Chapter Sixty-One: Sweeping Through All Obstacles

Lu Sheng followed the direction indicated by Li Kuang. A robust frogman was charging straight toward him.

To this, Lu Sheng could only say: Do you understand what it means to win by sheer quality? In battles between those of the same rank, having a higher quality by one level guarantees victory; two levels, and you win easily; three, and it's a complete rout.

Of course, the frogman didn’t overthink it—he swept his long spear across at Lu Sheng. Carrying tremendous force, the blow lashed out with a piercing sound as it tore through the air.

“Freeze in space!”

In an instant, the frogman was paralyzed, unable to move. Lu Sheng stepped forward and punched, shattering the creature’s skull with ruthless efficiency.

There was no need for fancy tactics in a fight that could be ended with ease. He had no penchant for trading blows just for the sake of it.

A card dropped from the frogman’s corpse—a weapon card, just what Lu Sheng had hoped for. The long blade he’d been using was already cracked, unable to withstand his strength and essentially scrap.

That was why he hadn’t bothered with a weapon until now. Receiving an entry-level weapon card at this moment perfectly solved his problem.

Behind him, Li Kuang was stunned. If he weren’t still tangled with another frogman, he’d probably be shouting praises like a fanboy.

Once Lu Sheng finished off the third-rank frogman, he moved to assist Li Kuang, swiftly dispatching all the early third-rank frogmen in his path.

“Chief, I’ll go help Wang Xian now. I’ll leave things here to you.”

“Alright,” Li Kuang nodded. Although Lu Sheng said he was leaving things in his hands, a quick glance at the battlefield showed that Lu Sheng’s summoned creatures had resolved nearly everything. There was hardly anything left for Li Kuang to do except oversee the aftermath.

At this moment, as a leader, he felt more like a menial worker. With a wry smile and a shake of his head, he went about arranging the necessary tasks. If he could stay a gofer like this forever, it didn’t seem so bad.

Meanwhile, Wang Xian was still besieged by a dozen frogmen launching water arrows, struggling to keep up. When Lu Sheng arrived, he immediately ordered Greenstone to attack.

A red-hot stone soared through the air and crushed a frogman in a single blow. These frogmen were only second-rank; as long as a Goblin Catapult’s stone hit them, death was certain.

The water-arrow frogmen were surrounded by a large number of guards to protect them in close quarters. As Lu Sheng drew near, they all launched their attacks at him.

Facing this horde, Lu Sheng drew the newly acquired weapon.

[Frogman Long Spear]
Quality: White
Rank: One
Skill: Hardening

It was an ordinary weapon, but more than enough for Lu Sheng’s current needs. The spear was nearly two and a half meters long, its shaft supple and resilient. The best way to use it was to lash out with a swing. If stabbing was required, the spear had to be hardened first; without the skill, it wasn’t sharp enough to pierce.

With a burst of speed, Lu Sheng appeared before the frogmen and swung with all his might.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Every frogman struck exploded on the spot, cleaved in two.

Undeterred, the remaining frogmen charged at Lu Sheng. But facing such a multitude, he simply whipped the spear again and again, each strike blasting another enemy apart.

In the blink of an eye, the once-ferocious frogmen had all become lifeless corpses.

On the water-arrow frogmen’s side, the addition of Greenstone and Firebird had shifted the tide, leaving their ranks devastated. It was only a matter of time before the battle ended.

Outside the perimeter, those who’d been out of the settlement gradually returned. At first, they were bewildered by the chaotic scene, but once the situation was explained by those in the know, understanding dawned.

Learning the truth, the returnees grew excited—had their settlement produced a true powerhouse? Could they perhaps benefit from this?

In the heat of battle, Steel Fang and Giant Crocodile rampaged through the enemies. None of the frogmen could withstand their charge; any who tried were simply sent flying. The huge monsters were unstoppable.

Second-rank Red Fire Ants followed up, finishing off any frogmen left dazed or battered by the initial assault.

Thus, a battle that determined the very survival of Gale Settlement gradually drew to an end—all thanks to a single man.

Lu Sheng!

Single-handedly, he quelled the entire crisis.

With all the frogmen dead, Lu Sheng casually recalled his summoned creatures. Red Fire Ants and the others reverted to cards, a hundred of them returning to his body.

In the eyes of everyone present, there was only respect—nothing else.

Before such strength, reverence was all they could offer.

Lu Sheng returned to Shi Jiu and the others. “Why is everyone so quiet?”

Shi Jiu’s expression was complicated. “You really hid your strength well, didn’t you?”

Lu Sheng gave a helpless smile. He could sense the invisible barrier that had formed between them—weakness in awe of power.

“I wasn’t hiding anything—it’s just that there hasn’t been a situation where I needed to step in.”

At that moment, Lei Yan approached. He was clear about his own position and greeted Lu Sheng with utmost respect. “Sir, Li Kuang requests your presence.”

Lu Sheng nodded. “I’ll head over, then.”

He left with Lei Yan, the others left behind with mixed emotions.

Mu Kui asked, “Captain, do you think Lu Sheng will still work with us in the future?”

Shi Jiu shot him a look. “What do you think?”

Wei Liang, however, was untroubled. “Why overthink it? Isn’t having someone as strong as Lu Sheng a blessing for our settlement?”

Shi Jiu thought it over and agreed. “Exactly. If it weren’t for Lu Sheng, our settlement might have been wiped out this time.”

The others gradually let go of their complicated feelings. They’d simply been overwhelmed at first, but now, after some thought, it was fine.

“I just wonder if Lu Sheng will still be my roommate…”

…

Lu Sheng followed Lei Yan into a large hall, where all the unit leaders were gathered. Wang Xian was there as well.

Seeing Lu Sheng enter, Li Kuang pulled out the chair beside him. “Come, Lu Sheng, sit here.”

Once he was seated, Li Kuang began, “First of all, we owe our survival entirely to Lu Sheng. There was a third-rank perfected frogman among the enemy; if it weren’t for Lu Sheng, this settlement might already be gone.”

Gasps of surprise rippled through the room. None had expected a perfected third-rank frogman, nor that Lu Sheng could slay it.

“I hope you all remember this life-saving favor. From now on, in this settlement, treat Lu Sheng as you would treat me. If he asks you to do something, drop whatever you’re doing and comply—no questions, understand?”

With this, Li Kuang had elevated Lu Sheng’s status above even his own. No one objected; all nodded in agreement.

“Good. Next, we must decide whether to relocate.”

“These frogmen came from the river bordering our settlement. When they first arrived, I sent scouts to investigate; the water was clear, and there were no monsters.”

“The sudden appearance of so many frogmen means the river is likely connected to the wilderness. In other words, more monsters might emerge in the future.”

“That’s the situation. What do you think—should we move?”