NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 16: The Art of Zeroing Out Favorability
“The Ottomains’ Thunderbolt!”
Goosebumps rose all over Madam Marti’s body when she heard that name from Constantin XI. The cheers from the excited soldiers on the west wall also noticeably quietened down. Some of them even gulped down their saliva.
Bayezid was a notorious Ottomain general who had served three generations of rulers.
He had once single-handedly held a gate up for his army to pass through while sieging a city. He had also charged alone into the midst of an army to capture a rebel leader alive.
He had spent thirty years on the battlefield and fought over seventy battles, but not once had he ever lost. The old sultan, Momoana’s father, had once said that Bayezid’s name was equivalent to an army of 30,000. Bayezid was even celebrated as Ottomain’s Thunderbolt.
It was obvious that Sultana Momoana was about to release her Thunderbolt.
However, the Grassland Horse Archer ignored Constantin XI’s warning. What is that old man prattling off on? I don’t understand your language.
“Hm?”
Shu Yichao noticed that the wavering Ottomain army had slowly regained its composure. He could even vaguely hear cheers.
“Bayezid! Bayezid!”
A hulking man charged out of the Ottomain military formation on a steed. Wherever he passed, the crowd opened up like Moses splitting the sea. The Ottomain soldiers willingly stepped aside for him to pass.
They banged their shields and waved their flags while cheering aloud to welcome Ottomain’s Thunderbolt. Many of them had grown up listening to stories about Bayezid’s feats of valor.
Bayezid finally arrived at the front of the formation. He turned to Sultana Momoana with a face covered in glaring scars.
Sultana Momoana looked at him and nodded.
Bam!
A massive tomahawk smashed into the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
“I shall present my victory to the true God’s envoy, our great Sultana!”
“Ahhhhh!!!”
“Bayezid!”
“God will always be with you!”
“Long live the Sultana!”
The deafening cheers from the Ottomain army of 200,000 men were so loud that the birds in the nearby forest flew away in fright. Even the west wall trembled before their voices.
Bayezid picked up his tomahawk and charged at Shu Yichao.
【My host, another important figure has appeared!】
System 12345 exclaimed.
【Let me check the data. Mmhm, mmhm.】
【He is Bayezid, Momoana’s number one warrior, otherwise known as Ottomain’s Thunderbolt. You absolutely have to forge a good relationship with this man. My host, you can prepare a hefty gift for him and tell him that you wish to learn martial arts under him.】
System 12345’s mind churned to action as he hatched a plan on Shu Yichao’s behalf.
【Don’t worry, my host. I guarantee you’ll swiftly improve with this System’s support. That should score you some brownie points with Bayezid! With someone as influential as Bayezid on your side, you don’t have to worry about getting a footing in Momoana’s imperial court.】
【What do you think about my suggestion? Awesome, isn’t it?】
“Ooooh!” Shu Yichao’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great horse!”
The other party’s war steed had a huge body, with glistening fur and an imposing demeanor. Seeing the other party’s dashing steed left Shu Yichao feeling bad about his 250 speed steed.
Wait, that’s not right! What ‘other party’s’ steed? That’s obviously my steed!
Shu Yichao couldn’t wait to nab the other party’s steed. He raised his scimitar, which reflected a cold glint amidst the dust.
“Argh!” Constantin XI clutched his chest.
The imminent battle between the Khitan Baturu and the Ottomain’s Thunderbolt made him both nervous and frightened. He felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest, such that even breathing felt laborious to him.
I can’t take such suspense!
Beside him, Madam Marti wasn’t faring any better. Her legs had turned jelly, so she had to lean against the wall’s battlements to stop herself from crumbling onto the floor.
Tang!
Shu Yichao and Bayezid crossed blows.
Be it the Ottomains or the Romains, everyone watched this fight with bated breaths.
W-who won?
Different emotions suffused the battlefield—excitement, curiosity, fear, and worry—stimulating everyone’s nerves. The two figures at the center of the battlefield swiftly readied their steeds in preparation for a second charge.
The first clash was a draw!
“Haaa—”
“Huuu—”
The deep inhalations and exhalations seemed to reflect the crowd’s furiously beating hearts.
Shu Yichao and Bayezid charged once more, and the scimitar clashed with the tomahawk.
Bang!
The two steeds halted and turned around.
The second clash was a draw too!
Shu Yichao and Bayezid had only exchanged two blows, with no outcome to their battle yet, but there were at least fifty people who had fainted from overexcitement.
The scales began to tilt after the third clash.
There was a gasp of shock.
The Ottomains slowed their banging shields, and their cheers quietened down. Fear and hesitation gripped their hearts. They had just seen Bayezid shaking unsteadily on his steed after crossing blows with Shu Yichao!
Shocked gasps ensued.
Surely not. It can’t be, right? We must be seeing things! Is Bayezid going to…
Bayezid managed to keep himself from falling off his steed in the end, but an ominous feeling had started looming in the Ottomains’ hearts.
“Hu, hu, hu…”
Searing heat stinged Bayezid’s nostrils, and sticky sweat drenched his back. The hand he held his tomahawk with was trembling.
“Our great God above, what is this monster before me?”
Prior to this battle, the Ottomain’s Thunderbolt thought that this was another opportunity for him to add another stroke to his huge list of accomplishments, but after crossing three blows, he no longer harbored such thoughts.
He was completely suppressed by the other party, be it in terms of strength, speed, or viciousness.
“So these are the Khitans!” he murmured while turning his steed around.
This was the first time in his life he learned that he was capable of fear.
“His damage should have reached 90?” Shu Yichao murmured as he evaluated Bayezid’s tier based on the previous game’s units. “A mob cavalryman? No, he doesn’t have armor.”
Shu Yichao eyed Bayezid’s mirror armor, and he eventually concluded, “Got it. He must be one of the stronger warriors of a nomadic tribe.”
Otherwise known as cavalryman fodder.
“What a waste of a good steed. I should end this.”
“…”
Bayezid’s hair suddenly stood on end. He felt like a dangerous beast had laid its eyes on him. Despite having dominated the battlefield for thirty years, Ottoman’s Thunderbolt suddenly felt an urge to turn tail and flee.
You must be joking. How can I flee? I absolutely cannot run away!
“AHHHH!!!” It could be to bolster his morale, or it was out of sheer fear, but Bayezid let out a furious roar as he hacked his tomahawk down on Shu Yichao.
Shu Yichao didn’t hesitate to face him.
Just as they were about to clash, Shu Yichao suddenly leaped from his horse and swung his scimitar toward Bayezid.
Shoosh!
Blood spurted from Bayezid’s severed neck.
Shi Yichao kicked the headless corpse onto the ground before landing on the dashing steed he had been eyeing for a long time now.
“Hahahaha!” He stroked the steed while laughing heartily. “This is awesome! A heavy infantry steed with over 300 speed!”
“AHHHHHH!!!”
The garrison troops on the west wall went mad. They screamed. They sang. They cheered. They embraced. They danced. They excitedly waved their flags while banging their shields on the floor. Tears of joy streamed from their eyes.
The Ottomain’s Thunderbolt had fallen!
In contrast, the Ottomain army fell silent.
【My host, what did you do?!】
【Bayezid’s favorability for you suddenly dropped to zero. How many times has it been? Each time you raise your presence before an important target, it would suddenly plummet to zero.】
System 12345 was unable to make sense of the situation.
【What did you do to offend Bayezid so much?】