I was dying.
Not in the dramatic, slow-motion anime way with petals falling and sad piano music.
More like the real way—lungs hurting, head spinning, body screaming, "Dude, you skipped vegetables for instant noodles and now we're billing you the final price."
But I wasn't worried about that.
Because tonight, ladies and gentlemen (and confused readers who somehow stumbled into my story),
I had a bigger mission:
becoming the number one player in Adventure of Gereshine before my body hit the game-over screen.
Yeah, I know. Priorities.
The room around me was a war zone of empty ramen cups, glowing monitors, and the faint smell of "maybe open a window before the neighbors call an exorcist."
For a whole month I hadn't stepped outside.
Not once.
The doctor said "bed rest."
I translated that as "become a gaming demigod."
Same thing, right?
My fingers danced across the keyboard like caffeinated spiders.
The final raid boss—a shiny mountain of code and rage—roared on the screen.
"Come on, come on," I muttered, jabbing hotkeys.
The sound of my own breathing was loud in my ears.
My heart did this weird thump-thump-oh-god-please-don't-stop thing.
One last attack.
One last click.
The boss let out a digital scream that sounded suspiciously like my math teacher when I forgot homework.
Victory.
A golden banner exploded across the screen:
[ CONGRATULATIONS!
HARU_T (Takamine Haru) – KING OF ALL TITLES
GLOBAL RANK #1 – THE TRUE LORD OF DRAVEMIRE ]
I laughed. Loud and ugly.
Take that, every sweaty basement warrior who doubted me.
A final message popped up:
> "Would you like to save your Kingdom of Dravemire one last time?"
"Yes," I whispered, hitting enter.
And that's when my chest tightened like someone had wrapped a steel belt around it.
My vision blurred.
The world tilted.
Darkness slid in like a badly programmed loading screen.
"Wow," I croaked. "Talk about… immersive… ga—"
Black.
When I opened my eyes, I expected a hospital ceiling.
Or at least a "Game Over" screen with sad violin music.
Instead, I got… moss.
Green, damp, slightly glowing moss beneath me.
I was lying on a stone throne, ancient and cracked, like a piece of furniture someone looted from a haunted IKEA.
Above me: a canopy of jungle trees so tall they could probably poke the moon.
Birds I didn't recognize chirped in surround sound.
The air smelled of wet earth and adventure… or maybe goblin sweat. Hard to tell.
"Okay," I said aloud, "either I survived and someone redecorated my room,
or I'm dead and Mother Nature is running a weird welcome party."
"You are awake, My Lord."
The voice was deep, smooth, and about 80% "British tea commercial."
I shot upright so fast I nearly dislocated my everything.
Standing beside the throne was a tall man in a black butler uniform, white gloves gleaming.
Silver hair, crimson eyes, face carved by the gods of elegance.
In one hand he held a silver tray with a cup of steaming tea.
In the other… well, nothing, but I'm 99% sure he could strangle a dragon with it if needed.
"Cornalis?" I croaked.
He bowed gracefully. "At your service, Lord Haru.
It is… gratifying to see you awaken in this realm."
I blinked.
I rubbed my eyes.
Still Cornalis.
The same NPC butler from my game.
The one I designed to be the ultimate servant-slash-bodyguard-slash-demonic-uncle.
"Okay, okay," I said, holding up a finger.
"Either I'm dreaming, dead, or in the world's most expensive VR mod.
Cornalis, tell me I'm hallucinating."
"I regret to inform you, My Lord," he said, setting the tea on a mossy rock,
"that this is no hallucination. You have crossed into the realm beyond your mortal plane."
"Ah. Cool."
I nodded slowly.
"Dead. Got it. Five stars. Would not recommend, but thanks for the tea."
Now, dear reader, I know what you're thinking:
"Wait, Haru, are you seriously just accepting death like it's a weather forecast?"
To which I reply:
Yes.
Because when you've spent a month coughing blood on your keyboard,
waking up in a jungle throne with a demon butler is basically an upgrade.
Also, stop making that face.
You look ridiculous.
I took a cautious sip of the tea (surprisingly good—floral with a hint of existential crisis) and tried to think.
So.
Dead.
New world.
Cornalis here.
And—oh hey—a faint blue shimmer hovered in front of my eyes.
A translucent menu blinked open like an excited puppy.
> KINGDOM SYSTEM ACTIVATED
Current Status: Lord Haru Takamine
Territory: None
Citizens: 0
Passive Growth Rate: +1 EXP per hour
Note: Power increases automatically over time.
Expand your kingdom to unlock new functions.
I whistled.
"Well, would you look at that," I said.
"Same system from the game. Stats included.
It's like dying came with free DLC."
Cornalis inclined his head.
"As the final king of Dravemire, you carry its code within your soul.
The System recognizes you as Sovereign.
It will grant power as you build your domain."
"Build a domain, huh?"
I leaned back against the throne, which was surprisingly comfortable for a mossy rock.
"So basically… I AFK and get stronger?"
"In essence, yes."
I grinned.
"Best. Game. Ever.
But reality—if you can call it that—started sinking in.
The jungle around us was alive with distant roars and rustling leaves.
Somewhere out there were creatures who would happily turn "Lord Haru" into "Lord Lunch."
Step one: survive.
Step two: don't get eaten.
Step three: build the greatest kingdom this world has ever seen while looking fabulous.
Easy.
Probably.
"Cornalis," I said, standing up and brushing moss off my pajamas.
"We need shelter, food, and maybe a banner that says Please Don't Kill Us, We're Friendly.
Also a chair cushion. My royal butt is damp."
The butler gave a slight bow.
"As you command, My Lord.
Shall I scout the area for resources?"
Before I could answer, a loud snap echoed through the foliage.
I froze.
Cornalis didn't.
He turned, crimson eyes narrowing like twin sniper scopes.
A small, green creature stumbled out from behind a bush.
Three feet tall, long ears, yellow eyes, and carrying a stick with a suspicious amount of sharpness.
A goblin.
It blinked at me.
I blinked at it.
Cornalis… didn't blink at all, which made things way scarier.
"Uh," I said, raising a hand, "hello there, random forest… friend?"
The goblin squeaked like a rubber chicken.
Its eyes darted between me and Cornalis.
Then it dropped its stick, turned around, and bolted back into the bushes.
"Well," I said after a long pause,
"that went better than my last date."
Cornalis tilted his head.
"Shall I pursue, My Lord?"
"Nope," I said quickly.
"Last thing we need is starting a war with the local salad-colored population.
Let's stay mysterious and non-threatening.
You know… for at least five minutes."
Dear reader,
I can feel you squirming in your chair.
You want action, right?
You want me to chase the goblin, discover a hidden village, recruit them into my kingdom, and unlock some overpowered skill.
Yeah, well…
that might happen.
But I'm not telling you when.
Because teasing you is my new hobby.
Besides, suspense tastes better when served slowly, like Cornalis' tea.
(He's smiling right now, by the way.
It's either loyalty or a silent promise to murder anything within a ten-kilometer radius.
Hard to tell with butlers.)
I leaned back on the throne and stared at the shifting jungle canopy.
Somewhere out there were answers—about this world, the system, maybe even why a dying gamer like me got upgraded to Lord of Dravemire 2.0.
But for now?
I had a butler, a kingdom menu, and the faint possibility of goblin neighbors.
And honestly?
That was enough.
"Cornalis," I said, grinning,
"let's start small.
We find the goblins.
We give them food.
We convince them I'm the best king they'll ever have.
Then we build a kingdom so glorious even death will want a tourist pass."
The butler placed a hand over his chest and bowed.
"As you wish, My Lord."
"Good," I said, standing and pointing dramatically at the forest.
"Let the age of Dravemire… Version Two… begin!"
I paused, then turned to you—yes, you, dear reader.
Don't pretend you're not here.
"Still reading?
Good.
Stick around.
Next time, maybe I'll actually do something heroic.
Or maybe I'll just drink more tea.
Either way, you're not escaping this cliffhanger."
I winked.
Then, with Cornalis gliding silently behind me,
I stepped off the mossy throne
and into a world that didn't know it was about to be conquered.