Jin Yukimura stared at the eviction notice crumpled in his hand, the words "VACATE WITHIN 24 HOURS" still burning behind his eyelids. Three months of unemployment, a girlfriend who'd left him for his best friend, and now this. Rock bottom had a basement, apparently.
The convenience store ramen in his stomach felt like lead as he trudged down the empty street. Twenty-three years old and already a complete failure. His parents had been right—dropping out of college to chase some stupid dream of becoming a game developer had been the mistake of a lifetime.
*Maybe I should just—*
The world stopped.
Not metaphorically. Literally. The autumn leaves suspended mid-fall, a stray cat frozen mid-leap, even his own breath hanging motionless in the air. Then reality shattered like glass, fragmenting into a million prismatic shards before reforming into something impossible.
Jin found himself standing in a vast ethereal hall that stretched beyond the horizon. Thousands—no, millions—of other humans materialized around him, all wearing the same expression of stunned terror. Above them, floating words appeared in burning gold letters:
**[DIVINE SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]**
*Welcome, mortals of Earth. Your world has been chosen as the newest Conquest Realm for our entertainment. You will now be transported to the Nexus World—a continent of infinite territories waiting to be claimed.*
*Each human will draw ONE Lord Card. This card determines your race, army, and starting territory. Conquer or perish. Only the strongest 100 Lords will survive the first year.*
*Let the Territorial Conquest begin.*
The hall erupted in screams, prayers, and desperate questions that echoed into the void. But the system wasn't done.
*Card Selection will commence in 60 seconds. Choose wisely. Your survival depends on it.*
Suddenly, thousands of glowing cards materialized in the air before them, each pulsing with different colored light. People began lunging forward, grabbing frantically at anything within reach.
"Goblin Lord! I got Goblin Lord!" someone shouted nearby.
"Orc Warlord! Yes!" another voice called out.
Jin watched the chaos unfold, noting how the brightest cards disappeared first. Golden cards, silver cards, even the bronze ones were being snatched up by those quick enough or lucky enough to be in the right position.
*30 seconds remaining.*
He pushed forward, but most of the good spots were taken. Around him, people celebrated their draws:
"Elf Lord! I can work with this!"
"Skeleton Commander... well, at least it's something."
"Kobold Chief? Seriously?"
*15 seconds remaining.*
Jin's heart raced as he scanned the remaining cards. Most of the bright ones were gone, leaving behind a sea of dim, gray cards that nobody wanted. Common ranks. Trash tier. The kind of cards that would get you killed in the first week.
But there, floating alone in a space others seemed to unconsciously avoid, was a single card so dark it seemed to absorb light. No, not dark—it was shifting between deep crimson and void black, like liquid shadow mixed with fresh blood. The other cards near it had been claimed, but this one remained untouched.
As he got closer, text appeared above it:
[Abyssal Vampire Sovereign - Mythic Rank]
*Warning: This path is not for the weak of heart.*
"Don't touch that one!" A woman near him grabbed his arm. "Everyone's avoiding it! There has to be a reason!"
*5 seconds remaining.*
Jin looked at the woman—probably a successful businesswoman based on her expensive suit. The kind of person who'd never known real failure. She held a silver card: [Human Noble - Rare Rank]. Safe. Respectable. Everything he'd never been.
But what did he have to lose? He'd already lost everything that mattered.
*3 seconds.*
His hand shot out.
*2 seconds.*
His fingers closed around the crimson-black card.
*1 second.*
The card burned cold against his palm, and he heard a sound like distant laughter—feminine, sultry, and amused.
*Selection complete. Transportation commencing.*
The hall dissolved, and Jin felt himself falling through an endless void of stars and shadow. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was text appearing in his vision:
[Congratulations, Lord Jin Yukimura]
[You have selected: Abyssal Vampire Sovereign - Mythic Rank]
[Patron Deity: Nyxara, Goddess of Desire and Conquest]
[Starting Location: Crimson Citadel, Shadowmere Mountains]
[Initial Army: 500 Mixed Vampiric Units]
[Special Ability: Corruption Conquest - Convert enemies instead of destroying them]
[Warning: Your path will be paved with blood and desire. Rule through fear, seduction, and power. Failure means not just death, but eternal servitude.]
[Welcome to the Nexus World, Vampire Lord.]
As consciousness faded, Jin could swear he heard that same feminine laughter echoing in his mind, followed by a whispered promise:
"Let's see what you're truly made of, my chosen champion..."
Then darkness claimed him, and somewhere in a realm beyond mortal understanding, the gods placed their bets on the newest player in their cosmic game.
The Territorial Conquest had begun.