The smoke rose black against the pale morning sky.
It twisted over the treetops, curling like a dragon's claw. Lü Bu stood atop a rocky ridge, arms folded, eyes narrowed. Behind him, the Iron Core waited—silent, watching him for orders. The wind carried the scent of burning thatch and spilled blood.
A village was under attack.
Bandits. At least two dozen. Fast-moving, lightly armed, without banners or names. Just blades and fire.
One of Lü Bu's scouts dropped to a knee. "They hit like wolves, my lord. No mercy. We saw them dragging the headman's daughter. They're still there."
Silence followed.
Lü Bu turned his gaze forward again, his voice quiet but heavy.
"How far?"
"Less than a league. We can reach them in an hour if we move hard."
This was the moment.
They had trained under him for weeks. Discipline, drills, formation, footwork. They were still young, many barely older than boys. Their armor didn't match. Their blades weren't polished. They were not yet a true army.
But they were no longer peasants either.
They were Iron Core.
And this was their first test.
Wei Yun stepped forward, fists clenched. "Give the order, Commander. Say the word, and we'll gut them."
But Lü Bu said nothing.
He stared at the smoke. The cries from distant wind. The faint echo of a girl screaming.
For the first time since the Iron Core's formation… doubt flickered.
These men followed him. Trusted him. If they died now, it would be his decision. Was he ready to lead them into death?
Was his dream ready to bleed?
[SYSTEM NOTICE — Command Decision Triggered]
Leadership Trait: "Wartime Judgment" – Locked
Choose: Observe, Delay, or Strike Immediately
He closed his eyes.
Then, calmly, he unsheathed his blade.
"We march."
The Iron Core moved like shadows through the forest.
No horns. No banners. No glory songs. Just boots on dirt and breath held tight. The trees parted to reveal a village half in flames. Children screamed. Men lay dead in the fields.
Bandits circled like jackals.
Until Lü Bu raised his hand.
"Shields up."
"Formation: swallow's fang."
They snapped into place — rough but determined. The sound of iron locking into place echoed like thunder in the chaos.
The bandits turned.
And for the first time… they hesitated.
"Who the hell are these bastards?" one spat.
Lü Bu stepped forward alone, eyes burning. His voice carried like a blade drawn in moonlight.
"You've stolen your last life."
"Now pay in blood."
The charge was swift.
Iron Core surged down the slope with formation intact, shields leading, spears forward. Lü Bu was at the center — not behind them, not directing from safety — but at the front. Where real commanders stood.
He was the first to strike.
His blade cut through a bandit's chest like water. The boy behind him followed suit, thrusting forward with both hands, screaming. Blood sprayed. Chaos erupted.
They were outnumbered two to one. But the Iron Core didn't break.
They moved like one body. Every step, every shout, drilled into them by weeks of discipline. Bandits who had never fought trained men before panicked. Fled. Bled.
Wei Yun tore through three with his twin axes, roaring. Another boy, Jin, took a cut to the leg but stood firm, holding the line with gritted teeth and a broken spear.
In fifteen minutes, it was over.
Smoke still rose. But now it rose over corpses.
Lü Bu stood alone at the edge of the village square, blood soaking his armor, sword dripping.
The villagers emerged slowly from hiding, eyes wide.
They didn't ask who he was.
They knelt.
[SYSTEM NOTICE — "Command Validated"]
Battle Victory Achieved: Morale Boosted
Leadership Trait: "Wartime Judgment" – Unlocked
[Iron Core Combat Readiness: E → D-]
[Lü Bu's Reputation: "Local Unknown" → "Rising Warlord"]
That night, they buried the dead and lit the fires high. The Iron Core sat in silence, bruised but alive.
Lü Bu said only one thing:
"Today, you are no longer trainees."
"Today, you became soldiers."
And the men around him — those who once trembled to hold a blade — raised their fists and shouted into the flames.
"IRON CORE!"
"IRON CORE!"
"IRON CORE!"
The world would remember this day.
The day his dream drew blood… and did not falter.