It had been three days since Lü Bu chose his path.
Three days since he began hunting for more than survival.
Now, he hunted for people.
People like him.
People with nothing.
The mountain roads were rough — winding through ruined villages, abandoned farmlands, and the bones of forgotten battles. Bandits roamed freely, and warlords clashed in distant lands.
And yet, amid that chaos, he found him.
A voice — loud, defiant — echoed from the ravine below.
"You think I'm scared of you? Come fight me yourself, coward!"
Lü Bu crouched on a ledge and peered down.
There — in a narrow clearing — stood a boy, maybe a year younger than him. Thin. Wild hair. A wooden stick in his hands like a sword.
He was surrounded by three older men — rough, armed, clearly bandits.
"This kid's crazy," one of them muttered, amused.
"He's got no blade. Let's just finish him."
Lü Bu's eyes narrowed.
The boy wasn't smart. But he had courage.
Without hesitation, Lü Bu moved.
By the time the first bandit turned, he was already falling — a sword through his back.
The other two tried to react, but Lü Bu was faster now.
Sharper. Cleaner.
One fell with a slash to the throat. The other screamed, but was silenced with a cold, precise thrust.
Silence returned to the forest.
The younger boy stared, stunned.
"You… you saved me?"
"No," Lü Bu replied. "I saw potential."
Later, they sat beside a stream. The boy rubbed a bruise on his cheek, still shaking from the encounter.
"I'm called Tian," he said finally. "From West Vale… well, what's left of it. Bandits burned it down. My brother fought them, and he…"
He trailed off.
Lü Bu nodded. He didn't press. Pain was something they shared — no need to speak it aloud.
"Do you want to die?" Lü Bu asked instead.
Tian blinked. "What?"
"Do you want to die… chasing revenge blindly? Swinging sticks at men with swords?"
The boy scowled, fists clenched. "No! I want to fight. To become strong. Strong enough that no one can ever take from me again."
Lü Bu stared at him.
Then held out his hand.
"Then train under me."
"Not as a thug. Not as a killer."
"But as a soldier."
System Alert
— First Recruit Acquired: Tian (Unranked)
— Loyalty: 25/100
— Training Level: 0%
— New Skill Unlocked: Basic Leadership Aura
— Unit Roster Created: [1/100]
That night, they began training.
Lü Bu watched as Tian swung his stick a hundred times in the moonlight, muscles trembling, breath ragged.
But he didn't stop.
And Lü Bu didn't praise him.
He simply corrected his stance, adjusted his grip — and made him do it again.
Because this was how armies were born.
Not through bloodlines or banners.
But through fire.
Through will.
Through shared pain and forged discipline.