Barbarian's New King

"Lord Loren, this meat is from a unicorn python, two thousand Puck per jin. It's packed with potent magic, please try some."

"This is the meat of a berserk giant lizard, five thousand Puck per jin."

"This is a one-eyed rhinoceros."

"This is..."

The Jasmine Flower Merchant Guild members, Robert and Arnor, came in from outside, drenched in sweat, carrying various precious monster meats. Meanwhile, Lord Loren sat at the round table, his face pale, shoveling food into his mouth like a madman.

Plate after plate of roasted meat disappeared into him as if he had an bottomless stomach.

His incredible digestive power made the meat he consumed vanish within minutes.

Only when a servant from the Jasmine Flower Merchant Guild informed Robert that the warehouse was out of monster meat did Loren finally stop.

Despite eating so much, his entire body felt limp and weak.

It was as if he had engaged in seven rounds of intense activity for ten consecutive days and nights, leaving him utterly exhausted, his eyes hazy, and without the strength to even stand.

Loren leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling, his voice weak.

"When will those barbarians be sent to the Jasmine Flower Merchant Guild??"

"Lord Loren, the steward of the Black Feather Merchant Association, out of respect for your power, specifically found priests to heal those barbarians. They are expected to recover significantly by evening and will be sent over then."

Robert looked at Loren with eyes full of adoration and respect.

He himself was a Gold Grade beginner Warrior, but he clearly recognized that if he faced the Barbarian Chieftain alone, he wouldn't last three minutes.

Yet now, Lord Loren had annihilated the Barbarian Chieftain with overwhelming force. Doesn't that mean defeating him would be as simple as lifting a hand?

And he was only Silver Grade!

His initial respect for Loren's status had transformed into respect for both his status and his strength.

One must show sufficient respect to the strong; this was the first and eternal ironclad rule for survival on the Nol Main Plane.

Loren felt the weakness coursing through his body, a feeling of utter despair.

Defeating a Gold Grade warrior with Silver Grade power was exhilarating, but the aftereffects of using the S-rank skill, Demon Frenzy, were extremely severe.

Furthermore, he had also used the S-rank secret technique of the Bauhinia Breathing Technique, Steel Breaker Slash, which further increased his exhaustion.

So, after his fighting spirit waned, he had to be carried back.

He wouldn't be able to fight for at least three days. To confront a Gold Grade warrior head-on like today would require at least another week.

But it was all worth it.

"Ding~ Quest - Impossible Conquest, completed.

Reward: Loyalty of the Barbarians, has been issued."

Those strong barbarians would, from this day forward, become the blades in his hand.

Another gain was that Loren realized from this mission that the system issued quests based on his actual condition, not randomly. This gave him pause for thought.

Fiana, with her cool and aloof demeanor, stood by watching the near-death Loren, annoyance flickering across her face. She said sternly, her voice icy.

"Hmph, consider this a lesson this time. If anything had gone wrong, I'd like to see you still feasting like this!"

While she marveled at Loren's shocking combat prowess during the battle, when he collapsed limply into her arms, no one could describe the panic and unease she felt at that moment.

So, it was no wonder she couldn't give him a pleasant expression.

Loren turned to look at the girl suppressing her anger and grinned.

"If I had sent you out then, I wouldn't have had to put in so much effort. You really don't take the initiative to share my burdens."

?!!

Fiana was instantly furious, wishing she could kick him a couple of times.

Who was it that stopped her from intervening?

Who was it that told her to trust him?

This scoundrel!!

After a few cold snorts, still fuming, the girl finally decided to leave, giving him a glare.

Anor stood by, observing everything with a neutral expression, as if he hadn't heard a thing. After Fiana left, he spoke with exaggerated admiration.

"Lord Loren, you were truly magnificent today!

Did you see? Those noble ladies nearby, their eyes were practically sparkling when they saw you!

If you had stayed tonight, you would have had a wonderful evening!

I swear, if I were one of those ladies, I would have fallen in love with you instantly!!"

Loren's mood had been improving slightly, but hearing this made him feel utterly disgusted.

He looked at the Bronze Thief, who had barely any muscle on his frame, with extreme disdain.

"Get lost!! Go immediately and urge the Black Feather Merchant Association to send the barbarians. If I don't see them tonight, I'll make you duel them one-on-one!!"

Anor's face stiffened. He recalled the fierce, muscular barbarians and then glanced at his own slender body. He immediately cowered.

This is a case of the strong oppressing the weak.

After Anor left in a hurry, Loren turned to look at Robert.

"The Barbarians have been delivered. Go and pick out suitable armor for them. Don't the merchant guilds deal in weapons and armor?"

Robert quickly responded.

"The Blackstone Merchant Guild's main business is weapons and armor. I've already sent someone to notify them, and they'll send people to measure the Barbarians then."

"What's the current market price for armor?"

"Lord Loren, armor is divided into five grades: S, A, B, C, and D.

Above A-class are extraordinary armors, which are extremely expensive. S-class is a legendary existence, not currently sold on the market.

The guild currently only has B, C, and D-class armor for sale.

B-class armor costs 1 million Puck per set.

C-class armor costs 500,000 Puck per set.

D-class armor costs 200,000 Puck per set.

Armor without a grade costs about 50,000 Puck per set.

Loren's mouth twitched as he listened.

He spent 15 million Puck to buy 120 Barbarians.

He spent 1 million at the Jasmine Flower Merchant Guild for 67 Human slaves.

His total funds of 25 million were now down to 9 million.

Based on D-class armor and weapons, equipping one Barbarian would cost 200,000 Puck.

Even if he spent all his money, he could only equip 45 Barbarians.

Damn, that's too few.

Loren's eyelids twitched. That 20-something million didn't last long at all.

"Equip each of these 120 Barbarians with a piece of armor that has no grade. Of the remaining 3 million, use 1 million to buy food and other living supplies, and keep the other 2 million in reserve."

He thought he'd be able to splurge after earning 25 million, but he hadn't expected to end up back where he started.

"Yes, Lord Loren."

Robert didn't dare to say anything more. After the incident at the slave market, Loren's prestige was firmly established.

He immediately arranged for people to carry out the order.

Watching Robert busy himself, Loren's mood improved slightly.

Besides making money, his biggest goal in forming the merchant guild alliance was to have people he could delegate tasks to when situations like this arose.

He only needed to give the order, and the guild members would handle things perfectly without him needing to expend extra energy.

Moreover, since the supplies were being purchased from guilds within the alliance, it benefited the guild members, and they would work even harder.

Therefore, from this perspective, forming the alliance was a win-win-win situation.

Not only did he gain a large sum of money out of thin air, but he also acquired a large number of people he could command and the network of connections built by these guilds.

More importantly, these guilds were currently his partners on the surface, but as he grew stronger, they would become an extension of his power.

And the guilds that joined the alliance were happy to do so.

Therefore, Loren was very satisfied with his first move in Decker City, which could be described as a stroke of genius.

After resting until evening, there was a sudden commotion from the front yard, and a servant came to report.

"Master Loren, the Barbarians have been delivered. President Robert asks you to come over."

After speaking, he pushed a newly purchased wheelchair over.

This world was full of dangers, and injured or disabled adventurers were common, so wheelchairs were not a rare sight.

Loren waved his hand. His emaciated body had recovered some strength after resting.

With weak legs, he stood up and slowly walked towards the front yard.

A moment later, Loren, looking paler than someone who had overindulged, arrived at the front yard.

A group of Barbarians, wrapped in bandages and bruised and swollen, looked at the slowly approaching Loren with extremely complex expressions.

It was this seemingly frail demon who had single-handedly defeated them all, and in his Silver Grade state.

Barbarians lived in harsh, cold lands. Only the strongest leaders could lead them to survive, so their reverence for the strong was even greater than that of other races.

And Loren, who had defeated them all in the way they recognized most – through violence – had undoubtedly earned their respect.

The nobles who had tried to conquer them before always relied on fighting lower-level opponents with higher-level abilities, which they disdained, so they had no intention of submitting.

Only Loren, this monster, had exceeded everyone's expectations.

Loren grinned and looked at the group, saying with a smile.

"Barbarians of the high mountains, from today onwards, you will become the army of the Gray Eagle Territory, personally led by me!"

"Where is your chieftain?"

As the words fell, the Barbarian's shoulder was pushed aside, revealing the Barbarian Chieftain, a two-meter-tall giant of a man.

The Barbarian Chieftain, who had been a bloody mess resembling a human shape just moments ago, had already recovered seventy to eighty percent of his strength. It was clear he had been saved by the master priest.

Lord Loren's face was pale, his weakened body seeming as though it could collapse at any moment, but his eyes were as sharp as blades, staring directly into the Barbarian Chieftain's.

He refused to back down.

Under the contrast of their imposing auras, the Barbarian Chieftain, who was built like a rhinoceros, seemed to be the one at a disadvantage.

Fiana's gaze was fixed on the Barbarian Chieftain, her body tensed to the extreme. If he dared to make any move, she would draw her sword and charge without hesitation.

The two stared at each other, and the air suddenly grew quiet.

After a long moment, the terrifyingly imposing Barbarian Chieftain slowly lowered his head. Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, he knelt on one knee.

"Lord Loren, your strength has earned our recognition.

The Frost Tribe is willing to join the Gray Eagle Territory and become your subordinates."

Behind him, hundreds of Barbarians also slowly bent their bodies, kneeling on one knee, their right fists clenched and striking their chests.

The Highland Barbarians, who feared no death and never surrendered, now showed the most humble posture, submitting to their new king.

At this moment, the pale-faced, extremely weak young man.

In the eyes of everyone around him, he was filled with an admirable personal charisma.

Perhaps some people are born leaders.

Fiana slowly released her hand from the sword hilt, a hint of warmth entering her cold eyes.

Perhaps she had not been wrong to agree to Grand Duke Orchid's request.