The flames had died down, but the scent of ash lingered.
Smoke curled lazily from blackened rooftops. The villagers were busy tending to the wounded, gathering the dead, and offering silent prayers to the heavens. In the center of it all stood Lü Bu—silent, armored in dried blood, his blade still unpolished.
Not a single man dared interrupt him.
Around him, the Iron Core rested in silence, many still shaken by the aftermath. Some stared at the corpses. Others sat with shaking hands, realizing they had killed. A few stared at Lü Bu, trying to understand what kind of man he truly was.
This wasn't a victory march.
It was a funeral for the part of them that had once been innocent.
"Commander," Wei Yun finally said, voice low, "the villagers… they want to speak with you."
Lü Bu didn't move at first. His eyes were distant—somewhere between fire and memory. Then, with slow control, he nodded and walked toward the broken village square.
Old men bowed. Mothers wept. Children peeked from behind doors, their eyes wide with fear and awe.
An elderly man stepped forward, holding a walking stick. His hands were trembling.
"Young warrior… We have no gold. No banners. We are no kingdom. Why did you come?"
Lü Bu looked at him.
And then, his voice—calm but steady—cut through the quiet.
"Because you are people."
"And because no one else would."
The old man dropped to his knees. Others followed, one after another, until the entire village was kneeling in the square. They had no titles to give him. No lands. No legacies.
But they gave him something more powerful:
A name.
"He is the Crimson Wolf of the North," one man whispered.
"No… he is the Iron Flame," said another.
"The warlord of no banner," someone muttered.
But they were all wrong.
He didn't correct them. Not yet.
Because names did not matter to him.
Legacy did.
That night, around the campfires outside the village, the Iron Core ate in silence. No celebration. No cheers. Just quiet meals and distant stares. For many, it was the first time they had tasted fear, death, and victory all at once.
Lü Bu stood before them.
Not on a pedestal. Not on a throne.
But at the same level. A soldier among soldiers.
"We fought for no glory today," he said.
"We fought because people needed us."
He looked at each of them—bruised, bloody, scarred.
"And you answered that call."
"You did not break."
"You stood."
"And now the world will begin to hear your names."
Silence. Then, one by one, the men began to tap their spears on the ground. A low, rhythmic sound. It grew louder. Fiercer. Until they all rose together, fists clenched, voices unified.
"IRON CORE!"
"IRON CORE!"
"IRON CORE!"
[SYSTEM NOTICE — Leadership Milestone Achieved]
Trait Acquired: "Symbol of the People" (Rank E+)
Increases local morale after defending a civilian population
Reputation spreads faster in rural regions
Follower Loyalty: +5% across all units
Command Presence: D → D+
By dawn, the village had already sent word down the trade roads.
The name Lü Bu spread quietly at first—like a spark traveling across dry grass.
But those who heard it… remembered it.
Not as a tyrant.
Not as a conqueror.
But as a warrior who came when no one else would.
And so the legend began.