“How are the tensions with Esparia going on?” Aron asked John in the VR after he had called for him, to which he immediately came without wasting any time at all.
John reported, “They have increased soldiers on the border and have also been trying to cause some troubles for us. As a result, we reciprocated their actions and sent additional reinforcements to the border on the island we share a border with them. Additionally, we’ve deployed a few boats to patrol the waters we share borders with them.”
“Any chances that it goes out of control?” Aron asked.
“Chances are not zero, but as long as we keep discipline on our side, the uncertainty of starting a shootout will remain on them,” John reported confidently..
“What are our chances if a shootout occurs?” Aron inquired.
John’s response was straightforward, not sugarcoating anything, “Both on the ground and in the water, we have almost no chance of winning.”
“Mh…” Aron hummed in thought before asking, “I can understand that the outdated equipment for the navy branch may be the reason for the possibility of losing on the water, but what is the reason for us losing on the ground if the weapons are still in good condition?
John explained, “There is no discipline among the soldiers sent there at all, and as you had ordered, we implemented a way to force them to restrain themselves from causing troubles. However, it’s only a short-term solution, and it won’t be effective in the long run. Cracks in our control will start to appear soon.”
John then asked, “Is your plan to instil discipline in the soldiers going to take longer than the requested period?”
“If I remember correctly, there should be about two weeks until the three-month period I asked from you, right?” Aron inquired, trying to determine the remaining time to the promised period.
“Two weeks and a few days, sir,” John answered promptly.
“Good, then choose five thousand of those who are most likely to cause problems and prepare for them to be sent immediately when I tell you to do so,” Aron instructed.
“Yes, sir,” John replied, acknowledging the order.
Aron then inquired, “Any chance it is going to interrupt some of the security-keeping tasks?”
“At the moment, since we only have tensions with Esparia and no one else, most of our forces are focusing on that. So we can send five thousand of them without facing any problem other than a slight crunch in shifts. Nothing they can’t handle,” John reassured, outlining that the current situation allows for such a move without compromising overall security tasks.
“If there is no problem with that, then you can send them since they will only be spending two weeks, nothing more, nothing less,” Aron said, affirming the decision. He then paused for a moment before adding, “From tomorrow onwards, start sending a group of 50 from the original ARES members as well. They too will need to receive refreshment and new weapons training.”
“Yes, sir, I will do so. But can I ask a question?” John sought permission to inquire further.
Aron nodded, signalling John to proceed with his question.
“Are you going to send them to this world to train?” John asked his question.
“Yes, but not to a peaceful world, per se,” Aron replied, pausing before continuing, “At first, the needed knowledge will be assimilated into their brains. Then they will undergo a one-month training to ensure that the knowledge has been properly absorbed. Following that, they will be sent to war against a technologically advanced foe, similar to them. I want them to gain experience and understand the harsh reality of war. Additionally, I will be using this to identify if there are smart individuals among them who can come up with new strategies. It will also serve as their final test.”
John raised a concern, “Doesn’t that increase the risk of the technology being leaked to the world?”
Aron explained his approach, “If we can upload knowledge, then it means we can also upload fear into their consciousness without them knowing. This will automatically prevent them from talking about the technology.”
“Understood,” John replied, feeling impressed by Aron’s careful planning and the measures taken to safeguard the technology and maintain secrecy.
Upon seeing John’s expression, Aron spoke, “Your assistant will be responsible for coming up with those contingencies in all of your plans, so use her help as much as you can.”
“Yes, sir,” John replied promptly. He had already intended to maximize the use of the assistant’s abilities from the beginning, considering she was specifically sent by Aron to aid him.
Furthermore, John continued, “Also, sir, I want to inquire about your plans for weapons procurement. While our troops will be well-trained after they are sent to you, if we still possess outdated weapons, winning wars or skirmishes will prove exceedingly difficult.”
“Follow me, and let me show you the answer to your question,” Aron declared. In a blink of an eye, before John could fully comprehend the situation, he found himself already transported into the midst of the skies above a chaotic city, where the thunderous sounds of explosions echoed through the air.
When John opened his eyes he couldn’t believe what he was seeing under him.
The scene was overwhelming, with buildings in flames and smoke billowing all around. The ground shook from the impact of the explosions, and the sound of distant gunfire added to the atmosphere of conflict and chaos.
In the midst of the ongoing battlefield, John found himself witnessing unfamiliar and advanced weapons wielded by the soldiers engaged in combat. .
As John tried to compose himself from the intense scene he had just witnessed, a sudden explosion erupted amidst the group of soldiers on the ground. The soldiers were engulfed in a fiery blast, and John’s heart sank when he saw the devastation caused by the shell.
He quickly turned his attention towards the source of the attack, but to his surprise, there was no visible sign of the assailant. The tranquil blue sea stretched out before him, offering no clues as to the origin of the fired shell. It became evident that the one who attacked possessed long-range weaponry, far beyond the range of his vision from the sky.
Upon turning his gaze back to the explosion site, he discovered that the soldiers had fainted and were lying on the ground. Surprisingly, apart from that, it seemed that the explosion had not caused any other harm to them.
His assumption was swiftly validated as he witnessed one by one, the soldiers on the ground waking up, retrieving their weapons, and returning fire. With his focus solely on them, he came to the realization that there was no one within a kilometer’s vicinity that they were firing at. However, as he raised his head and looked beyond that distance, he finally spotted the target of their relentless assault.
A group of enemy soldiers stood approximately two kilometers away, and to his amazement, the shots fired by the soldiers were hitting the enemy soldiers with remarkable precision each time they pulled the trigger.
As he turned his gaze back to the soldiers on the ground, a sudden disturbance caught his attention. Something swiftly passed by them, hitting the ground nearby, and before he could comprehend what it was,
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!