Jack followed Paytowin to the Temple of Courage. Paytowin had to show his badge to the clerics guarding the temple. He also had to explain about bringing Jack in and that he had cleared it with the chief treasurer, which Paytowin explained to Jack was the native who he helped and invited him into this faction. The cleric went to check. After a while, he came back and allowed Jack to enter.
Jack asked Paytowin about this Ancient Battleground. Paytowin explained it was some sort of a training simulation that helped the council members in increasing levels and acquiring rewards.
"Like a training cave?" Jack asked.
Paytowin knew about training caves. He had read about this facility in this council's library, but he said although it was similar, it was also inherently different. "It is similar because the opponents you killed in the simulation granted you exp points, you won't lose a level or lose anything if you die, enemies didn't drop any loot. But if it is mainly for leveling up, training caves are a better option. This ancient battleground, on the other hand, is much more difficult. You are more likely to die inside, but there will be a score point. The more enemies you kill and the longer you survive, the higher your score, the better the reward by the end of the session. Training caves provide no reward, only exp points."
"Very difficult?" Jack asked.
"The ancient battleground is the reenactment of past battles. Like training caves, it has simulations that suited our level ranges, but there is one similarity between all these simulations. They are reenacting history battles where we are playing the losing side against overwhelming enemy forces."
Jack was bewildered while they chose such historical defeats for the simulations to train their descendants? Paytowin explained that the Council of Virtus valued bravery the most. There was no higher courage than facing a battle where you knew you would surely lose.
They arrived at a large hall where in its center sat a giant device with a horse-shoe shape similar to the one that was used to enter the legacy dungeon in Heavenly Citadel. A bearded old man in a scholarly robe stood beside this device. Jack used Inspect on the old man, learning his name was Myson, a level 50 special elite human. He also held the title of Chief Treasurer.
"Master Myson, I've brought my friend to enter the ancient battleground," Paytowin said to Myson with a bow.
Jack imitated Paytowin in bowing, showing his respect.
Myson nodded. He said to Jack, "For requesting us to allow you entering our ancient battlegrounds, I can see that my apprentice holds you in high regard. Considering you are one of the world tournament participants and such high praise from my apprentice, I will allow it. But you still have to pay ten gold coins every time you enter. It's just a formality, please understand that we don't allow any outsider to use this facility even if they pay us ten times the coins. Also, note that we only extend this privilege when you are here during the world tournament. It won't be available anymore once the tournament ends."
Jack checked his bag. He had 169 gold coins, meaning he could enter this ancient battleground sixteen times. Since this facility was only available during the next six days, he might as well make full use of it. He didn't mind spending all his coins.
Myson then explained about the ancient battleground they would be entering. It was a reenactment of the battle of Themisphylae, where the God of Courage sent his force to defend a border pass of Themisphere kingdom against the overwhelming odds of the army of darkness gathered by the God of Greed.
The dark army outnumbered the defender by a hundred to one. They managed to last for days due to a narrow pass that eliminate the advantage of the enemy's vast forces, but later suffer excruciating defeat after the enemy found a secret passage leading them behind the defending lines.
"Crap, why does this sound so much like that famous history battle from our world?" Jack sent a silent message to Paytowin.
"Maybe this Wilted you mentioned is just lazy and simply copy the story out of the history textbook," Paytowin replied.
"I don't think she wrote the backstory to her game herself."
"Well, her development team was lazy then."
After Myson finished narrating the backstory to the ancient battleground they would be entering, he requested Jack to deposit the coin payment.
He then explained that the opponents inside had been adjusted to between level 40 to 50. They would receive exp points but no loots, they needed to last at least three hours inside the simulation and killed at least one thousand opponents. Failing to do either one meant they were not eligible to receive any rewards, so one couldn't just find a corner and hid until three hours had passed. Once these two basic requirements were met, scores would start being allocated. They would receive rewards for the number of scores they secured individually.
Myson asked Jack if he had any questions? Jack asked if he could use any tools inside the simulation. Myson answered no, just skills. True warriors of courage relied on themselves, the old scholar said. His tone half-carried contempt for the fact that Jack even asked such a question.
"If I summon a pet and it dies. It will not die for real, right?" Jack asked another question.
"No, nothing dies for real inside the ancient battleground."
When Jack said that he had no more questions, Myson activated the device at the center of the room. A silvery portal formed in front of the device. Myson waved his hand indicating that they could enter now.
Paytowin took the lead. Jack followed behind.
After entering the portal, Jack came out and found himself atop a half-destroyed fort. Around him were lots of human soldiers with battered armor. Their faces seemed apprehensive and all their gazes were to their front.
Jack followed their gazes. In front was a narrow pass with two steep mountains flanking it. Lots of soldiers stood guard on this pass. Before this pass, in the distance, was a mass of black. Jack squinted his eyes. The combination of Dragon Eye and Archer's Keen Sight allowed him to zoom in to see the distance. That mass of black was a mass of deformed humans in black armor. Within this sea of black humans were also monsters with dark scales and skins. They were packed so tight that no space was visible.
'Hm, tools truly don't work here,' Jack thought when he saw his radar was empty despite so many soldiers standing around them.
Paytowin, who was standing beside Jack, said, "You know, the few times I first entered these ancient battlegrounds and experienced them firsthand. I was truly impressed that this world had such an epic war history. But after hearing your story about the truth of this world, it kinds of feels hollow now. To find out that this is all just the narration to enrich the backstory of a game…"
"Don't be. This world is real now, which means its history as well. It shaped the world into what it is and will also affect what's going forward. We are a part of this world now whether we like it or not."
"Do you think it's permanent? Do you think there will be no way for us to go back anymore?" Paytowin asked.
"It doesn't matter what world we live in. What matters is how we live it," Jack replied.
Paytowin stared at Jack for a bit before uttering, "Smartass. Trying to sound wise?"
Jack laughed. "So, what happens now? We just wait until that sea of black come swarming?"
"They won't be long now," Paytowin said. "In one hour from now, many enemies would also come swarming from the back, drowning this place."
"Since we know the enemies are coming from the back, can't we tell the soldiers to block the secret rear path where the enemies are coming from?"
"That secret path is no narrow pass like the one in front. It was vast. Once the secret path was known, there is no blocking it. Additionally, the soldiers here won't listen to you. They followed a scripted event, you can't change what they do. Aside from how many enemies we killed, there is no changing the outcome of this battle. We are just passengers here."
"So, we don't have a squad to command?" Jack asked.
"Haha, funny. We are just playing the role of footsoldiers here," Paytowin said.
Too bad, Jack thought he could get exp bonuses from the killings done by the other soldiers. In this case, he had to do his own fighting and killing to get the exp.
But one thing he noticed, the mana in this ancient battleground was even much denser than Daminos Square Garden outside. He could easily sense the mana swirling around him. He sent his consciousness to the ones around his right hand and have them grouped on his palm, it seemed easier to communicate with them in this dimension. If he could spend more time here, he should be able to better understand this communication that was the basis of mana manipulation.
His focus was disrupted when a loud horn sounded in the air. Then he saw the sea of black in the distance start moving closer.
"We have to score the kill ourselves to gain exp points, right? Let's go to the front then!" Jack uttered.
"Yeah, let's!" Paytowin uttered.
They bumped their fists again before the two climbed down the fort and ran forward to the narrow pass where the front-line was.
