Chapter 1: A Missed Shot

The setting sun bled across the northern frontier, casting its crimson glow over the land. A bitter wind howled, whipping up spirals of dust and sand.

The Great Qin Empire, Yanmen Pass.

At this moment, the war drums thundered beyond the gate, the imminent assault of foreign tribes pressing close.

The Left Wise King of the Rongdi led a hundred thousand strong, their blades aimed directly at Yanmen Pass, intent on breaking through and sweeping south to invade the lands of Qin.

A tide of iron cavalry surged toward the gate; the spark of war was set to ignite at any moment. The air was thick with the aura of impending death, so heavy it seemed to freeze in place.

Zhao Ergou stood atop the city wall, gazing at the wave of enemies surging forward like a flood. His scalp tingled with dread, a chill seeping through his body. His palms, clutching his bow and arrow, were already slick with cold sweat.

This was his first time on the battlefield—his first time staring death in the face.

“Nervous, aren’t you?” came a gruff, hoarse voice beside him—the squad leader.

It was obvious; Zhao Ergou’s pale face and trembling limbs betrayed his status as a fresh recruit.

“Yes,” Zhao Ergou replied, his voice trembling. His eyes were wide with terror, stripped of any hint of his usual easygoing demeanor.

He was, after all, just an ordinary man who had only just crossed over into this world. He’d never even killed a chicken, let alone faced battle.

His luck couldn’t have been worse. No sooner had he transmigrated into the body of a peasant named Zhao Ergou than, upon stepping outside to scout his surroundings, he stumbled into a conscription party. Before he could process what was happening, he’d been pressed into service and brought straight to Yanmen Pass.

He couldn’t help but curse inwardly. What were these veteran soldiers thinking, drafting someone as feeble and inexperienced as him? Wasn’t he just cannon fodder?

Before transmigrating, he’d been a keyboard warrior—bold and reckless online, never caring for the consequences. Playing strategy games, he’d swept battlefields as an unstoppable force.

But faced with harsh reality, he was just a weakling, his urge to charge ahead crushed beneath the weight of survival.

“You must be a townsman, right?” The squad leader seemed to read his thoughts, his eyes tinged with understanding and pity.

Zhao Ergou nodded instinctively, his hands shaking even harder.

“Don’t be afraid,” the squad leader said, his tone the voice of experience. “On the battlefield, life and death are fated. Close your eyes, open them again, and it’s all over. There’s nothing to fear.”

Zhao Ergou couldn’t help but twitch at this so-called reassurance.

That wasn’t comforting at all! It sounded more like he was being urged to hurry up and die.

Outside the walls, the war drums suddenly quickened, thundering like a storm, shaking the heavens and making it hard to breathe.

“Keep your head down! Don’t show yourself! The Rongdi army is about to attack—survive the first volley of arrows, then we’ll talk!” the squad leader barked, his voice steady with experience.

He quickly crouched behind the wall, peering through a narrow slit to keep watch on the enemy’s movements.

Zhao Ergou dared not hesitate and hurried to follow, pressing himself tightly against the cold stone, trying to make himself as small as possible.

A moment later, a sharp whistling filled the air—the sound of countless arrows tearing through the sky. They descended like a swarm of locusts, blotting out the sun, bringing with them the breath of death as they howled toward the ramparts.

The arrow storm was so dense it seemed it might swallow all of Yanmen Pass.

The defenders on the walls cowered like startled hares, necks drawn in, hiding behind the parapets, barely daring to breathe. No one dared to look out; everyone knew that showing themselves now meant certain death.

With the Rongdi army assailing the walls, arrows flew like locusts, obscuring the sky. Standing upright now would be suicide—a sure way to be turned into a pincushion.

As the arrow storm eased, the squad leader shouted, his voice harsh: “Quick! Prepare to fight back! If you want to live, hold this wall!”

He was the first to leap to his feet, and Zhao Ergou forced himself to rise as well.

His weapon was a battered old bow, its string loose, the arrows rough and few—only five pitiful shafts in his quiver.

Cannon fodder, after all, didn’t deserve better gear.

“Boy! What are you waiting for? Shoot!” the squad leader urged anxiously.

Below, the Rongdi army surged forward in an endless black wave—a sight to strike terror into any heart. This was no mere battle; it was like a locust plague.

Zhao Ergou was stunned. This was nothing like the battles he’d seen on television. Compared to this, those looked like children at play.

Tens of thousands of enemies packed tightly together, their sheer momentum enough to suffocate him.

Through the rain of arrows, the Rongdi pressed on, heedless of death, swarming to the base of the wall, raising ladders, beginning their ascent.

Only then did the arrow storm cease.

Zhao Ergou stared at the mass of enemies below, his heart pounding, sweat pouring from his palms.

He had no idea how to shoot an arrow—but now was not the time to worry.

He nocked an arrow, drew the string, aimed haphazardly at the crowd below, and let fly.

A faint twang—a Rongdi soldier climbing a ladder fell dead on the spot.

A blind cat catching a dead mouse!

By sheer luck, Zhao Ergou had killed an enemy with his first ever shot.

For the first time in both his past and present lives, he’d slain a foe with an arrow.

A strange sensation surged through him.

Something was wrong. His scalp prickled—the inside of his head felt as if something was about to burst forth.

Suddenly, a golden screen appeared in his mind, shimmering with golden letters:

Name: Zhao Ergou
Race: Human
Techniques: None
Innate Talent: Born Warlord (+)
Killing Intent: 1

A cheat system?

Staring at the golden screen in his mind, Zhao Ergou was ecstatic.

So the legendary transmigrator’s cheat really existed!

Now, he was terrifyingly strong!

He was no longer a coward—he would charge fearlessly.

Focusing on the golden screen, he noticed a conspicuous plus sign next to “Born Warlord.”

Having read countless web novels, he instantly understood—this must be a one-click power-up cheat!

Sure enough, with a thought, he chose to add a point.