March 2028
It had been three years since the release of Emperor's Domain, a fantasy kingdom-building video game that took the gaming world by storm with its mesmerizing graphics and immersive stories.
In those three years, the game had accumulated over 1.9 billion players, and the number continued to grow every day.
Last year, the game introduced a new feature that made it easier for players to become rich. Players who completed difficult missions and achieved seemingly impossible feats would be rewarded with cryptocurrency worth anywhere from $100 to $500,000.
As expected, this attracted countless new players to Emperor's Domain and reignited the passion of many who had long since stopped playing. Six months later, playing Emperor's Domain had gradually become a profession officially recognized by the government.
And among those passionate players was Rowan.
Inside a lavishly decorated and meticulously maintained gaming room filled with all sorts of expensive gaming gear, Rowan, a young, handsome man with blond hair and blue eyes, stared intently at his monitor while his fingers expertly tapped away on his gamepad, the rapid clicking filling the room.
The expression on his face was tense. It was obvious he was in the middle of a particularly challenging mission.
His eyes narrowed from time to time, and the speed of his fingers gradually increased.
Soon, a smile spread across his face as he read the notification on his monitor.
-[ You have conquered Duke Nuah and seized control of Autumn Flower Kingdom ]-
-[ Reward: 0.9 Vintage Coin has been sent to your wallet ]-
"Haha, after three weeks of immersive gaming, I finally took down the crafty Duke. 0.9 Vintage Coin is definitely worth the stress," Rowan said with a grin.
One Vintage Coin was worth $88,999. That meant 0.9 Vintage Coin was worth approximately eighty thousand dollars. Earning such a huge amount of money simply by playing video games without investing a single penny was definitely worth it.
"Sigh... I promised myself I'd rest for two days after conquering Duke Nuah. Should I go to a hotel or visit a clubhouse tonight?" Rowan contemplated. Ever since buying this house four months ago, he hadn't stepped outside. His social life was slowly dying.
Going to a club could help revive it a little. He might even meet a few beautiful women. After all, getting girls had never been difficult for him.
Rowan weighed his options, but in the end, he abandoned the idea of leaving the house.
"To keep my promise, I won't play Emperor's Domain for three days. But that doesn't mean I can't play other games. That's more than enough of a break for me," he concluded, smiling at the thought of rekindling his relationship with the rest of his game library.
However, the moment he noticed the new notification and countdown on his monitor, his smile disappeared.
-[ You have completed hidden mission: unlock the Dark Duke's Diary ]-
-[ You will be transported to Emperor's Domain in 0:00:34 ]-
-[ Reward will be distributed after, good luck ]-
"What is this? Some kind of joke from the developers?" Rowan muttered.
He also couldn't understand why a diary was involved. He had defeated three other dukes before, yet he had never obtained any of their personal belongings, not even their royal attire. Why would this duke be different? Why would his reward be something so personal?
More importantly, how could a simple diary transport him to another world? The whole thing sounded absurd and completely random.
-[ Time remaining: 0:00:09 ]-
-[ Time remaining: 0:00:08 ]-
The countdown continued.
Rowan watched it with a frown. While he didn't believe anything would actually happen, he was curious to see what came after the countdown. At the very least, he wanted to inspect the diary he had unlocked.
In the game, even seemingly ordinary equipment could greatly strengthen a player's arsenal and improve their chances of conquering kingdoms. Maybe this diary wasn't any different. Perhaps it contained some hidden secret, like how to awaken magic or the truth behind the Dark Dragon Empire.
-[ Time remaining: 0:00:01 ]-
-[ Time remaining: 0:00:00 ]-
The instant it reached zero, Rowan felt a violent jolt, as though his entire body had been ripped out of place. The world around him blurred and twisted, colors melting into a whirlpool of light. For a brief moment, he felt weightless, as though he were soaring through the clouds.
The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced, whether in the game or in real life. It felt as though the very fabric of his being was being dragged through a tunnel of brilliant energy. His mind raced desperately, trying to make sense of what was happening.
---
Groaning, Rowan opened his eyes and slowly sat up.
He quickly realized he was no longer in his gaming room.
Surrounding him was a strange room built from mud, its ancient structure resembling the kind of houses he had only seen in movies and, strangely enough, in Emperor's Domain.
He found himself sitting on a wooden bed. Bandages were wrapped around his stomach and head. It seemed this body had been injured before his arrival.
Rowan was utterly confused.
Had he really been transported into the game world?
Or was he trapped inside some bizarre dream?
To find out, he slapped his stomach.
It instantly proved to be the worst decision he could have made.
The pain hidden beneath the bandages erupted at once, surging through his body and forcing a pained cry from his lips.
Almost simultaneously, floating text appeared before his eyes, and a mechanical voice echoed inside his head.
-[ Transportation complete ]-
-[ Welcome to Emperor's Domain ]-
-[ Reward is being distributed ]-