Mount & Blade: Rebuilding Rome from Mercenaries

"Damn it... no, sir! This is the perfect spot to camp. Not only is it well-hidden, but we can also keep a close watch on everything happening in the cave!"

Anna led Tancred and his group to a densely wooded ridge. Although her tone still carried some annoyance and disdain, she was still dutifully fulfilling her role as a guide.

Tancred looked in the direction she was pointing, and through the dense foliage, the bandit camp at the foot of the mountain was indeed clearly visible.

As dusk approached and darkness fell, the thieves lit a campfire at the cave entrance. A dozen or so figures sat around it, their boisterous laughter carried on the night breeze. From the depths of the dark cave, the faint, mournful cries of a woman could still be heard.

"Oh my God, these beasts! Ugh..." Anna couldn't help but curse loudly, but Tancred immediately covered her mouth.

Even through his leather gloves, Tancred could feel the warmth of Anna's cheek. She stared at him, her eyes wide with anger and a hint of embarrassment.

"Quiet! I sympathize with them, but now is not the time." Tancred's voice was low. "We are too few in number. We can only wipe them out when they are asleep at midnight. You don't want any captured bandits to continue ravaging the village, do you?"

Anna turned her face away, her chest heaving twice, but she didn't say anything more. She just leaned against a tree trunk with her arms crossed, pursing her lips and looking at the distant firelight.

"Everyone rest and conserve your energy. No fires allowed!" Old John arranged the campsite, then came over and advised, "Little Tank Red, you should go and get some sleep too."

"No, Uncle John," Tancred shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the camp below the mountain, "I'm going to stay here and keep an eye on the enemy camp, looking for an opportunity!"

Old John didn't try to persuade him any further, but simply patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction before turning to make arrangements for the others.

The mountains and fields fell into complete silence, broken only by the rustling of the wind through the treetops and the faint, unpleasant noise coming from below. Tankred sat cross-legged on the edge of a rock, the coolness of his chainmail keeping him alert.

The first real battle is just around the corner; we must be fully prepared!

After all, this isn't a game where you lose everything when you die!

He took a deep breath, suppressing the tension and excitement in his heart, then closed his eyes, and the system panel reappeared before his eyes.

He still has two attribute points that have not yet been allocated. If he makes good use of them, he can improve his strength and give himself greater security in the upcoming battles.

"System, give me some points!"

Tankred didn't hesitate to add two attribute points to Constitution.

He's currently too weak in combat; his vitality and control are far too low, and even adding 3 points wouldn't provide a significant improvement. Instead, increasing his constitution to 10 points would give him the basic physical attributes of an elite warrior. Combined with [Tailor-Made], allowing him to wear an extra layer of armor, his safety in combat would be greatly enhanced.

With a shudder, Tancred felt his strength noticeably increase, his fatigue quietly dissipating, and even his senses becoming more acute; he could even faintly hear groans coming from inside the cave...

As night deepened, the campfire at the cave entrance dimmed, the bandits lay sprawled on the ground, and the noisy voices were finally replaced by snores and silence.

"The time has come!" Tankred stood up excitedly, leaning on his spear.

He felt a primal urge, seemingly belonging to the Viking Age, stirring within his body, ready to be unleashed!

"Damn it, you... watch out!" Anna muttered almost inaudibly as she saw Tancred get up.

-----------------

"Twenty paces, ready—fire!"

The fully armed mercenary team quietly approached the cave. Under Old John's command, Tankred followed the mercenaries' example, picked up a crossbow, and, by the faint moonlight, aimed at a figure huddled at the cave entrance.

"Whoosh—Pfft!"

Tankred felt a slight recoil from the crossbow, and the bolt flew out, luckily hitting a dark figure in his field of vision.

"Ding! You have killed a [bandit] with a crossbow. Crossbow proficiency +2 (10→12), personal experience +5, current level Lv3 (5/50)"

We're open for business!

The other mercenaries were not bad either; at least five thieves groaned and then stopped moving.

"Who goes there?" "Someone's attacking!"

The sudden volley of fire effectively killed the thieves, but the more alert ones had already been awakened and began to shout.

"Everyone, charge!" "Waghhh"

Seeing this, Old John no longer hesitated. With a command, the mercenaries emerged from the shadows and charged toward the bandit camp under the guidance of the sacred F1+F3 Mount & Blade tactics.

Old John took the lead, his sword flashing with a cold light as he slashed down a thief who had just gotten up.

Little John followed closely behind, his young face flushed with excitement. The pre-battle instructions to him were long forgotten; he roared and thrust his spear forward, using the momentum to pierce through two panicked enemies in succession.

Tankred, however, wasn't as dashing. Lacking any skill, he relied on his towering size and 10 points in constitution to charge forward with his shield, sending an enemy who had just touched a weapon flying. The unfortunate fellow, dazed and trying to get up, was clumsily chopped down by Tankred's axe.

「叮！你用单手斧击杀了【山贼】，单手武器熟练度+3（0→3），个人经验+10，当前等级Lv3（15/50）」

The other mercenaries also displayed their unique skills, and in a single encounter, more than a dozen robbers' corpses were left in front of the cave.

"Damn it, get up! It's a Norman dog!"

"Retreat! Retreat into the cave and defend!"

The thieves finally put up some resistance, fighting their way back and retreating into the narrow cave entrance.

The cave passage was dark and damp, barely wide enough for two or three people to walk side by side. The experienced mercenaries automatically adjusted into a tight column, coordinating seamlessly and providing overlapping cover as they steadily advanced along the passage. Bashir, who had been missing during the initial charge, now quietly followed, shielding the entire mercenary group in front of him.

After killing several stubborn thieves, the mercenary team finally advanced to the end of the cave, which was a rather spacious natural cavern.

In the flickering torchlight, the remaining four bandits leaned against the stone wall, among them a burly man with a fierce face who was clearly their leader. He held a trembling, disheveled young woman by the arm, a Germanic sword held to her neck.

"Stop! If you come any closer, I'll kill her!" The bandit leader roared, his eyes bloodshot.

The mercenaries paused slightly, glancing sideways at Tankred's instructions.

"Sir, please hurry up and get started! Those country bumpkins haven't paid us to rescue the hostages!" Tankred said with a sneer.

"Hahahaha!" The mercenaries burst into low, hoarse laughter, maintaining their formation as they continued their advance.

The bandit leader was taken aback, clearly not expecting this reaction, and his face immediately turned even uglier.

Seeing the mercenaries slowly approaching again, he shoved the woman aside and brandished his sword, shouting, "Shameless Norman bastard! I challenge you to a duel! Who's the leader? Dare to come out and fight me one-on-one like a true warrior!"

"Pfft, pfft, pfft!"

He was met with swords and spears from the mercenaries, and the bandit leader's last three henchmen fell before him. Taking advantage of the situation, Tancred pulled the poor girl behind the mercenaries and handed her over to the slacking Bashir to look after.

"Let's go together and kill him!" Old John spat, preparing to lead the mercenaries to swarm forward.

"Wait, step back! I accept your challenge!" Tancred suddenly stepped forward, interrupting old John.

The instant the bandit leader roared out the word "duel," a line of clear text suddenly appeared before his eyes:

"Ding! The bandit leader has challenged you to a duel. Do you accept?"

"If you accept, you will gain the trait [Aspiring Swordsman]!"