Avi's gaze settled upon a skill named 'Erudition,' with its description stating: A talent of being knowledgeable and versatile, upgrading this skill can enhance one's insights into the world.

Silently, Avi prayed in his heart: May it be as I hope.

His fingers hesitated briefly before landing on the skill.

Once again, he delved into thoughts on how to overcome these adversaries.

In a fleeting moment, a spark of insight illuminated his mind, bringing forth valuable information.

'Orcs, possessing dulled senses of pain and thick skin, render ordinary knives and swords futile against them. Yet goblins, often coated with oil rather than cleaned, transform into a blazing spectacle when ignited.'

Simultaneously, another piece of information emerged in his consciousness— 'Enemy morale: Frenzied hunting! Our morale: Languishing.'

Such is the utility of the Erudition skill; broad knowledge not only allows him to discern adversaries' traits before battle but also enables Avi to gauge both sides' morale through soldiers' expressions and actions.

"If morale is too low, a direct assault is futile; only a fire attack will suffice."

Gazing at the crackling fire pit, Avi swiftly devised a strategy for a fiery assault.

As for the remaining skill points, he opted to reserve them for now—should the tactic prove effective, vital resources could be conserved for when most needed.

The battle plan was set; now, a leader was needed to charge and uplift morale.

After all, the team comprised ordinary farmers and militiamen, requiring someone to lead against the orcs.

Upon accessing Rafe's attribute panel, Avi swiftly identified the two necessary skills.

Weapon Proficiency: Enhances mastery of various weapons, universally improving understanding and usage.

Riding: Amplifies horse control and weapon flexibility while mounted, offsetting the weapon proficiency penalty when riding.

A single orc slain before battle would nullify any morale concerns.

Avi allocated all of Rafe's skill points to Weapon Proficiency and Riding, particularly elevating Weapon Proficiency to level two.

"They're upon us!" A cry echoed, shrouding all in tension and fear. Whispers ceased as all eyes turned to Avi and Rafe.

'Enemy morale: For food! Our morale: Fearful and hesitant.' Drawing his iron sword, Avi mounted his horse.

An immediate headache gripped him, nearly unseating him—a common aftermath of prolonged system use.

Gritting his teeth against the ache, Avi surveyed their surroundings.

Chattering goblins had encircled them, hurling stones and foul-smelling objects intermittently. Battle was imminent.

"Listen," Avi's voice remained calm, "we must fight if we're to survive.

These goblins won't relent. Leave the orcs to Rafe and me; deal with the goblins."

"They approach!" A voice trembled, prompting Avi's directive, "Once the fray begins, hurl torches at them. Ignore the grass! Save yourselves, understood?"

"Understood!"

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"Charge!"

Avi led the charge towards the goblins, brandishing a burning stick into the darkness.

Screams erupted as flames soared upon impact.

"Rafe!" Avi singled out an orc, "Dispatch this green skin!"

"Got it!" Rafe charged recklessly, severing the orc's unprotected throat.

As the orc fell, no scream escaped—a blood spout rose over half a meter high.

Now, Rafe's prowess rivaled that of a professional swordsman; Avi's cultivated 'War God' via the system.

Cheers erupted, and Avi smiled proudly. 'Enemy morale: Intimidated.

Our morale: Gaining confidence.'

"Light the fire!" Burning sticks were hurled, igniting the battlefield amidst terrified gazes.

Dry grass ignited readily, providing fuel to the flames.

Under cover of fire, Avi and Rafe led the charge, followed by brave militiamen.

The remaining orcs, axes swinging, forced farmers to flee, leaving the militiamen struggling with dwindling morale.

Immediate resolution was imperative.

Avi swiftly moved against the fiercest orc, only to receive a ruthless taunt.

"I am Dak, mighty! And you, in Dak's presence, are but useless mosquitoes, buzzing futilely!"

Avi understood that he couldn't afford to lose this duel; otherwise, everything would be lost. He mounted his horse and began operating the panel to utilize the skill points left behind, disregarding the strain on his body from the headaches and dizziness.

As the orcs approached with their axes raised, Avi also augmented his own skills. He effortlessly maneuvered his mount to evade the orc's attacks, forcing the opponent to reveal a significant flaw.

With a swift stroke, a large and grotesque green head rolled to the ground, its thick blood gushing out like a fountain from the neck.

"Flies won't be using your head as a ball," Avi sneered coldly, swinging his sword and shouting, "Charge—! I'll use these orc skulls as bowls!"

'Goblin morale: Scattered flee! Orc morale: Frenzied battle cries. Our morale: Elevated spirits.'

Witnessing their captain's victory in single combat against the orcs, the farmers who had just been fleeing turned back, wielding their weapons to smash the ugly and filthy goblins, quickly becoming bloodthirsty.

With the last orc falling under Rafe's sword, within just fifteen minutes, amidst the smoke and flames, the battle came to an end.

"The outcome still depends on Rafe and me..." Avi thought wearily. "At least for now, I can't let the team suffer casualties; otherwise, they might sneak back to their hometowns. But this isn't a game; if I make a mistake, I could really end up dead, and my heart can't take this forever..."

Having been forced to upgrade the skills of 'Weapon Proficiency' and 'Riding,' Avi could maintain some stamina after the battle. But it wasn't time to rest yet; he immediately had to command the team to accomplish an extremely important task.

"Use scythes or swords to cut down the surrounding grass; don't let the fire spread!"

If the flames spread and burn down the surrounding forest, Avi feared he would wear out the dungeons of Midenheim—if burning the forest down might seem like a good thing for Miden's leadership, it would force a large group of orcs gathering in the forest out, and the consequences of doing so unprepared would be unthinkable.

They found plenty of provisions near the fallen goblins, in addition to the 'bait' that Rafe had given them, they also seized food from other teams, all of which became supplies for the cheating mercenary group.

The meat of goblins and orcs was tough and stinky, greenish-black, and even people on the verge of starving didn't want to eat it. But Avi still decided to keep the orc heads; he had a premonition that they would be useful in the future.

They slept haphazardly amidst the ashes of the extinguished fire, and the next day they set out on the road again.

Avi rode at the forefront of the team, the hilt of his long sword on his back reflecting dazzling light under the bright sunshine, as bright and cheerful as his mood.

After last night's battle, the seven militiamen had all upgraded to mercenaries, showing considerable combat power; the seventeen summoned farmers had all been promoted to militia, and four of them, who had killed more enemies, caught up with their predecessors and became mercenaries.

Now, the cheating mercenary group had thirteen militia and eleven mercenaries, showing initial combat effectiveness.

"Boss, where are we going next?" Rafe asked loudly.

"Let's continue towards Midenshteng," Avi rubbed his numbed ears, "and check the bounty board after we arrive. I heard that many caravans suffered heavy losses from goblins and orcs popping up in the forest recently, and merchants have posted many bounties."

"Why do we need money? We're not short of food now!" Rafe asked innocently.

Looking at his own and his team's attire, Avi couldn't help but smile wryly, "At least we need to change everyone's equipment, right? It's not just about food; swords, armor, and horses, all of these require money."

"Do we?" Rafe drew his sword and gestured with it, "I feel like this sword suits me just fine."

"But we must strive for better equipment," Avi said, "our short-term goal is to fight monsters and level up, make money to buy equipment. After we become stronger, we can recruit more people and gradually expand our scale."

"And then?"

"And then... we'll go seize some territory and become kings of the mountains!" Avi laughed heartily, "Let the name of our 'cheating mercenary group' spread throughout Midenland—no, throughout the empire, and even the world!"