Chapter 378: One Against Ten (Part 3)

Although Wu Qingsong and Sertans were speaking in low voices, they did not deliberately avoid others. Many had overheard their conversation, and quite a few among them were visibly displeased.

However, anyone who could become an officer—even just a patrol squad leader—was not a fool.

As a tigerfolk, Sertans was already far more physically imposing than Angus or Beck. His thick arms and broad chest alone made him look formidable. Moreover, Wu Qingsong had specifically introduced him to everyone—who could say what kind of background he had?

Winning would bring no real benefit, but losing would be humiliating. No one was eager to take that risk.

“Angus, managing the patrol squads must be exhausting, isn’t it?” Wu Qingsong suddenly asked.

“My lord?” Angus was momentarily unsure of Wu Qingsong’s intent, feeling a mix of confusion and shame.

As the commander of Nagrand’s garrison, he was theoretically responsible for overseeing all patrol squads. However, these people simply refused to follow his orders. If he didn’t involve Nina, Xeila, or even Ram, nothing could get done. The only ones he could truly command were a handful of former members of the Thirtieth Mercenary Group, the beastfolk who had left their tribes to join Nagrand’s garrison for a living, and the ratfolk whom Wu Qingsong had placed great expectations upon.

At first, the workload wasn’t too overwhelming. With the experience he had gained in Orgrimmar, managing this force shouldn’t have been difficult. But constant contempt, defiance, disputes, and endless questioning drained him day after day. Over time, he had gradually shifted from being a leader to merely someone responsible for logistics.

Only Nina and Ram could suppress the wolfmen from Silvermoon, who made up the largest portion of the patrol squads, while Xeila’s presence could intimidate beastfolk from other tribes. As for Ling and Liuli, though their status was no different from that of Ram and the others, and they had proven themselves in battle, their harmless appearances and lack of an intimidating presence meant no one took them seriously.

If Wu Qingsong intervened personally, things would naturally improve. But Angus had his pride. He couldn’t go running to the ladies for help every time an issue arose, and he certainly couldn’t ask Wu Qingsong to intervene at every turn. So, he had to find alternative solutions.

In the end, the only way he could force these unruly beastfolk to obey was by controlling their logistics—finding excuses to dock their pay.

This approach did make them outwardly more compliant, but it also led to more conflicts and resentment, further souring relations between them. Secret defiance grew increasingly common.

As Nagrand expanded, Angus had more and more responsibilities. He also realized that, while the ratfolk lacked combat prowess, they excelled at executing orders. So, he began focusing more on utilizing them and the few troops he could command directly, while essentially letting the patrol squads run themselves.

His actual control over them had dwindled to nearly nothing. Only when priests, merchants, or Nagrand’s residents lodged complaints—or when serious incidents occurred—would he summon the relevant squad leaders to reprimand them and dock part of their pay as punishment.

“You already have enough on your plate. It’s unreasonable to make you manage so much at once,” Wu Qingsong said.

Angus’s personality and skill set made him an excellent police chief and emergency responder. He also held no prejudice against the ratfolk and worked well with them. Wu Qingsong had no real complaints about his performance.

Expecting someone like Angus to manage a group of mercenaries from various tribes had always been an unfair ask.

If Harold were twenty years younger, he would have been the ideal choice. But now, Wu Qingsong intended to entrust this responsibility to Sertans instead.

“Let’s resolve this issue today,” Wu Qingsong announced to the beastfolk. “From now on, all patrol squads will be merged into a single unit under my direct command. We’ll select the new leader in the way of the wastelands. Anyone who believes they have what it takes to be the overall commander, step forward. Defeat Sertans, and you’ll take his place as the champion. If you can win ten matches in a row, you will be appointed as the patrol commander and earn the chance to become a noble of Nagrand.”

“Awoooo—!”

The beastfolk were stunned for a moment before erupting into frenzied howls of excitement.

“Wu?” Nina looked at him in surprise.

Wu Qingsong simply smiled and shook his head. “It’s fine. Letting them blow off some steam once in a while isn’t a bad thing. As long as no one gets taken out instantly, with you here, there won’t be any serious injuries.”

“But isn’t it unfair to forbid Sertans from using his abilities?”

“No one else has abilities like his. As a newcomer, if he wants to prove himself worthy and earn respect, he has to show something truly convincing.”

A few bold beastfolk quickly stepped forward. Then more followed. As expected, most were former squad leaders from the patrol teams, and the rest were well-known troublemakers.

Among the thirty or so challengers vying for the position and the title of noble, the largest group was the bearmans, followed by werewolves. There was only one minotaur, one tigerfolk, and one boarfolk. Wu Qingsong’s conditions—defeating Sertans and then winning ten consecutive matches—made many hot-blooded beastfolk reconsider. Once their initial excitement cooled slightly, they regained a sense of reality and refrained from blindly charging in, unlike the bearmans, who showed no hesitation.

Sertans didn’t fully grasp Wu Qingsong’s intentions, but he understood this was both a test and an opportunity. So, while keeping an eye on the opponents eyeing him hungrily, he began stretching and warming up for the battle ahead.

“Who’s first?” Wu Qingsong asked with an amused expression.

The beastfolk hesitated momentarily before a burly bearman stepped forward. He hoisted a massive spiked club and slowly advanced toward Sertans.

Sertans was clearly much older—perhaps that gave the beastfolk confidence to challenge him first.

However, several of the more seasoned fighters, whom Wu Qingsong recognized, remained quiet, evidently biding their time for a better opportunity. Sertans might be strong, but his age was a factor. How much stamina would he have left after enduring several rounds?

Under these rules, striking later greatly increased one’s odds of victory.

“What do you think?” Wu Qingsong asked Nina quietly.

She was the only one here who had previously fought against Sertans. As a formidable warrior herself, her judgment would be the most reliable.

But before she could answer, Sertans suddenly let out a thunderous roar and shot forward like a streak of golden lightning, charging straight at the bearman!

The bearman let out a fierce bellow, raising his massive club high. But Sertans moved with a speed completely unbefitting his age. Before the club could come down, he had already struck three times in rapid succession—the butt of his spear slamming into the bearman’s throat, chest, and side.

The bearman was sent flying.

Power and speed in perfect harmony.

The entire crowd fell into stunned silence.

Sertans calmly returned to his original position, gripping his spear once more.

He waited.