Warfare's Ultimate Frontier 1

by Quasar Magellan

  With these two pieces of information, Baron’s hopes of winning had been completely destroyed.

  If he could somehow make it back to Germany, then he might still have a chance to turn the situation around — but with enemy forces in every direction, it would be nigh impossible for him and his forces to escape.

  Even with the remnants of Meng Tian's army that he’d been able to absorb into his own army, he simply didn’t have the resources to compete. Even so, he tried his best. He continued his barrage of the enemy with every left in his arsenal, trying to deal as much damage as possible. Of course, he still lost in the end — but he did inflict enough damage to thoroughly impress the others.

  The five of them continued to practice like this for a couple more years until they finally decided that they needed to take a well-deserved break — they’d been working nonstop for too long, and needed some rest and relaxation.

  They decided that it was time to share their inner thoughts and feelings about this world. Even in the afterlife, emotions still played a great role in one’s psyche and livelihood.

  Chapter 60

  Relaxation Week

  So, they hit the sauna.

  “Hey, brothers.” Baron said. “I heard Zhuge Liang, the previous head of state of our Chinese community, suddenly disappeared a while ago. Do you guys know anything about it?”

  As one who’d worked closely with Zhuge Liang on Earth, Guan Yu was the one to respond. “Well, there’s a great deal of mystery surrounding his disappearance. Even I don’t know anything about it, but I have my suspicions that it was the Sun Coalition that caused him to go missing.” Guan Yu said sternly.

  Meng Tian nodded. “I’m of the same mind. The faction that Zhuge Liang used to head was absorbed by the Sun Coalition after his disappearance.”

  Baron stared at him. “What? How would they even manage to do something like that?”

  Yue Fei spoke. “Well, there are a few conspiracy theories circulating around. The leader of the Sun Coalition, Sun Tzu, even personally came out to quell the rumors after it happened. Stuff was getting out of hand, and the Sun Coalition was losing too much face.”

  “Sun Tzu himself? Could it be that he was personally involved with whatever happened?”

  “Though that would make the most sense, no one really dares to question his morals due to how much power he and his faction has. Besides, he and his aides haven’t been in the community for well over half a millenium. It’s just his elders and such that run his faction and do everything.”

  Baron shifted slightly, trying to get into a more comfortable position. “Where has he gone?”

  “From what I know, he’s currently visiting the United States community. That’s how they were able to sell such modern blueprints at their special event. It was the result of a deal with the strategists from the United States.”

  “Well, enough of that then, I’m sure he will come back before the next Death Match Tournament. Let’s just relax… this sauna sure is wonderful.”

  Yue Fei chuckled. “You can try to keep your mind off these things, but this sauna was actually commissioned by the Sun Coalition. As is most of what you see here in the Chinese Community. Before the Sun Coalition managed to gain a following, our community wasn’t anywhere as strong as we are today. We could fight well, but we didn’t have much of a foundation.”

  Guan Yu frowned at Yue Fei’s words. “Don’t forget to mention that that honour goes to both Sun Tzu and Zhuge Liang. They were quite close, and they worked together to achieve all this.”

  “Their relationship just makes this mystery more and more complicated.”

  Meng Tian reached up to his head and wiped away a layer of sweat. “I think I’m done with the sauna for today. Anyone up for some food?”

  “You having cravings or something?” Asked Baron.

  “I know we don’t have to eat, but we have to treat ourselves once in a while, right?”

  “I suppose that’s true.”

  “I was just about to get out too.” Said Yue Fei.

  Guan Yu nodded. “Same for me.”

  The five of them left the sauna and showered before dressing themselves. They headed to a high-end restaurant and chatted as they waited for the food to arrive.

  “What were your thoughts on this planet when you first came here?”

  Guan Yu sighed. “I remember that I was quite shocked to see that there existed an afterlife even more barbaric than the middle kingdom.”

  Yue Fei nodded. “I was of a similar mindset. However, I leaned more towards the thought that this was another chance at life. No matter how much suffering there was back on earth, this one planet alone dwarfs that in comparison. Even then it’s not the worst — and what’s life without struggle?”

  Meng Tian shrugged. “Well, I didn’t think much of it. It’s not really in my nature to. I think I was briefly shocked, but that was about it.”

  Meng Yi chuckled. “I was a little more distraught. I was thinking, was all I’d done on Earth for naught, if this was where I’d spend the rest of eternity? But now, I’ve gotten over it. What about you, Baron?”

  “I just kept thinking that I needed to get back to Earth as soon as I could. That goal of mine is still unchanged. Although, there are many mysteries about this planet and its inhabitants that I wouldn’t mind exploring.”

  Yue Fei turned to him. “You still want to participate in the Death Match Tournament?”

  Baron slowly nodded. “Yes, I think I do. I just need to improve, and find strong allies. Sooner or later, I’ll have enough power to do so.”

  Guan Yu frowned and stroked his beard. “Do you know how the tournament works? This is not something that just anyone is able to enter.”

  Baron hummed before responding. “Well, I know that one has to wait a thousand years before they’re allowed to enter.”

  Guan Yu tilted his head. “Well, that’s not exactly the case, but it’s not much different from the truth.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Only ten factions from each community are allowed to enter the tournament. However, only the top brass of each community is allowed to enter at all. It’s not that you have to wait a thousand years, but rather that’s how long it would take even a genius to consolidate power and fight their way to the top of the community’s rankings.”

  “Then what about Madam Zheng? Will she be able to enter?”

  Guan Yu paused before responding. “Her faction isn’t amongst the most powerful, but she will most likely be chosen to represent us in the next tournament, yes. That’s just how important she is to our community.”

  Yue Fei shrugged. “She’s made a name for herself, after all. But she’s fighting an unfavorable battle if she tries to be chosen. The other candidates might not be as talented as her, but they’ve been here far longer than she, and have far more powerful allies.”

  Baron mused. “Perhaps it would be wise for us to help her in this endeavor. Participating would make her Forever Pirates a stronger ally for us in the future.”

  ***

  Baron, Meng Tian, Meng Yi, Yue Fei, and Guan Yu were finally served what they’d ordered. Some noodles, a whole steamed fish, and some pork and beef dishes. In the middle of eating, Baron’s curiosity got the better of him again, and he couldn’t help but ask.

  “What are your stances on war?”

  Meng Tian shrugged. “My brother and I are very similar in this regard. Even though both of us show an incredible talent for it, we don’t really care much for war. Personally, I’m much more into architecture.” Meng Tian replied before he was interrupted by his brother, Meng Yi.

  “That is true. However, our father is a war fanatic. He loves rushing headfirst into enemies. The thrill of battle is what he lives for. For our father, war is the love of his life. As for us, we prefer things such as architecture. We do come from a line of generals and architects, after all.”

  Baron nodded. “That’s true, I read about your lineage in history
textbooks. Quite the family, you two have. Guan Yu, how about you?”

  Guan Yu sighed. “During my time on Earth, only war and my love for my brothers were constant in a sea of uncertainty. With that being said, I believe that war should be, well, unnecessary. Despite being named the God of War, I don’t believe that war is to be glorified. Look at us, here. We’re in the afterlife, yet we continue to fight. And for what? Fame, prestige, and money? If you ask me, I haven’t left Earth at all.”

  “Then why do you still fight?” Baron asked.

  “To find the truth of this world. No matter how great I become, or how much fame is awarded to me, I still haven’t found the answer. However, I will not give up. Finding the truth of this planet is what I have decided to do with my unceasing will.”

  Baron raised a fist with one hand, while he used chopsticks to stuff his face with fish with the other. “We’ll get there. For now, relax and find solace in that just about nobody knows all the secrets of this world. With time, we’ll get there. What about you, Yue Fei?”

  “Well, to be honest, I just want to help as many people as I can with my power. But hey, that’s enough questions out of you. What about yourself, Baron?”

  “... There’s just something I have to return to, on Earth. As for war…” Baron shook his head. “If we win the Death Match Tournament, I’ll tell you all.”

  Meng Tian rudely pointed at Baron with his chopsticks. “What’d you leave on Earth? Must be something really important if you still haven’t forgotten about it after so many years.”

  “Of course.”

  Guan Yu changed the topic. “So, Baron. I’ve been wondering for a while. Just how many blueprints do you have in that brain of yours? From what I’ve seen and heard, you have quite a few. Do you specialize in anything?”

  Baron shook his head. “I don’t actually know that many blueprints. I’m just familiar with modern weaponry, which is typically based on older technology. I also took engineering classes and did a great deal of research on historical weaponry, so I’m able to build the blueprints based off of a combination of my knowledge, extrapolation, and engineering know-how.

  “As for if I specialize in anything, most blueprints I know are for use on land. I only know a few that are specific to sea and air purposes. I did prefer land warfare, and so I naturally researched more about them while I was alive.”

  “Interesting, could it be that you like battles that allow you to take command of forces that number in the hundreds of thousands?”

  Baron thought about it for a bit before answering. “Perhaps, but with technology becoming more and more advanced, I feel that war is becoming more streamlined, and in the process, duller. In your times, generals and strategists that rose to the peak were mostly geniuses that were willing to step to the front lines, or achieve incredible feats to rally and inspire troops. Now, it’s just about who has the better technology.”

  “You should know, humans are a species that constantly hungers for more.” Meng Tian stopped eating for a bit to speak. “More power, more money, more advanced technology so we can enslave others of our own race. This is one of humanity’s fundamental traits in my book, as well as the reason that we were able to be the dominant species on Earth in the first place.”

  Yue Fei sighed as he placed his chopsticks over his bowl. “Sadly, that was the reality back when I was alive, and perhaps even while you were alive, Baron. It’ll still be the case five hundred years from now, even a million years in the future, if humanity is still alive on Earth at that point. It’s a stark realization, but an important one.”

  Baron nodded. “From what I’ve observed, both of you are correct.”

  “You have any friends you miss, Baron?” Yue Fei asked.

  “Friends? I didn’t have many, since I spent most of my time training and researching. But, I’ve had a good few ones during my life. I had a good buddy who was my board-mate during my years in military school. His tactics are rather lacking, but he knows how to design ships and aircraft very well.”

  Hearing this, Yue Fei picked his chopsticks up again and pulled some noodles into his bowl. “Wait, do you think this friend of yours will be coming to planet four?”

  Baron shook his head. “I don’t think that’s likely. He wasn’t very interested in strategy. He was more of an engineer and scientist, really. I will admit though, if he came here we would be much better off… but that likely won’t happen. Don’t get your hopes up.”

  “That’s unfortunate. No matter though, we will still win the tournament, even without his help.”

  “You got that right.” Said Guan Yu between bites of food.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking.” Baron started off. “Maybe we should host another mini-tournament so that we can test our skills again. It’s been quite a few years since the last one.”

  “Another tournament? That’s fine, but last time we invited too many, and their quality was not good. We should make better use of my time by only inviting masters to our next tournament.” Guan Yu responded.

  “I don’t want to be that guy, but I think it would be better if we attended official tournaments instead to test our abilities.” Meng Tian expressed. “There is one in about two year’s time, and as everyone has to pay a thousand silver coins to enter, we should only be facing off against the best of the best.”

  “That’s good. Who’s hosting it?” Asked Baron.

  Meng Tian shrugged. “Like most things around here, the Sun Coalition. It’s a big deal. If we make it far enough into the tournament, we can pick something from their personal storage to take as a prize.”

  “Really? Well, we should focus on testing our abilities first. Everything else should come second.”

  ***

  The Meng brothers, Guan Yu, Yue Fei, and Baron were still discussing the tournament that the Sun Coalition was being set up.

  “I haven’t been to any of these official tournaments, so is there anything I need to know to prepare?” Baron asked.

  “There’s not much. It’s divided into three categories, just like the Faction Selection Tournament. Land, sea, air.” Meng Tian replied.

  “Are we allowed to enter into more than one category?”

  “Most people do. The entry fee for one category is a thousand silver coins, two is 1,700. If you want to compete in all three, then it’s 2,000. Many will try for as many categories as they’re familiar with.”

  Baron scratched his head. “Do we have a chance of winning? How far have you gotten in the tournament?”

  Meng Tian responded. “I’ve broken into the top fifty, while my brother Meng Yi is about at the level of the top hundred.”

  Meng Yi spoke up. “This tournament is no joke, I tell you. There will be many masters there, and it’ll certainly be worth the price to practice against them. Just the opportunity is beneficial to anyone seeking to become a master.”

  “Will we be able to spectate other people’s matches?”

  “Yeah, that’s actually one of the biggest benefits of participating in the tournament. You get to see how each strategist reacts to a given situation. The endless combinations of moves available to strategists in a single battlefield is simply fascinating.” Replied Guan Yu.

  Baron rubbed his hands together. “This all sounds great. When can we register?”

  “We can register when it starts. Part of the fee we pay goes into benefits, such as a room to sleep and rest in. There’s one thing you should know though. Official tournaments like this one have very strict rules.”

  “Like what?”

  “You know how you typically have the stats and health of about fifty soldiers? In these official tournaments, you only have the health and stats of a normal soldier. This means that assassinations are easier, and therefore much more common, so you have to be careful of everyone around you. Even your own soldiers can be turned or bribed, if you aren’t careful enough.”

  “Interesting. I supposed there’s an advantage to knowing how to fight, then.
That explains why the Men of Meng are so established.” Baron mused.

  “Indeed.” Meng Tian agreed. “No matter how talented one is at strategizing and commanding troops, there’s nothing you can do once you’re dead. Many people are willing to go to extreme lengths to kill the enemy strategist in these competitions.”

  Yue Fei shrugged. “It’s not as bad as Meng Tian is making it out to be. Just exercise caution and you should typically be fine.” “Well, though they are fairly common in the deathmatch tournament it isn’t very common in the community hosted events. Still, exercise caution and you will be glad you did.” Yue Fei added.

  Baron nodded, thankful for the advice.

  Meng Tian continued the conversation. “As the one with the most experience in aerial combat, I say we have a good shot at making into the top twenty-five. That’s with some luck, of course. As for sea and land, I can’t say, as I’m not familiar with either of those.”

  “This is where I have a little more depth than you, Meng Tian. I’ve been to a few of these tournaments, and while I’m quite confident in my abilities, I can’t hold a candle to the top strategists on land.” Said Guan Yu.

  “That’s quite something, given you’re our top land-based strategist.” Said Baron.

  “Unfortunately, yes. The winner last time was Wang Jian of the Yellow Wang faction. And that’s the norm. This tournament is hosted about 50, 100, and 150 years before every faction selection tournament. Since they merged, the Yellow Wang faction’s four co-leaders have dominated the land battles.”

  “You mean Wang Jian, Li Mu, Lian Po, and Bai Qi?”

  Guan Yu nodded. “Correct. In fact, in the last few tournaments, those four have always all placed within the top ten.”

  “Is there no one else in the other two great factions that can best them? How are they placing so high so consistently?” Baron asked.