The Imperial Scepter of Glory

Chapter 10 Fight

The spear formation of the Fregg Mercenary Group was not to be underestimated. The front three soldiers crouched down with their spears angled 45° towards the sky, while the middle row placed their spears on the shoulders of the front row, holding them out horizontally. The rear row placed their spears on the shoulders of the middle row, angling them upwards. Despite having only nine men, the formation was incredibly powerful, especially against cavalry, serving as a deadly weapon.

The brave Iron Fist mercenaries, despite their courage and raw strength, paid the price for their reckless charge, being toppled one by one by the spear-wielding soldiers. If the spearheads hadn’t been removed, these Iron Fist mercenaries would have likely suffered heavy casualties upon impact.

However, the Iron Fist mercenaries who were knocked down by the ‘wooden sticks’ did not go down in vain. At the very least, their bodies cleared the path for their comrades behind them, allowing them to break through the front and middle rows of spearmen. Even though the rear spearmen quickly reacted, knocking down a few more Iron Fist mercenaries, the spear formation was already thrown into disarray.

Now, it was time for the two-handed swordsmen from behind the spear formation to show their prowess! As the spear formation fell into chaos, the swordsmen moved swiftly to engage, with the spearmen drawing shorter weapons to join the fight.

In the melee, the spearmen were clearly not as effective as they had been with their spear formation. With only nine men, their formation was too small, and their strength lay more in defense and cavalry combat, not close-quarter fighting. But the two-handed swordsmen were a different story. Thanks to the 'system' training, their close combat skills far outshone those of the spearmen. Against the Iron Fist mercenaries, who had already been weakened by the spearmen, the swordsmen had little trouble. Though the Iron Fist mercenaries were seasoned veterans from the battlefield, were the Fregg mercenaries not the same? Especially with the added benefit of the 'system' training.

On the other side, Knight Galabron was engaged in a fierce battle with three of the Iron Fist mercenary leaders. His opponents were not to be underestimated. Galabron was struggling against the four, but he was holding his own.

Lin Tan and Hansen stood facing each other. Hansen spoke first: “Your men are not bad; they have the shadow of a regular army... But does their leader have the same abilities?” Hansen, bare-chested, was unbothered by the cold autumn wind of the Liverpool Duchy, which had already turned chill. The wind carried the cold air from the northeastern wastelands, forcing people to wear fur collars and coats. Even the beauty-conscious noblewomen had to wear furs, or else their skin would be ruined by the harsh winds. Yet Hansen remained shirtless, his body covered in tattoos. This was a traditional custom among the barbarians, marking their tribal totems on their skin, which not only honored their ancestors but also served as a source of power for the warrior.

Lin Tan's expression grew serious. He had witnessed the strength of the barbarian berserkers before. A high-tier berserker could wipe out an entire squad of orc cavalry with just an axe, especially when enraged. The giant before him, with his tattoos already faintly glowing red, was a berserker with the berserk skill. In the mercenary world, such a warrior was considered a top-tier fighter, far stronger than the Level 4 Knight Ducal he had slain a month ago.

The battle with Ducal was not easy, and now facing this much stronger opponent, Lin Tan felt even less confident. If he couldn’t stop Hansen and the Fregg mercenaries couldn’t quickly deal with the Iron Fist, Hansen’s entry into the fight would turn the tide in the Iron Fist’s favor. In a real battle, Hansen’s strength was enough to cleave a spearman in two with a single strike!

“Come, warrior of Argus,” Lin Tan spoke resolutely.

Hansen grinned, taking a step forward, and with a powerful charge, he closed the gap between them in two breaths. His battle axe swung horizontally, with unstoppable force.

Lin Tan quickly flipped backward, a lock of golden hair falling as the axe sliced through it. He then raised his longsword, now enveloped in battle aura, with a trace of white flame flickering—holy fire, a power mastered by the knights of the Holy Church!

The holy fire on his sword flared as it thrust forward, transforming into a white flash of light that emitted a warm yet daunting energy. Hansen didn’t dare underestimate it. He quickly withdrew his battle axe and clashed it head-on with Lin Tan’s holy sword.

Never underestimate the strength of any barbarian, especially a berserker! The moment their weapons collided, a loud clang echoed through the air. Lin Tan was forced back by the shock, his hands numb, and he stumbled back more than ten steps before losing his footing and crashing to the ground.

On the ground, Lin Tan was shocked. The battle aura couldn’t even resist the berserker’s raw power—this was terrifying. He quickly regained his footing to avoid being pursued by the berserker. However, to his surprise, Hansen didn’t advance. Instead, he stood there, staring at his axe.

The reason was simple: His battle axe was on fire.

This was the attribute of holy battle aura—purification, attachment, and holy fire. The fire on Hansen’s axe had been ignited due to both attachment and holy fire effects, combining to produce the burning effect.

Of course, as a knight who had just advanced from Level 2 to Level 3, Lin Tan’s holy battle aura, even with these two effects, was still limited. The fire only burned on Hansen’s axe for a short while before fading, causing no actual harm.

Nevertheless, Hansen furrowed his brow, muttering to himself: “Holy Knight?”

Holy Knights were the warriors of the Holy Church, and holy battle aura was a special skill only available to those trained in the Church. It was difficult to master without the Church's secret teachings. Of course, there were rumors of holy battle aura being passed down outside the Church, but anyone who was not a Church knight or cleric using it would be labeled a thief and heretic, condemned to be burned at the stake.

However, such rules only applied in the Holy Light Empire and its territories. In the Holy Cross League, where the Church had little power, these regulations didn’t apply. The Church had to seek the approval of the monarchs to intervene in matters there.

“Interesting, a mercenary can’t become a Holy Knight. I didn’t expect the son of Old Fregg to be a little thief,” Hansen chuckled. The term 'thief' was a joke. Even though the Holy Cross League also worshiped the God of Light, the monarchs of the League had been in conflict with the Church for hundreds of years.

Lin Tan smiled as well, though it was not a light-hearted one. This clash had left him at a disadvantage; he hadn’t gained any ground, let alone a draw.