[Translator Note: Since were not 3rd rank, here's 6 chapters. Thursday and Friday update.]
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It was quiet in the dead of night.
Fenric crouched silently outside Sun Quan's residence.
Just as he was about to leap over the wall, a hushed conversation from a nearby corner caught his attention.
"That Shura—he's already here!"
"I heard his stats are off the charts. Just his attributes alone far surpass your average B-rank master."
"Has Tom from Liu Bei's camp arrived yet?"
"They've already been informed."
"Good. Once Tom shows up, I'll personally kill that Shura right here in this world!"
Fenric narrowed his eyes.
Clearly, these men were Samsaras aligned with Sun Quan's faction.
He let out a cold, disdainful chuckle, ignored them, and vaulted effortlessly over the wall. With his explosive power, such an obstacle posed no challenge.
Right now, his primary target was Sun Quan. As for these Samsaras… they could be dealt with later.
Fenric moved like a shadow—agile, silent, and preternaturally aware. His five senses and intuition were honed to the extreme. Even without mastering the "Stealth" skill, no ordinary person could detect him as long as he remained cautious.
From a distance, he could hear even the faintest of footsteps.
A map was clutched in his hand.
Sun Quan's sleeping quarters were clearly marked.
Using the map as a guide, Fenric slipped past several waves of patrolling soldiers. Soon, he arrived at a large house—but strangely, it was empty.
"Wrong room?"
He frowned.
Unfazed, Fenric adjusted course and followed the map to the study. This time, he found his target.
Inside the room were two people—Sun Quan, and a middle-aged man with refined features and a dignified air.
That man was none other than Zhou Yu—the famed strategist, whose name echoed in the lines: "The melody was wrong; Zhou Lang wept."
(Note: It means that when someone played the qin (zither) and made a mistake in the melody, Zhou Yu could immediately detect it — sometimes sighing or even weeping because he cared so deeply about music.)
"My lord," Zhou Yu asked respectfully, "what brings you to summon me at this hour?"
"Gongjin, take a look at this first."
(Note: Zhou Yu courtesy name.)
Sun Quan handed over a letter—the one Cao Cao had sent, inviting surrender.
Zhou Yu scanned it quickly, then looked up.
"Though Cao Cao bears the title of Prime Minister, he's nothing more than a cunning usurper.
My lord, you possess great talent and inherited the legacy of your father and brother. You rule the vast lands of Jiangdong, and should defend the Han and vanquish traitors—not submit to them.
Besides, if Cao Cao rashly invades with arrogance, he will surely face defeat. How could a man like you lower yourself by surrendering?"
Sun Quan's eyes sparkled with joy at Zhou Yu's words, though he tried to maintain a worried facade.
"But Cao Cao claims to command 800,000 troops—strong men and fast horses. If I refuse to submit, I fear the people of Jiangdong may suffer for it."
"There is no need to fear," Zhou Yu replied confidently.
"The north is not yet pacified. Ma Chao and Han Sui's forces still pose a threat west of Hangu Pass.
Cao Cao has abandoned his cavalry to travel by ship, attempting to fight the water-born people of Jiangdong. This is a classic case of using weakness against strength. It is foolish.
Winter is coming. His supply lines will stretch thin. Soldiers unused to the climate will fall sick. All of this spells disaster.
Cao Cao has acted too hastily—he will lose.
My lord, this is your opportunity to strike. Allow me to lead tens of thousands of troops to station at Xiakou, and I promise we will crush him."
Sun Quan was thrilled.
In truth, he had already resolved to resist Cao Cao—but Zhou Yu held great sway in Soochow, and his support was necessary. That's why Sun Quan had called for this meeting.
"Cao Cao seeks to abolish the Han and rule for himself," Sun Quan declared.
"Though Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, Lu Bu, and Liu Biao once stood against him, I alone remain now.
I will not allow him to get his way. Gongjin, your words mirror my resolve. Having you by my side is heaven's blessing!"
Suddenly, a cold voice interrupted from the shadows.
"Then what of Cao Cao's envoys? What should be done with them?"
"They are nothing but treacherous emissaries—they should all be imprisoned and—huh? Who's there?!"
Sun Quan turned sharply, realizing too late that something was wrong.
"Clang!"
Zhou Yu instantly drew his sword.
Fenric stepped from the shadows and glanced coolly at the two men.
"Wrong answer," he said flatly.
In the next instant, he surged forward, closing the distance before either of them could react.
Zhou Yu couldn't even lift his blade in time.
"Pffft!!"
Fenric's fist pierced straight through Sun Quan's chest.
The lord of Jiangdong collapsed to the ground, dead on the spot.
"That's the price of giving the wrong answer," Fenric said coldly, turning his eyes to Zhou Yu.
"Who are you?!" Zhou Yu demanded, eyes widening with rage and disbelief.
"I am Cao Cao's envoy," Fenric replied calmly. "And you—go join Sun Quan in the afterlife."
He lunged forward.
Zhou Yu barely had time to raise his sword before Fenric's hand snapped his neck with brutal efficiency.
Even someone as strong as Zhang Fei would have been helpless against Fenric—Zhou Yu had no chance.
Moments later, their deaths triggered a disturbance outside.
"Assassins!!"
A panicked cry echoed through the palace.
Instantly, guards and soldiers rushed toward the study.
Unfazed, Fenric picked up Zhou Yu's sword, hacked off Sun Quan's head, and lifted it high for all to see.
"Sun Quan is dead! Who else dares resist?!"
His blood-soaked body and terrifying presence sent waves of fear through the surrounding guards. Not one dared step forward.
"Shura!!"
A voice called from afar.
A squad of Samsaras appeared, rushing toward the commotion.
Their eyes fell on the severed head of Sun Quan, and their expressions turned to panic.
Without Sun Quan, their team mission was doomed.
"Bastard! Kill him! KILL HIM!!"
The leading Samsara roared louder than ever.
At the word "bastard", Fenric's eyes turned cold. Murderous intent surged.
Without hesitation, he placed Sun Quan's head on the floor, gripped the sword tightly, and charged at the enemy Samsaras.
It was a battle of overwhelming odds.
Fenric stood alone.
The opposing Samsaras numbered nearly eighty.
But strength wasn't measured in numbers.
His attributes had long since transcended them. Against such scum, quantity meant nothing.
"Splat! Splat!"
Like a tiger descending a mountain, Fenric slashed through them like paper.
His first swing cut down four Samsaras in a single blow.
Then, like lightning, he weaved through the crowd—each stroke of his blade felling another enemy.
One by one, the Samsaras dropped like flies—
And Fenric stood tall in the midst of it all.
Such mad hacking—of course Fenric would get injured.
Several enemies had even launched surprise attacks using hidden crossbows, their bolts striking Fenric's body.
But—!!
What terrified them was that the bolts couldn't pierce his muscles. At most, they tore through his skin and dangled uselessly.
Within a few breaths, most of those Samsaras had been hacked to death by Fenric.
The reason they were so weak was simple: this assassination attempt was primarily orchestrated by a Samsara from the Thousand Lanterns Island Nation.
The Samsaras of Thousand Lanterns Island Nation had no idea the system would match them against Shura, and thus came unprepared.
In terms of attributes alone—on the first ten floors of Samsara Tower—who could rival Fenric?
Even reaching half of his stats was a rare feat.
So no matter how many sheep came at him, they still couldn't hurt the tiger.
"What the hell?! Is this guy even human?!"
"Shura… He's the real Shura!"
"Retreat! Run! We can't handle a monster like him!"
"Let Tom from Cindralock Dominion's side deal with him—we're out!"
Panicked, the Samsaras scattered in fear, fleeing in all directions.
They had completely given up!
Fenric killed one more enemy before stopping.
These Samsaras were no fools—they all escaped in different directions. If he chose to chase one, he'd lose the rest. It wasn't worth the effort.
So he let them go.
Then, he returned to the study's entrance, picked up Sun Quan's head, and rushed back toward the post house.
Things had gone smoothly on his end.
But what about the others?
From afar, he heard the sounds of battle erupting near the post house.
Coincidentally, Zhuge Liang—protected by a few soldiers—rushed out, clearly trying to escape.
Apparently, he was looking for Sun Quan.
Fenric paused, then smiled coldly.
"Mister Kong Ming," he called out, "I am Arush Zhongye. And I've come to see you off~"
(Note: Zhuge Liang's courtesy name is Kongming.)
Zhuge Liang was stunned.
His eyes widened when he saw Sun Quan's severed head hanging from Fenric's waist.
Too late to run.
Zhuge Liang had no hope of escaping Fenric's speed.
"Pfft!!"
Fenric's sword pierced straight through his chest.
Zhuge Liang stared in disbelief before collapsing to the ground.
...
Staring at the corpse, Fenric sighed.
"When this is all over, I'll make sure he gets a proper burial," he muttered. "It's the least I can do."
Moments later, the Soochow army arrived and surrounded the entire post house.
Fenric immediately declared his identity as Cao Cao's envoy. As expected, no one dared to touch him.
With both Sun Quan and Zhou Yu—the main military leaders—dead, power shifted quickly.
The civil faction, led by Changshi Zhang Zhao, took control.
These bureaucrats were spineless. None of them dared disrespect Cao Cao's representative.
From that point on, everything went smoothly.
Under Zhang Zhao's leadership, Soochow formally surrendered to Cao Cao.
Without a proper war, Cao Cao gained control of the entire region.
Of course, everyone knew that this incredible success came from the death squad led by Fenric.
The name "Death Squad" echoed across the land!
All Samsaras who joined the squad—aside from those who perished—gained immense fame.
As the captain, Fenric's reputation soared past one million!
In the eyes of the soldiers, Fenric wasn't just a hero—he was the man who saved them from the ravages of war!
Even among strangers, Fenric's exploits were spoken of with admiration.
All this translated directly into prestige points!
A few days later…
Upon hearing of Zhuge Liang's death, Liu Bei fell into despair. He coughed up blood and succumbed to illness, abandoning all resistance.
Jiangxia and Xiakou soon fell into Cao Cao's hands.
Cao Cao didn't lay a hand on Liu Bei—after all, the man was dying.
In a show of "magnanimity," he allowed Liu Bei to live out his final days peacefully.
To win over Zilong, Zhang Fei, and others, Cao Cao even took Liu Shan(*Liu Bei son) as his adopted son and renamed him Cao Chan!
Fenric: "..."
Something about this didn't sit right with him.
In any case, Cao Cao's power was expanding at an astonishing pace, and his domination over the realm was now indisputable.
The question of when he would declare himself Emperor was now just a matter of time.
As for Fenric, his mission in this team battle was a resounding victory.
The only regret?
He never found Tom of Cindralock Dominion.
No one knew where that guy had vanished.