Empire of War: Rise of Kino
Chapter 1 – The Summoning
When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in my apartment anymore.
The first thing I noticed was the sky—a vast canvas painted crimson, glowing faintly with floating runes that shimmered like digital code. Beneath me stretched a plain of tall grass waving in a soft breeze. The air felt cleaner than anything I'd ever breathed, but there was something off about it… too crisp, too real.
Before I could process where I was, a voice echoed directly inside my head—neither male nor female, mechanical yet divine.
[Global Announcement: All humans of Earth have been transferred to the New World.]
[Each individual shall become a Lord.]
[Build, expand, and conquer to survive. Those who fail will perish.]
The words sank into my mind like fire.
The scenery around me flickered, and suddenly a blue holographic screen appeared in front of my face.
[Status Interface]
Name: Kino
Origin: Earth (Half-Filipino / Half-Chinese)
Rank: Lord (Unranked)
Starting Territory: Grassland Biome (1 km radius)
Resources: 50 Wood, 30 Stone, 10 Food Rations
Command Summon: Locked – Build Shelter to Unlock
"Lord…?" I muttered. "What kind of twisted game is this?"
The voice didn't respond.
Instead, another notification popped up with a soft chime.
[Feature Unlocked: World Chat]
A flood of messages instantly appeared, overlapping each other in panic.
[World Chat]
Player – Jake_US: IS THIS REAL?!
Player – Mei_CN: What's happening!?
Player – Hassan_EG: I'm in a desert! There's no water!
Player – Kino: Calm down. The system said build a shelter first. Start with that.
No one listened. The chat scrolled so fast I could barely read it. People were already begging for help, forming alliances, or threatening others. Humanity had been thrown into chaos—billions of us scattered into random territories.
I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus.
If this was some kind of survival world, panicking would only get me killed.
"Resources," I muttered, opening my inventory window.
Floating icons appeared before me: wood, stone, and food. I had no tools, no shelter, no protection. Just the clothes on my back.
The voice in my head returned.
[Mission: Construct a Basic Shelter (0/1)]
[Reward: Unlock Commander Summon Function]
Alright. Shelter first.
I scanned the area. The plains stretched endlessly, but to the east I could see a small cluster of trees. I picked up a rock, fashioned it into a crude axe, and started chopping. The motions were clumsy at first, but strangely natural—as if the world itself guided my actions.
Every time I felled a tree, a notification popped up.
[+5 Wood]
[+10 EXP]
By sunset, I'd gathered enough to construct a rough wooden hut. When I placed the last log, the structure shimmered and solidified like pixels locking into place.
[Basic Shelter Constructed.]
[Mission Complete.]
[Reward Unlocked: Commander Summon Activated.]
My breath caught.
A circular platform appeared in front of me, etched into the grass. It glowed crimson, and wind began to spiral outward.
[Would you like to summon your first Commander?]
[Yes / No]
I selected Yes.
The world trembled.
Crimson light erupted from the ground, rising into the sky like fire. I shielded my eyes as a shadow took form inside the vortex—tall, armored, exuding pure dominance.
When the light faded, a man stood before me.
His armor was black and red, carved with dragon motifs. His halberd gleamed like liquid flame, and his gaze burned through me like a predator sizing up prey.
He spoke in a deep, commanding tone that reverberated in my chest.
"You… are the one who summoned me?"
I swallowed hard. "Yes. I'm Kino."
He tilted his head slightly, appraising me. Then, without another word, he dropped to one knee and drove his halberd into the earth.
"I am Lü Bu of the Eastern Han. The Flying General. From this day, I fight for you, my Lord."
The air froze.
The name alone was enough to shake me. Lü Bu—China's strongest warrior. A mythic figure of history. I'd read about him when I was a kid. A man said to be unstoppable on the battlefield… and nearly impossible to command.
The system chimed again.
[Mythic Commander Summoned: Lü Bu (Fengxian)]
[Loyalty: 60 / 100]
[Bond Skill Activated: Lord's Aura – Minor Morale Boost (+5%)]
The World Chat exploded seconds later.
[World Chat]
Player – Ling_CN: SOMEONE SUMMONED LÜ BU??!
Player – USA_Alpha: No way, Mythic-tier already unlocked?!
Player – Jiro_JP: Damn, who's that lucky bastard?!
Player – Kino: …No comment.
I immediately turned off the chat. The last thing I needed was global attention.
Lü Bu rose to his feet and scanned the area. His expression was calm but sharp, like a blade honed by centuries.
"A barren land, unclaimed and weak," he said. "We shall turn it into a fortress—or a graveyard for our enemies."
I couldn't help but smirk. "I like the first option better."
He actually laughed. A short, hard sound. "Then lead, and I shall conquer."
As the sun set, the two of us sat beside the crude wooden hut. Lü Bu cooked a boar he had hunted barehanded—no exaggeration. Watching him made me realize what "Mythic-tier" really meant.
My mind buzzed with information, possibilities, and questions.
If everyone on Earth had been made a Lord… that meant billions of potential rivals.
Billions of armies.
Billions of battles.
But unlike them, I had Lü Bu.
The system chimed softly again.
[Lord Kino – Territory Registered: "Crimson Camp"]
[Population: 2]
[Territory Rank: Level 1]
[Tutorial Tip: To expand territory, gather resources, recruit followers, and defend against invaders.]
The night sky of this new world glowed faintly red, filled with strange stars and fragments of floating land in the distance. It was beautiful—and terrifying.
Lü Bu rested his halberd against the wall, eyes closed as he sat near the fire. "This world reeks of ambition," he muttered. "You will not be the only one seeking a throne."
I stared at the flickering fire and the faint shimmer of my new territory's border in the distance.
"I know," I whispered. "But I don't plan to lose."
The system responded with a faint hum, almost as if it had heard me.
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: First Resolve]
[+5 Lord EXP]
Somewhere in the endless plains, I heard a distant explosion—someone else had started their first war already.
The age of Lords had begun.
And I intended to rise above them all.