Woooo~
The kobolds' horns sounded like wild dogs howling in their death throes, making everyone's scalp crawl.
Loren reined in his Bloodline Power and immediately ordered the coachmen to arrange the more than twenty carriages into a semicircle.
The Barbarians still undergoing their class change stood at the opening of the semicircle, while the human slaves brought by the Jasmine Flower Merchant Guild huddled inside it.
That way, they only needed to guard the front and leave a small group to watch the rear to keep them safe.
These slaves were all his personal property, worth a million.
The long howl from the kobolds left the crowd in a panic. The women screamed especially loudly, and the scene grew quite chaotic.
"Silence! Everyone, quiet!"
His cold voice made the panicked crowd freeze as if someone had pressed pause. One by one, they stared at Loren in terror.
Loren had no time to comfort them. He turned to Fiana, who stood close by his side, shielding him.
"There's a Bloodline Mage among those kobolds. Conceal your aura for now, then seize him as soon as he appears."
Loren wasn't worried about ordinary kobolds. Compared to the Barbarians, the famously cowardly kobolds were pitifully weak.
It was the Spellcaster alone who made him wary.
On the battlefield, mages had to be targeted first. They couldn't be allowed to unleash their power unchecked.
At a critical moment, a Silver Grade Spellcaster could prove more valuable than even a Platinum powerhouse.
Those who commanded the elemental forces were not to be underestimated.
Fiana had suffered at the hands of Spellcasters while fighting the Lizardmen, so she was extremely wary of them.
But that wasn't what concerned her. She hesitantly looked at Loren, whose face was pale and whose body seemed as if a breeze could topple him.
"Your safety..."
"Don't worry. As long as you capture that Bloodline Mage, the battle will be over."
Loren looked at the Barbarians, who were about to awaken, brimming with confidence.
"Ding! Barbarian Berserker class change successful."
"Ding! Yas Frost has reached Gold Grade. He gained further insight during his class change and has advanced to Barbarian Storm Warrior."
Whoosh~
The instant the system notification sounded, all 120 Barbarians on the ground opened their eyes.
These men, strong as bulls, suddenly surged with power, like a raging tsunami rising in a thousand layers.
Their eyes burned like glowing embers, filled with terrifying heat and explosive fury.
Loren burst into laughter.
His gaze fell on the Barbarian Chieftain Yas, whose aura was the strongest.
Yas Frost
Level: Gold—Initial
Bloodline: Barbarian Bloodline (Unawakened)
Loyalty: 90
Class: Barbarian Storm Warrior (B-class), Class Skill—Rage Berserk (B-class): The angrier he becomes after entering a berserk state, the stronger his combat power and recovery abilities.
Bond: Barbarian Might. Automatically activated when the number of Barbarians exceeds 100. Strength increased by 10%; morale will never break.
Evaluation: A born warrior, a Barbarian with great potential.
"If reaching Gold Grade lets them advance to Storm Warriors, does that mean Barbarians automatically advance to the second-tier unit once they reach Gold Grade?"
"After advancing, he gained the class skill Rage Berserk. The angrier he gets, the stronger he becomes. This skill is almost exactly like the Hulk from Earth."
After checking Yas's attributes, Loren was extremely pleased. Yas had grown far stronger than he'd expected.
"Lord Loren, I feel so strong now—so very strong!"
After getting to his feet, Yas's scarred face lit up with excitement.
Then, overcome with emotion, he dropped to one knee before Loren again.
"Thank you for your gift, my great master."
Strength was the means to survive on the wasteland.
Loren had granted him tremendous power. To Barbarians, who valued strength above all else, that kindness was greater than the heavens.
The other Barbarians who had awakened also knelt excitedly to pay their respects.
"Thank you for your gift, Lord Loren!"
Loren looked over them. Most of the Barbarians' loyalty had risen above 80, and two had even reached 90, just like Yas.
That showed just how profound an impact the class change had made on them.
Barbarian
Level: Bronze—Advanced
Bloodline: Highland Barbarian Bloodline (Unawakened)
Loyalty: 80
Class: Barbarian Berserker (C-class), Class Skill—Berserk (C+ class): Activates the power within the body, greatly increasing strength and recovery. After the berserk state fades, the user will suffer from weakness for one day.
Bond: Barbarian Might. Activated when the number of Barbarians exceeds 100. Strength increased by 10%; morale will never break.
Evaluation: A born warrior who worships the strong.
Ordinary Berserkers' Berserk skill wasn't as powerful as the Storm Warriors' Rage Berserk, but combined with the Barbarians' physique, it could unleash truly domineering strength.
Woooo~
Just then, the hair-raising, eerie sound of horns came from the grass once more, accompanied by the low growls of a pack of beasts.
The kobolds had finally lost patience and given in to their greed. They were ready to attack.
Though Loren's whole body was weak, the fighting spirit in his chest continued to rise.
Demons had never been a race that loved peace.
Eternal Slaughter.
"Prepare to fight!"
The murderous command made the mood on the field change in an instant.
Whoosh~
The Barbarians, now utterly devoted to Loren, immediately raised their short-handled battle axes and stared at the rustling yellow grass around the convoy, their faces twisted with murderous intent.
A bunch of kobolds dared challenge the great Barbarians!
They were asking for death!
Amid the rustling and the beasts' low growls, the grass finally parted on both sides after a few breaths.
"Kill!!"
A great horde of howling kobolds surged out.
The upright kobolds stood about 1.7 meters tall. Their legs were thick and their heads resembled those of hyenas. They gaped their jaws, drool dripping from the corners of their mouths.
Their sharp teeth and claws were as keen as razors, capable of biting through a warrior's armor.
Their densely packed numbers formed a sea of bodies. Their eyes brimmed with savagery and greed, chilling the onlookers.
The kobolds, with their fangs and claws, looked terrifying—but their opponents were an even stronger band of savages!
The armored Barbarians wielding battle axes stood an average of 1.9 meters tall and were built like bull calves. More than a hundred of them stood firm, like an impregnable wall.
Not even a storm of blades could break through.
The kobolds charged the formidable Barbarians without the slightest fear, baring their fang-filled mouths and fixing greedy, vicious eyes on the convoy.
The gods' will was with them!
The great Chieftain Xim would lead them in killing these foolish humans!
Long live the kobolds!!
Kobold
Level: Bronze—Intermediate
Bloodline: Kobold Bloodline (Unawakened)
Loyalty: -100 (They will tear you to pieces without hesitation!)
Bond: Numbers Advantage. When their numbers exceed the enemy's by more than twofold, their morale increases.
Introduction: A common life-form in the Endless Wasteland. They like to gang up on the weak.
After checking the kobolds' attributes, Loren looked astonished.
No wonder the famously cowardly kobolds of the Endless Wasteland were so ferocious. The Numbers Advantage bond was incredible.
Within a dozen breaths, four or five hundred snarling kobolds poured out of the grass.
The enemy, several times their number, let out low, muffled roars that sent chills down the spine.
Loren's gaze swept quickly across the charging kobolds, searching for the Bloodline Mage.
But to his surprise, even though the kobolds had a clear numerical advantage, their Spellcaster was nowhere to be seen.
Loren raised an eyebrow, killing intent filling his eyes.
"Everyone, listen!
The twenty Barbarians behind Yas will guard the convoy. Everyone else, attack at once!!
Yas, cut through them!"
His forceful command immediately excited the Barbarians.
Battle was instinct, etched into their blood.
Barbarians never retreated!!
The Barbarian Chieftain Yas roared and charged at the head of the group!
His massive, bull-like body suddenly hurtled toward the kobolds several dozen meters ahead.
He charged like a maddened bull.
A hundred Barbarian Berserkers roared as they followed their Chieftain into the slaughter.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Berserkers' charge made the earth tremble.
Loren's first battle in this world had begun.
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