Half an hour was too short. From the tavern, you could only reach the sparsely populated areas of the wilderness, and there wasn't enough time to hunt a few monsters before the time ran out.
And a single silver coin could do a lot in the early stages.
No matter how you looked at it, this wasn't a profitable deal.
Xia Ya's real intention, if spoken out loud, probably wouldn't be believed by many.
He hired Sanya to beat someone up.
And it was an NPC they were going to beat.
...
The two arrived at the western entrance of the village, just as the guard captain, Maden, was patrolling the area.
This was, of course, timed perfectly by Xia Ya.
The barbarian Sanya wasn't very welcome in the village because her skin color, physique, and accent were out of place with the locals, and she had a stubborn temper.
The only reason she was allowed to stay was because Bloodmalt Ale was so popular, and the village severely lacked combat power. Under the village chief's insistence, the barbarian was allowed to stay.
But this didn't mean Maden would treat her with courtesy.
On the contrary, Maden secretly despised barbarians, even hated them.
The rift between the two would only be revealed upon entering the town.
There was a record in the town's archives detailing Maden's background.
Maden's grandfather was a lumberjack in the town, who unfortunately encountered barbarian bandits while working outside the town. He was beheaded and his head was placed on a rack as a provocation to the town's guards.
Maden's father witnessed this scene and passed the hatred for barbarians down to his son.
So, even though Sanya had nothing to do with those barbarian bandits, Maden hated her, hated anyone with bronze skin, thick eyebrows, braids, and a tall stature.
So when he saw Sanya approaching, he instinctively gripped his weapon, assuming a defensive stance, a move usually reserved for monsters.
But he didn't make a move.
Just because he didn't make a move didn't mean Xia Ya wouldn't.
Xia Ya pointed a finger:
"Hit him, but don't kill him."
A simple and straightforward command, just to Sanya's liking.
She really liked this frail human.
The barbarian charged forward with a sinister grin.
Maden realized something was wrong and drew his sword to slash, but Sanya unstrapped the four-pronged mace from her back and smashed it down on his head with a loud roar!
"
Bang!
"
Maden, along with his sword, flew backward and crashed into a tree.
The other guards were stunned for a moment, their morale plummeting. They had heard how strong this barbarian was, and now seeing it firsthand, none dared to confront her, each trembling with fear.
Sanya couldn't care less. She had long been displeased with this group, who, under the guise of guarding the village, often drank her ale for free. She leaped into the fray, causing chaos and disorder.
"
Barbarian pig, I'll fight you to the death!
"
Injured, Maden returned, swinging his longsword.
Though he was a tough guy, he was only at level 11 as a militia, while Sanya was a level 13 berserker. Not to mention the difference between a semi-combat and a pure combat profession, the numbers alone showed a two-level gap. Maden was no match for her.
In no time, the seven members of the guard, including the captain, were beaten to the ground.
Xia Ya watched from the side.
Hiring an NPC was simple, but hiring an NPC to fight another NPC was difficult, depending on who it was.
If it were someone else, Sanya wouldn't have lifted a finger. She was a barbarian, but not a fool, knowing that if she acted, she wouldn't be able to stay.
But hitting Maden was different.
That "barbarian pig" wasn't the first time he called her that. Every time they met in the village, he'd say it, even claiming that all barbarians deserved to die and that her Bloodmalt Ale was brewed with human blood.
But he was the village's guard captain, and Sanya couldn't do anything about him. She had been holding back her anger for a long time.
Now, with Xia Ya leading the charge, giving her a legitimate outlet and getting paid for it, how could she refuse?
After a thorough beating, none of the seven guards, including Maden, could stand. Villagers who witnessed the scene rushed to to the village chief, and Xia Ya didn't stop them.
"
That felt great!
"
Sanya beat her chest like a gorilla.
"How much time is left?" she asked.
"Forty minutes," Xia Ya replied.
Hearing this, Sanya was stunned for a second but didn't argue.
"Alright, forty minutes it is."
When a barbarian has had their fill of fighting, they'll give some time for free. Forty minutes was the maximum she would give for free, a limit Xia Ya had discovered after several failed attempts.
And if you dig deeper, you'll find that this seemed like some kind of design coincidence, exquisitely crafted.
From here, the next 40 minutes were just enough to reach a place related to Captain Maden.
"Let's go."
The two left the village, one after the other.
Thirty-five minutes later.
To the west of the village, they had entered the Corrupted Forest. After twisting and turning, even Sanya's expression grew serious.
Once their employment ended, she would immediately abandon Xia Ya and leave without hesitation.
"We're here."
In a strange hexagram-shaped clearing, Xia Ya stopped.
Sanya watched him warily, ready to strike at the slightest movement.
Barbarians kept their promises, as long as their lives weren't threatened.
Xia Ya gestured for her to calm down, then performed a barbarian chest-thumping salute.
"In the name of the Father Spirit, I ask you to trust me.
"My blood is your blood."
Then, he extended his hand.
Sanya was stunned for a second, then drew a knife from her boot, cut Xia Ya's finger, and smeared the blood on her lips.
[Due to the contract, Sanya's favorability towards you temporarily rises to Intimate (Effective time: 5 minutes)]
[Due to the contract, for the next 5 minutes, all damage Sanya receives will be transferred to you.]
This was a barbarian contract ritual, widely used only after entering the level 60 monster area of the Red Earth Prairie.
"Whatever you see or hear next, please believe that I will not harm your life or health," Xia Ya said.
Sanya nodded, planted her mace in the ground, and sat cross-legged.
Xia Ya turned around, satisfied, and shouted into the air:
"Silent Lone Star, all things wither, dark flames of the underworld, death as a return."
"When the black rain falls, all realms wither, the full moon casts shadows, all beings lament."
"At the hour of the scorched soul, on the night of the waning moon, all beings lament, all things perish."
"Milorakles, I've brought the living sacrifice you wanted!"
Three breaths later, though it was daytime, a sinister wind suddenly swept through the Corrupted Forest.
Leaves rustled, crows circled overhead, their cries hoarse.
A thin, withered figure, leaning on a cane, staggered out of the darkness, shrouded in black mist. With each step, the mist around her thinned.
By the time she reached the two, she had completely transformed into a shriveled old crone.
Her body hunched, leaning on a bone staff, her face wrapped in blood-stained bandages, leaving only her eyes exposed.
"You're not my servant, who are you..."
"Servant of the servant, claw of the claw."
Xia Ya bowed slightly, showing great respect.
The servant referred to Maden, the captain who buried his hatred deep within. Three months ago, during an outing, he was corrupted. Since then, every month, a guard from the village mysteriously disappeared, sent as a sacrifice.
"Oh, you're quite impressive, child..."
Milorakles gazed greedily at Sanya, sensing the strong, pulsing flesh.
She had no suspicion of a trap, as this place was impossible for ordinary people to find, and they wouldn't know the incantation.
Then, she heard a command from behind.
"
F*** her up!
"
Proofreader & Editor: Lyra
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Vol.1 - Chapter 5 – F*** her up!
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