Between darkness and silence, in a cramped room where empty food bags mingled with greasy boxes, and belongings were piled in every corner like a garbage dump, a young man sat laughing maniacally.
It was Karl, with messy hair and tired eyes, staring at his glowing computer screen, a hysterical smile on his face.
"Ha ha ha… Even after your alliance against me, you're still powerless to bring me down, fools!"
The game "War of Kingdoms" wasn't just entertainment for him… it was his entire life.
Karl had never known family. Orphaned from a young age, he was adopted by a harsh peasant family who treated him like a servant, not a son, stripping him of the right to study or dream.Despite his intelligence, he was treated like an animal: beaten for trivial reasons, exploited for hard labor without mercy.
When he turned nineteen, he fled the countryside for the city… escaping hell into the unknown.After months of homelessness and hunger, he found work in construction. In his free time, he retreated to his only true world… a small screen, and a great game.
War of Kingdoms.
After three years of continuous play, his name struck fear in everyone…
The Nightmare of Kingdoms, ranked number one globally.
But reality was merciless.
At twenty-seven, he suffered a serious injury at work, leaving him unable to earn a living.Sitting in the darkness of his room, in front of his dim screen, he muttered in muffled anger:
"No compensation… no salary… even my savings are gone. Damn them all!"
Suddenly…
A sharp pain pierced his chest.He collapsed to the ground, writhing, gasping for air.
"Ah… my heart… a heart attack?!… No… not now…"
His vision blurred, and darkness swallowed everything.
"If only… I could just…"
Then—He opened his eyes.
Total darkness.
"Am I dead?… Is this heaven? Or… hell?"
No answer.Only utter silence, and immeasurable darkness.No time… no hunger… no thirst.As if he were trapped in the void itself.
He didn't know how much time had passed. Hours? Days? Years?He did nothing but wander… searching for a glimmer of hope.
Until he saw it.
A light in the distance.
He ran toward it with all his strength, but it was as if the darkness itself resisted him, weighing down his steps, trying to keep him captive.
"I won't stay here… I won't be defeated!"
Finally, he reached the light.His body exhausted, trembling, but his will unbroken.
He reached out…And when he touched the light—
He woke up.
He was lying on a luxurious bed, inside a spacious room with a royal atmosphere.Decorated walls, silk curtains swaying gently.
He looked around in astonishment, his heart pounding.
"Where am I? What is this place? Is… this not Earth…?"