-[ Transportation complete ]-
-[ Welcome to Emperors Domain ]-
-[ Reward is being distributed ]-
-[ Rewards: SS-rank 100x reward, SS-rank copy, SS-rank eyes of revelation, SS-rank merge, and SS-rank beast taming ]-
SS-rank 100x rewards: For every achievement, big or small, there is a reward. With this passive skill, the quality of your rewards will be multiplied by 100!
SS-rank copy: Actively copy skills of anyone below SS-rating power.
SS-rank eyes of revelation: View the stats of everything — humans, monsters, and items.
SS-rank merge: An active skill that allows you to automatically merge needed materials for an item, useful in manufacturing, medicine making, and blacksmithing.
SS-rank beast taming: With this active skill, you have a one hundred percent chance of taming any beast below SS-rank.
Seeing these amazing skills popping up in different windows, Rowan couldn't help but be amazed.
Each skill was powerful and extremely useful, both for combat and territory development. On Earth, while playing Emperor's Domain, he was only able to acquire a C-rank merge skill.
Even with the C-rank skill, he was unstoppable in the game. Now that he had the SS-rank version of that same skill, he couldn't imagine just how invincible he would become.
"All these skills, but for what reason?" Rowan wondered. He had read many novels where transmigrated characters had a goal to achieve: defeat the demon king, become the strongest mage, and so on. But what was his purpose?
A new notification flashed before him:
-[ MAIN QUEST: Evolve your territory to SSS-rank ]-
Rowan's heart sank. "What?? SSS-rank? That's almost impossible," he muttered. "I played Emperor's Domain for three years and barely reached B-rank. Now I'm expected to build an SSS-rank territory?"
The top gamer in Emperor's Domain, with the username Venerable Mario, had only managed to increase his territory to A-rank. In an interview, he said it was impossible to go beyond that level.
He even set up a squad of 20 excellent gamers to work with him in conquering other territories, but they still couldn't succeed.
How then could Rowan achieve it? Was there even something like SSS-rank in the world of Emperor's Domain?
-[ On Earth, gamers had their limits. But in this real game world, there are no limits. Everything is achievable. ]-
The system replied, as if giving Rowan a bit of hope in his quest. But it only made it worse.
Back on Earth, he was playing the game from the comfort of his room, controlling his character with a gamepad and mouse. He didn't feel the pain or the difficulty of crafting out strategies.
But here, he would have to go through the real deal. If he fought, he would sustain injuries. If he tried to come up with strategies, headaches would naturally follow. It was way different than playing a game, no matter how you looked at it.
Rowan shook his head. "Maybe I am just overreacting. Who knows if my territory is already B or A rank?"
Rowan decided to check his character panel.
"Open character status," he called out.
- Opening character panel -
TERRITORY: FF-rank, Winterseed Village
AREA: 20 square kilometers
RESOURCES: Timber, farmlands, small river
HEALTH: 49% (Badly Injured)
POWER: FF-rank (1,000,000 evolution points to evolve)
SKILLS: SS-rank 100x reward, SS-rank copy, SS-rank eyes of revelation, SS-rank merge, SS-rank beast taming
After calling out his character panel, Rowan expected something good. But after viewing it, he realized it was the opposite of what he expected.
"This is outrageous," he commented furiously.
"System, send me back home," Rowan demanded, anger rising in his voice. He couldn't believe the game had taken him from his good life on Earth and sent him to a backwater village.
Even the resources he had at the moment were considered a curse to gamers on Earth because they offered no advantage to the players!
[ You have an option to return to Earth after completing your mission. Until then, it's impossible ]
The system replied, completely dampening his mood. How could the system be so evil and inconsiderate?
"At least, let me know who I am. I don't even know anything about this body or the region I am located in," he requested. Since he had no way of going back to Earth, he might as well get on with the system.
Though the mission was impossible and hellishly difficult, he had five SS-rank skills that would make it a lot easier.
-[ Memory fragment available for purchase, Cost: 100,000 evolution points ]-
"Can I buy on credit and pay back later?" he inquired.
-[ Affirmative... Delivering memory fragment ]-
Suddenly, a strong ache struck Rowan, causing him to let out a loud cry of pain.
Holding his head, he fell off the bed, twisting his body on the cold, hard floor as the pain in his head intensified indefinitely.
A few seconds later, the pain vanished, replaced by memories of the Rowan of this world and the calamity of his village.
Rowan Winterseed was the only child of the former Village Head, Dragun Winterseed. Six years ago, Dragun decisively ventured into another kingdom in search of a special milk and never returned.
After months of waiting, the villagers declared him dead and forced 12-year-old, inexperienced Rowan to take on the leadership mantle of Winterseed, becoming their new Village Head.
Unfortunately, surrounding villages took advantage of their weak, inexperienced leader and attacked the village regularly, stealing their food and capturing capable soldiers as slaves.
Due to the declining strength of the village's army, the men defending the border became insufficient, causing monsters like Ratax and goblins to constantly attack the village.
Young Rowan tried his hardest, using every strategy he learned from his father, but there was no use; the burden of the village gradually added up, becoming a load he tried to get rid of.
Four years after the death of his father and four years before today, due to the stress of leadership, Rowan Winterseed fell ill with an incurable disease.
Two years ago, the illness weakened his system, crippling his body and rendering him immobile.
Six months ago, he fell into a coma.
About the village, it had plunged into more danger and poverty than it ever had.
As Rowan made sense of the memories in his head, the door leading inside the room creaked open, and a group of ragged villagers came running in.
"Lord Rowan! You are awake!"