75 – The Great Mortal Game Part 2

The participants carefully examined the faction and unit cards, while the Xuan stood upon the raised platform like an imposing figure, silent, menacing, and enigmatic. His towering frame remained perfectly still, the veiled deer skull turning slightly now and then as though silently judging every person below. The weight of his presence alone was enough to keep the entire platform subdued.

In truth, however…

‘How’s zaaat?’ I boasted to Huiran and Wendao through Voice Transmission. ‘Think I pulled that entrance off quite well.’

‘You might actually be a natural at this,’ Wendao replied.

‘Very good, young master. Now don’t fuck this up, or we won’t let you forget it,’ Huiran joked and warned.

It was a discussion from roughly an hour earlier.

“Hmmm. This is kind of a big event, correct? How should I make my entrance?” I asked Huiran and Wendao. If it were just a normal event, I could simply appear and say what needed to be said. But this was a cultivator event, and I had the feeling I needed to do something a little over the top. Then I remembered that I had little to no public speaking experience, and suddenly I felt anxious.

“You could just make a normal entrance. But I might have an idea for something more light hearted,” Huiran offered.

“No!” Wendao objected strongly. “Make a powerful and menacing entrance. That is the only way you will be respected. Especially with the amount of attention you have been attracting so far.”

“Do I get any say in this?”

“No,” both answered at the same time.

“Looks like there’s only one way to resolve this.” Huiran’s expression turned battle-hardened, his voice heavy and serious.

“Indeed.” Wendao’s presence sharpened.

“Oh, I ain’t gonna be a passive participant here.” I immediately understood what they were about to do and refused to sit it out.

Each of us withdrew a fist, then thrust it forward at the same time. I chose scissors, Huiran showed his thumb, and Wendao extended his pinky.

“What’s this?” the three of us asked simultaneously.

“It’s a hand gesture game.” Huiran started. “Frog beats Centipede, Snake eats Frog, and Slug kills Snake.” He shows his thumb, then index finger, and finally pinky finger.

“Make sense of the first two, but how does a centipede kill a snake?” I asked in genuine curiosity.

“Centipede is poisonous and small enough to crawl into a snake's ears and stung the snake’s brain.” Huiran stated matter of factly.

“What the fuck? They can do that?” I cringed in horror at how horrifying that sounds. Then the image came to my mind and immediately my ear holes got itchy and I scratched and rubbed my ears on my shoulders from the discomfort.

“If you don’t believe me, I can show you how its…”

“Let’s move on.” I quickly shut him down.

“Then how does your version work? Why are there scissors?” Wendao asked.

“There’s rock, paper, and scissors.” I showed a closed fist, then extended my index and middle fingers, and finally opened my hand flat.

“How does that work?” Wendao asked, now curious.

“It was the kind of tools they are. Rocks are a forceful tool, scissors are a precise tool, and papers are a planning tool. Raw power overcomes precision, precision overcomes planning, and planning overcomes brute force.” I made up some bullshit. I have no idea how rock, papers, scissors came to be.

“Hmmm.” Fortunately, the other two hummed and nodded, buying my complete bullshit.

With that settled, the three of us repeated the game. Suffice it to say, Wendao won.

“Now I will teach you one method to control killing intent,” Wendao said, beginning his explanation. That was how my powerful entrance had come to be.

“My apologies for speaking out of turn.” A young man’s voice pulled me back to the present. “But none of us have studied strategy.”

I looked toward the speaker. He appeared no older than seventeen, dressed in vibrant and expensive red robes, complete with a folding fan. He looked familiar, and I immediately recognized him as a member of the Gongsun family. One of whom I had already killed, while another had proven himself a busybody.

“That’s right! This is unfair!” someone behind him shouted in agreement. Soon after, more voices rose in complaint.

“You have all studied Formation Arrays, correct?” I asked. They nodded. “Then this is not so different. We tested this format extensively over the past week. Or is it simply that many of you grew overconfident after obtaining the leaked papers and neglected your actual studies?”

At those words, more than a few participants averted their eyes, their faces filled with quiet shame.

“I have finished selecting my army. I am ready!” another young man suddenly shouted. The voice came from the one who had earlier stood in the center, trying to draw all attention to himself. His tone was clear and confident. Perhaps he actually had the ability to back it up.

“That’s the spirit. The rest of you, hurry along. You have the time of ten incense sticks.” At my words, Xuehai lit the incense and began the countdown. Like before, I was baffled that this was the usual method of measuring time here, but ten sticks was a rather lenient allowance. If the participants understood that, they would have little remaining ground for complaint.

Two more participants soon announced that they were ready as well. The second was the sickly youth who had arrived last on the platform. The third was a much taller figure with snow-white hair, already carrying a powerful presence that suggested prior battlefield experience.

‘Who are those three? And the one who first complained is a snob from the Gongsun family, correct?’ I asked Xuehai through Voice Transmission.

‘The first is Ye Wanzhao. The sickly one is Qín Wèimíng (秦未名|Yet Without Name). The last is Bái Chéngběi (白承北|White Inheritor of the North), eldest son of the Hánshuāng Sect’s Grand Marshal. And yes, the one who complained is the latest young master from the main branch of the Gongsun family,’ Xuehai replied.

I nodded. They seemed like interesting fellows. After the first three declared themselves ready, the remaining participants began catching up, finalizing their armies and announcing their readiness one after another. I projected a glowing circular symbol above each of those who were prepared. The number of unfinished participants steadily dwindled as it became clear there was no other option and they wouldn't be eligible for the next tournament.

“Now that everyone is ready, kindly roll the dice prepared on the tray in front of you.” I projected a tray and a d4 dice before each participant. Though most did not understand the purpose, they followed the instructions.

Once everyone had rolled, the results appeared directly above their heads, numbered from one to four. Huiran had already assisted with the array to ensure the participants were evenly and neatly divided into four groups.

“Those who rolled one will be tested today. Those who rolled a two will be tested on the second day, and so on. Participants who did not roll one are to leave the platform and continue preparing. If any of you believe that going later will grant you an advantage, you are mistaken.”

After the other participants left the platform, I raised individual platforms for those remaining. They quickly understood and each chose one to stand upon. From their starting positions, branching trails leading northward began to form. At various points along the paths, symbols appeared to indicate the subject being tested: an alchemy furnace for Alchemy, a spiritual herb for Herb Knowledge, a rectangular talisman for Talisman Arts, and a pair of crossed swords above an array pattern for Formation Arrays.

“Well then… let us begin the first day of the Great Mortal Game.”

—

Gu Linghua had quickly found the two other male leads. Qin Weiming and Bai Chengbei. The former had severed his own meridians after forcibly activating an array far beyond his cultivation in order to save his village. The latter was the classic reflavor of a young Duke of the North. Wèimíng would be tested today, while Chéngběi was scheduled for the third day. Most importantly, however…

This is just a Great War game! Gu Linghua screamed in her mind as she watched. 

Most of the first-day participants headed toward the three non-combat tests according to their strengths. Only three immediately chose the battle and array formation trial. She had already combed through the participant list, and with the real Gu Linghua’s memories she could recognize several of the noble participants among them.

Each of the three then rolled another d20 die onto the tray. The platform shifted in response. No longer displaying an overworld map, it now generated separate environments for each test. Those examined in Herb Knowledge found themselves within rich, vibrant forests or other terrains where spiritual herbs grew. Those tested in Talisman Arts appeared inside rooms stocked with proper tools and materials. Alchemy examinees stood before prepared furnaces with spiritual herbs already arranged, tasked with refining specific pills. Finally, those tested in battle and array formation found themselves standing upon full battlefield landscapes.

Ye Wanzhao had chosen an Imperial Army that looked distinctly more Roman than German in style. His composition was balanced infantry, archers, cavalry, and artillery. The frontline infantry wore standardized full plate armor draped in legionary livery of high quality, while his artillery consisted of massive cannons.

Gongsun Zhàoyè (照夜|Illuminating the Night), led an army of High Elves. Fewer in number, nearly all of them wore golden scale armor that shone brilliantly under the sun like the scales of small dragons, giving them an air of unmatched power and confidence. Their sun banners rose high above the ranks. 

As for Qin Weiming, he commanded an army of rats known as the Rathan. They wore crude armor and ugly, mismatched livery that looked scavenged from scraps. Most carried oversized and unsightly mechanical contraptions. Something that did little to improve his already poor reputation among the watching cultivators.

On the opposite side of each battlefield, another grid platform rose. Examiners landed upon them and took command of the opposing forces.

As the battles commenced, foreign music filled the air, an aggressive orchestra mixed with heavy brass and pounding war drums. To most of the watching cultivators the sound was completely alien, yet to Gu Linghua it was very familiar. The music came from the Xuan himself. He sat upon a luxurious chair at the edge of the platform, one leg folded over the other like a professor calmly grading his students. Beside him stood a small table holding a massive, tall glass cup filled with sweet iced tea.

—

Ye Wanzhao began by deploying a series of standard formation arrays in rapid succession. One reinforced the durability and strength of his frontline infantry, another extended the effective range of his archers and cannons, while a third sharpened the charge of his cavalry wings. His champion general, a towering figure in ornate plate, strode at the very front of the formation.

“Sons of Sigma!” the general roared.

“For the Empire!” the legionaries answered as one.

“Tagmata!”

The Imperial lines advanced in disciplined order against a horde of Beastmen, shields locking and cannons thundering in coordinated volleys.

Gongsun Zhaoye, by contrast, ignored conventional formations entirely and activated his family’s proprietary array. Waves of intense Fire Qi flooded his elven ranks, turning golden armor into blazing silhouettes. At the center of his army stood an archmage rather than a martial commander, staff raised high as pure destructive magic gathered above the battlefield.

“Surael guide us,” the archmage intoned.

“Our magic is unparalleled.”

“Burn, vermin!”

Columns of golden fire crashed down upon the opposing Rathan forces, reducing entire units to ash before they could close the distance.

Qin Weiming’s approach was the most unorthodox of the three. He arranged his Rathan into a heavily modified turtle formation, the crude shield-bearers forming a dense outer shell while nearly every weapons team sheltered within. Gatling-like rotary guns, long-barreled sniper weapons, mortars, and even several primitive railguns bristled from every gap in the formation. At the center of it all stood a massive dragon-horned rat, clearly the army’s leader, who seemed to be enjoying himself far more than the situation warranted.

The horned rat let out a guttural, almost gleeful screech as the weapons teams opened fire in a continuous, chaotic storm of projectiles.

“HAHAHAHAHA!”

“RATATATATATATATATA!” The surrounding rats echoed the sound of their own guns with glee.

The altered turtle formation held firm under return fire while the overwhelming volume of crude but effective ranged weaponry tore into the opposing ranks with surprising efficiency. Obliterating them in range and with so many projectiles, creating massive fog of dust that made it hard for the spectators to even see who his enemy was.

Among the mortal spectators packed into the viewing stands, reactions varied widely depending on which test they happened to be watching. Those focused on the Herb Knowledge, Talisman, and Alchemy trials watched with a mixture of curiosity and quiet awe as young cultivators identified rare plants, drew intricate talisman patterns, or refined pills over glowing furnaces. To many mortals, even these quieter examinations already felt like glimpses into another world. One filled with knowledge and techniques far beyond their reach.

It was the battlefields, however, that truly seized the crowd’s attention. Gasps and shouts erupted whenever cannons fired, golden flames rained from the sky, or strange ratmen unleashed storms of crude mechanical weaponry. Entire sections of the audience surged to their feet, pointing and arguing over which army looked stronger, while children clung to the railings in excitement. For the mortals of Liu’an City, the Great Mortal Game had quickly become less of an examination and more of the greatest spectacle they had ever witnessed.

As the first round of testing passed, it became clear that every participant would face their own unique set of challenges. Those who had already completed their battle trial were free to move on to the remaining three tests, allowing their armies time to recuperate and replenish losses. Those who completed the non combat tests first discovered they held a clear advantage in the battles to come. The spiritual herbs they found can be used to heal their own armies,provide short term enhancements, or even form elemental arrays that empower their armies with an elemental attribute. The same with the pills they made, can be diluted to empower their entire armies or given only to their commander for a more permanent effect. The talismans they have made can be used personally to help in battle like a divine intervention.

After all participants had completed the four tests, the overworld map showed that roughly a quarter of the distance to the Northern Pillar had been covered. Then, high above the platform, a giant d100 dice appeared. It rolled slowly in the air before settling on the result of seventy-two. No one except the examiners understood its meaning. It was one of the randomizers they had prepared in advance. The platform trembled as the overworld map shifted. Elements turned chaotic, terrain changed, and the overall difficulty rose. Most importantly, all participants noticed that there’s a few battle array nodes where two participants were forced to arrive at the same time.

“These nodes do not mean that two participants will fight each other,” the Xuan explained. “They mean that two participants must cooperate while facing armies personally arranged and commanded by the examiners. Not the smaller forces you faced in the earlier tests.”

The participants assigned to those nodes began glancing at one another.

This had originally been intended as the most difficult theoretical question of the examination. a participant would be shown an incomplete array and asked to add a supporting formation under a hypothetical scenario. Now it had been turned into a practical test in which two examinees had to support one another in real time. Not because the examiners wanted to play too. Definitely not.

The next round of testing continued. The first pair required to face an examiner’s army was Ye Wanzhao and Gongsun Zhaoye. On the opposite platform, a southern examiner landed with a faint smile.

‘Don’t get carried away in having fun. Remember that you are supposed to test them.’ Danxing reminded the smiling examiner who nodded.

As the battle began, Danxing once again projected music across the platform. This time the melody carried a heavy, ancient weight. Deep horns, mournful chants, and the slow rhythm of drums that seemed to rise from beneath the earth itself. The theme belonged to the Pyramid Kings. From the shifting sands of the battlefield, ranks of undead soldiers began to rise. Mummified warriors in tarnished bronze armor, skeletal archers, and towering constructs wrapped in funerary linens assembled beneath banners marked with faded hieroglyphs. The examiner stood at their rear like a silent pharaoh surveying his eternal host.

Ye Wanzhao and Gongsun Zhaoye have divided the load after a brief discussion. The former reinforced his Imperial lines with layered defensive and rather than the usual range enhancing array, formed a Qi gathering one instead. While the latter flooded the field with his family’s Fire Qi formations. The two systems overlapped surprisingly well. Wǎnzhào’s structures providing stability and protection, while Zhaoye’s flames swept through the denser undead ranks. Both young men also made careful use of the resources they had gathered earlier. Healing herbs were distributed among the frontline infantry, Wanzhao used his pills to bolster his entire army while Zhaoye of course favored heavily on his sole Archmage. Several talismans were activated at critical moments to disrupt the undead’s relentless advance. Only after a hard fought engagement, the combined Imperial and High Elven forces finally shattered the last of the examiner’s main formations.

Cheers erupted from both armies. The Imperial legionaries raised their standards while the High Elves lifted their sun banners high. In the mortal viewing stands, the crowd roared with excitement, many believing the battle had already been won.

Then the ground began to shake.

Heavy, measured footsteps echoed across the battlefield. Each one deeper and closer than the last. Then all of them see them. The second wave of the army. Almost all constructs. Giant Sphinxes with massive howdahs on their backs. Giant skeletal undeads with massive bows. At the very center is a giant mummified pharaoh, on one hand is a staff with scale and lantern like a God of the Underworld. On the other is a massive horn that he raised to his mouth.

Then the pharaoh sounded the horn.

~ Valarion