Helping each other with countless me.

Chapter 552: Starting with being drafted into the army.
"Laughing at the Second Integrated Universe"

"Shaolin Temple's plan to flatter and destroy was executed perfectly."

"However, everyone, including the Huashan Sect itself, overlooked Li Zhongren's potential for growth."

Therefore, Shaolin Temple's attempt to flatter and kill actually turned into a form of help.

"In just one year, Li Zhongren completely broke through the limits of Hunyuan Gong and achieved the state of being indestructible even when facing gods."

"From now on, calling him a terrestrial deity wouldn't be an exaggeration..."

"After that, Li Zhongren swept through Mingzhou and unified the martial arts world."

"Using the martial arts world as a springboard, they completely wiped out the imperial power in Mingzhou and established a brand-new system of rule among sects and martial arts circles."

"The plan is still underway."

"Each settlement year, it steadily provides gas and water to the border area."

"The search for a new world has begun."

"Search complete."

"Distribute."
-
Li Zhongren stood tall in the long queue.
This is the conscription office.

From his past life's memories, he knew that this was a country called Sandel, and that the country was at war with a neighboring country as its enemy.

He didn't know why.

He didn't know how badly the fight had gone.

He didn't know whether his opponent was strong or not.

After all, the world he was in was a medieval world similar to swords and magic.

In such a world, the speed of information dissemination is extremely slow; in fact, much information simply has no channels of dissemination.

Therefore, it's quite normal for a farmer at the very bottom of society to know nothing about his past.

All the original owner knew was that the lord was conscripting soldiers to help the king fight a war.

If we win, we'll have money, women, and land.

However, the original owner did not want to fight, so he hid in the mountains. Unfortunately, he died before he could achieve his goal. He was ambushed by a wild beast as soon as he entered the mountains and died.

That's how he got transported here.

The good news is that, thanks to the help of sharing spaces, he also has his own magic touch.

As for the cheat ability, it's actually quite simple: it allows you to enter a god-like perspective and control yourself as if you were playing an RTS game.

At the same time, all the abilities one possesses will be transformed into skills, which can be performed in the most standard form with 100% accuracy.

It can even enter a state of time deceleration.

In this state, he will have more time to analyze and deal with enemy attacks and the environment.

It was precisely with this ability that he directly killed the ferocious beast that attacked him.

After washing off the bloodstains, he returned to town and joined the army.

After all, it would be a waste not to use his ability in war.

At the same time, he didn't want to be a farmer for the rest of his life.

As is well known, war is the fastest way to achieve upward social mobility.

As long as you can fight.

Like in the history of my hometown before I traveled through time, Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi, fought his way up from a lowly soldier to the top.

"Name."

"weed."

Li Zhongren replied.

In this world, farmers have no names, or rather, only people with status are entitled to have names. After all, to have a name, you first need to have the ability to be recognized by others.

However, as time went by, the question of names could gradually be used on ordinary people. But the recruiting officer also knew that in most cases, he would only get a useless title. Like this weed, there were at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, in the whole town.

“From today onwards, your name is Wild Grass 78.”

As they were talking, the conscription officer handed a wooden plaque to Li Zhongren.

A string of characters is engraved on it.

It must be the language of this world.

"You may not be able to read, but you must remember the pattern on this. This is your name, and it's also the proof for redeeming your reward. Got it?"

"remember."

Li Zhongren carefully put away the wooden plaque. In this world, there are no ID cards or photos. Whoever has this thing is Wild Grass 78. On the battlefield, there will be clerks to record battle achievements, which will be distributed uniformly after the battle. But if you are killed during this period and your plaque is stolen, then people only recognize the plaque.

It sounds rough.

But it is what it is.

After all, farmers at the bottom of society are not worth wasting too much time on.

On the other hand, knights, who came from war families or respectable families, and who had a certain reputation, would not have such a thing happen to them.

In other words, as a lowly nobody, he needed to make a name for himself and gain recognition so that more people would know him and he could avoid having his military achievements stolen.

It's cruel and realistic.

A month later, Li Zhongren followed his lord to the front lines.

All they got were a pair of shoes and a sharpened wooden stick.

That's right, all those war merits, women, money, and land are just carrots dangling on a rope.

These farmers, to put it bluntly, were just cannon fodder.

For a month, thousands of farmers were confined to military camps, where they did only two things each day: stab scarecrows with sticks and eat.

Everything else is needed.

There's no need for that.

It's actually of no use to these people who have never received any education.

With his cheat code, he could indeed gain credit.

After all, it's like he's gained supernatural insight.

However, he is merely cannon fodder; even if the battle is won, there's a high probability he won't get any credit.

Moreover, and most importantly, his system allows him to increase his strength through killing, and even has a chance to extract the skills of the people he kills.

However, this only applies to those killed by him personally, or those killed under his personal command, or others.

In other words, what he needs now is a team.
So, during this January, he gradually revealed some of his abilities, letting the farmers know that there was a very capable farmer in their camp. Based on this reputation, and the farmers' worries and confusion about the future, he formed his own team.

The strongest farmer in the camp was selected.

Once the other party agrees to join, they will be incorporated into the team.

Fortunately, farmers are easy to fool.

At the same time, he had no intention of rebelling.

This group of over a hundred strong farmers were also very obedient.

Most importantly, Li Zhongren could see the loyalty above his head.

this point is very important.

Once loyalty reaches 60.

In battlefield mode, he can directly control these farmers from a higher dimension, instantly transforming them into elite warriors. However, negative consequences such as death and defeat will be settled after each battle. When their loyalty drops below 60, he can no longer directly control these farmers. Currently, that's all he knows, but Li Zhongren believes that as their loyalty increases, he might unlock more abilities.

Of course, that's all for the future. Right now, what he needs to do is increase his strength through killing and forge the loyalty of this team through killing.

Then, the opportunity came.

As cannon fodder, the original role of farmers was to deplete the enemy's arrows, magic, and energy in the first wave of the main battle, providing a buffer for the real elite troops.

Take the lord behind him, for example.

This time, he brought a total of five thousand men.

Three thousand of them were peasant cannon fodder, fifteen hundred were in charge of logistics, and the real elite force consisted of five hundred men, organized into five teams of one hundred each, equipped with weapons and armor. This was all he had.

It may not sound like much, but in this world with low productivity, having a fully armored army of 500 men is already quite remarkable. However, these 500 men are not full-time workers; they are the kind who also farm on a regular basis.

If it's purely for those who are off-the-job, then this number would probably be reduced even further.

Currently, their troops are stationed in a small town called Rolling Stone City. Although it is called a small town, it has built decent city walls and defenses because of the stone production here. It is a fortress in size and a good strategic location, which can be used for attack, defense, and support.

After all, ancient wars were fought over these cities and fortresses.

Previously, Li Zhongren didn't understand why it was necessary to break through fortresses in battle; why couldn't he just bypass them?
I only realized this when I grew up.

People need rest too, and in ancient times, only in castles could one rest safely, which was the so-called safe zone.

Furthermore, because such safe zones are protected by fortified cities, it is very difficult for outsiders to attack them.

If war breaks out and you bypass such a fortress, the result will be that you will be attacked from two sides, or even from multiple sides, and your supply lines may be cut off.

Just like Chekhov, the 1,500 men responsible for transporting the grain along the way couldn't move very fast. If the main force managed to shake them off, and they were discovered by the enemy, the outcome would be obvious.

Therefore, castles are extremely important in war; once lost, they pose a significant disadvantage.

Let's get back to the farmer.

As mentioned earlier, they are consumables, but they can be used in other areas besides the main battlefield.

For example, reconnaissance.

Lord Chekhov received intelligence from the kingdom's high command that, after a decisive battle, an elite enemy force was suspected of fleeing southwest of Rolling Stone Town. There was a very important figure in that force, so he was needed to investigate.

Chekhov certainly wouldn't want to do something like that.

His mission was to defend Rolling Stone City, but he couldn't refuse the task assigned to him.

Therefore, the best approach is to send a team of farmers.

The mission was completed, but the person died, and no one could say anything about it.

Then, Li Zhongren accepted the task.

In the previous martial arts competition, he became a centurion among the farmers because of his strong fighting ability. It was because of this that he was qualified to form a team of one hundred people. After a month of hard work, the loyalty of all the members of his team exceeded sixty.

This is the perfect opportunity for him to strike!

However, the wooden plaque pressed coldly against Li Zhongren's chest, but what was even colder was the task he was about to face.

Leading a hundred farmers who had only trained in stabbing straw men and were armed with sharpened wooden sticks to track down a fleeing elite enemy force.

Even with the system's help, it's still a huge disadvantage; you can't expect a wooden stick to be very effective against armor.

He took a deep breath and walked toward the temporary command post where Lord Chekov was located—the relatively spacious stone house of the mayor of Rolling Stone Town.

Normally, as a farmer, he was not qualified to meet the lord.

However, as a centurion, even a centurion of peasant troops, he was entitled to an audience with the lord.

Ultimately, this is a world with extraordinary powers. Often, even among farmers, there are hidden geniuses. Therefore, the lords won't go too far. If you are truly capable, they will open their eyes and take a look at you. After all, this is also for their own benefit.

Chekhov was frowning as he looked at a rough map, with several of his trusted men in leather armor standing beside him.

"Wild Grass 78 greets Your Lordship."

"what's up?"

Chekhov didn't even look up, his tone carrying the usual impatience he had for cannon fodder.

"Lord Lord."

Li Zhongren bowed slightly, his voice low but clear.

"My hundred-man squad and I will be setting off tomorrow to carry out your reconnaissance orders."

"Okay, I understand. Go ahead, keep your eyes open, and report back immediately if you see anything."

Chekhov still didn't look up, but waved his hand as if shooing away a fly.

"grown ups."

Li Zhongren didn't move; instead, he took a step forward.

"We are honored to serve you, but we have a small problem and would like to ask for your leniency."

Chekhov finally raised his head, his hawk-like eyes fixed on Li Zhongren with scrutiny and displeasure.

"Problem? Farmers, your problem is following orders!"

"Your Majesty, it's clear."

Li Zhongren tried his best to make his expression appear both respectful and troubled.

"We have a hundred men and only sharpened wooden sticks. If we really run into the enemy, let alone gather information, we probably won't even make a splash. We'll be shot dead like rabbits. If word gets out, it won't look good."

Chekhov narrowed his eyes: "What do you mean?"

"My lord, according to the mission you told us before, the kingdom sent us to scout out the enemy's situation."

Li Zhongren lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of earnestness, as if he were "thinking of you."

"If the enemy discovers that we're using only wooden sticks and don't even have a decent piece of iron, won't they think that Lord Chekhov is taking the kingdom's orders too lightly, sending some farmers to their deaths to get by? If someone with ulterior motives reports this, saying that you're being perfunctory, or even... preserving your strength? That wouldn't be good for your reputation or for Rolling Stone City's prestige."

Chekhov's eyes flickered.

Li Zhongren's words struck a nerve. He was indeed just going through the motions, but he absolutely did not want to give anyone cause for criticism, especially at this sensitive time when an important figure from the kingdom's upper echelons was on the run.

Being perfunctory and being "caught being perfunctory" are two different things.

Li Zhongren struck while the iron was hot.

"Sir, we dare not ask for any good equipment."

"We only beg you to have mercy and allocate some of those old, unusable, and nearly obsolete tools from the warehouse. Even rusty knives, chipped axes, or leather armor with a few holes would be fine!"

"At least let the enemy see that we are armed with iron weapons and have something to protect us from arrows, proving that you have indeed sent a 'decent' team to carry out the king's orders! That way, even if we all die, the enemy will only say that Lord Chekhov's men fought to the death, instead of being easily mowed down like grass, which would make you lose face!"

He paused and added.

"And what if, by some chance, we get lucky and manage to catch the enemy's tail, or discover some important clues? With some weapons on hand, we might be able to bring you back something useful, or... a few valuable heads?"

Chekhov remained silent, tapping his fingers on the rough wooden table.

Li Zhongren's rhetoric was crude, but effective.

Giving him some junk equipment would not only silence any potential gossip, but also allow these cannon fodder to die with a slightly more "dignified" death, and there might even be a tiny, slim chance of additional benefits.

Although it costs money—after all, iron is always valuable in this world—the difference between old, broken junk and high-quality weapons is obvious. He can afford to lose some old ironware.

Chekhov finally snorted and waved to a servant beside him.

"Take him to the warehouse, find the military officer, and tell him to distribute 100 sets of 'spare supplies' to the 100-man team of 'Wild Grass 78'. Remember, 'spare'!"

He emphasized the word "spare," the meaning of which was self-evident—the most worn and old ones.

"Thank you for your kindness, Lord!"

(End of this chapter)