Chapter Five: The Yellow Turbans
"Is it really that bad?"
"The cruelest, most terrifying place," Yang Wentian's voice trembled slightly. "The rules of battlefield scenarios aren't like ordinary historical settings—if you just follow the original trend, nothing major goes wrong; the difficulty and rewards in typical scenarios are fairly stable, and you won't encounter people who are either overwhelmingly powerful or hopelessly incompetent."
"But even low-level battlefields sometimes yield incredibly rich rewards. Many strong players use items to enter; while we're fighting, we never know when we'll run into such people! Worse still, we can't predict when they'll use items to switch factions! Here, even if we win, enemies can appear behind us at any moment! I had thought..."
Yang Wentian paused, as if recalling something, his lips moving but not finishing the thought.
No doubt, it was a speculation unfavorable to him. Since the situation is so brutal, why were Zhou Yingxiong and I—two newcomers—sent here?
Because you're teamed up with him. Perhaps you feel guilty, think you've dragged us into this, right?
You probably thought that, by teaming up with newbies, you'd be assigned an easier scenario, didn't you?
But... actually... Leadership points might be the real reason we entered. Since you didn't ask, I won't bring up such minor details...
"There you are," Zhou Yingxiong walked in. "I've been looking for ages. This round lasts so long."
"This is the Yellow Turbans' camp, right? Let's go take a look outside." Wang Luo waved his hand, stopping Yang Wentian from continuing, and exited the tent.
Outside, the people indeed wore yellow scarves, but this looked less like a military camp and more like a refugee camp.
Many, clad in all sorts of ragged clothing, sat slumped by campfires, noisy and clamorous; occasionally, small disputes would break out into fights, but nobody intervened. When the food in the big pot was ready, soldiers rushed in, the strong grabbing more while the weak made do with scraps.
Wang Luo walked north. After passing four or five tents, he finally saw two Yellow Turban soldiers standing guard at an entrance.
They wore tattered shirts and held... hoes. Barefoot—one had no shoes, the other wore straw sandals.
Excellent. I need to fight alongside such soldiers against the Han army, the most formidable regulars on Earth in this era.
Wang Luo touched his nose.
Right, this is a data-driven scenario. What are their stats?
As he thought this, a prompt appeared:
No officer in the camp has a Leadership higher than yours; you are recognized as the commander here.
You may view the information of your subordinates.
Target identity—Yellow Turban Bandit
Yellow Turban Bandit: Incited by Zhang Jiao, originally Han civilians. Lacking any military training, they charge around the battlefield like headless chickens.
Attributes: Strength 3 | Agility 2 | Stamina 3 | Intelligence 1 | Spirit 3 (+5) | Defense 2 | Attack 3
Morale: Average (the large numbers boost their morale, while religious faith gives them spiritual support)
Skills: None
Weaker than me. Let's check someone else...
He examined an elderly man nearby, unarmed.
Yellow Turban Refugee: Incited by Zhang Jiao, formerly Han civilians.
Status: Hungry
Attributes: Strength 1 | Agility 1 | Stamina 1 | Intelligence 1 | Spirit 1 (+5) | Defense 0 | Attack 1
Morale: Good (his unwavering faith in the Great Teacher has led him here... though it seems to benefit neither side much)
On the battlefield, he can block enemy sightlines, feign numbers, or serve as moving obstacles—an exceptional commander might even find other uses.
Yes, once war begins, anything that moves is useful—depending on how the commander deploys them.
As he pondered this, two men approached from outside the camp. Both wore yellow scarves, but appeared much more robust.
They must have returned from hunting. Each bore a bow, one carried an iron blade in his left hand and a few wild birds in his right.
"General." As they reached the entrance, one greeted Wang Luo, while the other passed by without acknowledgment.
Interesting. Wang Luo checked the attributes of the more respectful soldier.
Yellow Turban Soldier: A young adult among the refugees, one of the more capable fighters in the Yellow Turban army.
Status: Normal
Attributes: Strength 4 | Agility 3 | Stamina 5 | Intelligence 2 | Spirit 5 (+5) | Defense 5 | Attack 7
Skill: Thrust LV1
E-rank Skill Thrust—LV1 effect: Consumes 1 energy point, thrusts the spear forward three times in quick succession, dealing weapon damage to the enemy.
Morale: Average (these soldiers have won some victories by sheer numbers but have developed a wary respect for the Han army's combat prowess, and doubts about the Great Teacher's practical help on the battlefield have started to creep in)
Combat ability is decent... By the way, the Yellow Turbans don't have formal ranks, so the "General" was just a casual address.
How many of these three types of fighters are in the camp?
Wang Luo turned, surveying the area. Roughly thirty tents. Looking out, there were several larger camps to the north.
Those eating numbered perhaps over a hundred. Including the rest, maybe more than two hundred. What effect does Leadership have? Will they obey if I issue orders?
In the other camps, how many contractors are there? How strong are they?
As Wang Luo pondered, the largest camp nearby erupted with the sound of war drums.