Here's the surprise I was announcing…Privilege Chapters for WDS will be launching now!
Before you curse at me, please hear me out! Just like our book, our Privilege Chapters are unique!
Most Important Point: Buy ANY tier of Privilege for WDS, and the chapters for the entire month are (almost)free! (they cost 1 SS each, which I can't reduce further because of WN's policy. But hey, it's just 1ss! That's chump change!)
Next Point: You SAVE money(SS) by purchasing Privilege!
These are the tiers:
Tier 1: Warrior Realm - Read 5 chapters ahead for 700 SS, and read (almost)free for the entire month while supporting this poor author!
Tier 2: Champion Realm - Read 15 chapters ahead for 1250 SS, and read (almost)free for the entire month while supporting this poor author!
Now to see how you SAVE: For WDS, I release ~65 chapters per month of 11-13 stones each.
That means, you typically spend 70(65 plus the 5 additional chapters)*12(taken for average)=840 SS in a month!
With the Warrior Realm Privilege, you only spend 700+70=770 SS!
Isn't that awesome? Save some SS, and don't worry about 'em for the entire month, all while supporting me to keep giving you the best content I can! We will also have additional perks that will be rolled out soon!
If you have any doubts, please ask in comments, but if not, please do Ascend and make your power known to the world! :D
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Six hours later, Daneel and his four sovereigns arrived at the bar and clinic.
The four sovereigns were talking between themselves while shooting glances at the king, and what was different from before was that Cassandra seemed to be in a much better mood.
After coming out of the room, the king had announced that everything was fine with Cassandra, and that they should all not ask about what she had uncovered about her past. Cassandra had added that the two of them had reached an understanding, and that she would tell everyone about it when a certain something happened.
This had caused a small smile to appear on the king's face, but still, it had been apparent that something had definitely affected him.
He had remained silent, and it was only when they reached the bar that his mood finally changed and went back to what it had been when they had left before.
Indeed, Daneel had been quite incensed by what was going on in this place.
He had had a slight hint before, too, but he had been hoping that it would not be as he had imagined. Yet… Once again, the Overseer had proven that all it cared about was results, and that the methods to obtain those results really didn't matter.
It was obvious that to it, this act of raising children in this way must not seem wrong, and it was probable that it even saw it as a low-cost endeavor that could result in a lot of powerhouses with Awakened powers who would be ready to protect Angaria.
As if this wasn't bad enough, the fact that children who couldn't even understand what an oath was were made to swear one that would affect them for the rest of their lives was so despicable that it made Daneel wish that he could plant his fist in that sun filled with faces which he had seen before.
What was worse was that he now knew that as he was a member of the Order, too, so his face must also be one that repeatedly appeared on that sun, and even though it had been said in the rulebook that only faces known to the one who was speaking to the Overseer would appear on it, it still made Daneel get a bad taste in his mouth.
If his motivation before to take control of the Order had been lacking in any manner, that was definitely not the case now, as he was more fired up than ever to find a way to fulfill this goal of his and stop this abhorrent practice. He didn't know when it had begun, but in this age, it would end.
"Alright, he's here! We have a mission, folks, and you can all drink after that!"
Daneel had already sent a message saying that they would be embarking on the mission right away, and although the Spikeking had been quite surprised that a newbie had gotten such a mission which was usually only given to those who had already spent quite a lot of time in the Order, he had said nothing, and just assured Daneel that they would be ready.
He had stayed true to his word, as all eleven people stood upright, with their wounds completely healed.
It wasn't just that. They also seemed to be completely alert, and it was as if they had had a full night's sleep.
Deciding to definitely find out more about that 'healing wine' that all of these people had had before, Daneel said, "Pick out the top nine people among your subordinates, and follow me. The mission requires 15 people."
Daneel had decided to leave behind Eloise and Skrr. She was more experienced in matters of handling an Empire rather than fighting wars, and she also needed a lot of time to continue training, so he had left her to that. Someone needed to keep an eye on the Divine Cockroach, too, and Daneel needed someone he trusted to take that duty.
Eloise hadn't said anything, but it had been obvious that just like the other Sovereigns, she was more motivated than ever to grow powerful enough that she could stand toe to toe with all the others and not find herself left behind like this ever again.
Even though there had been a slight consideration by Daneel regarding whether he should leave behind Aran and Cassandra, too, who were definitely weaker than the Amateur Champions who were present in the Spikeking's group, he had decided against it, as their skills as commanders might prove invaluable. Also, even though there was a large gap in their realms, he knew for a fact that their Bloodlines and Champion Paths would definitely make up for a lot of the difference.
With a nod, the Spikeking shouted, "Delaine and Matthew, step out! Hold the fort until we come back, and keep the beers ready!"
Turning to Daneel, he said, "These two broke through recently, and they haven't gotten a perfect grasp of their powers, yet. The rest of us are ready."
"Alright. Let's go."
With that, all 15 individuals flew up to an obelisk that was empty.
As soon as they all reached and gathered around, Daneel stepped forward, and the menu popped up. He went to the mission tab and directly chose the mission on top of the list, and the next moment, all of them disappeared from where they stood.
Daneel had already given the system the order that it should not even try to stop teleportation attempts, as it was probably safest to not even allow for that second to be there where the system would always ask him whether he should let the attempt go through or not.
Before he regained his sight after the teleportation, the loud sound of drums booming somewhere nearby reached his years, and along with that, he also heard the telltale din of many, many people marching with discipline on an open field.
Opening his eyes quickly, he blinked, and then widened them as he realized that there was a 10,000 strong army right in front of them.
They were in a large open space where there were forests to one side and mountains to the other, and in front of them was open, dry land on which the army stood still. Bannermen held a strange banner which looked vaguely familiar, and the soldiers were all arranged in an orderly manner, with pikemen in the front and archers behind.
There were also mage squadrons here and there, and a lot of weapons could also be seen interspersed among the ranks, floating in the air, ready to be moved to wherever they needed to fire from.
It was only after noticing all these that Daneel finally looked down to see that there was another army marching forward below him, and it was them that had been making the sound that had reached his ears.
He was standing on a golden cloud 20 feet in the air, and there also seemed to be some sort of formation which was stopping the dust storm that was raised by so many people going forth at once from clouding their vision. All 15 of them were present, and Daneel stood at the front, while the rest stood behind him.
Right as he was about to ask the system just where they were, a display popped up in front of him that was a lot like the one that appeared whenever one stepped in front of an obelisk.
"Welcome to the War Simulation! If this is your first time, please select the button on the left to be given a short introduction regarding the rules, and the conditions of victory. If it is not, select the button on the right to directly begin the preparation phase. Above all, remember that you are fighting for the survival of your homeland. Be astute, and give it your all. Good luck!"
This exceptionally cheery message threw Daneel off because it definitely did not match with the grim expressions on the faces of those in both armies, but he pressed the button on the left.
Right away, a different message appeared, and Daneel and his sovereigns studied it together.
"War Simulation: introduction. The objective of this simulation is to make one adept in the art of war. The qualities of a skilled commander can be utilized in many places, and hence, the Order gives out this mission so that members can train their minds in these situations and also gain important skills that might be essential for the continent, when one acts on behalf of the Order.
There are many types of simulations, but the objective is mostly the same: using the troops given to a team, one must fulfill the mission given to them in that specific simulation.
Teams are required because one person cannot command an entire army. The one who has taken on the mission is the commander-in-chief, and his team members are the captains under him. Each team member will be assigned a section of troops, and they can impart certain things to these troops, such as buffing effects from their Champion Paths or Bloodlines, or abilities and tactics that they might have knowledge about which can be taught. Each captain will also need to actively train their troops for a period of time and build support so that they can effectively command them. The duty of the commander-in-chief is to take care of the overall situation, and deploy troops as necessary. He or she cannot directly into battle. This is so because in typical war situations, high-level individuals can only deploy their clones which are capable of just giving orders, as they will be busy intercepting the high-level individuals from the other side.
There are two phases of the simulation. The first is a preparation phase, where the troops are assigned to captains. In this phase, captains impart what they wish, and build support. In this time period, the commander-in-chief can go around and help whomever they wish.
Next is the battle phase, where troops are deployed and begin battle. The battle phase ends when one of the teams achieves their objective.
In this specific simulation, the type "War Between Equals" has been chosen. This is the simplest type of war simulation, and it means that both teams are assigned the same kinds and numbers of troops, and they meet in an open field. The objective is to defeat the other army. If any army sustains more than 50% losses, they automatically lose. The surrounding terrain can also be utilized.
In this battle, the troops provided are:
8000 Warrior-level Fighters(with mixed levels in the Warrior realm)
2000 Warrior-level Mages(with mixed levels in the Warrior realm)
100 standard Warrior-level Magic Cannons
200 standard Warrior-level Magic Crossbows
All Fighters are equipped with standard Warrior-level gear(1 set of armor, 1 bow, 100 arrows, 1 sword, 1 pike, 1 shield, 1 spear, 1 protection barrier)
All Mages are equipped with standard Warrior-level gear(1 set of armor, 5 protection barriers, 100 Ker Gems, 1 Focus trinket)
No additional items provided.
Opponent details:
Name: God of Tactics
War Simulation Record: 23-2
Present Winning Streak: 10
Reward on breaking winning streak: Additional Reward for each team member, 2 additional rewards for the commander-in-chief.
Additional queries can now be asked.
Time until beginning of Preparation Phase: 5 minutes."
"God of Tactics? It's that guy?! But…why has he been paired up against a newbie?"
Hearing the exclamation from the Spikeking behind him, Daneel turned around and asked, "Is he good? His names tells me that he is arrogant, at least."
With a gulp, the man replied, "Ehem…not as arrogant as you, but yes, he's pretty confident in his skills. He is also supposed to be highly vengeful, and it is known that he hounded the two people he lost against with challenges until they caved in and fought, which resulted in their losses. In War Simulations, he is the one people hope they aren't paired against."
Hearing this, the interest in Daneel only grew.
"Haha, a challenge always makes it more fun. Hmm, I hope the reward pool is good…"
When the Spikeking heard this reply, he once again cursed the Heavens for the bad luck which had made him target this guy, which had led to him finding himself in this position, where he was sure that he would be beaten soon.
After all, brute strength was one thing, and tactical skill was another.
Still, he had had his expectations overthrown once, so…was it possible for the same to happen again?
Hoping for the best, he nodded, and that was when a notification suddenly popped up on the display in front of the guy who had given himself such a pompous title.
Pointing at it, he said, "It's a message from the opposing commander-in-chief! These things are allowed, and they're used as a chance to unsettle one's opponent!"
The notification began playing right away, as there was no option to block them.
"Hmph. I can't believe they paired me against a newbie. Well, it has been a while since I've wiped the floor with someone. It will be a nice change…hey, newbie, by the end of today, if you pay attention, you will have understood the meaning of the word 'tactics'. Thank your lucky stars, and be prepared to go crying back to whatever hole you crawled out of."
As a domineering voice echoed in the area where they were, the smile on the face of the one who had beaten him actually…broadened.
He sent a reply right away, and it was something that made the Spikeking gape.
"Bold words, but if I wipe the floor with you, instead, will you follow me? If you don't dare to boldly say yes, then piss off with your baseless attitude, God of Sh*t. I hate barking dogs which whimper away if someone barks back more loudly at them. "
Flashbacks seemed to assault the Spikeking, and right away, he understood one thing.
If this entire thing played out in the same way that he was now hoping even more strongly that it would…he would have someone to share in his grief, and he really, really wanted to see that.
So, with a smile, he shouted, "Maties, if you want others to share our plight, let's give it our all! Come on, let's go crush this puny God!"