The Unbound Battlefield! A realm that was constantly in a state of warfare. It was a unique realm that gave rise to Dragonslayers and Universe Conquerors!
This was where Danny Bridgewater had found himself.
"I should be in the Auditorium giving a lecture, instead I'm here. Where is here exactly?"
Danny's current appearance was that of a slightly handsome man with dark brown skin and hazel brown eyes. He looked at his hand in confusion and shock. He was a plain man but he came with a charming disposition about him. He was 170 centimetres, not tall at all, but he had a slightly muscular build.
His hands were slightly small for his build and quite tender, giving one the impression that he was not used to the rigours of physical labour. His face was that of a youth no older than 18, but his eyes contained a hint of wisdom. The kind of wisdom carried forth by age and experience.
The contrasting disposition greatly enhanced the youth's charm. But the little charm that was there was nowhere to be seen after a few moments for his face was contorting in confusion as time went on
He was wearing a red linen robe that extended all the way to his ankles. It had decorations of mythical beasts like dragons and phoenixes on it. On his hip was a sword in a leather scabbard while he had a simple crown of gold adorned on his head.
'How did it end up like this?' He contemplated.
Danny Bridgwater was a Professor at Greendale University in Atlanta. He was an expert in Military History and a moderately known sociologist.
With a PhD and a Master's, he was a somewhat well-respected scholar in the world of social sciences and arts. He was in the middle of a lecture when a blinding light stunned him and everyone in the hall. He raised his right arm and the next thing he knew, he was standing in front of what seemed like an army camp in the middle of a subtropical forest.
One look at the 2 moons in the sky told him this was not earth.
'This isn't a dream either. It feels too real to be a dream.'
What made this experience surreal was the fact that knowledge he did not possess before was in his mind. Knowledge of where he was and what he was supposed to do. The only problem was that it seemed too ridiculous.
'Dreams do the same, you can start a dream with experiences and knowledge you didn't have, but you revert to your normal self when you wake up. If this isn't a dream, what is this?'
Danny was a person who valued control. Control over himself in particular was of extreme importance. Now someone or something had managed to whisk him away to an unfamiliar environment and stuffed him with ridiculous information.
Danny was an Atheist, but he was finding it difficult to maintain his beliefs at the moment.
According to the information in his mind, he had been chosen to become a Noble of the Unbound Battlefield. A mystical realm that operated under its own unique laws.
It was almost game-like in its structure. Everything was about land. You had to first perform a militaristic quest. Once that quest was done, you would be given a fief based on your performance. One's objective on the Unbound Battlefield was to expand their fief.
If you don't invade others, you get invaded, and a Noble had complete control over their fief. Anything from slavery, to dictatorship to even cults, a Noble Ruler had full control over their land. But it was not that simple. There was a psychological aspect to it as well.
One had to also make sure that the people under them are satisfied or under some sort of control. If one was careless, it was easy to be overthrown by their own people. An overthrown Ruler was a dead Ruler in the Unbound Battlefield. This was game-like, but it was no game. One only had one life.
Danny scanned through the data in his mind and came up with a conclusion.
'I'm screwed. I'm royally screwed.'
On Earth, he was already dealing with the after effects of a nasty divorce while dismally trying to pay his 6 figure debts from student loans and mortgages. He had reached the peak of his stress, only to be whisked away to a place beyond his understanding. Danny did not like what he couldn't understand.
'No need to rush, one step at a time.'
Unfortunately for Danny, fate had other plans.
Ding!
[Welcome to the Testing Plane of the Unbound Battlefield! Here your skills as a military leader shall be tested! Your objective is to achieve the best possible victory with the troops that are available to you!
Please take this very seriously, as your performance here will determine what fief you will be given. Different fiefs possess different levels of potential for development! So please bear this in mind.
You have been placed in a Scenario Quest. You are currently Ulysses The Bold. Son of Myca the Wise. You are invading the ancient city of Moldamir.
Moldamir and your Nation, Batur, have been enemies for many generations. Spawning a bone-deep hatred between the City States. Both Moldamir and Batur lost their Kings in the previous battle and are somewhat low on morale.
Batur troops chased Moldamir soldiers all the way back to their city. Your troops are camped a few kilometres away from the city in a wide clearing in a forest, near the city.
At this point in time, Ulysses the Bold was still just a Prince and had not inherited the throne from his recently deceased father. You have to prove to the troops that you are a worthy leader and take over Moldamir.
Take control of the troops and lead them into glorious battle! Glory and power await the victorious, while shame and death await the losers.
Quest Objectives:
Gain proper trust from the troops.
Take control of Moldamir.
Win with at least half of your troops alive.
Quest difficulty: High Tier
Quest Rewards: A fief, Noble Title and Grimoire. (Hidden Rewards to be distributed for exemplary actions)
Deadline: 10 days
Warning: Failure to complete the quest will result in immediate death and having your soul sent to the underworld.]
The air hostess-like tone of the prompt did not please Danny at all.
Ulysses The Bold? Batur? Moldamir? Danny was sure there were no nations that he had no clue about. Especially warring nations that had such a long-lasting grudge.
'No doubt about it. This isn't Earth.'
Danny had touched his face a few times and he clearly felt much younger. This was not the body of a 48-year-old man. Danny was quick to adjust, however. He had experienced a lot of trials and tribulations in his life, to the point of wanting to commit suicide, but he still prevailed.
He was still alive, and he was now young. He didn't have anything left on Earth for him. No children, no family. He had not realized this on Earth, but this was his desire. He was by himself with a new beginning. Just how he wanted it.