The night had always been cold for Randy. The streets of his city, once filled with indifferent strangers, had become his final resting place. His clothes were tattered, his body frail, and his mind barely holding onto the threads of reality. He had survived through a life no one should ever endure—abused, mocked, abandoned. His family gone, and his dignity stripped away, he lay on the cold concrete, knowing the end was near.

But before darkness could take him, a flash of blinding light enveloped the entire world. Randy’s frail body disappeared, along with millions of others.

Randy’s eyes shot open, and he found himself standing on a strange stone floor. The chill of the streets was gone. He was no longer homeless—no longer on the brink of death. Confusion clouded his mind as he took in his surroundings. The air was different, the sky was a dull, ominous gray, and before him stood a massive fortress. The walls were high, made of sturdy stone, but they were bare, lacking defenses.

This… this wasn’t Earth anymore.

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed in his ears, and Randy instinctively clutched his head. The voice was powerful and overwhelming, but the words were clear:

“Welcome, Lords! You have all been transported to the World Tower Defense. Each of you is now the lord of your own fortress. Your mission is simple: build, defend, conquer! Use your resources to construct barracks, train troops, and prepare for battle. You have five days of protection—no one can attack during this period. But after that, war will begin. Only the strong will survive, and those who falter will be destroyed.”

The voice paused, then continued, “All your possessions from Earth have been converted into resources for you to begin your journey. Use them wisely. Let the World Tower Defense begin!”

Randy’s heart sank. Resources? He had nothing. On Earth, he was penniless, barely surviving off scraps, begging from those who despised him. His thoughts raced—what could he possibly have now? The voice spoke of wealth, but Randy had none.

The Lord’s Interface:

A strange screen appeared in Randy’s mind, and he felt a tug to look at it. It was the Lord Stat Screen, filled with numbers, stats, and resources. But as his eyes scanned the list, his worst fears were confirmed.

Resource Summary:

•Stone:0

•Wood: 12

•Food: 1

•Metal:0

•Gold: 0

The other lords would have abundant resources from their former wealth—millions in gold, endless food supplies, valuable materials to create armies. But Randy had nothing. His starting pack was pitiful, a reflection of the life he had left behind. Even now, in this new world, he had been dealt the same cruel hand.

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Randy clenched his fists. “It’s just like Earth… everyone else will build, grow stronger, while I’m left to starve,” he whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek.

Flashback:

Randy’s memories flooded back to him. The taunts, the abuse, the way people spat on him and called him filth whenever he asked for help. The times he’d been beaten down, cast aside like garbage. He remembered his father’s cruel face, the monsters who had taken his innocence away at just five years old. His mother had died mysteriously, and no one cared enough to investigate. He had been left alone, barely surviving on the streets.

But here, things could be different. Despite the hopelessness in his resources, something within Randy stirred. What if… what if I don’t give up this time? He had nothing to lose. He was used to fighting for survival.

The New World:

Randy stepped toward the heart of his fortress—a small, dilapidated building with a banner fluttering in the wind. There was nothing impressive about it. No towering barracks or mighty troops training in the field. But it was his, and in this world, he had been given a chance. Even if it seemed impossible.

The voice had spoken of building barracks, training troops, and conquering other lords to take their resources. Five days of protection would pass quickly, and Randy knew that if he didn’t prepare, he would be the first to fall.

He opened the interface and scrolled to the Building Menu.

Randy’s mind raced. He couldn’t compete with the others through sheer force—he had no gold, no allies and a small resource count, his frustration boiling. He couldn’t afford a barracks yet. His options were limited to the most basic resource buildings, but he had no choice. He gritted his teeth and made his decision.

“At least I can start with this,” he muttered, selecting the cheapest options from the menu. He placed down a farm, a wood camp, a stone mine, and a metal mine—each costing only a single unit of wood. The process was simple. These resource buildings would automatically generate what he needed, and all he had to do was press a button to collect them after a set period of time.

Randy sighed, looking at his tiny, unimpressive empire. “At least I won’t go hungry anymore… but this is far from enough. I need to get my barracks up soon. But for now… I’ll work with what I have.”

He stared at the small buildings, his mind turning over darker thoughts. A deep rage simmered beneath the surface, years of resentment clawing their way to the forefront. “Damn it. I swear I’ll get payback on everyone who’s ever looked down on me.”

His fists clenched tightly, nails digging into his palms as the memories flashed before his eyes the disgusted stares, the sneers, the cruel words. He could still see them clearly, those people who walked into stores and came out with big bags of food, candy, soda, and chips. They would purposely look his way to make sure that he saw them before getting into their fancy cars and driving away, leaving him with nothing.

“They’re all monsters in their own way,” he hissed, his voice trembling with anger. “I’ve seen the dark side of people being homeless, stuck in those poor neighborhoods, watching how those with money treated me like dirt. But they’ll get what’s coming to them. I’ll make sure of it.”

His eyes darkened as he gazed at his fortress, his plans for the future already forming in his mind. “I’ll torture every one of those disgusting people in the most gruesome way possible. They had no sympathy for me, and I’ll have none for them.”

This world had given him a chance a chance to become powerful, to take control, to make those who had stepped on him pay for their cruelty. Randy smirked grimly, his resolve hardening.

As the buildings started constructing, Randy sat down in the heart of his fortress. His body still weak from the life he had lived on Earth, but his mind sharper.

“This is just the beginning”