According to the game’s story, Arion had been sent as part of the reinforcements for World #C-9013. However, despite their efforts, the army was utterly annihilated. No one survived, except Arion. The battle left him realizing just how weak he truly was.
This turning point was important in his development, leading him to embark on intense training. This phase of training wasn’t just about personal strength; it was a key part of his journey. It allowed Arion to travel between worlds and gather allies, which included the Ten Champions.
For me, now occupying the role of William, that knowledge felt both like a curse and a roadmap. I knew what was coming, and just how badly things were about to go. In the game, it stated there would be no survivors, meaning I also wouldn’t survive this battle.
Now, I remembered who William truly was. He had been the commander of the reinforcement forces sent to World #C-9013. Unfortunately, the enemy force they were up against included one of the top brass of the Harbingers, Lilith the Enchantress, a succubus queen. She didn't exactly appear at the battlefield, her subordinates did and by coincidence, one of the succubi was the top general of Lilith’s army.
The reinforcement army, despite its numbers and strength, had been easily overtaken by Lilith’s magic, leading to their complete annihilation. Even the game’s story had indicated that no one, not even the commander, me, would survive the doom. Fortunately, Arion had a kind of mind resistance so he had escaped while killing as many succubi as possible.
Of course, in order to prevent this, I could try to refuse this quest to aid the World #C-9013. However, in one of the rules I remembered, the Dakeon family absolutely had to accept the first request they were given, and if they refused, they would be executed for bringing dishonor to the tradition.
Curse the whole tradition!
Now that I was here, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of this knowledge. If I didn’t do something, I was doomed to repeat the same fate.
"Lord William, please stay safe!"
But first, I needed to deal with Briam, my overly emotional butler, who was clinging to me, tears and snot covering his face. I had no idea how to shake him off.
“Make sure you eat your vegetables and don’t cause any trouble!” Briam sobbed, his grip tightening. “Unlike here, I can't be there to fix the messes you make. Oh, how I wish I could come with you!”
I sighed, thinking ‘What am I, a baby?’ But once I saw how genuinely Briam was worried about me, I stopped myself.
Instead, I gently peel his hands off me. "I’ll be fine, Briam," I said, trying to sound as confident as I could. "I won’t cause any trouble this time, I promise."
He sniffled loudly, wiping his face with his sleeve, and reluctantly stepped back. "I'll hold you to that, my lord. You better come back safe!"
As much as I appreciated the statement, I had bigger things to worry about. The battlefield awaited, and with it, my uncertain fate.
I walked down the hallway with Briam trailing behind as we approached the large field. The sight that greeted me was striking. Rows of soldiers stood at attention, their armor gleaming under the midday sun. But this wasn’t the typical medieval gear.
Instead, they wore advanced, cybernetic armor with glowing circuits running across their plating. It was a strange mix of old and new, soldiers outfitted with futuristic technology that made them look like something out of a sci-fi movie rather than a fantasy game.
The armor was sleek and streamlined, with dark metallic hues and patches of glowing yellow energy that pulsed across the soldiers' limbs and chest plates. Their helmets had visors with displays flickering faintly, likely showing combat data or tactical information. Some even had small drones hovering near them, scanning their surroundings.
This wasn’t the kind of medieval fantasy setting I had expected to see. It was a full-blown technological army, designed for war on a scale that went far beyond swords and shields.
Arion, who was standing right next to the platform where I supposed I should make a speech, cleared his throat, breaking my train of thought. “The men are ready, Lord William,” he said.
I nodded, realizing that I was about to lead this force into the battlefield of World #C-9013, where death and defeat awaited if I didn’t play my cards right. The weight of my new reality hit me again.
When I walked up to the platform, murmurs immediately broke out among the soldiers as they looked horrified to see me. I guessed William’s reputation was much bigger than I thought it would be.
“Soldiers, attention!” Arion’s voice boomed, cutting through the field. “Major General William will be making a speech before we deploy to World #C-9013!”
As the soldiers’ eyes turned toward me, the sheer weight of their gazes almost made me stumble. The pressure was overwhelming. They looked at me with a mix of resentment and disdain as if I killed their family. I could almost feel the hostility emitting from them and I saw no sign of loyalty from any of them. It was clear that my reputation as William was far worse than I imagined.
Backing down wasn’t an option. If I showed any sign of weakness now, it would strengthen the belief that I was incapable of leading them. The soldiers' loyalty, already on the edge of zero, would plummet into negative if I didn’t handle this well. I had to stand my ground and convince them that I was more than the disgrace they believed me to be.
“Soldiers! As you all know, we’re being deployed to World #C-9013, a critical front line between the Harbingers and the Unity Alliance.”
The Unity Alliance was an alliance of worlds united to resist the Harbingers. It included several A-rank planets and many others of lower ranks. Though the only reason the Alliance was still holding its ground was because the Harbingers were underestimating them, taking their time with a slow invasion. But I didn’t need to mention it.
“We will be facing one of the Harbinger’s army, Lilith the Enchantress and her army.”
The soldiers exchanged puzzled glances and whispered among themselves. It was clear that the new information had taken them by surprise. They had been briefed about goblins attacking World #C-9013.
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Monsters like goblins were threats in the game’s universe. After all, it would be strange if a monster didn’t exist throughout the endless universe. However, such monsters were generally considered minor compared to the Harbingers. Many of these monsters had allied themselves with the Harbingers, driven by a shared goal of destroying humanity. However, some monster races were forced into joining due to the overwhelming power of the Harbingers.
Lilith’s army was a special case. The Harbinger Lilith didn’t just forge alliances through force; she wielded her charm and mind control. By controlling the mind of a monster leader, she could make the entire group follow her commands without question. This was precisely what was happening at World #C-9013.
While the reports suggested goblins were the attackers, the true threat was far more sinister. It was the succubus forces, led by one of Lilith’s underlings, who were manipulating the goblins and other creatures. The real enemy wasn’t just a horde of goblins but the mind-controlling succubus orchestrating the attacks from behind the scenes.
"Many of us will not return," I continued, my voice steady despite the hostile glares. "Some of you will die, some will be injured, and some will never be the same again."
This wasn’t a game anymore. In the game, I had been detached, sending faceless troops to their deaths without a second thought. However, the soldiers in front of me weren’t just characters following orders. They were people, each with their own fears, dreams, and the very human instinct to avoid death. I couldn’t treat this like it was just another mission.
These men and women feared death, and rightly so. In the game, casualties had been nothing more than numbers on a screen. But here, every loss would be felt. I had to acknowledge that. I couldn’t lead them to their deaths without at least understanding what I was asking of them.. This was life, and I couldn't force them into that grim reality as easily as I once might have.
“However, that doesn’t mean we give up our battle.” My voice grew louder, commanding the attention of every soldier present. “We fight because we must, for the things we hold dear. For our world. For our families. For those we love and those we’ve lost. We fight because if we don’t, everything we cherish will be taken from us.”
I took a step forward, meeting their eyes, one by one, not flinching under their glares. “I know my name doesn’t inspire you. I know William, the Fifth Prince, has been a disgrace. But today, I stand before you not as that man. I stand before you as a soldier, just like you. I will march into battle with you, shoulder to shoulder. I will bleed beside you and, if need be, die beside you. Because I, too, have something to fight for.”
The tension in the air seemed to shift, just slightly. They were listening now, even if they didn’t yet believe me.
“The Harbingers are more than just our enemies. They are a threat to everything that exists. They won’t stop at conquering one world, they’ll consume every world. Every home, every friend, every person you care about will be wiped out if we don’t stand now. They will turn our loved ones into nothing but memories.”
I clenched my fists. “But we are not weak. We are not just soldiers waiting to die. We are the shield that stands between chaos and order. The sword that strikes fear into the heart of our enemies. We fight not because we are ordered to. We fight because we choose to.”
I paused, letting my words sink in. “Now, I ask you. Will you stand with me? Will you stand for your world, for your family, and for the future we still have a chance to protect? Will you fight against these Harbingers, these creatures that have caused so much suffering? I cannot do it alone. I need you. The world needs you.”
I straightened my posture, my voice unwavering. “So, what will you sit on? Will you join me in this fight for survival? Will you show the Harbingers that they cannot crush us, that they cannot take everything we hold dear? We may not all return, but we will make sure that when we go, we go with honor, fighting for something far greater than ourselves.”
The silence that followed felt heavy, but for the first time, I saw a flicker of something in their eyes, something beyond disdain and doubt. It wasn’t loyalty yet, but it was the spark of belief. A beginning.
Now, we will deploy at World #C-9013!” I announced with a firm voice.
As soon as I said the words, several men in strange, glowing robes stepped forward, their movements synchronized. Briam quietly descended from the platform, heading out of the field, leaving me.
Magical circles began forming beneath our feet, complicated patterns of light and symbols spinning slowly across the ground. Even in the game, this sight had always captivated me, beautiful yet foreboding. The circles shone brighter with every second, their radiant glow intensifying until the entire field seemed to pulsate with magic.
Before I could fully take it in, the light from the circles surged upward, becoming blindingly bright. My vision was overwhelmed, forcing me to shut my eyes against the intensity. For a brief moment, it felt like I was floating, weightless, between worlds.
When I opened my eyes, the field was gone. Instead, I was surrounded by a familiar blue screen, as if I had been transported back into the game’s loading sequence.
TELEPORTING…
———————————————————————————
Tip!
Make Equipments and Artifacts to Increase your Chance at Winning!
I stared at the blue screen that seemed to have popped out of nowhere. This was the exact same screen in the game when players waited for the teleport to end. Was this really a game? or was this in real life, with the intervention of the system?
Still, thinking about these wouldn’t change anything. I had a bigger task to be done as I needed to survive the tutorial.
I sighed, thinking about the tip the system had given me. While it was true that crafting powerful weapons and artifacts was a key strategy for victory, none of that mattered right now. I didn’t have access to any materials. There were no monsters to defeat, no stages to clear, and therefore no way to gather the precious Reactors necessary for crafting.
In the game, Reactors served as the primary power source for characters, boosting their overall stats and abilities. Each character was allowed to equip only one Reactor, which acted as the core of their power system, providing a significant enhancement to their strength, speed, and durability.
On the other hand, Cores were weaker versions of Reactors and acted as supportive enhancements. Characters could equip up to four Cores, and while they didn’t provide the same level of power as Reactors, they were still crucial for fine-tuning a character’s abilities. Cores could be used on their own to enhance equipment and stats, but when combined with a Reactor, the synergy between the two allowed for even greater boosts.
The more powerful the monster, the higher the quality of both Cores and Reactors, allowing players to craft increasingly advanced and formidable gear. Together, these systems were the backbone of character progression, balancing raw power with strategic customization.
And of course, monsters were ranked just like everything else in the game: N for Normal, R for Rare, S for Super, SR for Super Rare, SSR for Super Special Rare, and finally, UR for Ultra Rare. The higher the rank of the monster, the better its Core, which meant tougher fights but greater rewards.
That ranking system applied to characters too. Arion, naturally, was a UR. Of course, why wouldn’t he be? The golden boy of this universe. It’s not like I could forge him into something better anyway.
Why was a tip like this in her-
Wait, I was a prince of an A-rank planet. Even if William was a bastard, he was still a prince meaning he had money. Doesn’t that mean I could access materials for making equipments or artifacts that could resist mind attacks? They were bound to have them in the marketplace, right?
“Wait, send me back!!!” I screamed as the world around me suddenly turned dark.