Midas walked inwards, trying to find the best shelter he could. Really, he was just looking for something to cover his head -- a roof of any kind.
He certainly wasn't a survival expert. In fact, he was quite the novice.
Although he had grown up far from anything like the suburbs, he wasn't used to being in nature too much.
He planned to build some sort of hut, or maybe a lean-to shelter that could at least protect him from the rain.
However, Midas couldn't shake off the unbearable pressure that was slowly tightening around his chest.
He felt a wave of nausea suddenly crash over him and was forced to sit down beside a few fallen palm trees.
Even while sitting, Midas' situation continued to get worse. Stomach pain quickly came with a sharp migraine as well, adding more distress.
Despite not moving, he felt his entire world spinning around him as if he was on a roller coaster or something.
And then, finally, he began to projectile vomit all over the place. It was like he was a water fountain.
He only threw up for a minute, but he had nearly emptied an entire gallon of what seemed to be salt water.
After wiping his face, he panted as he looked at the soaked ground in front of him with a disgusted face.
Thankfully, he didn't feel too sick and nauseous anymore.
"Fuck..." He muttered, "That much salt water could have been toxic... good thing I threw it up. But I also just threw up all the water in my stomach."
He knew the implications of this, especially in a survival situation.
He had never been clued in on survival tactics, but basic common sense told him that throwing up in a survival situation where water was not guaranteed was definitely not something you wanted to happen.
With the nausea gone and his mind freshened up a bit, Midas stood up again.
He glanced toward the storm clouds. They were still brewing, but he noticed that they were farther than he had first imagined.
'I think I have a few hours... at most.'
*Ding*
Midas' eyes widened.
'Did I just hear something?'
He, in fact, did. A low ding of a bell sounded from out of nowhere.
The sound didn't travel in or out, far or close. It was almost like it came from inside his own brain.
[System rebooting...]
'Rebooting?'
[Restart successful]
[Preparing download...]
[Downloading...]
[Download complete]
Out of nowhere, Midas felt a sudden surge of energy rush to his brain. His head became heavier, as if it was tensing up for an impact.
Then, it all came crashing down.
A tsunami of information began to swell inside of Midas' mind in the form of audible words and several tabs of transparent panels in front of his vision.
[Welcome to the Kingdom Core System]
"The Kingdom Core System? What the hell is that..." Midas muttered under his breath, slightly perplexed.
[Achievement unlocked: Kingdom Core Awakening]
[Achievement reward received]
[Achievement reward: Information]
"Information?" Midas confusedly said, "That's the reward?"
[Affirmative]
[The Kingdom Core has now synchronized with the universal tongue of this Planet: Angesh]
"Planet? Im on... another fucking planet?"
[All future communications will be adapted to the language of the Chosen Land.]
The symbols on the screen shifted. The letters twisted midair—from the unreadable alien language into perfectly clear text. But even more jarring… the tone changed.
[Mortal.]
[You are one among many.]
Midas froze.
[Every 100 years, a world is selected by the Primordial Beings — the Gods, as your kind calls them.]
[The selected world becomes the battlefield. The crucible. The stage.]
[This time… they chose Fell-Terra]
The air around him felt heavier. He felt the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck rise up, as though channeled by electricity.
In the moment, it was hard for him to comprehend the gravitas of these words.
[Beings from across the Milky Way Galaxy — kings, killers, beasts, and wanderers — have been summoned here. Thousands. From hundreds of worlds.]
[You are one of them now. A Player.]
"P-player?"
[The objective is simple: Survive. Conquer. Reign.]
[Only one Player will stand at the end. The rest will fall, or become swallowed by the growing powers that surround them.]
[The one who endures shall earn the Throne of Dominion.]
[The rest shall be forgotten.]
Midas stared blankly. "...You're saying I've been thrown into some… galaxy-sized death game?"
[Incorrect.]
[This is not a game. This is a judgment.]
The sky above him growled with a violent howl. Far in the distance, across the ocean, a shadow moved — something massive, like a fortress floating on the waves.
[This planet — Fell-Terra — is not empty. It is not dead. It has its own people, kings, and armies.]
[The inhabitants of Fell-Terra have been given a single command by the gods: Kill or conquer the intruders.]
[If they fail… they lose their world.]
Midas' heart skipped.
[To survive, they must either destroy you, make you kneel, or kneel before you.]
[But make no mistake. You are the invader. If they find you, they will come.]
A panel opened:
[Kingdom Core initialized. Soul-binding complete.]
[You are now authorized to build, rule, and expand.]
[Your Core is hidden. Your presence has not yet been broadcast to the wider world.]
[Use this advantage. You are still unknown.]
Midas felt like these messages were especially important.
"Use this advantage? Hmm... since I've spawned at what looks to be a shore, or maybe even an island, I must not be in an area populated enough to be broadcast to the world. I wonder how large Fell-Terra is... and how many players there are here."
He also couldn't help but imagine what they looked like and how strong they were.
Thinking about trying to survive in a world of people trying to kill him was nerve-racking... but for some reason, Midas' heart fluttered with exhilaration when he thought about it.
The thrill of walking on the fine line of life and death, surrender or total domination.
It was something that Midas had always dreamed of. A life more interesting than his old, boring one.
A life where he could go above and beyond, and die without any regrets to think of on his way to the afterlife.
Just thinking about it made Midas' body shake uncontrollably, partly due to the fear, but also partly due to the excitement.
Another message appeared:
[Primary Objective: Establish Shelter Before Nightfall]
[Bonus Objective: Claim First Beast Core]
[Time Remaining: 4 hours, 19 minutes]
Midas clenched his jaw.
All around him, the wind roared louder. That distant storm he saw earlier? It was rolling in faster now.
He looked down at his glowing forearm, still bearing the faint line of light from earlier.
Then back at the panel.
[You have been dropped where few would survive.]
[Most Players appeared in kingdoms, cities, ruins, or power centers.]
[You spawned in exile — alone.]
[Either by fate… or by fear.]
This last message sparked a hint of confusion in Midas.
'Fear? I didn't know about this event at all, so it could not have been my fear that the Kingdom Core is talking about...'
[Good luck, Sovereign Seed.]
The panel dimmed.
Midas exhaled, "I guess... I'd better start building then."