The hum of the cooling fans was the only sound in the dark room. Elias Thorne sat in his ergonomic chair, his face bathed in the artificial glow of three high-end monitors.
On the central screen, the golden interface of Fantasy Lifestyle shimmered. It was a game that had consumed his life and his bank account for the last five years.
He had spent thousands of dollars on this game. To others, it was just a mobile gacha game ported to PC. To Elias, it was a kingdom where he was the sole ruler.
He loved the feeling of looking down on the world map. He could see the heroes training in the capital. He could see the monsters gathering in the dark forests.
He even controlled the villains, meticulously planning their raids to ensure his heroes grew stronger. It was a cycle of god-like control that he found addictive.
His room was cluttered with empty soda cans and bags of chips. A thin layer of dust sat on his bookshelf, which held guides and art books for the game.
He didn't care about the real world much. In here, he had everything. He had the best units, the rarest skins, and a reputation as the top-ranked strategist.
Elias clicked his mouse, navigating to the "Limited Time Event" banner. A new weapon pack had just dropped. It promised a 0.01% chance to pull the 'Heavenly Devourer,' a sword that could ignore all physical defenses.
"One more pack won't hurt," he muttered.
He clicked the purchase button. The familiar animation of a swirling galaxy filled his screen. Usually, the stars would turn blue or purple. This time, they stayed a dull, heavy grey.
Suddenly, the screen glitched. The music, a grand orchestral theme, distorted into a low, buzzing hum. The pixels began to tear at the edges. Elias leaned forward, squinting at the monitor. He thought his GPU might be dying.
That's not right. The game shouldn't be freezing now?'
A figure appeared in the center of the swirling grey vortex. It wasn't one of the heroes he knew. It was a character he had never seen in any update log or leak. The name tag above the figure simply read: Level 999.
The character was tall and thin. He wore tattered black robes that seemed to swallow the light around him.
His skin was the color of old parchment. Most striking of all were his eyes. They were a bright, piercing red that looked far too realistic for a game.
The character didn't move like a normal NPC. He didn't have an idle animation. He stood perfectly still, looking directly at the camera. He was looking directly at Elias.
Then, the character smiled. It was a sickly, wide grin that reached from ear to ear. It showed rows of teeth that were far too sharp.
"What the hell is this?" Elias whispered.
The red eyes flared. A blinding white light erupted from the center of the monitor. Elias tried to shield his eyes, but the light felt heavy. It felt like a physical weight pressing against his chest.
He felt a violent tugging sensation. It was as if a giant hand had reached out of the screen and grabbed him by the collar. His feet left the floor. The smell of ozone and burnt electronics filled his nose.
He tried to scream, but the air was sucked out of his lungs. The room around him vanished into a blur of white and grey.
…
Elias blinked. His head throbbed with a dull, rhythmic ache. He felt something rough against his cheek. It felt like coarse fabric and dry wood.
He slowly pushed himself up. His limbs felt heavy and uncoordinated. He was lying on a small bed with thin, straw-filled pillows. The sheets were a dull brown linen that smelled faintly of lavender and old dust.
He looked around the room. It was small and dim. The walls were made of thick, uneven stone blocks. A single wooden chair sat in the corner next to a small washbasin. A window with no glass, only a wooden shutter, let in a few rays of golden sunlight.
The air was different here. It smelled like woodsmoke, damp earth, and something sweet like baking bread.
Elias stood up, his legs shaking. He walked over to the washbasin and looked at his reflection in the water. He still looked like himself. He had the same dark hair and tired eyes. But his expensive hoodie was gone. He was wearing a simple, cream-colored tunic made of a scratchy material.
"Did I get sucked into the fucking game?"
His voice sounded hollow in the small room. It was deeper than usual.
"Did I really transmigrate like in those novels?"
He started pacing. The floorboards creaked under his weight. Each step felt incredibly real.
He could feel the slight splinters in the wood through the thin soles of his new shoes. He touched the stone wall. It was cold and slightly damp to the touch.
'This can't be a dream. It's too detailed. I can feel the temperature and I can also smell the air to.'
He went to the window and pushed the shutter open. Outside was a bustling street. People were walking by in medieval-style clothing.
Carts pulled by strange, lizard-like beasts moved slowly through the dirt path. In the distance, he could see the spires of a massive castle.
It was the starting town of Fantasy Lifestyle. Oakhaven.
"This is insane," he said, rubbing his face with his hands. "I have no gear. I have no money. I'm just a level one nobody."
As the panic began to rise in his throat, a sharp ping echoed in his mind.
A semi-transparent blue screen flickered into existence right in front of his eyes. It was identical to the game's interface, but the colors were shifted to a dark, regal purple.
[Host detected]
[Integrating Slave System...]
[System successfully bound to Host: Elias Thorne]
[Current Status: Master (Level 1)]
Elias stared at the screen. He reached out to touch it, but his hand passed right through the light.
'The Slave System?'
He looked at the empty room, then back at the glowing text. A slow, realization began to dawn on him.
He knew every mechanic of this world. He knew where the treasures were hidden. He knew the secrets of the kings and the weaknesses of the monsters.
And now, he had a system that sounded very different from the "Hero" systems he had read about.
The screen shifted, showing a new notification.
[Tutorial Quest: Acquire your first subordinate.]
[Reward: Beginner's Master Kit.]
Elias leaned against the stone wall, a small, genuine smile forming on his face.