Chapter 1: The World of the Twenty-Five Kingdoms583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sIgqOznFR
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6wAY2nN1d
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFa2emursib
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You have an invitation to join the World of the Twenty-Five Kingdoms. Do you accept?583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr79cFmbVUZ
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Yes / No
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Amazing. Some sort of new 3D advert?583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4UDBTYx1m
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosRwJXko4e
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JLD8MtIYG
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOduo5J7OW
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The popup came back.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpXleliiyb
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You have an invitation from the World of the Twenty-Five Kingdoms. Do you accept?583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZGcz2rf5a
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Yes / No
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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'.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTg6H6tYIH
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4HpDf9aJq
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk123uXECNN
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'Who are you?' asked the woman.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcaI50PuU8
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'Sean de Courcy.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlG7nKU0bLc
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5h2MalegW
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The warrior took a step towards me, then hesitated. 'Sire? Are you well?'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ534anjv2vI
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQNYxaJQMS
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'Where am I?' My voice was different too. Deeper, somewhat older than my own.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1biF6xUgUI
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The three people looked at each other and the concern on their faces shifted to becoming signs of excitement.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKyNrz7mLu
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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.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnYzac0Bkq
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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?'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fHBaJbwrh
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebqghIl6r4
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Greyland583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ofcS56TGc
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Economy Military People583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZyHhn5iNK
Currently building: granary level 2583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKud96uj2i4
Monthly trade income: 0583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxssgqHpOZ
Monthly tax income: 54583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUD3yBrgWYm
Research: steel pickaxes
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And a lot more that I didn't take in.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWMLqPCuoc
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'What was that?' I blurted out in surprise. 'Those messages in the air?'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyG73AAvWVl
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'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.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLdqLvmFBw
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'So this is a game? But it's so real.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5qeLZRUyy
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'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.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFwgsOxm5n
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'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?'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5eXDQ2Mzw
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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.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IPK6tGANq
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For once, it was their turn to look puzzled.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEaadpBW8K
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'You can fight, sire?' The man in chainmail came closer, speaking with urgency. 'You can lead us to victory in war?'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3OQas9GIp
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'Sure. No problem.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRB2rs0SOb5
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69Yk7fIejm
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'Then,' said the chancellor, 'let us go somewhere more comfortable and explain the dire crisis faced by our kingdom.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiUB53WUXk
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***
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHXSpPKiVa
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JpTmensDd
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDw8LZLI1Oi
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2UKFa3aeM
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'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.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvl9RDDGpqb
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rBD1la5bm
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'Is the world a sphere?'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWo34HCun0
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76Pt8KXcJg
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When Carlena saw that I was serious, she shook her head. 'No. It's as you see here.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBcr3iILLH
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There was a small section of sea around the entire world. I gestured to it. 'What happens if you sail off the edge?'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERnG9AZgmI
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It was the Sorceress who answered, 'some say there are other realms beyond the mist. But no ship can survive the thundering torrents.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqfr1uXusQ
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'Well, at least we have one flank secure.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57h3Cl7kA3
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'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.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpuVKVGoNx
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I lifted my fleshy right arm and pointed up. Immediately the silver menus cascaded in front of my vision.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNA71yHqzc
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Greyland583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BhHHqBReq
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Economy Military People
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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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJSkKuW7EG
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Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXWG4e5ZDe
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Str 7583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3p6Rc0tl8
Dex 4583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzcfcPsrUi
Con 8583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGfEXtBOgT
Int 16583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGupByj4UzE
Wis 16583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspi7JTzNgw
Cha 3583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gjbO2Pd19
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Please choose a character archetype:583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDhC9yqZaG
Fighter; Wizard; Healer; Scout583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNcZBcjHNQ
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Interesting. Charisma 3 though. I waved it away. 'Can I improve my stats by exercise?'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1XvmHpjNj
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'Sire?' Chancellor Parrin had wrinkles in his face that fell naturally into an expression of uncertainty.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUWBcLFPGl
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'I've just called up my character sheet. My Strength is seven. Can I get it to eight by working out with weights?'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqHLAN4mW2
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Lord Arval looked to Carlena, who shook her head. Not so much as to answer me but to say she didn't know.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjRZAjnbQA
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'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…'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsvjIAyBEB
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'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.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTa5NDyI1a
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'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.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBwCKm4C0v
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'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.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWygf4G1Uaj
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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.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXzLj0Di6y
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'And that I'm a level five Scout,' Chancellor Parrin gave a shrug. 'I certain I'm above that, however.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BaTGzqV7C
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'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?'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYj90VJgpL
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'Now sire?' asked the chancellor, 'it's late.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWb2NdInR2V
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'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.'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cbOiQ45t1
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This request caused Lord Arval to chuckle and soon Chancellor Parrin and Carlena were doing their best not to grin.583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOKrsszfNv
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'What?'583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFfOmPJMOU
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'Whoever you are, Sean de Courcy, you are certainly not King Carlos.'
