C1 Suspected to Have Traveled Through Time(1)
Lying in a heap of the dead for a full day, Shih Wen still couldn't grasp what had happened. Just moments before, he was engrossed in his work at the lab, designing a knockoff CPU for counterfeit smartphones. He had poured his heart and soul into the project, managing to decipher the architecture of the famed Apple phone processor and creating a new processor based on that design. While the original was a cutting-edge nano-level processor, Shih Wen's imitation was still stuck using micro-level technology—limited by the capabilities of the no-name chip factory he was partnered with. Despite this, the performance of his single-core processor with simulated multithreading was remarkably impressive. In fact, once the knockoff smartphones were equipped with his processor, users could hardly tell the difference from the genuine article in terms of internal specs or benchmark scores. However, there was one major drawback: the power consumption was enormous. In stark contrast to the original's minimal energy usage, Shih Wen's creation was a veritable power guzzler, with consumption levels through the roof.
Shih Wen suspected that his and his mentor's back-alley lab had replicated too many top-tier global products, drawing the ire of both man and the divine. At least, that's what he believed. After all, their lab had even managed to clone the most sophisticated desktop processors, ones deemed impossible to replicate, throwing the market into disarray. So perhaps it was karma that brought the bomb—just for making some copies. Was it really necessary to drop such a massive explosive into their lab? Shih Wen had watched in horror as a bomb, as tall as a man and pitch-black, crashed through the roof and landed mere centimeters from his nose. Then, a blinding flash of light, and nothing more.
When Shih Wen regained consciousness, he was utterly bewildered. Had he been transported to ancient times? All around him stood soldiers clad in black armor, each one taller than the last, with the shortest towering over two meters. They wielded shields thicker than doors and brandished uniform spears six meters in length. Why was he the only one in a robe? Had he somehow traveled through time? Yet, aside from his attire, nothing else had changed. He was still the same person, with messy short hair, a sallow and gaunt complexion, and a slight build. Then he noticed a black line forming on the vast grassland, quickly expanding into a wave. Amidst a cloud of dust, a sea of cavalry charged forward, and the very earth trembled beneath their advance.
Amidst the squadron leader's bellowing commands, the soldiers nearby swiftly assembled into a square formation of three hundred within a minute. Their Tower Shields, linked by buckles, created an imposing steel barrier three meters high. Six-meter-long spears jutted out at an angle from small openings in the shields, their rear ends anchored to the ground, ready to absorb the formidable charge of the cavalry.
Shih Wen, positioned toward the rear of the formation, struggled to climb atop a mound of supplies, burdened as if he were carrying two people. With his exceptional eyesight, he was shocked to clearly discern the cavalry half a kilometer away. The riders were as massive as rhinos, with long, boar-like tusks. The knights themselves were encased in dark red armor, their features obscured, but Shih Wen could gauge their towering stature—no less than two and a half meters tall, each wielding a hefty mace.
"What is this place? Why are creatures of myth, like something out of a fairy tale, appearing before me? Why am I here? What's happening?" Shih Wen was utterly bewildered, the scene before him surreal, yet the stark reality hit him—it was no dream, but a genuine ordeal unfolding. Each Boar Cavalryman, charging like a tank, caused the earth to quake increasingly with proximity, a testament to their colossal weight. What could he do? Outrunning cavalry on the open plains was futile; only through collective effort could there be any hope of survival. Weighed down as if by two men, Shih Wen found it hard to even stand, much less flee. On this battlefield, reminiscent of ancient times, his chances of survival were virtually nil. With a wry smile, Shih Wen, devoid of any combat prowess, faced the grim prospect of meeting his end here.
The supply carts, arrayed on the perimeter of the formation, constituted the initial line of defense. Behind them stood hastily erected heavy ballistae, each armed with black iron crossbows as thick as a man's arm. But as soon as they fired, Shih Wen's heart sank. The Boar Cavalrymen obliterated the makeshift barricade with ease, either scattering it to pieces or plowing through it into the formation itself. Though the formation's spears impaled the leading cavalrymen, transforming them into porcupine-like figures, the sheer momentum was unstoppable. A breach was forced open, and through it, more Boar Cavalrymen surged into the formation.
The cavalry's edge lay in their speed, relentlessly charging again and again, heedless of the losses. They wouldn't pause to engage with the heavily armored infantry within the square formations. Swiftly, they shattered the first layer of defense. Once breached, the heavy infantry's destiny was to be trampled under the relentless tide of horsemen, with no opportunity for resistance.
"Wow!" Shih Wen exclaimed as he spotted a formidable figure ahead—a general clad in red armor, wielding a massive mace. He watched in awe as the general sent a wild boar, as big as a rhinoceros, along with its rider, soaring into the air with a single swing. The sheer ferocity was astounding. The force behind that mace must have been colossal—at least two or three tons, perhaps even more. No cavalryman could get close to this general; they were all sent flying. Shih Wen's formation was positioned right behind this general, giving him a clear view of the action. It reminded him of the legendary historical figure, Xiang Yu, known for his unparalleled strength and bravery. Shih Wen had always thought such descriptions were hyperbolic, but now he understood that such men did exist—and not just one. Almost everyone in red armor seemed to possess such formidable power. This world was beyond belief. Unfortunately, there were far too few of these mighty warriors in red armor to hold back the overwhelming flood of horsemen, all heavily armored and armed with maces.
It wasn't long before the valiant man before them was engulfed by the cavalry and then they surged into Shih Wen's square formation. In under a minute, it collapsed. Shih Wen, caught off guard, was forcefully pulled down by a fellow soldier, who shielded him with his own body. That soldier met his end, impaled by a spear that narrowly missed Shih Wen and plunged deep into the earth.
All the soldiers had perished. The heavy infantry, meant to counter the cavalry, were simply too few. Shih Wen struggled immensely to extricate himself from the mound of corpses. By the time he emerged, the sky had turned pitch black, and although he was finally free, standing was an ordeal. Beneath the dead, it felt as if a massive boulder had been crushing him. Now, it seemed as though at least two men were still atop him. Despite his gaunt appearance, Shih Wen was all sinew and muscle by nature, his strength far exceeding that of an average man. Yet, in this place, he felt as weak as if he had been fasting for three days and nights, barely able to walk from sheer exhaustion.
