bluebird Mercenaries within the fortress would attempt to hold their ground and ultimately gain control—they would have to repel wave after wave of attacks before finally securing their position. This was essentially a meat grinder, consuming one mercenary group after another, and regular troops rarely intervened in such battles. Cheng Yijiu and Turgen had taken on this mission, forming a team with other mercenaries to participate in the battle.

Cheng Yijiu stuffed the Behelet into his pocket, donned chain mail, donned a short helmet, and draped the lion skin over his body, letting his front paws fall over his shoulders. Gravity held the skin to Cheng Yijiu's back—the lion was so large that its tail and lower body were actually tucked away. Turgen also donned chain mail, slung the leather armor across his back, and carried a longbow. He slung two swords around his waist. His helmet was a simple, light one, devoid of any extraneous decorations.

The two men emerged from their respective rooms, boarded carriages, and joined the marching mercenaries. Though they were scattered and unorganized, years of war had shaped them into a spontaneous marching formation—a respectable sight, though a surprise attack would surely be disastrous. The mercenaries' equipment varied, though thanks to the war, everyone here had at least one piece of leather armor, and most wore chain mail inlaid with steel plating.

Everyone had a helmet, ranging from light helmets to barrel helmets to flying saucer helmets. As for weapons, they were relatively uniform, consisting of bows, spears, swords, and shields. A few carried flails or studded clubs, but no one had any strange weapons. The organization was official—a small group of knights joined the mercenaries. They were quite elite, clad in plate armor.

Cheng Yijiu's attire was also quite eye-catching. The captain of the knight squad even approached him and asked, "Hey, do you want to sell your lion skin?" He was about to take it. "Oh, I don't sell lion skins." Cheng Yijiu casually pushed the knight captain's hand away. "I don't think you're planning to rob me, are you?" Cheng Yijiu looked at the knight with a face full of flesh. He was prepared anyway. If this guy made a move, he would kill immediately.

Chapter 21 Fighting

Perhaps there was indeed murderous intent, as the ferocious-looking knight captain actually retracted his hand, laughed, and walked away. "He wants to send you to the front line to die," Turgen said to Cheng Yijiu after taking a look at the captain. Cheng Yijiu also felt something, but he still asked, "Why do you think so?"

Turgen smiled, "I've seen a lot." Cheng Yijiu nodded, "I've seen a lot..." Turgen made a bow and arrow shooting motion, Cheng Yijiu sighed, "It's good to make a name for yourself. Maybe this time you can even collect a Behelet?" Turgen looked at Cheng Yijiu with some doubt, "According to the situation in the comics, it seems that the Netherworld is gradually becoming active from now on, in preparation for the birth of the last God's Hand."

In comics, the Underworld is like the tides, with ebbs and flows, but these cycles are quite long. Therefore, magical creatures like witches, elves, fairies, and unicorns now exist only in legends. All of this has only been going on for a few hundred years, and humans may have lost their sensitivity to the Underworld, and magic has become just a legend.

The two outsiders here could, however, access the power of the underworld, at least alchemy or shamanic totem magic—yes, Turgen was a bit of a shaman, specializing in totem magic. Unfortunately, the success rate of his totems wasn't high, and that dog's totem was a rare success. "Sorry, I can't summon vines or hear the whispers of the forest. I can only carve a few things—the kind that come from sudden inspiration, and are hard to replicate."

As the two were chatting, the team gradually stopped and formed a battle formation at the command of the knight captain - everyone was self-employed, and the captain didn't have any good command methods. They simply formed two formations according to short-range and long-range. The long-range archers formed a horizontal formation to suppress the archers on the fortress, while the short-range troops approached with shields and launched an attack from the direction of the wide city gate - climbing the wall was also possible, but the problem was that there was no equipment.

The Bluebird Mercenary Group wasn't a large group, and they didn't have a full force on the city walls. They were definitely entrenched inside, utilizing the heights of the walls and the protection of the gates. Cheng Yijiu was placed in the front rank, while Turgen was in the rear. After getting off the carriage, they could see that the mercenaries were a mixed bag. There were a few who stood over two meters and three inches tall, but the majority were skinny.

There were about thirty mercenaries on the city wall, armed with weapons ranging from crossbows to longbows. Taking advantage of their height, they began to release arrows. Meanwhile, Turgen had already unhooked his bow, pulled a long arrow from his quiver, nocked it, and unseen, the arrow flew off with a crack of the bowstring. Cheng Yijiu watched as a tall, apparently skilled archer was pierced through and fell backward.

"He's not going to make it. This arrow entered from the front, piercing his skull from below and even piercing his helmet." Cheng Yijiu could see clearly that this arrow would probably hurt even an apostle, and even the immortal Zode would be seriously injured. To be honest, Cheng Yijiu was quite afraid of the immortal Zode. If Griffith became the God's Hand, Cheng Yijiu didn't dare to assume that he would definitely win, so he had to deal with Griffith while he was still human.

The fortress's gate was dilapidated, breached every time it was engaged. The latest such incident had occurred only two days prior, leaving no time for repairs. Therefore, the Bluebird Mercenaries and their recruits had simply positioned their crossbowmen behind the gate, ready to concentrate fire on any incoming enemies. The first group of mercenaries who rushed in screamed as they were riddled with bullets, and those who followed were similarly pierced by short spears.

Cheng Yijiu was the third to charge in. He swung his body to shield himself with half the lion's hide, then charged in sideways. The spears and crossbow bolts struck the lion's hide, only causing it to glow golden. The weapons fell to the side, unable to harm Cheng Yijiu. Having already drawn his greatsword, Cheng Yijiu used the guard to deflect the spear's tip, slashing forward and slashing forward, then proceeded to slash and kill.

During the previous assault on the gate, Turgen had already fired five heavy arrows, impaling five mercenaries armed with powerful crossbows. For a moment, the mercenaries crouched and hid behind the wall. Therefore, Cheng Yijiu and the other mercenaries didn't even get hit by a few arrows before they charged in. A frenzied exchange of blows ensued. The Bluebird Mercenaries were uniformly equipped, with every mercenary wearing at least half-plate armor and a disc-shaped helmet, and full arm armor.

Therefore, it can be regarded as a relatively hard can, but Cheng Yijiu's sword is so sharp and solid that it can easily penetrate those relatively weak places under his power control - such as throat armor, such as armpits. Cheng Yijiu's skills are so superb that there is almost no collision. He can always easily pierce the sword into the throat or cut into the chest and abdomen. From the armpit, he can easily cut the aorta and pierce the lungs, and the same is true for cutting the throat.

In a matter of moments, the ground had become slippery and soaked with blood. The mercenaries poured in in a chaotic manner, but Cheng Yijiu had already reached the stairs. Barrels and torches were thrown down from the second floor, and the oil leaked from the broken barrels, igniting the torches. The fire wasn't large, and there weren't many flammable materials on the first floor. The stone walls were not vulnerable to flames, but it still caused great chaos for the mercenaries rushing in.

Crossbowmen emerged from the second floor and began firing indiscriminately. Amidst the screams, many mercenaries on the first floor were killed or wounded, many flaming and running about. Those who managed to escape disrupted the remaining formation. Then, the knights appeared. These knights, clad in full plate armor, brandished their weapons, mowing down the mercenaries who were running in their way. The leading captain, his visor lowered, wielded a massive double-edged axe. With a single swing, he cut down four flaming mercenaries.

He roared, ordering the men to calm down and continue charging, while he himself steadily pressed the mercenaries forward. Cheng Yijiu had already rushed up the stairs to the second floor with two more intelligent mercenaries, and there they were engaged in a fierce battle with the Bluebird mercenaries, who were armed with swords and shields. Turgen had also followed the knights into the battlefield, ready to support Cheng Yijiu at any moment, and of course, ready to shoot an arrow at the captain at any moment.

Chapter 22 Encounter

Cheng Yijiu bravely led the charge. Cloaked in a lion's skin, he resembled a Nemean lion, the greatsword he wielded akin to its fangs and claws. The lion leaped and roared, his sword flashing across the air, yet surprisingly, there was no sound of blades clashing, only the slicing of flesh and the gushing of blood. Fighting on these narrow steps perfectly showcased Cheng Yijiu's exceptional combat skills. One mercenary after another, mortally wounded, fell down the stairs.

Cheng Yijiu's dynamic vision was already quite impressive. Combined with his invulnerable lion skin, this guy could easily block a barrage of bullets from above, and even had enough strength to cleave a few with his sword. At this time, a burly man in full plate armor rushed down from above. He was over two meters tall and his body was probably as wide as... "Is this guy a door panel? One meter wide? Is he still human, not some dwarf half-blood?" Cheng Yijiu was also amazed.

This guy was wearing full plate armor, his helmet resembling a boar's head. He was wielding an iron rod topped with a steel ball studded with spikes, weighing dozens of kilograms. Cheng Yijiu had no desire to wrestle with this guy, especially one who was so high up. So, he retreated, even jumping down the stairs. The height was nothing to him.

He leaped away, and the mercenaries behind him were in a terrible state. They were swung away, and blood gushed out of them like ripped bags. Some even flew in pieces—their chain mail and leather armor were torn to shreds by the violent blow. What did this strong man look like? Cheng Yijiu could only see a pair of small eyes through his wild boar visor, red and bloodthirsty eyes.

After Cheng Yijiu jumped down, the knight captain started cursing and demanded that Cheng Yijiu attack immediately, otherwise he would be killed. Cheng Yijiu pretended not to hear and watched the wild boar mercenary rush down a few steps and then retreat to the high steps again. "Damn, he actually has a brain. He clearly activated 'Bloodlust' but he didn't lose his mind yet." At this time, the knight captain strode over and said, "You won't go up? Give me the lion skin!"

Cheng Yijiu dodged and watched the opponent's double-edged axe swing menacingly. The knight captain reached out to grab his lion skin. "I've tolerated you for a long time." Cheng Yijiu took a step back. "Don't cause trouble," he said. "An invulnerable lion skin!" Jealousy and greed twisted the knight captain's face, and he drooled. "I don't believe you can be invulnerable without the lion skin on your front!"

With that, he completely ignored the mercenaries beside him and the enemies on the stairs, swinging his axe and slashing forward—incidentally, the axe blade trimmed the limbs of two mercenaries before sending them off to meet their master. The knight captain was no less powerful, standing over two meters tall. His knights also pressed forward, restricting Cheng Yijiu's range of movement, and some even raised their swords, ready to attack.

A long arrow flew towards the knight captain, his face still grim, when his eyeballs popped out – the sudden penetration of the long arrow increased the internal pressure, pushing his eyes out. The arrow pierced the heavy helmet directly, entering from the back of the captain's head, and the tip of the arrow passed between the temple and the eye socket. Before the captain could make the next move, his head was already pushed away by the column of blood gushing from the artery in his neck.

Indeed, Cheng Yijiu's speed and skill allowed him to swing his sword at almost the same moment, decapitating the opponent's axe blade as it slid away. He then quickly turned to face the surrounding knights, and Cheng Yijiu proactively launched a charge—confident in Turgen's support. The knights' reactions weren't slow, but they were still far behind the two monsters, and so they were mowed down like hay.

Cheng Yijiu's swordsmanship was renowned for its high lethality, a ferocious, unblocked exchange of blows, a defensive, offensive tactic that would draw blood in just two or three blows. Turgen, standing a little further back, was a master archer, his bow and arrows swiftly fired. At this distance, no one could dodge his long arrows—certainly not these knights. With their combined strength, they decimated a squad of knights in a matter of breaths.

"Now that we've started, there's no mercy." Turgen shrugged and moved to deal with the arrows on the corpse. Cheng Yijiu quickly jumped up the stairs, ready to engage the mercenaries a second time. Turgen also prepared to use arrows to assist. This time, the boar mercenary held a very heavy steel shield in his left hand and wielded a broken hammer in his right hand, preparing to engage Cheng Yijiu. The other mercenaries no longer dared to charge, and all watched them fight.

This time, the commander was killed by one of their own. What should they do? Everyone had their own ideas. What were the two mercenaries who instantly killed an entire team of regular knights thinking? The most concerned people were already quietly leaving the house, looking for a chance to escape. Cheng Yijiu rushed forward, ready to finish him off with his fastest thrust, but the mercenary was protecting himself with a huge shield, so he had to think of a solution.

Even though the shield was made of wood, it looked as thick as two fingers put together. The outer steel armor was at least a centimeter thick, enough to block Cheng Yijiu's sword and Turgen's bow. "It doesn't have to be me!" Cheng Yijiu chuckled inwardly. He launched a fierce thrust far faster than the monster mercenary could swing his hammer. If the big man hadn't held his shield in front of him, his heavy plate armor wouldn't have been able to stop Cheng Yijiu's cold iron sword.

The large man was surprisingly cunning. Seeing this, he simply huddled up, his large shield in front of him, while his shoulders and arms protected his ribs, intending to use his thick skin and heavy armor to withstand Turgen's heavy arrows. That, of course, satisfied his plan. With a powerful sound like plucking a string, the long arrow pierced through the plate armor on his arm, piercing into the man's thick muscles. Judging by the depth, the arrow might have penetrated all the way to the bone.

It was a powerful shot, too. Even Turgen couldn't fire a second arrow quickly. The mercenary howled like a boar, tilted his shield slightly, and charged forward, bringing down his hammer. Cheng Yijiu's strength was also remarkable, but even more terrifying was his lack of coordination. He stopped charging and instead retreated a few steps like a ghost, as if physical inertia didn't exist.

This was the result of his powerful leg strength. It was precisely because of this retreat that the wild boar mercenary, with red eyes and foul-smelling white foam spewing from the gaps in his visor, lost his attack, revealing his visor. Cheng Yijiu's double-barreled shotgun was already raised in his left hand—he pulled both triggers, and a foot-long flame erupted, two large lead bullets piercing the monstrous mercenary's face...

If he were to attack the plate armor, the chest armor was probably at least two or three centimeters thick. At that distance, a pistol wouldn't likely penetrate it; a long-barreled flintlock would be necessary. But visor armor was another matter; it wasn't that thick. So, with a single shot to the face, Cheng Yijiu conveniently stabbed the gun to his waist, raised his greatsword in his right hand, and lunged with a single-handed thrust—still aiming for the face. The tip of the sword pierced the back of the helmet, which was already damaged, and it seemed the lead bullet had already shattered the man's skull.

Cheng Yijiu's wrist trembled, and the sword slid back and forth, centered on the point where the tip of the sword had pierced the man. He essentially completely severed the man's upper face, including the bones. No matter how strong he was, he was doomed. Sure enough, the man's movements had stopped, and it was Cheng Yijiu's sword that kept him from falling. Cheng Yijiu quickly sheathed his sword—"This bastard is too heavy, he must weigh 400 kilograms?" The man fell from the side of the stairs to the ground, and the sound of his impact was no different from that of a large rock.

The mercenaries above had already begun to flee, and Turgen ran quickly, rushing up to the second floor with Cheng Yijiu. Many other mercenaries followed them up, while others ran away. The organized mercenary group would arrive next, but before they came, Cheng Yijiu and Turgen decided to make a name for themselves and directly capture the fortress. Turgen also put his bow on his back, drew his two swords, and attacked with Cheng Yijiu.

This guy was quite cunning, always hiding behind Cheng Yijiu—Cheng Yijiu had a lion skin to protect him from arrows, but he didn't. So Turgen's strategy was to exploit any slack. His close-quarters dual blades were already incredibly powerful, so his skill at exploiting slack was naturally exceptional, but Cheng Yijiu didn't give him many opportunities. The two of them cleared out the Bluebird Mercenaries in the fortress with ease, and in the end, they surrendered...

"No apostles?" Cheng Yijiu and Turgen exchanged glances, both wondering. Perhaps it was simply too late? The apostles hadn't yet appeared en masse on the battlefield. Just as they were struggling with their dilemma, a commotion erupted from below. It seemed the reinforcements from the Mitlan Kingdom's mercenaries had arrived first. Cheng Yijiu glanced down and saw that the first Mitlan mercenary to charge in was a dark-haired teenager, looking no older than fifteen or sixteen, though already taller than Cheng Yijiu.

The weapon the young man wielded was a long Scottish slasher. The guard wasn't long, but it looked like an extended and widened greatsword. This guy's strength was also extraordinary, wielding this heavy slasher like thunder from the sky. "It's like he's grasped the essence of power, relying on strength and speed to cut down his enemies. A meat grinder on the battlefield," Turgen said. Cheng Yijiu nodded. "Fortunately, he's not too mature. Three strikes from either of you or me would kill him at most."

Turgen looked at Cheng Yijiu. "The protagonist?" Cheng Yijiu nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, this is Gus, the protagonist of this world. But this shouldn't be the Eagle Group, right?" He looked at the mercenaries who rushed in with Gus. "I don't know. You're the one who knows more about this anime world." Turgen shrugged. "If we don't keep going, they'll kill us all."

Cheng Yijiu sighed, grabbed his greatsword, and quickly rushed down the stairs, while Turgen raised his bow and began to shoot at the mercenaries below. These people were wearing relatively simple armor, so Turgen didn't need to exert much effort. When Cheng Yijiu rushed to the first floor, Turgen had already shot and killed more than a dozen mercenaries, and the other mercenaries who rushed in had begun to flee in panic. Gus did not retreat, and he was even able to wield his sword to block Turgen's random arrows.

Cheng Yijiu hadn't decided whether to kill Guts here or not... He had no grudge against Guts, and there was no telling whether Guts would become a member of the Eagle Corps in the future. To be honest, Cheng Yijiu quite liked this tragic protagonist. "Just disarm him," Cheng Yijiu thought. Guts wasn't mature yet. He wasn't a fierce general who could kill a hundred people, nor was he a monster who would wield a heavy sword like the Dragon Slaying Sword, weighing dozens of kilograms, to chop down apostles.

Cheng Yijiu, wearing a lion's skin, made Gus cautious, because he felt the pressure. Cheng Yijiu didn't give him a chance to prepare and rushed directly at Gus. The young man was also fierce, wielding the greatsword and slashing hard. Cheng Yijiu stepped forward to cut back, his sword guard entangled the back half of the heavy sword, continued to move forward, half turned and twisted his wrist, and easily used the power of Gus's own swing to wrench the heavy sword out of his hand.

Taking advantage of the situation, Cheng Yijiu directly elbowed Gus in the chest and abdomen. The force was not strong, but it was enough to make Gus gasp for air and lose his fighting ability. The boy fell to his knees and gasped, but his eyes did not show any sign of surrender. He still looked at Cheng Yijiu fiercely, like a wolf. At this time, Turgen had also come down from the building. "Get out, your mercenary mission has failed. You are lucky to be alive." Turgen kicked the heavy sword that was entangled in the air in front of Gus, signaling him to get out quickly.

Gus was also relieved. He picked up his weapon and left. A mercenary who gets angry won't live long. Although young, Gus was already a veteran mercenary with many years of experience. The two mercenaries before him were both terrifyingly strong. It was normal for this mission to fail. Only by saving their lives could they continue to earn money and survive. At this time, apart from Cheng Yijiu and his companions, there were not many mercenaries hired by the Yoda Empire still alive. After waiting for about half an hour, the second group of mercenaries arrived.

This was a mercenary group of several hundred men, fairly well-equipped. They had been prepared for battle—the first group was essentially cannon fodder, meant to drain the defenders' energy and equipment. They had unexpectedly captured the fortress. Cheng Yijiu and Turgen sat on the first floor of the fortress, maintaining their weapons. The bodies of the fallen mercenaries had already been cleared away by others. "Now we can finally make a name for ourselves, huh?"

Chapter 23 It Was Him

The two men had nearly taken the fortress, which significantly elevated Turgen and Cheng Yijiu's reputation within the mercenary world. Cheng Yijiu's speed and skill in swinging his sword, combined with Turgen's ferocious and swift archery, earned them the nicknames "Lion Skin Swordsman" and "Strong Bowman," naturally leading to a surge in the pair's wages. In the short time since the fortress's capture, Cheng Yijiu's greatsword had claimed over forty lives.

Turgen's situation was similar, fully demonstrating the terrifying combat prowess of these two individuals. Not only did a mercenary group extend an olive branch to them, but even many nobles in the Yoda Empire wanted them to pledge allegiance, promising to secure them official imperial status. Of course, these two mercenaries declined all of these offers, remaining free mercenaries. Cheng Yijiu's attention shifted to Gus, one of the protagonists of this world.

This guy was also a wandering mercenary in the opposing camp, roaming between various mercenary groups, taking on special assault missions to earn money. Although the mercenaries worked hard on both sides, a lot of gossip circulated among them - the two major powers themselves needed this kind of communication because it could gain intelligence. Thanks to this, Cheng Yijiu and Turgen always had intel on Gus and the Eagle Group.

As a wandering mercenary, Guts would bounce between the two sides, while the Eagles had been working in the Midland Kingdom. Cheng Yijiu and Turgen had also been taking jobs in the Yoda Empire, but they hadn't continued to contact Guts. "We can gradually move to the center of the conflict, where the Eagles are active. Let's see if we have a chance to kill Griffith directly and obtain the Overlord Egg."

If this mission was completed like this, Cheng Yijiu would feel very lucky. After that, they threw themselves into a new round of mercenary work. "Another castle capture?" Cheng Yijiu muttered. "This shabby place has so many castles built, and I don't know why. Instead, they've torn the entire terrain into pieces." The Purple Rhino Paladin, responsible for the battles in this area and the de facto commander-in-chief of the Hundred Years' War and the main force, was stationed in the largest castle here.

The leader of the Knights Templar is the undefeated general Bosgod. He would not condescend to meet lowly mercenaries, and this was not his job. The task of recruiting mercenaries was the responsibility of Governor Heron, the commander-in-chief of the northern front. He was responsible for recruiting mercenaries, organizing them and sending them to the front, as well as providing supplies for the regular Knights Templar - in theory, he should not interfere with the front-line command.

He met with Cheng Yijiu and Turgen, two mercenaries who were already regarded as "Mercenary Kings" - at this time, Turgen and Cheng Yijiu had a 100% chance of completing the task. They were mainly responsible for the tasks of attacking and defending fortresses and expelling field battles. Cheng Yijiu took the lead in the attack and defense, while Turgen was the king in the field expulsion. The Lion Skin Swordsman was about to become the Lion Skin Sword Saint, and the Strong Archer was about to become the Holy Archer.

Helon met with these two, hoping to persuade them to join his army and become his guard knights. This time, even the proud Bosco was a little interested, and stayed here waiting for Cheng Yijiu and his men to arrive under the pretext of discussing logistical matters. Even during the negotiation, the fierce general still wore his heavy full-body plate armor.

Cheng Yijiu and his companions came here because the Eagle Corps was just across the street, and the mercenary pay offered here was the highest, with the most missions. However, this place was also known as a gluttonous mouth that devoured the lives of mercenaries, having devoured countless mercenaries over the past century. Now Cheng Yijiu learned that the governor here wanted to meet them, and it seemed that there would be good treatment. "Meet them?" he asked, and Turgen shrugged indifferently, "Then meet them."

The two men walked down a luxurious corridor. This was the castle's opulent manor. The vast three-story building was filled with richly dressed servants, bustling about to serve the Governor. The two mercenaries had also cleaned themselves thoroughly—they were already more hygienic than even the paupers and mercenaries of their time, and most nobles probably didn't share their obsession with hygiene. Cheng Yijiu still wore the lion's skin, while Turgen wore only light chain mail. They carried no swords, only a bow and arrows.

The two walked in the corridor, and the soft feeling under their feet told them that the carpets here were definitely high-priced goods. "I heard that this governor relied purely on money to climb to his current position." Turgen said, "Money is the most powerful weapon." Cheng Yijiu replied, and the servants and maids on the side made way and stood aside, their eyes all fixed on Cheng Yijiu's gorgeous lion skin.

It was truly stunning, with its golden mane and fierce, ferocious lion-like head. While Cheng Yijiu wasn't particularly tall, his 1.80-meter-tall frame was considered a respectable physique for a mercenary. As for Turgen, at over 1.90 meters, he was considered a well-proportioned, muscular man. Two armed guards stood at the door. Upon seeing Cheng Yijiu and his companions approach, they knocked and opened the door for them. Cheng Yijiu entered first, followed closely by Turgen.

Governor Helong was just a middle-aged man, looking ordinary. But the bald, muscular man standing nearly two meters three inches tall, clad in heavy armor and covered in sharp horns for both decoration and combat, gave off a distinctly oppressive vibe. Seeing Cheng Yijiu and Turgen enter, Helong showed a touch of enthusiasm. Since he was the one who was going to meet them, he couldn't be cold and collected. He said a few words of encouragement, stuffed a small leather bag of gold coins into each of them, and let them go.

"That guy is very strong, the bald one from Zixi." Cheng Yijiu's face was quite serious, and Turgen nodded. "You can't fight a guy like that in this form." Cheng Yijiu walked away for a while before speaking again. "It's very difficult to beat him. It depends purely on luck." He simulated it in his mind and found that his chances were really slim. "It's worthy of being called the strongest among humans. It puts a lot of pressure on me. But I still have a lot of confidence in myself."

Yes, no matter how powerful a person is, can he be as powerful as a dragon? Cheng Yijiu is a hunter who has killed dragons and is also a strong man who has fought against ghost elephants. If he fights seriously, he is indeed more confident in himself.

This small bag of money was enough for the two of them to stay in the best inn here for several years. Turgen's new mission was to capture the frontier fortress, Cheng Yijiu's specialty. The two were now celebrities, no longer needing to be cannon fodder with a group of lone mercenaries. Instead, they would be directly under the mercenary group's troops, serving as spearheads. The commissions for these two individuals were equivalent to the entire mercenary group's.

Turgen also talked to Cheng Yijiu about his previous experiences traveling through several worlds. "Every time it was a war, every time I was a mercenary, it was as if my life was all about this." Even a half-man tiger would complain, but Cheng Yijiu felt that this guy was enjoying it, at least not bored at the moment. They arrived at the fortress on the hillside. The weather was very bad and gloomy. "Where are the mercenaries from before? They should have tried to attack to wear down the defenders' physical strength? Where are the people?"

That was the mercenary leader's roar. All those lone mercenaries were gone. They couldn't have just run away, could they? Being annihilated was clearly out of the question... There were no flags flying above the fortress, and no sounds or signs of activity. If there were still defenders, that wouldn't be the case. Regardless, the mercenaries began to charge inside, finding bodies upon entering, numerous chopped-to-shreds.

Cheng Yijiu and Turgen were among the first mercenaries to enter. "What a clean and swift kill! This person must have possessed extraordinary strength." They came to this conclusion after only glancing at the body's cross-section. "I have a bad feeling," Cheng Yijiu cursed, flexing his fingers, arms, and waist. "We're in big trouble. It's probably an apostle. Let's hope we don't get so unlucky...if it's that guy..."

Turgen's face was also very serious, "Maybe we have to lift the magic. If it's really the guy you said, it will probably take two people to escape unscathed." He looked at the mercenaries around him with a bit of sympathy, "As for them, I'm afraid we can't protect them." Turgen was also moving his wrists. He even half-knelt down, took out a gem hanging on his chest, put it in front of his lips and muttered something.

"It's just a ritual. It allows me to truly concentrate," said Turgen.

Cheng Yijiu stroked the lion's hide as he headed deeper into the fortress. A number of mercenaries preceded them, while others began to clear the bodies. "Someone must have broken into the fortress and started killing people from the entrance..." As a hunter, Cheng Yijiu instinctively began to discern the trajectory of the killer's actions. Screams and ferocious roars echoed from the depths of the castle. Cheng Yijiu shook his head and took up his stance.

As expected, the mercenaries were fleeing from the depths, but darkness engulfed them. The massive blade easily chopped them into pieces, and from the darkness emerged a towering, almost completely naked man. He had wiry, short hair, a beast-like face, and a muscular body. The blunt-headed beheading sword in his hand was so large it looked like a door panel. Most importantly, this man was probably over two and a half meters tall, possibly the strongest humanoid warrior Cheng Yi had ever seen.

"It's indeed the immortal Zod. Turgen, please lift the magic and transform. We must try our best!" Cheng Yijiu held the greatsword with both hands. His momentum was surging. In the sky covered with dark clouds outside the castle, the sunlight penetrated the clouds and fell like a beam of light. Cheng Yijiu's lion skin mane was also fluttering in the wind. Faintly, the violent roar of a lion was heard in the castle.

Chapter 24 Fighting

Cheng Yijiu had already taken up his stance, while Turgen on the other side also lifted the magic. Suddenly, a half-human tiger appeared before him. The half-human tiger was even larger than the current Zode, which greatly diluted the oppressive feeling Zode felt. "Immortal Zode," Cheng Yijiu said through gritted teeth, while the Zode rested his hands on the hilt of his sword and laughed heartily, "Is it an apostle? No! I don't sense the apostle's presence!"

The tall legendary mercenary grabbed his sword and gradually approached. "I didn't expect to see this. I thought all the goblins had already entered the first level of the Netherworld."

The half-tiger roared, its massive body leaping rapidly. Turgen drew his bow and unleashed an arrow directly at Zuode. The giant, naked and without even a shred of armor, reacted with incredible speed, raising his broadsword and using the blade as a shield to block the arrow. Turgen's long arrow pierced the finger-thick blade, creating a hole in the blade.

"It's a strong bow indeed!" Zuo De grinned and swung his sword, slashing at Cheng Yijiu. The sword swung with a strong wind. "Monster!" Cheng Yijiu cursed only this, and quickly rushed forward to get inside Zuo De, directly engaging with his sword and slashing at the giant's neck.

The Immortal Zuo De was a legendary mercenary, rumored to have wandered the battlefield in search of powerful opponents and hearty battles. His devastation had stretched for centuries, earning him the nickname "Immortal Zuo De." Most mercenaries believed him to be a mere legend, but Cheng Yijiu knew he was a living apostle. Any mercenary lucky enough to witness him was, as he witnessed, practically reduced to shreds.

As for the employer? Cheng Yijiu doubted whether Zuo De really needed an employer. Wasn't he the king of intrusion?

The man swung his sword, and Cheng Yijiu had no desire to confront him head-on. The monster's sword shattered the ground, sending rubble flying as he quickly drew back to block Cheng Yijiu's decapitating blow. The sword cut through Zuo De's sword by three inches, causing his wrist to snap back, forcing him to take a step back. "In terms of humanoid strength alone, it's not much stronger than mine!" Cheng Yijiu didn't consider that he was also a warrior blessed by the sun, protected by the same mystical and legendary qualities.

What's more, Cheng Yijiu had Turgen as his backup. His bow and arrows were a powerful aid; Zuo De's body couldn't withstand such steel arrows. Cheng Yijiu and Zuo De engaged in a fierce battle, while Turgen didn't continue shooting arrows but prepared on the periphery. The battle between the two men stirred up a huge "vortex", and it seemed as if air currents were swirling and colliding around them with the naked eye.

The lion's hide seemed to come alive, scattering golden starlight. Cheng Yijiu wielded the cold iron sword, seemingly coated in gold, attacking Zuo De with unwavering strength, like a lion's fang. The enormous mercenary's agility was astonishing, his massive frame surprisingly nimble. The gusts of wind whipped up by his sword were painfully sharp. Both men's attacks were extremely dangerous. Zuo De's technique was still attack-and-block, but thanks to his strength, he was capable of executing counterattacks.

"After years of fighting without carefully summarizing and considering new fighting styles, those like Zuo De reach the pinnacle. Those who blaze new trails are the European Sword Masters..." Cheng Yijiu had discussed this with Turgen before, and now Turgen recalled it. Cheng Yijiu barely blocked, each strike aiming for a slash. The clash of wrists was so dangerous that both Zuo De and Cheng Yijiu relied solely on their superhuman dynamic vision and terrifying strength to persevere until now.

Neither of them had been injured so far—in the brief, one-minute battle, both had demonstrated terrifying physical prowess, especially Zuo De. His massive frame was so agile that he could always stop attacking and parry, blocking Cheng Yijiu's fierce slashes and thrusts—but the price was that Zuo De's broadsword had become jagged. Cheng Yijiu was also extremely dangerous. With Zuo De's strength, even with his invulnerable lion skin, the force would likely break several bones.