Tempest of the Battlefield

“Indeed! He was venerated as much as the Blade Warrior. He was the first spiritual leader of Martians.” Michaux’s eyes were lit up with respect and longing.

“He… left a gift for me?”

“Hehe… Not for you, but for the heir of the Blade Warrior. This item had been staying with the sect for a few centuries. It was here ever since Andres left for the Divine Path.”

Wang Tong felt honored to receive such a legendary hero’s heirloom. With a great measure of respect and reverence, Wang Tong followed Michaux to the inner chambers of the tower.

Opening the door, the two ran into Susu, who was too slow to pull her ear back. Being caught eavesdropping red-handed somehow lent Susu a sense of indignation. She glared at the two warriors grudgingly and complained, “Why are two so quiet? What was going on in there?”

“You are rude to our guest, Susu.”

“What kind of guest will return our hospitality with hurtful comments?”

Wang Tong ruffled the young girl’s hair and said with a warm smile: “Alright now, that’s it.”

Wang Tong and Michaux left the room side by side like two close friends. Susu stood behind and stared at Wang Tong’s back with as much resentment as a child could muster. How dare he patronize the sister of the young master?

“I take it that Lie Jian was coming to kill me?” Wang Tong asked calmly. The thought of fighting against Lie Jian didn’t frighten him.

“His ambition needed to be kept in check.” Michaux avoided the question.

“He is still the same. Ha!” Wang Tong chuckled, seeming pretty cool with the prospect of being murdered.

Lie Jian had been planning Wang Tong’s death ever since the heir of Blade Warrior revealed himself. By now, he ought to have a million different ways to execute Wang Tong. The fact that he still didn’t act on his plan meant that something had deterred him from doing so. Wang Tong wagered that it has something to do with the energy crystal gun.

Lie Jian might have had a chance to do away with Wang Tong before the latter had selflessly made the pattern of the gun a public property. This decision had swayed Michaux to favor Wang Tong; Lie Jian knew that if he tried to murder Wang Tong, the young master would intervene.

After talking with Wang Tong, the thought of killing him had completely evaporated from Lie Jian’s mind. Truth be told, Michaux was deeply touched by Wang Tong’s compassion and a great sense of responsibility. As it was said, great power came with great responsibilities. Although he was from Earth, he had done more for the people of Mars than the Martian leaders.

The alliance with House Lie aside, Michaux admired Wang Tong tremendously. However, Michaux could not simply throw their agreement with House Lie out of the window because another hotshot was now in town. Michaux had helped Wang Tong as much as he could without crossing the line.

After all, the three of them: Wang Tong, Michaux, and Lie Jian, was the last hope in saving humanity.

After a long walk, Wang Tong and Michaux had finally arrived at the entrance to the innermost section of the tower. Wang Tong could feel a strong presence of power behind the heavy oaken gates.

“Go ahead. I will wait for you here.” The gift was meant for Wang Tong and Wang Tong alone. As a follower of the Divine Way, Michaux had extraordinary self-restraint, particularly over his curiosity. “See no evil, hear no evil, and say no evil.” Such was the way of a cultivator who devoted his life to the Divine path.

Withdrawing from the worldly stimulation also came at a cost: it had rendered Michaux a pacifist who was no longer suited as a leader during war. Michaux knew of his shortcomings, and therefore, he didn’t protest Wang Tong’s allegations of incompetence.

When Wang Tong walked into the inner tower, he found himself surrounded by a web of soul energy that had blended in perfectly with the intricate structure of the building. This soul energy was the result of centuries of faithful prayers and concentrated thoughts of the sect members.

All the while, Wang Tong wondered what the greatest Divine Master had left for him at his deathbed. Wang Tong charged up his soul energy and dashed deeper into the labyrinth.

…

“How did it go, Susu?” Xiao Yuyu hurried to ask what the gossip princess had learned.

“Wang Tong is a jerk! He accused of my brother a terrible leader. Hmph! What would Mars be like without my brother?”

“He didn’t mention me?” Yuyu asked. The disappointment was written all over her face.

“I am not too sure. When he explained the reason he was here, I couldn’t hear anything.” Susu complained. Wang Tong was a bad person through and through; she should have known better!

“Oh…is that right?” Xiao Yuyu’s face relaxed a bit after hearing Susu’s reply.

“Where are they now?”

“I have no idea where Lie Jian is, but Brother had taken Wang Tong to the tower. Apparently, the first Divine Master had left something for Wang Tong. Ah-ha! Why don’t we go join them? I want to see what kind of ancient relic that is. Gosh! If it were from Master Andres himself, it would be over a few hundred years old by now.”

…

Looking from the outside, the inner tower was of very crude construction. However, only a few of the sect members had been in there, since only the Divine Master of each generation had access to the tower.

Inside the tower, the walls were plain and the roof was open. The sea of stars made Wang Tong feel closer to heaven than he had ever been.

The first generation Divine Master, Andres, was one of the greatest heroes of his time. The three masters: Li Feng, Rilangalos, and Andres, had led the confederation force into one after another victory when the Zergs’ power was at its peak. While standing inside the tower and thinking of the brave acts of the three heroes, one would easily imagine the triumphant era when fearless human warriors marched against a sea of Zergs. The tower was the symbol of the three masters’ unyielding will.

The tower stood the way it had been for centuries even after the three masters were all gone. As the Zergs grew stronger each day, what should the humans do? Who should they turn to this time?

Questions flooded into Wang Tong’s mind, and he hoped that he could find an answer here. Regardless of what awaited him in the future, he was determined to continue his course until the end.

Wang Tong slowly placed his hand on a scintillating space crystal at the center of the room.

KOM!

Dang! Dang! Dang!

The ancient tower started to glow until it turned into a beacon that lit up the sky. A bell deep within the tower chimed as if it were announcing the will of the god.

Dang! Dang! Dang!

The followers of the Divine Mastery sect heard the bell: the god had spoken. They hurried to the base of the tower and started praying. Their god, Andres, had not forgotten about his followers, and had come to them when they needed his guidance.

Michaux threw his head back as he tried to control the excitement and trepidation in him. The heir of the Blade Warrior was here. ‘Reverent Divine Master, your followers shall follow your footsteps and charge into the rain of fire to save humanity from destruction!’

Susu and Xiao Yuyu tried to sneak pass Michaux and enter the tower; however, they were caught by the young master immediately. As Susu was ready to plead to her brother to let her into the building, the miracle showed up.

The followers of the Divine Mastery Sect believed that once a person had cultivated enough soul energy, he or she would be able to ascend into godhood. Andres, for example, existed in every martian’s heart as a god.

Lie Jian looked to the gleaming tower and wondered if this unusual phenomenon meant anything.

If Lie Jian didn’t need Wang Tong to get rid of the Zergs, he would have already killed him many times over.

Everyone thought Wang Tong was the hero who saved the Mars, but they were all wrong from the beginning. There was never a hero, but only winners; and he, Lie Jian, was born to be the winner.

“My lord, should we think about it?”

“Think my a*s!”

“My lord, the god had spoken in the Divine Mastery city. Are you sure we have to do this?”

“Of course! It is a good omen! The god knew that I am destined to become the overlord of Mars, and what happened is a proof. The god was trying to send me a message! The sect should have belonged to me, even my father told me so.”

“Yes… my lord.”

“Tell the soldiers to get ready for a big fight. When I finally claim the throne, I will give each one of my boys a medic.”

Zhang Guangming let out an ugly grin. Those field medics shouldn’t waste their time on the battlefield; instead, they should be healing the warriors in their beds.

Inside the light, Wang Tong couldn’t feel his body at all. After some time, he saw a haughty figure appear in front of him.

It was Mr. Wannabe!

The old ghost held a serious expression and his eyes locked with Wang Tong’s. Wang Tong backed away as the former closed in. Wang Tong finally understood what the gift was; it was Mr. Wannabe’s memory.

Wang Tong would never know what kind of agreement Li Feng made with Andres, but he knew that it had something to do with Einherjar Wannabe.

Wang Tong had always believed that Mr. Wannabe was one of the legendary warriors of the time, whose power should be on par with Li Feng. And this development had proven him right.

But, who exactly was Mr. Wannabe?

Mr. Wannabe reached out and touched the crystal; flashes of images, each a capsule of emotions and feelings, swarmed into his head.

The girl’s face that had been only a vague image in Mr. Wannabe’s mind started to become clearer. She had all the traits of a cute and lovely human girl, but she was not a human at all. Nonetheless, Mr. Wannabe finally remembered that she was the love of his life.