The night was quiet and deep, the kind of stillness that made every hidden sound seem louder than it truly was. After ensuring the entire camp had slipped into a magically induced slumber, Karl slipped away from the tents like a shadow drawn into the woods.
He moved with confidence through the darkness. He carried no torch, no lantern, but he had no need for either. Even under the thick canopy of trees, where moonlight barely reached, the world was luminous to his eyes. Shapes, outlines, movement—he saw it all clearly.
Night vision.
A gift that did not belong to this world, yet belonged to him entirely.
It came from the old game, The Farmer's Pursuit, which was now half-memory, half-reality woven into his body. In the late game, after completing the quests [Dust to Dust] and [The Power of Blood], players gained access to a craftable potion known as [Vampire Blood]. Brewing it required four ingredients: moonpetal powder, bloodgrass, swamp toad, and the blood of a human—usually a bandit, since they were the most expendable.
The potion granted great physical enhancement and several vampiric abilities, including night vision. But it came with one fatal drawback: sunlight burned. The in-game description was explicit—
"Exposure to sunlight will cause burning damage until the effect wears off."
A small price for power, the game once implied.
But Karl was not foolish enough to drink such a thing in the real world. He didn't need dangerous power-ups when his body was already far superior to the inhabitants of Westeros. Still, there was a hidden mechanic in the game—
Long-term use of Vampire Blood potions granted permanent night vision and physical enhancement, even without the weaknesses of sunlight or blood dependency.
And somehow, during the strange process that brought his game abilities into this world, he had inherited all the benefits and none of the curses.
Speed, strength, resilience, stamina—they had all been heightened subtly but noticeably. Even his skin benefitted: exposed to sun, wind, and dust daily, it remained unblemished, pale, and smooth, yet tough as cured leather.
Karl wasn't a vampire.
But he was certainly no ordinary human either.
Crickets chirped around him as he moved deeper into the forest. Dry leaves rustled softly beneath his boots. He paused briefly, checked his surroundings, and then—
His body flickered and vanished.
A moment later, he reappeared in another world.
---
The transition hit him with a familiar jolt. Darkness vanished, replaced by warm afternoon sunlight spilling through the windows. Karl squinted instinctively. The sudden brightness was harsh on eyes accustomed to moonlit woods.
He lifted his gaze to the upper-right corner of his vision—where the dial once showed midnight, it now displayed early evening. Time flowed differently in this world, the one that belonged entirely to The Farmer's Pursuit.
He was inside his home in Strange Wood Village.
The interior was exactly as he left it. Wooden furniture, polished floors, organized shelves. Nothing had moved; the world had paused the instant he saved and logged out last time.
Karl didn't linger. He wasn't here to explore villages or chat with NPCs. He was exhausted. Long marches with the royal entourage had worn his body down more than he realized.
He flopped onto the bed upstairs.
The world darkened—
—then brightened again eight hours later.
Fatigue drained away completely. Muscles refreshed. Mana restored. Status cleared.
The simple act of "sleeping" in the game world felt cleaner and more efficient than resting in reality. A full recovery, uninterrupted.
Karl sat up, stretching lazily, satisfied with the restoration of his stats.
Downstairs, his spacious home welcomed him with silence. Though the place was large—bedroom, study, living room, kitchen—it was designed with simplicity, the aesthetic of game-world functionality rather than real-world clutter.
At the dining table, Karl waved his hand casually.
Food burst into existence.
A plate of stewed vegetables—carrots and potatoes simmered in broth.
A perfectly grilled steak, still steaming.
Honey-toasted bread, golden and crisp.
A bottle of Elf Wine, shimmering with faint magical particles.
All fresh. All hot. All taken directly from his inventory, displayed as if conjured by sorcery.
He ate without hurry, though he'd tasted these dishes thousands of times. They were the staples of a game world: delicious, but predictable. After wiping his mouth, he ignored the dishes as they faded away automatically, leaving the table spotless.
Karl stood, stepped outside, and took in the familiar village surroundings. Simple wooden homes, stone paths, empty streets. The villagers were going about their scripted routines somewhere else, beyond his immediate view.
He turned right and began walking west.
---
He passed the Ogre Den—a place containing a single ogre who respawned every three days. He ignored it completely. Tonight wasn't for grinding or collecting loot.
He walked for hours, passing through forests, over shallow streams, and eventually reached a crossroads marked by a teleportation stone. Soldiers he'd previously stationed there patrolled dutifully, their armor clinking softly as they marched in practiced rhythm.
He did not stop.
Farther west.
Deeper into the wilds.
Trees thickened, shadows lengthened, and the air grew cooler. Karl moved like someone who knew exactly where he was going—because he did. This path had been etched into his memory long before he ever stepped into Westeros.
Finally, in the distance, he saw the silhouette of an inn. A smile crept onto his face.
The inn meant he was close.
Instead of entering, he veered left, pushing deeper into the forest. He navigated around dense undergrowth, crossed a narrow ravine, and followed a winding animal trail.
Then, at last, he arrived.
Before him loomed a massive cave entrance, wide enough for several wagons to pass through side by side. The air around it felt heavier—shrouded in an ancient presence.
Karl could smell it.
Warmth. Magic.
A faint metallic scent, like gold warmed by fire.
He smiled.
"Finally," he murmured. "The Dragon Cave."
Inside this place lived a creature the game community once feared and adored: a mighty dragon known as Artex—who could transform into a breathtaking dragon girl in human form.
Karl stepped inside.
The cave swallowed him. Darkness thickened with every step, but to his eyes it was merely a dim hallway. He walked carefully, passing bones scattered across the ground—human, animal, monster. Remains of adventurers who had been foolish enough to challenge the dragon unprepared.
He didn't flinch. He'd seen this scene many times.
Deeper he ventured, and faint golden light began to flicker ahead. The cave widened gradually, the ceiling stretching high overhead.
He reached the heart of the Dragon Cave.
Gold.
Mountains of it.
Coins, gems, jewels, relics, enchanted weapons—piled high in glittering mounds. The treasure reflected light everywhere, bathing the cavern in shimmering radiance.
And atop the highest pile…
Lay a dragon.
Its wings folded.
Its body massive, scaled, powerful—like a black mountain dusted with faint purple sheen.
Its tail curled lazily around a hill of gold.
Its golden-purple eyes half-closed in contentment.
The mighty Artex.
The legendary dragon who ruled these lands.
Karl grinned broadly.
He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, voice echoing through the cavern—
"Artex!"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)