March 2028


    It has been three years since the release of Emperor''s Domain, a Fantasy x Kingdom-building video game that took over the gaming world with its mesmerizing graphics and immersive stories.


    In these three years, the game has umted over 1.9 billion yers, and the number of yers keeps growing every day.


    Last year, the game released a new feature that made it easier for yers to be rich; it would reward yers whoplete difficult missions and achieve impossible achievements with cryptocurrencies worth ranging from $100 to $500,000.


    As expected, this brought a lot of new yers to Emperor''s Domain, and also awakened the dead zeal of thezy yers. Six months after, ying Emperor''s Domain gradually became a profession that even the government recognized.


    And among those zealous yers was Rowan.


    Inside a wonderfully decorated and well-maintained gaming room filled with all sorts of expensive gaming gear, Rowan, a young, handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes, faced his monitor with all seriousness as his fingers expertly tapped his gamepad, causing tapping sounds to fill the room.


    The expression on his face was intense; it seemed he was in the middle of a really challenging mission.


    His eyes narrowed from time to time, and the speed at which he tapped his gamepad gradually increased.


    Soon, a smile appeared on his face as he read the information on his monitor.


    -[ You have conquered Duke Nuah and seized control of Autumn Flower Kingdom ]-


    -[ Reward: 0.9 Vintage Coin has been sent to your wallet ]-


    "Haha, after three weeks of immersive gaming, I finally took down the crafty Duke. 0.9 Vintage Coin is definitely worth the stress," Rowan rejoiced with a smile on his face.


    1 Vintage Coin is worth $88,999. 0.9 Vintage coin is approximately eighty thousand dors. Getting such arge amount of money from simply ying video games and not investing a penny is definitely worth it.


    "Sigh, I made a promise to rest for two days after conquering Duke Nuah. Should I go to a hotel or visit a clubhouse tonight?" Rowan contemted. Since he bought this house four months ago, he hasn''t stepped out. His social life is slowly dying.


    Going to a club could boost his declining social life a bit, He might even get some cool chicks. Getting girls wasn''t difficult for him.


    Rowan contemted his options; in the end, he gave up the thoughts of leaving the house.


    "To not break my promise, I will not y Emperor''s Domain for three days. But that doesn''t mean I won''t y other games; that is more than enough of a break for me," he concluded, a smile appearing on his face at the thought of rekindling his friendship with his other games.


    Nevertheless, when he saw the notification and countdown on his monitor, a frown quickly appeared on his face.


    -[ You havepleted hidden mission: unlock the Dark Duke''s Diary ]-


    -[ You will be transported to Emperor''s Domain in 0:00:34 ]-


    -[ Reward will be distributed after, good luck ]-


    "What is this? Is this some kind of joke from the developers?" Rowan wondered.


    He also wondered why there was a diary in y here. He had defeated three other dukes, but he never got their personal stuff, not even their royal attire. Why would this duke be different? Why would he be rewarded with something so personal?


    Not only that, how would a simple diary be able to send him to another world? Not to even start with how absurd and random the idea of it was.


    -[ Time remaining: 0:00:09 ]-


    -[ Time remaining: 0:00:08 ]-


    The countdown to transportation continued.


    Rowan observed it with a frown on his face. While he didn''t believe such a thing would happen, he wanted to see what woulde after the notification, and maybe get to observe the diary he unlocked.


    In the game, some random equipment could boost your arsenal and chance of conquering kingdoms. Maybe this diary won''t be any different; maybe he might unlock some secret like how to awaken magic and the secret of the Dark Dragon Empire.


    -[ Time remaining: 0:00:01 ]-


    -[ Time remaining: 0:00:00 ]-


    Immediately it struck 0, Rowan felt a sudden jolt, as if his entire body had been yanked out of ce. The world around him blurred and twisted, colors blending into a whirlpool of light. For a moment, he felt weightless, as though he was flying through the cloud.


    The feeling was confusing, unlike anything he had felt in the game or real life. It seemed like his very fabric of his being was being pulled through a tunnel of bright energy. His mind was racing, trying to understand his situation.


    ***


    Groaning, Rowan opened his eyes and sat up. He quickly realized he was no longer in his gaming room. Surrounding him was a strange room with an ancient mud house structure he has only seen in movies and strangely also in emperor''s domain.


    He realized he was sitting on a wooden bed, bandage was wrapped around his stomach and on his head. It appears this body has been injured prior to his arrival.


    Rowan was confused about his situation. Has he really been transported to the game world? Or was he in some kind of dream?


    To confirm this, he pped his stomach. And this instantly became the worst choice of action. Instantly, the pain the bandage was hiding kicked up and coursed through his body at once, causing him to let out a small cry of pain.


    Almost at the same time, floating text appeared in front of his retina and a mechanical voice resounded in his head.


    -[ Transportationplete ]-


    -[ Wee to Emperor''s domain ]-


    -[ Reward is being distributed ]-