Arthur stood there, as still as marble, absorbing the last glimmers of golden light that sank into his skin.
Outside, the city shimmered like a dream polished to perfection,a breathtaking vision of ambition and possibility.
[Primary Objective: Rise, Arthur Osborn. Build a dynasty that will outlast empires.]
These words were more than just a mission; they were a challenge,a spark igniting something deep within him.
A slow grin crept across Arthur's face, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
It was the kind of smile people might mistake for charm until they realized it was assessing them like prey.
"In my last life…" he murmured, his voice low and edged with shadows, "…God blessed me with a mind sharp enough to cut glass. High IQ? Check. Perfect memory? Absolutely. A learning curve faster than ninety-nine percent of those I met."
He turned from the window, catching the faint flicker of light still lingering in his pupils reflected in the glass.
"But I lacked one crucial element: connections. No family name to back me up. In that world, merit was currency no one accepted. I had the brains to build something extraordinary… yet all I could do was watch as those born with silver spoons seized it instead."
His gaze dropped to his hands,flexing once before curling into fists.
"And here's the harsh truth: reality is far crueler than any fiction I've ever read. In stories, at least villains meet their demise on cue. But in real life? They get promoted."
He released a slow breath and lifted his head again, locking eyes with the horizon beyond the glass.
"But now… now I possess both." His grin widened into something wickedly triumphant.
"The intellect… and the pedigree. I will never again be trapped under a system crafted by those at the top; instead, I will become that very system everyone else must navigate."
The chandelier light caught the sharp line of his cheekbone as he turned back to Neo-Luminara,the sprawling capital below him,like a chessboard awaiting its first move.
And that's when foreign memories began to unfurl within him,not as an overwhelming flood but rather as a steady tide pulling him deeper into an unfamiliar world.
Panterra.
Just saying its name carried weight,the kind forged through millennia of history and ambition.
This wasn't some fragile little planet like Earth; Panterra was colossal,a titan among planets,ten times larger with enough surface area to swallow every continent he'd known and still have room left over!
Over 510 billion square kilometers filled with land and sea shaped into twelve massive continents,each distinct as fire is from ice.
Its population? Between eighty and one hundred billion souls! That staggering number made Earth's crowded streets feel like quiet country lanes in comparison.
Arthur's mind raced through vivid scenes like a strategist flipping through dossiers, bustling metropolises, sprawling farmlands that seemed to stretch into infinity, oceans alive with fleets of cargo airships, and mountain ranges so colossal they created their own weather systems.
The torrent of foreign memories continne to surged through Arthur's mind, unfolding like curtains drawn open one by one.
Each revelation was a vivid brushstroke on the canvas of his consciousness.
Arthur began to sift through this deluge of information in his head,in the memories Panterra have 12 continents.
Zephyria,a continent bristling with steel and circuitry, where cities soared higher than mountains themselves.
Next came Aurelia, gleaming with wealth and political intrigue; boardrooms and parliaments were locked in an endless battle for dominance.
Then there was Verdania, a living ocean of green, its farmlands stretching endlessly as if they curved with the planet itself.
The visions accelerated,Noctis, shrouded in smoke and industry; Solara, drenched in fire and gold;Aquarion, where oceanic cities glided gracefully above the waves.
Eryndor, where ancient tribes still bowed before their kings,Frostara, a frozen land marked by sieges and iron wars.Ignis, volcanic forges casting a red glow across the night sky.
Lunara, its deserts illuminated by moonlit caravans; and finally…Crystalia, sparkling with mines and artistry.
And lurking at the edge of perception was Umbra,shrouded in mystery, silent yet palpable.
Twelve continents. Twelve powers. His thoughts turned sharply to the governing body that presided over them all: the Panterra World Council.
Twelve seats held twelve voices,each capable of igniting or extinguishing conflicts with a single decree.
In comparison, the United Nations back on Earth seemed like mere child's play.
More memories flooded in,not merely geographical but temporal as well.
Panterra's identity was not solely defined by its landscapes,it had been shaped by epochs long past.
He felt each era as though he had lived through them: The Ancient Era when gods walked among mortals; The Classical Era when continents first reached out to one another.
The Medieval Era, steeped in bloodshed and unrest; The Industrial Era that redefined borders with machines and cannons; and now,the Modern Era,a time when ambition knew no bounds, where ancient families clung desperately to power while technology fueled their insatiable greed.
As Arthur's vision sharpened once more, he gazed out at Neo-Luminara,the third capital of the Aurelian Federation,sprawled beneath him like a living engine.
Mag-lev veins pulsed rhythmically with light while glass towers flashed dynamic advertisements across the night sky, their surfaces alive with dynamic advertisements that danced and shifted in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Below, a bustling network of skyways teemed with autonomous transports zipping by, each carrying dreams and ambitions from one corner of this metropolis to another.
It was breathtaking. It was exhilarating and now… it belonged to him.
[Host.] The System's voice resonated in his mind,sharp and unwavering. [Your journey begins now.]
Arthur caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the glass, offering a subtle nod as if acknowledging an unspoken challenge.
He looked at his own reflection which seems to be directly staring into his soul as a smile formed on crept across his lips.
"Then let's see what I can do with this board I've been given…"