As the butler helped me get dressed, I learned more about myself, or rather, who William was in this world. And honestly, I wished I hadn’t. The more I discovered, the more I wanted to unlearn it all.

Somehow, I was now inside the game, living in the body of William: the Fifth Prince of the Dakeon Royal Family, rulers of World #A-10. It was surreal and overwhelming, but the facts were undeniable.

The game’s universe was massive, with millions of planets, each classified by a ranking system that measured their overall strength. From weakest to strongest, the rankings were F, E, D, C, B, and A. The ranking depended on several factors: military power, economic might, and population size.

World #A-10, otherwise known as Ember Empire, where I now found myself, was an A-rank planet—one of the top 100 in the entire game’s universe. This meant it was among the most powerful, both in terms of military and economy. To give some perspective, there were only 100 A-rank planets out of millions. B-rank planets numbered around 1,000, C-ranks about 10,000, D-ranks 100,000, E-ranks 1,000,000, and the F-ranks were the most common, with around 10,000,000.

Being on an A-rank planet wasn’t just prestigious; it also meant I was right in the middle of the game’s most intense conflicts. The Harbingers of Cataclysm would surely have their eyes on a world like this. And as the Fifth Prince, I was likely to be caught up in all of it. Whether I wanted to be or not.

To make matters worse, William wasn’t powerful at all. He was notoriously weak and infamous for his reckless behavior—constantly drowning himself in women and alcohol, and stirring up trouble wherever he went. His reputation was terrible, and he had earned countless nicknames like Womanizer, Money Waster, and Disgrace of the Royal Family.

This wasn’t the kind of character anyone would want to be stuck as in a game where survival depended on strength and strategy. Instead of being a hero or a powerful figure, William was the royal black sheep, the laughingstock of one of the most powerful planets in the universe. The situation was anything but promising.

“Lord William, please hurry up!” The butler’s urgent voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

According to the butler who introduced himself as Briam, I, now William Von Dakeon, was about to participate in an important ceremony. In the Dakeon Royal Family, the path to the throne was a fierce competition. Also, it was traditional so every Royal Family member had to participate whenever they liked it or not. Every prince or princess had to choose between two paths: Military or Politics.

If a royal child chose the Military path, they would be appointed as a commander of a 10,000-strong force, leading troops on the front lines. On the other hand, choosing Politics meant being granted the title of Count, responsible for managing the kingdom's economy, population, and various other administrative matters.

Whoever holds the most biggest achievements would get to the throne. There was no time limit, meaning that the royal family members could overthrow the current king, my father, if they had more achievements than the king. It was ridiculous really, but it was true as the first Dakeon king had said:

“Only the strong will survive in the Royal Family!” Which led into fights all over the World #A-10.

Arion followed closely behind me, his armor clinking softly with each step. He looked genuinely pleased, which made me think that William and Arion must have been close. But seriously, I couldn't recall William’s character in the game at all. Who was he really? The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. I didn't remember anything about the Dakeon Royalty or its customs being mentioned in the game, which left me clueless about the current situation and the fight for the throne.

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Finally, we arrived at a massive, ornate double-oak door adorned with lavish decorations. Two knights were stationed on either side, nodding in recognition as they opened the door for us.

As the doors swung fully open, the grandeur of the room beyond was almost overwhelming. It screamed royalty, with towering white pillars lining the walls and sunlight streaming through the tall windows, giving the entire space an almost ethereal glow. At the far end of the room stood a small round table, and next to it, a man dressed as a priest, waiting for us.

However, something felt off. The entire room was devoid of life. Despite the vast space and countless chairs arranged neatly around the room, not a single person was present. Normally, such a ceremony would have guests or at least some nobles waiting in anticipation. But in this case, it seemed no one cared enough to attend. I guess William—well, me—wasn't exactly someone people were eager to see.

Briam and Arion, seemingly unfazed by the empty hall, took their seats in the front row, leaving me standing before the priest. The priest, for his part, appeared slightly irritated at my presence but quickly composed himself, holding a ceremonial book in his hands.

"From this moment forward, William Von Dakeon, Fifth Prince of the Ember Empire, shall no longer be a mere child but a prince destined to bring glory to the Empire!" his voice echoed through the hollow room.

With those words, he presented two objects: a sword and a book. "Now, choose. Will you become a general in the military, striking fear into the hearts of the Empire's enemies, or will you choose the path of a count, managing the kingdom to bring peace and prosperity across the land?"

I stared at the two objects, weighing my options. But honestly, I already knew what I had to choose. In the game, the rulers of the worlds were AI, sophisticated enough to make their own decisions. Yet, when I tested what would happen if I didn’t interfere at all, the Harbingers destroyed everything with ease. The Ten Champions, without the aid of the player, couldn't unlock their true potential.

I had no choice but to get involved. Becoming a count would tie me down, limiting my movements. I needed to gather the Ten Champions before it was too late, and to do that, I had to venture beyond the World #A-10. They were scattered across different worlds, and being a general would give me the freedom I needed to move. Plus, there was this strange pull. The original William must have wanted to choose the general's path as I felt an overwhelming urge to pick up the sword.

"I choose to be a commander who will bring fear to the enemies of the empire!" I declared, my voice echoing through the empty hall.

The priest's shock was almost palpable when he heard my decision. He probably expected me to choose the life of a count, staying far from the battlefield and clinging to the comforts William had grown used to. But here I was, choosing the front lines over the luxuries the original William would’ve craved.

After an awkward pause, the priest finally spoke, "The gods have spoken. From this day forward, William Von Dakeon, the Fifth Prince of the Ember Empire, will be Major General William. This concludes the ceremony."

With that, he hurriedly left the room. No applause, no congratulations, just a quick exit. I didn’t have time to care, though. Bigger problems were looming.

As soon as the priest disappeared, a younger man dressed in a butler’s uniform entered, holding some kind of black stick. When he opened his hand, the stick emitted a faint glow, projecting a floating screen in midair. So much for the medieval fantasy vibes.

“Major General William will proceed to the front lines at World #C-9013. You will command 10,000 men and provide reinforcements to the army in dire need. For further details, please go to the designated world.” The butler finished his statement in a clipped, formal tone.

I sighed deeply. World #C-9013? That was where the game first started, the tutorial for the players. It all started to make sense now as the game story itself was taking shape. I remembered that no player had ever successfully won the battle on that world, much less saved it from destruction.

This couldn’t be a coincidence. A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. The "tutorial" was supposed to teach players on how to play the game. On top of that, it was made specifically so players would lose no matter what they do. I couldn’t help but think, 'This is where it all begins, isn’t it?’