“Bring me two pieces of chicken at once! And remember to clean my room by the end of today.” Edward the IV ordered his servants.
Today was a busy day. He needed to get his room cleaned up as his friends and all the relatives were coming over. This was an incredibly important day of the calendar for him. Edward knew he can’t mess it up. Because his father the King would not want to lose face over his incompetence. Therefore he has to prove to him and everyone around that he has the ability to do the simplest of things well.
Already, he has prepared the most sumptuous of meals in order to please his closest guests. And they are also going to be treated to a whole host of interesting and unique activities in the afternoon ahead. They are in for a treat of a lifetime. Edward adjusts his golden robe and styles his messy hair in the mirror. Making sure that everything is right, he proceeds to call his best friend to inform him on the afternoon ahead. He needed a partner in order to run things smoothly as they were expecting more than a hundred guests. Therefore the intricate planning details that went into this afternoon had to be carefully planned and designed for maximum enjoyment. It was not for the faint hearted as there were rollercoasters on the menu for one of the theme parks destinations they were going to. Edward slides back down to his chair to rest. Only five hours now, as he closed his eyes to relax. He would only open his eyes four and a half hours later nearing the afternoon.
Having taken a great nap and yawning in the front yard, Edward the IV greets his friends and relatives. Everyone was in town for his birthday after all. This was the most important day of the year for him, because that’s when he gets to see everyone in one place. Including the people that he did not manage to see for a very long time. Like his friend who went overseas for studies or his uncle who is living in a faraway country for leisure. Those were the people Edward wanted to meet and looked forward to talking. Edward could not contain his excitement and elation when he gave the biggest hug to them. It meant the world to him that they were around in his most important day of the year. Such is the beauty of friendship and kinship. No amount of money in this world can buy them. Regardless of how rich he and the kingdom was, he was always generous to his close ones. That was Edward’s personality anyway.
The afternoon proceeded smoothly, with drinks and parties being held in the castle. There were raucous laughter and giggles heard permeating the atmosphere. It was lively. Edward was so glad that everyone could make it this year. This wasn’t the fact last year as ten people could not make it the previous year. Thus he was so happy that everyone attended and is having the time of their lives.
Afterwards, it is time to go to the theme parks. Edward and his servants ushered everyone towards the buses. He ended up taking the last bus there but he was on the way like everyone else. Edward had such a good time chatting to his close childhood friends in the bus itself. He hadn’t seen them for over two years. He can’t believe time has passed so fast in between them. Therefore he knew that he must make his time count. Even though he was still very young, he knew that he must not take time for granted or it will slip away forever.
The buses load of people arrive outside the theme park. It was magnificent with state of the art facilities and great attention to detail. They started to check in one by one and boy were the attendants friendly and helpful. The attendants were able to diagnose any problem on the spot and cause no time to waste. It took less than fifteen minutes to check in more than a hundred people. Talk about efficiency! Edward and his servants are also the last to go in as a courtesy. They knew that they had to do this in order to make sure that no one gets left behind. And they were fine being the last, it was not as though they were not going to participate at all. They were just the latest that’s all.
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The first stop was at the haunted house where Edward was grouped up with his uncle and closest friends. They waited in line for about a good thirty minutes before it was their turn. There were tons of jumpscares in the haunted house but none seemed to faze Edward. He was cool as a cucumber as actors came in and out of their woodwork. His nonchalance would catch them by surprise instead.
Edward would always put on a smile the whole trip and it was genuine too. He thought of the people who didn’t have the luxury to do the kinds of things he was doing. He didn’t feel pity for them. Oh no, he didn’t feel anything at all. Edward was the kind of person who did not care about the injustices in his world. To him, as long as he is covered and privileged. That’s all the matters. He could care less about the inequality and poverty in the world. Such was his character. But he did care a lot about his closest friends and relatives. Edward knew that without them, he would be nothing too. Despite the humongous wealth that his father the King would leave behind and including the position that he is going to inherit, it would mean nothing if he did not have his connections. Your network was your net worth was the greatest advice he had ever gotten. He took care to always keep in touch with his friends and family. To him, they were all that mattered.
Edward and the whole crew would go on to the rollercoaster next. They wanted to experience the thrill and ride. And on the rollercoaster they went. At first it was all laughter and screams. Then, Edward felt a sharp pain in his chest. He bursts out in tears and pain as he grabs hold of his closest friend. At the end of the ride, only his lifeless body was left sitting on the seat.
A world of darkness overwhelms his entire consciousness. Edward was thrown into a vortex of spirals and glass mirrors. There he found himself conscious again. And talking to a certain entity who is known as the all knowing Being.
“Hello Edward, it’s nice to meet you here. You are dead in your previous life. However you are going to reincarnate again. This time with powers and magic of your own. This is no game. It is life or death. You will reincarnate in the most dangerous dungeon of this world. Good luck!”
Before he even had a chance to complain, Edward finds himself asleep again. The darkness slowly seeps into his consciousness and he finds himself trapped in his own mind. Then, after what seemed like a long time, he finds himself awake again. This time in a very unfamiliar and hostile environment. There were emerald crystals in the walls of this dungeon. And a status screen pops up in his left periphery. There, the stats of his character was shown - 5 Agility, 5 Strength, 5 Magic, 5 Evasion, 5 Health and so on. His special skill was cloaking. He could turn invisible to his enemies and creep through them. What a useful skill that was, he thought. Edward felt himself smaller and younger again. He was fifteen. But he was still a guy, what a relief that is. He did not know what to do in this situation though. Should he find his way out and find his way back to his normal life? That was the true question he battles with and will continue to battle as he progresses through the dungeon.
Edward swiftly pulls out the overall dungeon map. He somehow knows how the whole system works. Perhaps the Being has imbued him with knowledge of how some things work around here, he thought. There were a hundred levels to this dungeon and he is on level one. He needs to make his way up to level hundred in order to get out of here. Along the way, there are various towns and cities to check in on. This was a massive dungeon after all. And the most dangerous one.
Edward ties his shoelaces before sprinting towards the closest town on the map - Hillsborough. It was a laid back town with a population of five hundred inhabitants. He equips his sword along the way. Plus ten strength, the stats showed. He dashes into the unknown with his sword on his back.