Life in a Simulation - Chapter 28

In front of the castle, on the open-air training ground.

Zhou Ming held a spear, continuously thrusting at the straw dummy in front of him.

Zhou Ming was extremely focused, with all his attention on the straw dummy. Each thrust was swift and precise, hitting the mouth, eyes, neck, chest, and heart of the dummy. In no time, the straw dummy was left unrecognizable.

For nearly ten years, except for the two months he spent recovering from his injuries, he had never missed a day of his spear thrusting practice. Even when living in the castle, every night he would take out the sandbag and birch rod from under his bed and practice against the dots painted on the wall.

This time, during the pre-battle training, he did not conceal his strength. In a corner where few people paid attention, he thrust with all his might, treating the straw dummy in front of him as an enemy on the battlefield.

“Layne, when did you start practicing with the spear? Your spear skills are even better than the Hibari spearmen I’ve seen (a type of mercenary from the southern Hibari Kingdom, famous for their spear formations),” Knight Morris, who had been standing by, spoke up.

“Is that so? Will my spear thrusting skills allow me to survive on the battlefield?”

Zhou Ming stopped and turned to look at the middle-aged knight.

Knight Morris paused for a moment, thought for a while, and then shook his head. “I don’t know. Spearmen are only effective when they are together. Your spear skills might be useful against peasants, but against knights and mercenaries… well, good luck, kid.”

Zhou Ming continued practicing his spear thrusts with his head down. Although he had only been assigned the task of transporting supplies for this war, he had a hunch that what awaited him would not be as simple as carrying grain. Standing on the front line of the battlefield and fighting for his life might very well be in store for him—over hundreds of years of survival, his intuition had never been wrong.

…

Twenty days later.

The sky was clear, and the autumn sun was warm.

On both sides of the road in front of the castle gate in Granling, there were crowds of people who had come to see off the departing soldiers.

Tiny rose petals were scattered in the air, sweet bread was stuffed into the hands of sons by their mothers, and young women clung to their husbands who were going off to war, weeping bitterly—despite the fine weather, a heavy gloom hung over the scene.

“Layne, you must be careful. Watch out for those arrows flying around in the sky. When you come back, we’ll go teach that damned fat pig Baum a lesson together!”

Donny grabbed Zhou Ming, his face filled with indignation. He had only Layne as a personal servant, and Baum had assigned him to transport supplies. In this vast castle, did they really need more servants to carry grain?

Zhou Ming, who was driving an ox cart loaded with supplies, stopped briefly and said to Donny, “Donny, while I’m gone, I ask you to take care of Alice. No matter whether I come back alive or not, you must promise me that you will look after her.”

“I’ll take care of it! Layne, I promise you, no one will bully Alice while you’re away,” Donny thumped his chest, assuring him. When it came to protecting women, no one was more skilled than he was, especially beautiful women…

“I’m relieved to hear that,” Zhou Ming nodded and continued to drive his ox cart.

“Brother, brother, you must be careful. You must come back unscathed!”

At that moment, a well-built, pretty girl, carrying a basket filled with cakes, dried meat, bread, and other food, walked up to Zhou Ming in front of a crowd of men. She handed the basket to him, tearfully held his hand, and said with reluctance in her eyes.

“I know, Alice. Trust me, I will come back,” Zhou Ming nodded firmly and bid farewell to his sister, whom he couldn’t stop worrying about.

“Tsk tsk, that fiery figure, that lovely face, those plump buttocks and chest~ Young master Edward, in the entire Granling territory, there probably isn’t a second woman who can match Alice, right?” Fat Baum, riding on a tall horse, gazed at Alice’s receding figure with a dazed expression. He felt his mouth go dry and his blood quicken.

“After this war is over, I’ll make Alice my personal maid. Annie is getting old; it’s time for a new face,” Edward, who was not particularly interested in women, suddenly felt a bit excited by the sight of the retreating figure and thought he might need a new maid.

“Yes, young master Edward!” Fat Baum, with a sycophantic smile on his face, felt like slapping himself.

…

On a plateau to the north of Granling.

A neatly arranged camp, surrounded by a wooden fence, stood tall, bringing an unprecedented hustle and bustle to the quiet grassland.

Voices from all over the place echoed in the camp. Warhorses in the stables neighed, wandering minstrels sat on piles of hay singing heroic epics, merchants who had come to hear the news were selling various goods and souvenirs, and courtesans sitting in side wagons were enticing customers with their alluring moans day and night.

Zhou Ming stared in amazement at everything in the camp. Was this a military camp? The place where soldiers about to go to war and fight to the death were stationed?

It seemed more like a combination of a trading market, a concert venue, a horse track, a mobile brothel, and a hodgepodge of other things.

But everything exists for a reason. Seeing the mercenaries who were spending money like water, the noble knights lying in barrels of wine, and even the peasants who usually wouldn’t spend a single copper coin but today generously took out ten copper coins just to feel the softness of a courtesan’s chest, Zhou Ming understood: existence is reasonable. Faced with the unknown and the possibility of death at any moment tomorrow, seeking pleasure in the moment became the main way for these soldiers to relieve stress.

Zhou Ming also spent ten copper coins and bought a cup of malt liquor from a wine merchant, hoping to use this drink to ease the pressure in his heart.

“Layne, there you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. It’s like this: Mr. Ward twisted his foot on the march today and can’t be at the front of the battlefield tomorrow. But the third peasant team is short of one person. Young master Edward and the captain of the third peasant team have discussed it and decided to fill in with someone from the supply team. You are strong and fit. There should be no problem sending you up, right?”

Zhou Ming, who was just about to taste the malt liquor, heard the words he least wanted to hear.

“No problem, Mr. Baum.”

Zhou Ming poured the malt liquor on the ground, returned the cup to the wine merchant, clenched his fists, and returned to the supply team’s tent.

Baum, one day, I will kill you with my own hands!

Life in a Simulation - Chapter 28

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Hate that cliffhanger, don’t you?

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