◈ Chapter 1: Prologue

I lived a dull life, but I was not unhappy, and you could say I was actually satisfied. I may not be that old, nor am I that young, but I lived long enough. I was alone, but I was never lonely. The world gave me nothing other than what’s enough, and it hasn't taken anything much of value from me either. What life I had lived wasn’t heaven, nor was it hell, and I saw my purpose as simple as to be born, to live, and to die.

And now that I’m on my deathbed, beginning to accept my final moments, a light shone through before I fell into my deep eternal slumber.

[Planet Name: [Earth] has been selected to participate in [The Great Game]!]

[You are now a Participant in [The Great Game]!]

[All participants have been split into their respective factions!]

[You are now part of the [Kings] faction!]

[Analyzing soul for compatible race…]

What is this thing that ruined my final moments? It's a voice that doesn’t seem to be coming from outside, and it feels as though it's directly being spoken into my brain. And a game? What does it mean by that? I’m not old enough to not have the privilege of simple joys from playing games, especially video games, and when my body degraded more and more, it became one of the few things that kept me entertained. But me? Participating in a game with my current condition? There's no way that's possible.

[You are compatible with the race [Elven Draconian] do you accept?]

I don’t know what it meant by this, and why I should accept it, but when I found out that I was dying, I began to reflect on myself and the life I lived, and in that state of pondering, I found my answer.

I refuse. I just wish for rest. I lived the life of neither good nor bad, and in that state of neutrality, I saw the two sides. In this world, people like me, people who are merely watching the world, will suffer, and we will continue to suffer from our existence unless we do something about it. But what can we do about it? The world won't listen to a dying man. And because of that, I wish not to participate in a world where other people live in peace, safety, and abundance while others are hurt.

[Recommended race denied, searching for further compatible races.]

Persistent? Why? I do not wish to participate in whatever this is; I just want to rest. I refuse to live anymore, especially in a world full of conflict and peace as if both should continue to exist as if it is necessary and a supreme law of the world.

[You are compatible…]

I refuse, just let me rest.

[Recommended race denied… searching…]

…

And so, it kept asking, and I kept refusing for tens, hundreds, and thousands of times, and I soon lost track of time. It felt like an eternity, and I even suspected that I was in purgatory or even in hell, where my conviction to stay dying is constantly being challenged, that was until I heard a different voice.

[Why do you refuse the world?]

The repetitive questions were ended by a new question. Why do I refuse the world? Haven’t I answered your question? It's because I don’t like it, and I refuse to participate in it further.

[Your thinking is flawed. In a sense, you are denying the truth of the universe. Aren't you merely a coward afraid of it?]

How so? Why am I flawed? Isn’t everyone flawed in some way? From the smallest of ants to humans to even gods. So what if I am flawed? No one is a perfect being. And as for denying the truth? It’s because I had already seen my truth. I had long seen my perfect world, a world where there is no pain, no hunger, no maliciousness, no greed, a world free of sin. A free world, one of true freedom, no shackles from virtue, values, and principles. A world of true and everlasting peace, and if I am a coward for dreaming of a place like that, then so be it.

[Interesting. You have the conviction of a being who's gone mad, and It has been decided. I have taken a liking to you, so I will bestow upon you my greatest blessing, so rejoice! In the world you are going to, you’ll be given the chance to create the world you envision. And I will be watching you and see how you perform. Show me your perfect world, William.]

[You have received ??? blessing.]

[??? has refused to reveal its name to you.]

[You are compatible with the race [Neutrumoid].]

[You cannot refuse.]

[You have chosen [Neutrumoid] as your race.]

[Transferring initiating.]

And as I was forced into something I have no say whatsoever, I felt cheated, my conviction turned futile, but now what can I do? I can only do what I can, and maybe if what the voice said was true, make the world I envisioned a reality.

…

I woke up with the sun above my head. I grasped my temple as a memory of something faded into oblivion, but it was soon gone like a fleeting dream, and I was greeted by leaves as it sang and danced by the blowing of the wind. I was laying back first on the soft cold soil and just below my vision, a floating tablet.

[Name: William A. Pines

Race: True Neutrumoid Apotheosis

Faction: Kings (Ranking -)

Gold: 0

Souls: 100

Tier 1

Stats: Strength: 300, Constitution: 300, Agility: 300, Intelligence: 300, Wisdom: 300, Willpower: 300

Status:-

Skills: -]

It looked like a status screen from a video game, and going by my name in it, it seems it was true. I really have been transported against my will. I kind of suspected this as before I was forced, no matter how much I refuse it won’t let me go.

As I was being transferred, though, my mind was implanted by artificial knowledge, like a tutorial on what this is and what I need to do, making me not surprised by everything that has happened so far.

First of all, this world I was transported into is a near-infinite space. This world had long ago been created as the battleground for [The Great Game] as it was called. What is [The Great Game], you ask? In short, it’s a battle royale for supremacy. This world has its own native population, and as we speak is now being plagued by [Champions] and [Kings].

What are [Champions] and [Kings]? The former, just like the latter, are souls of people from earth that had been picked to participate in this game, but even though we’re from the same world, that being earth. [Champions] and [Kings] are vastly different. [Champions] are all given a new body based on their compatible race, but unlike [Kings], they don’t have the luxury to refuse and are given a predetermined one, kind of like a roulette. But instead, they are given skill points and a skill market where they can access before transitioning, kind of like a more detailed character creation and even after this, they can buy and upgrade skills using skill points. On the other hand, [Kings] don’t have much say on their skills before transitioning, and instead they can re-roll their race as much as they want, provided their soul has compatibility with the race. And a [Kings'] race is directly related to what skills they are going to get at the start and continue to get in the future.

Another key difference between the two is that, in contrast to [Champions], [Kings] are individually more powerful and not only that they have the power of a [King’s Core].

I stood up from my lying position, and not far from me, about four feet away, a glowing and floating white ball. I approached it and put my hand over it, and as I made contact, it felt like a living being beneath my palms and not so soon after, it whispered in my head.

[My liege, what is it you desire?]

I already knew this would happen from the tutorial knowledge I was imparted with. And so I asked.

“Show me my skill upgrades.”

[As you will, my liege.]

[Skill Upgrades:

Tier 1 (Cost: 100 [Souls] per Skill):

Basic Apotheosis Neutrumoid's Body (C), Simple Touch of Disintegration (C), Simple Touch of Creation (C), Simple Touch of Reformation (C), Basic Gaze of Perfection (C), Basic Material Absorption (C), Basic Knowledge Implant (C), Beginner’s Spacial Talent (D), Beginner’s Omni-Elemental Talent (D), Beginner’s Perfect Combat Talent (D).]

I inspected what kind of skills my race has, because even though I have some gaming and fantasy knowledge, I don’t quite know what my race is and what it even does, and as a matter of fact, what I even look like, as even from the tutorial knowledge, it gave me zero knowledge. By going through the skills, I decided on first taking [Beginner’s Gaze of Perfection]. The skill is a support type inspecting skill. The tutorial gave me a quick rundown on the hows and whys of [The Great Game], but other than that I’m in the dark, and in this new reality, I'm living in knowledge and information are vital in any and all situations, especially at the beginning.

“Give me the [Basic Gaze of Perfection (C)].”

[Skill unlocking will cost you 100 [Souls], my liege, do you agree?]

“Agreed.”

[You have unlocked the skill [Basic Gaze of Perfection (C)]

[Basic Gaze of Perfection (C): You have the eyes of the perfect being and it is only right for you to see the truth of all your eyes lay upon. ]

From my eyes, I can feel a warm sensation, and after I blinked once or twice, I immediately felt the effects. I can see far and wide, everything becomes crystal clear and even things beneath the shadows are clear as day, and what I’m most impressed about is that I receive the hidden knowledge in everything I gaze upon, it was the perfect vision, where only the perfect truths are seen, though from its name the skill is at its most lowest level. 

[Kulvian Tree (Tier 1 Common): This tree is most often found in forests of high mana concentration and due to that they possess greater quality logs with minor mana conductivity. This tree is located in the southeast part of Kulvian Forest and is 49 years old.]

After testing my first-ever skill, I was in awe and satisfied. Also, from my quick investigation, it seems I am in a forest called Kulvian Forest. And this particular forest is quite rich in mana, making the things I inspected have mana-rich properties.

I still don’t know much about what mana is and the extent of what it can do, but going with the knowledge I previously have and a rundown bit from the tutorial knowledge, I knew this location is quite blessed.

Returning my focus back on my [King’s Core], I asked it.

“Show me my available [Summons].”

[As you will, my liege.]

[Available Summons:

Unit Capacity: (0/2000)

Neutrulite Basic (Tier 1 Common) (Cost: 100 [Gold] and 1 [Soul])]

Only one? Quite strange, from the tutorial I saw, the [Kings] had at least two or more available early game [Summons]. They commonly showed a fighting unit and a construction unit, but what can I do? There’s no point in mulling over this seemingly trivial factor and instead, I need to look upon where I can get some early game [Gold] and [Souls]. But before that, I want to see what I look like.