The Border

Lin Tan's encounter with Hansen left him deeply shocked.

He wasn't unfamiliar with barbarian berserkers,but his previous encounters had been in a spiritual form.No matter how realistic it seemed,it couldn't compare to the real thing.Clearly,Lin Tan's knowledge and strength were not proportional.If there was someone who had seen more than him,he would never believe it.A hundred years of wandering hadn't been in vain.However,strength wasn't something that could be gained just by watching.No matter how much he had seen,he was still just a百年(hundred-year)spirit.Not to mention anything else,Hansen's axe had knocked him to the ground,and all he could do was use the Dou Qi and its attributes granted by the system to create a little spark on the opponent's weapon,without causing any damage at all.

Lin Tan had already given up hope in this battle.On the other side,the Frege mercenaries were fighting the Iron Fist mercenaries to a standstill,and with their equipment and well-trained cooperation,they had a slight advantage.But if he couldn't stop Hansen,a Level 4 barbarian berserker charging into the fray would mean his men would be cut down one by one.

Just as Lin Tan was about to admit defeat,Hansen spoke up.

"No more fighting,no more fighting.If we continue,my weapon might get burned by you."

Lin Tan was taken aback.

Hearing their leader's voice,the Iron Fist mercenaries stopped one by one and disengaged from the battle.The Frege mercenaries were confused but looked to Lin Tan.Seeing him nod at them to stop,they didn't pursue further and instead helped their fallen comrades back to their feet.

"Your soldiers are quite good,"Hansen complimented,"We've just come from the battlefield,and we just wanted to take on some simple tasks to avoid getting bored during our downtime.But it seems we won't be able to take this mission."

"Mr.Hansen..."Lin Tan didn't know what to say.The other party was clearly showing him mercy,"I'm really grateful..."

"Don't talk about gratitude.Your father and I had some acquaintance.You've just taken over the mercenary troupe,and not accepting a mission to establish your authority would be very不利(disadvantageous)for your position in the team.Besides,our Iron Fist Mercenary Troupe doesn't need to rely on such small missions to make a living."With that,Hansen casually waved his hand,"Bros,let's go drink!We'll go to war again next spring!"He then led his men towards the town without looking back,seemingly ready to give up the mission.

Galabron,panting heavily,walked up to Lin Tan,"Everyone says that the barbarian Hansen is a man of honor,and it seems to be true."Galabron's opponent was about his level,but the middle-aged man,lacking Dou Qi and relying solely on physical strength,was finding it hard to withstand the barbarian's immense strength with his aging body.

"He said he had some acquaintance with my father?"

"They did fight side by side on the eastern front,"Galabron said.

Lin Tan just hummed in acknowledgment and didn't ask further.He greeted the商会(merchant)team leader,and after a while,the caravan set off from the town,with the Frege Mercenary Troupe following closely,commencing their mission.

...

Four days later,they arrived at the border between the Duchy of Liverpool and the Duchy of Florence.The journey had been uneventful,with no significant threats.The caravans usually feared bandits or large groups of wild beasts,which was why they hired mercenaries for protection.However,within the Duchy of Liverpool,although the security wasn't particularly good,small-scale bandits dared not provoke a mercenary troupe with a flag,and large-scale ones wouldn't bother for a small profit,especially one that had seen blood on the eastern orc battlefield.

They did encounter wild beasts twice,with a dozen or so starving wolves attacking the convoy,but they all became victims under Lin Tan and his men's swords.Defeating these wolves even left two of Lin Tan's mercenaries slightly injured,but there were gains as well...

"Killing monsters can actually increase faith energy?"Lin Tan's expression was odd,and he hadn't slept well for several days.The faith energy only increased by 300 a month,which left Lin Tan very dissatisfied.With the initial 100 base energy from the system and the 300 gained in the first month,totaling 400 points,it had now dropped to zero.Training his mercenaries cost 60 points,exchanging for the Holy Dou Qi method cost 200 points,and daily use of the system for self-training,at one point per day,had now exceeded a month,with 40 points spent,leaving only 100,which pained Lin Tan greatly.

If he relied solely on the system's monthly output,it would be too frustrating.Fortunately,he had now discovered a new method.However,this method of gaining energy by killing monsters seemed inefficient.Two batches of over twenty wild wolves only granted him about ten points of energy,which couldn't quickly make up for his needs.

At this time,Lin Tan's strength was steadily advancing towards that of a Level 4 knight.The knight's level assessment was straightforward,divided into four categories:physical fitness,combat skills,Dou Qi level,and Dou Qi application.The maximum score for each category was the same,and an average score reaching a certain level would allow for promotion.Knights without Dou Qi were not assessed on the last two categories,only the average of the first two.Therefore,as one progressed,Dou Qi increasingly determined the combat strength between opponents.Don't underestimate the effort it took for Lin Tan,a Level 3 Dou Qi knight,to defeat Duke Kal,a Level 4 knight without Dou Qi.In the later stages,ten Level 10 ordinary knights might not be able to defeat a Level 7 or 8 knight with Dou Qi.Moreover,without Dou Qi,relying solely on physical fitness and combat skills to become a Level 10 knight?That would be more than just a little difficult...

As Lin Tan rode his horse,contemplating the system within his soul,trouble arrived.

The caravan suddenly stopped,and Lin Tan opened his eyes to find two squads of over twenty Florentine soldiers blocking the way.

Lin Tan rode forward to negotiate,"Soldier,why is the road blocked?"He was a lower-ranking knight of Liverpool,and according to the Saint Cross Alliance Convention,the noble status of one country was recognized by all member states.Of course,it didn't carry actual power,only the protection of the corresponding noble laws of the host country.So,Lin Tan's inquisitive question to the soldier wasn't an overstep.

The soldier glanced at the knight's emblem on Lin Tan's chest,slightly bowed,and said,"This is the order of His Highness the Marquis of Hidalgo,the brother of the Duke,to block all roads in the country."