In the next moment—
Fenric grabbed Xu Chu's shoulder armor with one hand and supported his thigh with the other.
Then, under Xu Chu's stunned gaze, Fenric let out a powerful shout—
"RISE!"
With a grunt of exertion, he lifted Xu Chu clean off the ground.
"ROAR!!"
No matter how hard Xu Chu struggled or how furiously he roared, it was all in vain.
Against absolute strength, resistance was meaningless.
With Fenric's current level of power, lifting four hundred catties was child's play.
In just a few seconds, Xu Chu's enormous body was hoisted high above Fenric's head!
A young man of average build, raising a burly warrior three times his size overhead—
Such a scene looked utterly surreal.
And yet, it unfolded before everyone's eyes.
The entire martial arena fell silent.
Xu Chu's roar echoed through the air—
"Put me down!!!"
Fenric didn't intend to humiliate him. He held Xu Chu up briefly, then set him back down gently.
"General, I'll put you down now."
Xu Chu landed with a heavy thud, breathing hard. His copper-bell eyes glared at Fenric with disbelief and frustration—
But he didn't dare go at him again.
This kid wasn't human. He was a monster.
"Good!"
Suddenly, a booming voice rang out from beneath the arena.
A middle-aged man in a Hundred Flowers robe stepped forward.
At the sight of him, all the soldiers snapped to attention and saluted.
"Greetings, Prime Minister!"
Though Cao Cao had not yet declared himself emperor, he was known respectfully as "the Prime Minister."
"Zhongkang, stand down!" he commanded.
At once, Xu Chu—also known as Zhongkang—stepped back without a word, obedient as a child.
Cao Cao stepped up to the arena, his sharp eyes fixed on Fenric with admiration.
"Well done!"
He couldn't help but praise, "I never imagined such a warrior existed in my ranks. Truly—the Tiger of the World!"
The Tiger of the World—an honor not given lightly.
At once, all eyes turned to Fenric, filled with envy and awe.
"Thank you for the Prime Minister's praise," Fenric said, cupping his fists respectfully.
Cao Cao was a true hero. Fenric knew he had to show due respect.
You have gained 1 Reputation. Current Reputation: 7739 / 1000.
You have gained 1 Reputation. Current Reputation: 7740 / 1000.
You have gained 1 Reputation. Current Reputation: 7741 / 1000.
System messages chimed one after another—his reputation was rising rapidly.
"Arush, hear me!"
Cao Cao suddenly raised his voice, "You possess exceptional strength. A rare tiger general."
"Captain!"
A lieutenant's rank—just one step below a general.
(Military Ranks: Squad Leader, Commander, Chief, Commandant, Lieutenant, General.)
Cao Cao had appointed Fenric directly as a Lieutenant and granted command over five hundred households—a significant responsibility.
Fenric was pleased and quickly responded, "Thank you, my Lord, for your generous reward!"
Lord—a title reserved for one's monarch in the Three Kingdoms period.
A mere soldier couldn't use it lightly. Only with the ruler's recognition could it be used.
Hearing the title from Fenric, Cao Cao laughed heartily.
"Today, Arush is like a tiger with wings. With such strength on our side, how can we not achieve great things?"
Seeing how much importance Cao Cao placed on Fenric, the soldiers looked on with even greater envy.
Then, Cao Cao asked, "Arush, do you have a courtesy name?"
In ancient tradition, a courtesy name was adopted by men at age 20, symbolizing maturity and virtue, often reflecting the meaning of their given name.
Fenric didn't have one, so he answered honestly, "Not yet."
"Oh?"
Cao Cao smiled, "Then allow me to choose one for you."
Typically, courtesy names were bestowed by elders or respected mentors.
For Cao Cao to offer this himself—it was clearly a gesture to bring Fenric closer.
When the crowd heard this, their eyes turned bloodshot with jealousy.
Receiving a name from Cao Cao himself? That was no small honor.
Fenric naturally didn't refuse. "Your grace overwhelms me, my Lord."
Cao Cao chuckled, and after a moment of contemplation, declared:
"'Arush' means cultivation—cultivation of virtue and ritual. Then let your courtesy name be Zhongye. May you uphold propriety and achieve great deeds."
(Note: It means "The one whose destined achievements are steady and balanced.")
In ancient times, courtesy names were carefully selected to reflect one's given name.
For instance, Zhao Yun (Yun meaning cloud) took the courtesy name Zilong (Son of the Dragon), since clouds are tied to dragons.
Fenric, being from modern times, didn't fully grasp the cultural weight—but he accepted it nonetheless.
"Thank you, my Lord, for bestowing this name!" he said, bowing again.
Cao Cao nodded in satisfaction, then turned to address the crowd:
"Today's martial performance was outstanding! Those who excelled shall be rewarded!"
Cheers spread through the arena.
Cao Cao then raised his voice once more:
"Rest today—tomorrow we march south and crush the rebels!"
"For victory under our Lord's banner!"
The generals raised their fists in unison, voices echoing.
As the martial field emptied, many Samsara players gathered around Fenric.
"God Shura, we're with you!"
"Boss, just say the word—we'll follow your lead!"
"Great God, take us to victory in this team battle!"
Fenric smiled faintly as he looked at them.
Not everyone came. Iron Bull, for example, was absent.
Still, most of them had shown up—already quite impressive.
And it didn't matter if some didn't. The system distributed rewards based on personal contribution.
If they thought they could just coast through and get rewards—they'd be sorely disappointed.
"Alright. Let's work together and win this team battle." Fenric nodded.
As Captain of the Tiger Guard, he now had command over a thousand men.
Recruiting Samsara players under his banner was fully within his authority.
And since he knew the plot—winning this battle wouldn't be difficult.
What mattered most now was understanding when this war was taking place and where they were in the timeline.
"Wait here—I'll go ask for information."
Just as Fenric was about to leave, a military commander approached.
"Zhongye, where are you off to?" the man asked with a friendly smile.
It was Pang De.
Standing respectfully behind him was Iron Bull, who gave the Samsara players a slight nod.
But the Samsaras ignored him.
Fenric's eyes lit up at the sight of Pang De.
Perfect—he could ask this man for the information he needed.