Loser System and Berserker Me

Chapter 9: Scraping It Clean

【My host, didn’t I tell you to win over the Ink Sea Chief Inspector? What in the world did you do?】

System 12345 grumbled in disappointment.

【Why is he chasing you around the city? What are you going to do now that you have thoroughly offended father-in-law?】

【You were lucky to have triggered two side quests right from the start, but it is as if you’re trying your hardest not to complete those quests at all. I’m really disappointed in you!】

“Yuuu!” Shu Yichao stopped his steed and tossed aside the lasso. “I have thirty casualties? Pathetic. Those people are really a bunch of cannon fodder. They are already struggling when this is only a newbie mission.”

Everything else proceeded smoothly after taking down the city.

The Ottomains tried to fight back, but it was futile.

In the first place, they didn’t have a firm grip on Sochia, and its populace revolted as soon as they noticed the Ottomains’ weakness. Furthermore, the Ottomain soldiers’ morale had fallen to the bottom, and their comrades were swiftly being picked off by Shu Yichao’s nomad army too.

The result? Annihilation.

Shu Yichao wanted to capture some prisoners, hoping that he could make some quick bucks. However, the bonus NPCs who accompanied him for the siege were extremely vicious, leaving not a single survivor.

Damn it. I didn’t make a killing, and I lost soldiers on top of that.

Shi Yichao felt pained.

“I lost two days’ worth of recruitment just like that. I need to make up for it, or else I can’t comfort my aching heart,” Shu Yichao muttered as he tapped into his profile. “Plunder, then abandon the city.”

Conquering the city would help accrue positive karma, but there was no money to be earned. Only a fool would take that option. Slaughtering the city wouldn’t reap any money too, so there was no reason for Shu Yichao to pick that option either.

Plundering is the best. I can earn tens of thousands of dinars in the blink of an eye. Shu Yichao couldn’t stop himself from grinning.

“New talent?” Shu Yichao was stunned. He clapped his hands together and prayed, “Jade Emperor, Goddess of Mercy, Supreme God of Virtue, Buddha Sakyamuni, Sage that Rivals the Heavens… Please bless this pitiful child. Please don’t let it be a useless talent.”

He tapped on ‘Accept’.

“Holy shit!” Shu Yichao leaped to his feet in excitement. “Hahahaha! Farming an army through fighting? This is the best! Great gods above, please send me a dream if you were the one who blessed me. I’ll return the favor in the future.

“Brothers, plunder them clean!”

Players could continuously plunder the cities they had abandoned. Shu Yichao, as a qualified player, wouldn’t make a breach of etiquette here.

Thus, the ‘Khitans’ that had come from a faraway land displayed their astounding talent for plundering.

Gold and silver bars? Mine!

Silk and fur coat? Mine!

Chicken, duck, fish, and other livestocks? Mine!

They even scraped the golden gild from the deities’ idols.

By searching every inch of Sochia’s soil, Shu Yichao reaped a handsome sum for his little treasury.

After confirming that he had squeezed out every last bit of resources from Sochia…

“The rest is yours,” Shu Yichao gleefully told Madam Marti. “Consider it compensation for your help, though it’s not like you people did anything much. Also, I’d like to buy some stuff from you.”

“Wait, Khitan Baturu! You’re handing this city to us?” Madam Marti was bewildered.

The others were also dumbfounded after hearing the Khitans’ ‘edict’. They were prepared to slave away for Shu Yichao, but it turned out that the latter didn’t even want the city?

“Of course,” Shu Yichao stood on the table as he replied. “Why would I remain here?”

He brandished his Superior Scimitar and loudly declared, “My mission is to save Constantinople and resuscitate Rome!”

“Madam Marti, what is the Khitan saying?” someone asked Madam Marti.

“He seems to be saying…”

It took some exchanges before Madam Marti barely understood Shu Yichao’s words, but that only made her frown in confusion.

“I think he heard our Lord’s summons and seeks to rescue Constantinope?”

“Haa?!” The crowd was baffled.

They hadn’t heard about any prophesied messiah, though they had to concede that the Khitan Baturu, with a bit of makeup, could probably pass off as a saintess.

But why would a Khitan from a faraway land travel all the way here to save our Romain’s capital? Something smells fishy here.

…

“Board the boat!”

Days later, at one of the Ink Sea’s harbors, Shu Yichao ordered his 300 Grassland Horse Archers to board a boat.

Traveling on water was the fastest and most reliable way to reach Constantinople.

It was a pity Shu Yichao couldn’t summon naval units. While the merchants had helped him acquire a boat, it still took him days to recruit crewmates. That was why he got delayed till now.

Just as Shu Yichao was about to board the boat, he noticed a few boats in the harbor drifting toward his boat. There were familiar faces on the decks of those boats, such as the woman with brown skin and no nose.

“Khitan Baturu.”

As the two boats came close, Madam Marti led a group of her people, who looked both excited and afraid, over.

“We wish to go with you.”

“Ey, what are you doing?” Shu Yichao asked in bewilderment. “I have already sold all my goods. Why would you want to follow me?”

“I once heard a prophecy,” Madam Marti replied as she tightened her grip around the ornate sword in her hand. “There’s a Priest King in the distant east. He will arrive with his invincible army to save our empire when it is at the brink of destruction.

“But I have also heard of an opposing prophecy that claims that the fall of the two-headed eagle flag is inevitable, and divine flames will incinerate God’s city. There are rumors that the sultana’s army of 200,000 has already encircled Constantinope, and our empire is teetering on the edge of the cliff.

“And you appeared at a time like this…”

Madam Marti sighed. “It looks like one of the prophecies is about to be fulfilled. Khitan Baturu, I implore you to bring us with you. No matter what comes to be, we, as the empire’s citizens, wish to see it to the end.”

“I get it. You want to continue doing business with me, right?” Shu Yichao shot a thumbs up at Madam Marti. “I can see why your company is so big. I was wondering how you feed so many employees. I can see now that you have a keen sense for business.

“Rest assured, you’ll have plenty of goods to sell if you follow me. You’ll get the first pick among my spoils of war.”

“You have my deepest gratitude for your generosity!” Madam Marti exhaled in relief upon seeing Shu Yichao’s thumbs up.

【My host, I did you injustice!】

System 12345 sobbed pitifully.

【I just realized that I didn’t properly install the language software. I didn’t know you can’t even communicate properly with others over the last few days!】

【It must have been tough on you!】

To be suddenly brought to a foreign environment, unable to communicate with anyone, he must have been incredibly lonely and afraid. He might have even been bullied because of it!

It’s no wonder he didn’t complete the side quests!

It would be a miracle if he could accomplish the side quests under such challenging circumstances!

【Wuuu! My host, you’re still slowly making your way toward the empress. Are you working on the main storyline? You are such a hard worker!】

【Just wait, my host. Once I fix this program, I’ll become your most reliable support!】

What rights do I have to be lazy when my host is working so hard?

System 12345’s fighting will blazed with fervor.