Ramses Plane World

Upon returning to Taoran Residence, Bai Xiaowen's first task was to draw affixes for the newly acquired tickets.

Spirit Realm Rules Message:

"Based on the item's grade, you have gained an additional draw (1/4). The following items can be drawn:"

"A: Prominent: Your entry status into the Spirit Realm (including but not limited to official rank and position of influence) has been upgraded by 1 level."

"B: Noble Birth: Your entry point into the Spirit Realm (including but not limited to title and caste bloodline) has been upgraded by 1 level."

"C: Speculation: After you enter the Spirit Realm, the difficulty of the main quest will be reduced by 25%, while the rewards will remain the same."

"D: Durability: After you enter the Spirit Realm, the completion deadline for the main quest will be extended by 25%."

Compared to B-Tier Spirit Realm Ticket, C-Tier Spirit Realm Ticket only offers four draw options, and you can only draw once. Furthermore, the value of each of the four options is less than that of similar options on a B-Tier Spirit Realm Ticket. Therefore, a B-Tier Spirit Realm Ticket is worth several times more than C-Tier Spirit Realm Ticket.

Of course, Spirit Realm Ticket are quite rare. Whether it's C-Tier, D-Tier, or even the worst E-Tier ticket, they all give Awakened Ones at least 10 days to explore the Spirit Realm. Therefore, in actual transactions, almost no one is willing to exchange multiple C-Tier Spirit Realm Ticket for one B-Tier Spirit Realm Ticket.

"Of these four options, Durability is undoubtedly the best, even though it only extends our stay by two and a half days."

Bai Xiaowen chose to draw a prize.

Spirit Realm Rules Message:

"You have drawn Enhancement Feature A: Prominent".

"You have obtained the item: Eminence's Ancient Inscribed Stone Tablet."

Bai Xiaowen checked the finalized C-Tier Spirit Realm Ticket and saw that there were 10 days left on the countdown. It seemed that the higher the grade of the Spirit Realm Ticket, the longer the countdown.

"Considering that there are only two weeks and 14 days until the semi-finals, and we need to stay in the Spirit Realm for 10 days, the time is quite tight. Fortunately, I have prepared a lot of materials in advance, and we can set off tomorrow... Hopefully, we can be matched with the Ancient Egypt Plane," Bai Xiaowen said.

Li Shuyi nodded. "Let me tell my family so they don't worry."

Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi each called Xiao Jun and Li Beihai. Bai Xiaowen had more people to notify; besides Sister Zheng, he also sent a message to his employee Zhang Bo.

After resting for a night, the two used their tickets at Taoran Residence the next morning. Soft light enveloped them, swallowing their figures.

"Matching different dimensional worlds... Match successful!"

"Personal data scanned, currently in queue, please wait..."

"Entering a different dimension..."

"The Nile River flows on and on."

"Nurturing the ancient kingdom..."

"In the glory of Avaris City,"

"The son of Amun-Ra has been born..."

"Azure-gold sacred stone, the eagle god's headdress,"

"A magnificent temple, solemn sacrifices..."

"Praise be to Pharaoh Ramses!"

"A burning falcon circles the blazing sun,"

"The running pride of lions devoured the enemy..."

"His enemies feared him, his people loved him, and the gods protected him—"

"Praise be to Pharaoh Ramses!"

Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi did not enter immediately, but remained in a void.

"Due to the special nature of the Spirit Realm Ticket you used, you have received a reward: your entry identity has been upgraded by 1 level. Please draw your entry identity (2/2). You may also choose not to draw the identity and enter as a Free Citizen."

Before Bai Xiaowen appeared a virtual roulette wheel shrouded in mist; the writing on it was indistinct, only the pointer was visible.

"Very good... We've matched with the Ancient Egypt Plane. It should be the plane where the Snakefolk Tiya came from," Bai Xiaowen smiled. "In that case, our ultimate goal is to collect the Venom Serpent Priest Set ... Hmm, just like in the Kane Plane last time, we'll draw faction identities first, which will give us some preview information."

If you're not satisfied with the faction you've drawn, you can choose to give up and become a free citizen. C-Tier Spirit Realm Ticket is ultimately better than a D-Tier ticket.

Bai Xiaowen turned the hands.

"You have been assigned entry identity A: Fourth Legion of the Ancient Egypt Ptah's Divine Legion, First Chariot Commander."

"In the 13th century BC, Ancient Egypt reached its zenith under the rule of Pharaoh Ramses II. To revive the glory of the Old Kingdom and restore its dominance in Syria, Ramses II led the Ancient Egypt army in a war against the Hittite Kingdom."

"The Ptah's Divine Legion is the Yi-Yi newly expanded of the four great legions of Ancient Egypt. As the chariot commander of the Ptah Legion, you should command your charioteers and foot soldiers to slay enemy chieftains and seize military glory! The light of Pharaoh Ramses shines upon you."

Bai Xiaowen then moved the pointer to draw her second identity.

"You have been assigned identity B: Captain of the Heavy Infantry, First Platoon of the Hattusa Legion, Hittite Kingdom."

"The Hattusa Legion, named after the capital, is the personal guard of His Majesty King Muwatallis. Ancient Egypt's invasion of West Asia is a serious provocation against the iron-fisted Hittites kingdom. Lead your heavy infantry onto the battlefield! Only by achieving sufficient military merit can you win land, slaves, and wealth!"

After reading the brief introductions to these two identities, Li Shuyi said, "I know about Ancient Egypt, and I've heard of Ramses. What kind of country is the Hittites?"

Bai Xiaowen smiled and said, "Since you know about Pharaoh Ramses II, you should know about his greatest enemy during his reign. The Hittite Kingdom was a multi-ethnic slave-owning state. In the 14th century BC, while Ancient Egypt was busy with religious reforms, the Hittites took the opportunity to occupy West Asia, including present-day Syria... By the 13th century BC, the ambitious Ramses II ascended the throne and wanted to reclaim it. However, the Hittites king at this time, Muwatallis, was also a powerful monarch. Thus, war broke out between the two countries."

After a pause, Bai Xiaowen said, "The decisive battle took place beneath a city called ' Kadesh,' which is the earliest recorded battle in ancient military history."

"So who won? Ancient Egypt?"

"I don't think so..." Bai Xiaowen shook his head. "Although Ramses II publicized his victory extensively at home, in the end, both armies were severely weakened, and a peace treaty was signed, with each side restraining their troops from retreating... It should be considered a draw."

"But this world is named after Ramses," Li Shuyi said. "Isn't he the protagonist?"

Bai Xiaowen laughed and said, "What protagonist is Spirit Realm Plane world like this, so close to history, simply reassembles a group of historical Hero Tier from the same era onto a map, letting them develop freely... The historical outcome isn't necessarily a final Grand Unification, especially with awakened beings causing trouble. For example, in the previous cycle of the Three Kingdoms Plane World, Cao Cao was already defeated by Lu Bu. And in the King of Fighters Plane, didn't we kill Kyo Kusanagi?"

However, judging from the information Bai Xiaowen collected about famous pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, this "Ramses II" does indeed have the makings of a protagonist.

First, there's his lifespan. This pharaoh lived to be 91 years old—which might not seem unusual in modern times, but it's important to know that the average lifespan of Ancient Egypt was only 40 years. Every Ancient Egypt pharaoh, after reigning for 30 years, would celebrate a "ruling festival" every three years, presumably to celebrate their longevity—and Ramses II held a total of 14 ruling festivals!

When he was 70, 80, and 90 years old, his subjects believed that the Pharaoh would rule forever. However, just before the celebration of his 15th reign, Ramses II died at the age of 91, a height even rarer than a 120-year-old person today.

Ramses II was widely popular during his reign, partly because he was adept at using propaganda. For example, in the war with the Hittites, despite heavy losses on both sides, Ramses II portrayed the peace treaty with the Hittites as proof of his military achievements, which his subjects readily believed.

Of course, to paint Taiping, one must also have tangible achievements. The reign of Ramses II was indeed the most powerful period of the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, and there is no doubt that this pharaoh possessed great talent and ambition.

"Which faction should we choose?" Li Shuyi asked. As Bai Xiaowen's teammate, she followed him into the dimensional world, and her identity was linked to Bai Xiaowen's.

Bai Xiaowen thought for a moment and said, "Our ultimate goal is to investigate the ' Silent Tongue ' organization and collect the remaining pieces of the Venomfang Priest Set. Since we know that the Snake God Edjo is a legendary deity of Ancient Egypt, this organization should be located within the territory of Ancient Egypt."

"Choosing the identity of the Ancient Egypt camp, as a citizen of our own country, makes it relatively easier to conduct investigations."

"If the Hittite Kingdom had the upper hand in the war, it would have been better to choose the Hittites identity, as it would have been easier to act as the invaders... But as far as I know, the war between Ancient Egypt and the Hittites took place outside of Egypt, so the Hittites camp had to be abandoned."

After analyzing the pros and cons of both options, Bai Xiaowen finally sighed, "However, the identity of this Ancient Egypt chariot commander isn't much better... During wartime, as a lower-ranking officer, he has virtually no right to act independently, and investigating the Silent Tongue organization would be extremely difficult... Acting rashly might be seen as defection, making things even more Inch Step..."

Li Shuyi nodded. "Then should we give up these two candidate identities and approach them as free citizens?"

Bai Xiaowen shook his head. "No, even if we start as free citizens, the main quest will most likely involve choosing one of these two factions to join first, and then reaching certain standards within that faction, such as reputation standards, or some other quests... This can be deduced from the identity selection process."

"According to the Spirit Realm Rules, giving us a higher military status as a starting point will make it easier to complete the main quest. This is in line with the usual practice of giving C-Tier Spirit Realm Ticket a higher priority than D-Tier tickets."

Li Shuyi nodded again. If joining one of the armies was inevitable, as Bai Xiaowen had predicted, then giving up these two potential identities would be unwise.

"Let's choose the identity of the chariot commander from the Ancient Egypt faction... we'll see how things unfold," Bai Xiaowen said.

After Bai Xiaowen made his choice, the Spirit Realm Rules prompted Bai Xiaowen to choose a name...

Bai Xiaowen was given the name "Dio Skellboom," but the Spirit Realm Rules reported that the name did not conform to the naming characteristics of the Ancient Egypt.

Bai Xiaowen could only delete the second half, leaving only the word "Dio". This simple name was approved.

Li Shuyi also received a hint, and her entry identity was locked as an infantryman under the command of Chariot Commander Dio... She used the name Charlotte and passed the test on her first try.

It should be noted that, according to actual history, there were basically no female soldiers in the Ancient Egypt army, but this is Spirit Realm Plane, so there is no discrimination against female awakened beings. Therefore, Li Shuyi's status as a female soldier will not raise any doubts.

Just like in the Three Kingdoms Plane World, in the real history of the Three Kingdoms, women donning armor and going to the battlefield is just a legend (except for the tough woman Zhurong). Even Sun Shangxiang, a daughter of a military family who "loves to watch martial arts," can only practice warfare in her boudoir and never has the opportunity to go to the battlefield.

In the Three Kingdoms Plane of the Spirit Realm, the famous extraordinary women are almost all valiant generals on the battlefield. For example, Zhuge Liang's wife, Huang Yueying, is a female general with Mental Specialty...

After confirming their names, the void surrounding them dissipated.

The first thing you see is the tent's dome and four walls, with a simple straw mat on the ground.

Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi first spent 100 Psionic Points to convert the language into Ancient Egyptian. Their clothing, however, was a transformation of the Spirit Realm Rules, turning into the standard linen clothes of chariot commanders and infantrymen, with some copper pieces adorning Bai Xiaowen's clothes.

Both of their headgear had been transformed into cylindrical headscarves. Bai Xiaowen's headscarf even had a colorful feather stuck in it.

The two individuals' appearances were also altered, transforming them into the Ancient Egypt with high noses, deep-set eyes, and darker skin tones. However, this alteration was based on their original physical appearance and would not affect the awakened individuals' charm.

Furthermore, when awakened individuals examine each other, they see their true forms; this illusion does not take effect.

Suddenly, a dry wind swept into the tent.

A tall, thin man wearing a half-length cloth robe poked his head in and shouted, "Lord Dio, Commander Sammet has ordered a march!"

"Knew."

Memories of the tank commander flooded Bai Xiaowen's mind, and he smoothly said, "Order everyone in the first squad to dismantle the tents and set up the tanks— Charlotte and I are going out for some fresh air."

After saying that, Bai Xiaowen laughed and put his arm around Li Shuyi's waist as they walked out of the tent.

"Yes!" the man in the half-cloth robe answered loudly, but there was a hint of... contempt in his gaze as he looked at Bai Xiaowen.

The first unit had only one brass chariot and one tent— Dio, as the chariot commander, naturally enjoyed the tent, while the other infantry, including the chariot driver, had to camp.

Now, with Dio's tank commander giving the order to have the first squad of soldiers set up his tents and tanks while he slacked off, it was naturally despicable.

And... keeping the prettiest female soldier in the unit by his side for illicit affairs, completely disregarding the feelings of the other soldiers, is the most outrageous thing ever...

That's all for today's long chapter. Everyone, get some rest...