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Prologue

Everything begins with a dream. Or so they say.

They usually mean a figurative dream. Say, becoming filthy rich, or conquering the world. You get the idea.

Well, nobody really believes me when I tell them my story literally began with a dream. But it did, and here it is.

A city on the edge of a cliff. Tindfold, which had become widely known as the city of dreams. It was said that nowhere in this city would you find a sad man. The buildings stood tall and imposing, their silhouettes outlined in the fading light of dusk. Mouse stood by the window, looking down on the city. His city. He had gone through much pain to bring it to its present glory. A child ran past on the street, giggling loudly as he was chased by his peers in a game of tag.

A knock sounded on the door to his study. “Enter.” The door opened slightly to reveal a man wearing a set of armour with a white leopard emblazoned on the chest plate. The man stopped for a while, examining his liege, who stood leisurely by the window. A man of average build, with short, neat hair. He wore a fitting shirt, which showed off his excellent physique. But the most striking feature was his eyes, which burned blacker than the darkest night. Despite that, they were surprisingly not cold, but full of warmth and compassion. And they were looking questioningly in his direction.

“Sire,” the man bowed deeply before starting to speak. “Everything is in order. The assassins have been... terminated.”

Mouse nodded, smiling slightly at his steward’s words. He would not abide anyone causing trouble in HIS city. Sighing, he walked towards a chair beside the fireplace, ready to finally fall asleep.

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Or he would have, if he wasn’t hit suddenly in the back of the head, startling him from his reverie.

“WAKE UP!” Vera screamed in his ear. Dale jolted in his seat before staring, dazed, at the short, violent, monster that stood before him.

To Dale’s eyes, that is. To everyone else, Vera Lee was a princess. Pretty, intelligent and athletic. With her slim figure and refined features, she was the envy of many girls and the dream of many disillusioned boys. Apparently, only Dale had the ability to see through that illusion.

“Don’t you remember? That new game’s coming out today. You promised to come check it out with me!” Vera sighed, giving Dale’s chair one last kick, at which he jumped up.

“Alright, alright!” Dale put his hands up in surrender. “So. Where to?”

“Just come.” Vera’s eyes shone with excitement as she pulled Dale out of the classroom.

Dale could feel his excitement growing, too. A few weeks before, Vera had waylaid him after school, dragging him to the nearby shopping mall. What he saw had made his jaw drop.The poster said that a new VRMMORPG was being released. In fact, it was the first VRMMORPG. Ever. Dale had nearly abandoned his public image, barely managing to resist the temptation to squeal in happiness. Having waited for years for something of the like to be released, it was a moment to remember.

"Royal Road!" The poster seemed to scream. "Become the Emperor!"

"Become the emperor, eh?" Dale had thought.

Nobody saw the smile that followed, as his eyes gleamed with a mad passion.

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