The moment he said this, the expressions of the people behind the soldier changed.
Their eyes were filled with sorrow.
Indeed, in terms of strength, the disparity between the two sides was too great.
Ma Wen reckoned that these soldiers were the ones who had been in charge of guarding this refuge since the beginning of the cataclysm.
At the beginning of the cataclysm, Steel City had definitely displayed the qualities of a militarized city.
The soldiers had sent their families, which were the old, weak, women, and children, into the refuge.
However, what happened next was not something they could deal with.
The Magi who had gone berserk destroyed everything.
Most of the soldiers had died in the city.
Only a small number had survived, and they guarded the refuge to the death, living cautiously.
Originally, the food and fortifications in the refuge were enough for them to survive, but for some reason, the Scorpions of Dream had discovered the entrance to the refuge.
A few days ago, they had discovered some strange movements, and today, Senma had brought a large group of people to attack Morregan's Heart.
They were completely defenseless, and could only rely on the most basic fortifications to fight them.
Morregan's Heart was a true underground stronghold, but it required Magi to control it.
Generally speaking, without a special warning, Steel City would not activate a strategic refuge of this level.
Magi had a high status, and they would not hide in an underground stronghold for long periods of time.
That was why when the cataclysm erupted, there were no Magi in the refuge.
Thus, even though they had avoided a calamity, they had encountered another problem.
They probably did not know how to activate the defensive runes of the stronghold, and could only rely on the most basic physical barriers — a few gates and mechanisms — to resist the bandits.
If the other side really attacked, they would most likely be doomed.
Ma Wen made a preliminary estimate of the strength of both sides.
On the military's side, there were about a standard city defense team, which happened to be twelve people. The rest were three times the number of old, weak, women, and children, who basically did not have much fighting strength.
On the other hand, there were 30 or so bandits. Even though their weapons and equipment were not as good as the military's, they had the advantage in numbers. It was just that their quality was a bit uneven.
Apart from their leader, Senma, who was a Grade 4 expert, the rest were around Grade 2.
As for the ordinary members of the city defense team, they were all powerhouses who were at least rank 2 or above.
Among them, there were two Grade 3 players, most likely vice-captains.
As for their leader, he was also a powerful fourth-order expert. This was probably the reason why the bandits had not made a move yet.
If the two sides fought, they would most likely win, but they would also suffer heavy losses.
…
"A Tier 4 combat class … He's definitely one of the strongest experts in the army."
"Although Steel City is filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons, he can't just be a captain, right?"
Ma Wen was a little puzzled. He observed carefully and suddenly realized that the right foot of the military leader was trembling.
As a professional soldier, it was impossible for him to be nervous due to psychological factors in this situation.
Then there was only one answer.
He had a hidden illness.
Senma's eyes were sharp. Although he was afraid of the other party's strength, which was also a Tier 4 expert, he had long since noticed this possibility.
That was why he dared to bargain so shamelessly.
However, the response he received was a cold sentence.
"Dream on!"
The leader of the military side was particularly unyielding. He suddenly took a step forward.
This step completely exposed the disability of his right foot.
But he showed no fear. "Since you're clearly looking for trouble, I can't be bothered to waste words with you."
"If you want to fight, we'll accompany you to the death!"
The moment he said this, the people behind him immediately shouted angrily.
"That's right!"
"Fight it out with them!"
"We're the relatives of soldiers, how can we be threatened by a group of bandits?"
A few old men were so old that they could not even hold their crutches, but they still trembled as they hid their daggers in their palms.
The young women quietly wiped away their tears.
Twelve soldiers — perhaps the last of Steel City's soldiers — stood guard at the very front of the passageway.
There was no door here, but with them, they formed an impassable wall!
…
Senma narrowed her eyes.
Although bandits were a profession that lived on the edge of a knife, they were also the most cowardly of people.
Compared to soldiers, they clearly lacked a sense of bravery.
Senma had obtained the guidance of a mysterious person and found a refuge, but that person had clearly said that she would only be able to provide more help if she personally took down this stronghold.
She had seen that person's prowess, it was excessively powerful, perhaps even legendary figures could not compare to her.
If she could obtain her help, in this unique era, she might really be able to establish a force of her own.
Thus, she had to take down this refuge!
Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Senma's eyes.
There was a slight smile on his face.
"There's no need"
"We just want to obtain more resources"
"Right now, we're facing a disaster for all of humanity, so it's best to be united"
The military leader coldly said: "Your words just now don't sound like unity at all"
Senma pretended to spread her hands: "Alright, I apologize for what I said just now, it was just a joke"
"How about this, let's change the rules of the game"
"I know that your stronghold has a lot of food and weapons, but we can't agree on how to split them, so we can't actually fight, that would be too damaging"
"How about this, we each come up with a plan. Then we'll arrange for three one-on-one duels, and the winner will win two out of three. What do you think? "
Senma smiled, "Of course, I can guarantee that the girls behind you won't be included in my proposal, haha."
"We only want food and weapons."
The military leader hesitated for a moment.
Senma's concession made it difficult for him to do anything.
If he insisted on being stubborn, he would only be sacrificing the benefits of his own people.
"If it's a duel … three against three …"
He subconsciously looked at the bandits, then at his own people, and finally clenched his teeth:
"Fine. But I need to know your plan first. "
Senma revealed a proud smile:
"If we win, we want half of the food and two sets of military equipment for each person!"
The military leader frowned and was about to say too much.
But after thinking about it carefully, if it was three against three, he had a high chance of winning, so it seemed impossible to continue bargaining.
"Fine!"
"Let's duel!"
…
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