Chapter 1: The World of the Twenty-Five Kingdoms559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIV5m6nJAx
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgyIVbOVdc
I was lying on the couch, in front of the TV, which was displaying my maxed out Storm Wars warrior. Drowsy, I had to blink twice when a line of text began to flash before my eyes. Strangely, it seemed to float about half way between myself and the screen.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJQ4Jtkjoq
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbKAGnhX37
I was lying on the couch, in front of the TV, which was displaying my maxed out Storm Wars warrior. Drowsy, I had to blink twice when a line of text began to flash before my eyes. Strangely, it seemed to float about half way between myself and the screen.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9GSN4bM2t
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SGBTchJmd
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaXnaFVGu6
You have an invitation to join the World of the Twenty-Five Kingdoms. Do you accept?559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Hd5qUCw4e
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQeEbvqnC4
Yes / No
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzI12T7cGF
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVYE2Sg6zz
Amazing. Some sort of new 3D advert?559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CpsEWCEY9
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6NKWghlDU
Alert now, I sat up and I was surprised to see the text moving to keep its prominent position in the middle of my vision. That was strange. It was like I was wearing 3D glasses. And, for a second, I caught myself reaching up to my face to check whether I really was. How the hell did they manage that? It was annoying now, intrusive. Plus, I wasn't going to start a new game, no matter now smart the technology. Not after becoming the most indestructible warrior in Storm Wars. Two years and pretty much non-stop play during COVID lockdown had equipped me to be the most sought-after tank in the game. Only yesterday, I had been the main tank for a raid of three guilds, nearly two hundred players, against Warwrath, the mightiest dragon in the game.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFYZ1jeHfP
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ618UQBC4Mv
After attempting to get rid of the message with a finger movement, I discovered I could focus on the 'no' button with my eyes, getting it to glow, before a blink sent it away.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ589oyQCPSi
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9O3ib4SyPO
Lying back on the couch, I felt tired. Of course, late hours playing Storm Wars made me tired. But it wasn't just that. It ran deeper. It was two years since my parents had died in a car crash and since then, I'd felt cut adrift from the world. There were friends whom I cared about and who cared for me. But since COVID restrictions, I hadn't seen them. Then too, my college course in Occupation Therapy had been moved online and I'd lost a lot of interest in that as a result. It was all biology now and the practical side of the course, with the opportunity to help people, was on hold. No, it wasn't lack of sleep. It was despair that made my energy levels low.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HiZC8aomk
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMBd5Egrmy
The popup came back.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7gcNHVv0x
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXus1GKhrs9
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcvrIlD7rQ
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoZQAjMz31
You have an invitation from the World of the Twenty-Five Kingdoms. Do you accept?559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXuQfE2dA0
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmciA1rWyd
Yes / No
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UntjpRVaI
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8GWyS4WsN
This time, more from curiosity to find out how this technology was working than any desire to try a new game I concentrated on the 'yes'.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JBdyUEhkK
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLjjB8RAR0
A huge lurch seemed to shake the house, like an earthquake. It was unpleasant and something dark crossed my vision. A feeling of nausea swelled up in my throat, which I was just able to quash. And then I could see again.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCnbtjbD2D
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy13Di8RWFn
I was in room with three other people: a silver-haired woman in fancy dress, like a medieval LARPer; a grey-bearded, slender man, dressed like a medieval noble; and a clean-shaven, stocky man in chainmail armour, scabbarded sword at his side. All three of them were staring at me with extraordinary intensity.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvZPGaBWj1
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ct4dBJF6l
'Who are you?' asked the woman.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBX049lfun5
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWaHKJ8ts1
'Sean de Courcy.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZbEn6RVWI
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJmYXKvmR7
Astonishingly, there were smells; this wasn't a normal game: burning candles; incense; sweat; and that sharp tang you get when racing with electric cars. How did the game-makers achieve such realism? I looked around. It was a dim room, with a wooden floor, bare stone walls, with arrow slits in them. Like the inside of a castle tower. Across the floor was a complicated design, with unrecognisable, fanciful letters and candles distributed in an uneven way, like a constellation. And a slight haze of purple-tinged mist was everywhere.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAtvsKimHE
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFp84rljVHw
The warrior took a step towards me, then hesitated. 'Sire? Are you well?'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrmslzHPtB
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilWtLaU8Sd
Sire? Apart from that strange term, it was a good question. I felt disorientated but no longer sick. In fact, I was hungry. Looking down, I had a shock. My body was that of a very fat man. My fingers – I held them up – were stocky. My vast stomach blocked my view of my feet. There was a weight on my head. Reaching up, I felt a band of metal. A moment later I held it in my hands. A crown of gold with diamonds and rubies.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2SvUPOoBC
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaXVjrEtt3
'Where am I?' My voice was different too. Deeper, somewhat older than my own.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv58HwuuNdA
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejSLjbMlQg
The three people looked at each other and the concern on their faces shifted to becoming signs of excitement.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTSzr1zQsf
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRcaXBc0TW
The woman smiled and stepped over to offer her hand, which I shook. Perhaps I was supposed to kiss the back of it as for a moment she looked surprised. Then she spoke with a gentle voice, 'welcome Sean, I am Carlena and you are in my tower, in the town of Carrick, in the kingdom of Greyland, in the world of Regnia. You have been summoned to replace a king who was leading us to disaster. Please forgive us if this is undesired on your part. We will make it worth your while.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzcw9tbQG0
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjR17rabTTe
The bearded man fidgeted anxiously at my side. 'Now, sire. My name is Chancellor Parrin. If you would, please look up at the roof and raise your right arm, what do you see?'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCCTMOsDqZ
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVjDPmHOJY
The roof was a dull, near-black set of planks and I was about to say so when I reached up and a menu of tables filled with silver words cascaded down to hover about three feet away from me.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bpHlYxtYB
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6CcRSuVyF
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbR7sUgybC
Greyland559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡord5lYV3l9
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtYa2LYNRJ
Economy Military People559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVuynQ9ucv
Currently building: granary level 2559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfVmO0Pryo
Monthly trade income: 0559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBng501R5x
Monthly tax income: 54559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKE2kkYd1p2
Research: steel pickaxes
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZJOLAaz2B
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4A4woWcZzY
And a lot more that I didn't take in.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchy5mHUDud
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpbCG90Ibn
'What was that?' I blurted out in surprise. 'Those messages in the air?'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpm4iqKT4i
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDl4aDUkHj4
'Oh, how marvellous,' the elderly man – Chancellor Parrin – brought his hands together in front of his chest: half a prayer, half a clap. 'You can access the kingdom's menu. We had very much been afraid that you would not be able to do so. And that would have been catastrophic. But matters are so desperate, we had to take the risk that bringing you here, into the king's body, would not cut us off from the realm controls.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRdLT6aZh8
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSKKaMIgOw
'So this is a game? But it's so real.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44cyAzJcdm
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PBcf3eCoJ
'A game? To you, perhaps, but this is our world.' The woman looked intently at me through startling indigo eyes, 'our lives are at stake.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjphxNEJBq1
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IDAFIQqJ1
'Sire,' touching my arm, Chancellor Parrin gave me a grin that was probably supposed to be encouraging. It wasn't. 'If our spell located you correctly, you are the foremost warrior and strategist of your own world?'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5WLkfUWsm
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5vGt8jX1L
I had been experiencing some anger at the thought that if this was true – and it certainly felt completely real – these people were effectively kidnappers. But at this I had to laugh. 'I'm a student of Occupational Therapy not… oh… wait. In Storm Wars, maybe I am. My warrior was maxed at level one hundred.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkHTV9LZOM
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAe0sq2HHR2
For once, it was their turn to look puzzled.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCJ4AbgMmL
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmCfuCkUKI
'You can fight, sire?' The man in chainmail came closer, speaking with urgency. 'You can lead us to victory in war?'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2k6qFh34b
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWEumlWBJn
'Sure. No problem.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmISQefZyz
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YTyj4nChx
The relief in the room was palpable. Everyone was distinctly more relaxed and their smiles were genuine. Probably mine was too. Admittedly, I knew very little about military command, but I was good at RPGs and assuming this was an RPG, they'd gotten hold of the right guy.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8QAw1tPdw
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrOSv0MDyp
'Then,' said the chancellor, 'let us go somewhere more comfortable and explain the dire crisis faced by our kingdom.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0noNXEdkS
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AvHiywBVd
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTwWKF8dgZ
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0IJgbkqFa
***
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mXMWs8tTH
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcuNBimsIL
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHjAKRJjCp
By the time we reached a large room with a huge map spread out on a table in the centre of it, I'd learned the name of the soldier – Lord Arval – and reached several conclusions.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Z88SOMPU5
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ265HtXO1ku
First, I absolutely hated this body. It was immensely fat and slow and made even walking up five steps a task that sapped my energy and made me breathless. It was also useless for fighting. Yes, probably this guy I was inhabiting was stronger than me and probably too, he had an ability to soak up blows, but he was so ponderous and lumbering that no opponent would have any trouble killing him. I wouldn't back myself against the kid I'd seen sweeping the halls. Plus, he reeked of stale body odour; his hair was greasy (I made the mistake of touching it); and he had sores and bites on his globular skin that I felt as incessant itches.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIbgdsACFv
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHjkJFMxeA
Second, this definitely was real. No game could get you to sweat and feel the signals of discomfort that this body was giving me. The ambient sounds alone, or the subtle scents, were too much for a game. Just possibly, I had somehow been hypnotised. But when Carlena had said that she had cast a spell to exchange my consciousness with the previous owner of this body, well, that had resonated with everything my senses were telling me.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpANqdcfVGH
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9Qr07bkgo
Thirdly, these people really needed me and feck it, I was going to embrace the challenge. Not only because at heart I was a decent guy and always responded to a call for help, but also because I was up for this. Having the task of saving this kingdom from its enemies energised me; motivated me in a way I hadn't felt for months. I needed this just as much as they needed me.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0Rr5KNvcA
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6NGPsxjew
'This is our kingdom, Greyland,' Lord Arval placed a finger on the lower left part of the map. 'Three days ago, having lost a battle against a united army of two of our neighbours, we forfeited control of all this region,' he moved his finger, 'leaving us with just the capital and the territory around these mountains.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqcjGBI6kd
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY97RrbLWQh
I came to stand beside the soldier and studied the map for some time. It was detailed enough to give me a pretty good idea of the situation. We were easily the smallest kingdom of twenty-five in the bottom corner of a five-by-five grid. Worse, the region we had lost was farmland. The tiny patch labelled Greyland only consisted of hills, valleys and a mountain.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxrJndgthD
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MSTjp63gZ
'Is the world a sphere?'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBH7xQW81c3
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PthWpRyIC
Lord Arval looked shocked; Carlena snorted with what might have been derision; and Chancellor Parrin raised his eyebrows in a pretty good expression of surprise.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oNKellcTI
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHyZoidzDL
When Carlena saw that I was serious, she shook her head. 'No. It's as you see here.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLqOm8XClD
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6ASxCKSDr
There was a small section of sea around the entire world. I gestured to it. 'What happens if you sail off the edge?'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPf1nTHKMJp
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQnx38Flaf
It was the Sorceress who answered, 'some say there are other realms beyond the mist. But no ship can survive the thundering torrents.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUadkS0gvD
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPx9vfGlR5c
'Well, at least we have one flank secure.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkOoHKsXrB
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsv0FTkGh31
'Indeed, sire.' Lord Arval gave me a nod. 'Although sea invasion is possible. There is enough sea room for an enemy fleet to avoid the current that draws you to the edge.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEasjejaEI
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmRQ4y8NlJ
I lifted my fleshy right arm and pointed up. Immediately the silver menus cascaded in front of my vision.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAKuKzQYfF
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PLjtSH0hR
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5Nd8XkrmG
Greyland559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMJo4aFysk
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtHYTmhPaT
Economy Military People
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYkPBKxz22
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNnJNUcL5r
I didn't open any of the three sub-menus. Instead, I swept them away with a gesture and raised my left arm. A new menu appeared.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDKmKe5efb
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLShNfgpU0
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BsH9rEbNC
Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sFMFfZenk
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQigMqslA5
Str 7559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1t85Z7mrhX
Dex 4559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHp9JbTLLKL
Con 8559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiklOLwQRjm
Int 16559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCLEQPZCTs
Wis 16559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3PtOKYrEC
Cha 3559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26npHmuxD2
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxrXnAXVc8
Please choose a character archetype:559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5vWwpPWlw
Fighter; Wizard; Healer; Scout559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLdDCECSWW
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJLP7Ihtym
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTjBZcOAgu
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRvsuV0jez
Interesting. Charisma 3 though. I waved it away. 'Can I improve my stats by exercise?'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEoO5SNJRV
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAP06H1t5Sv
'Sire?' Chancellor Parrin had wrinkles in his face that fell naturally into an expression of uncertainty.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrJpKpTKqm
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zphhN530F
'I've just called up my character sheet. My Strength is seven. Can I get it to eight by working out with weights?'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fdZm1jGdV
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2Y1fQ2s5d
Lord Arval looked to Carlena, who shook her head. Not so much as to answer me but to say she didn't know.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPy4sC7C1N
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCwOPAe14u
'King Carlos kept his powers secret.' It was Chancellor Parrin who answered me. 'We know he had access to menus for himself and for the realm, but he never, ever spoke about them. He was… He feared…'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfLJzwOqnZ
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysisaxT86U
'He was a useless tyrant who bullied us all, knowing we couldn't replace him because he was the only one with the power to make decisions for the kingdom.' Carlena gave a bitter smile, 'but I found a way to get rid of him and still allow planning for our realm. I found you.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo4tx9K573
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJ87AuAhst
'Can you see your own levels and stats?' While I was interested in learning about my predecessor, I didn't want to change the subject. My focus right now had to be on understanding whether this world was like RPGs I was familiar with. In particular, if I was stuck with those starting stats, I'd have to choose Wizard or Healer archetypes. If, however, I could get my Strength and Constitution to rise somehow, I'd opt for Fighter. I wanted to be a Fighter, but if I was stuck with this body and those stats, choosing Fighter would be a complete disaster.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztLicT8Bs1
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqlKw76l0Z
'No, but I believe the king could. I know from my spells that I'm level seven Paladin,' said Lord Arval, 'but he never told me my stats and skills.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ389WJM8ira
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50h87Sy1YR
Carlena nodded, 'King Carlos was a liar, but I know that when he said I was a level nine Sorceress, he was telling the truth. I get one new spell per level and I have nine spells.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonhW7HQ1P7
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChbnLhRlV4
'And that I'm a level five Scout,' Chancellor Parrin gave a shrug. 'I certain I'm above that, however.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPN0c0KTzbf
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqO1D3iRo49
'Interesting.' I tried pointing at Chancellor Parrin in the hope of calling up some information about him. Then simply concentrating, looking into his eyes. Nothing changed. 'Oh well. I need to conduct an experiment. Can you assign me a trainer to work on my Strength?'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyZDB7N7lP
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj7bs0sEDa
'Now sire?' asked the chancellor, 'it's late.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDFNNhWp9w
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08lAZe5ToN
'In the morning then.' This body certainly felt tired. 'For now can I get a bath, fresh sheets on my bed and a clean set of clothes.'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3Vodqa8mH
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6TmWG8HzR
This request caused Lord Arval to chuckle and soon Chancellor Parrin and Carlena were doing their best not to grin.559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0uMXohCx2
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ihEbUpzCB
'What?'559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2bUu1xALi
559Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RWFbrepk8
'Whoever you are, Sean de Courcy, you are certainly not King Carlos.'
然後按「加至主畫面」