A Fall, A Throne, and a Game That Shouldn't Exist
Victor was utterly devastated!
"No… no, no, no—are you kidding me right now?!"
The words slipped out of his mouth mid-step, right before his world betrayed him.
A banana peel.
A damn banana peel.
It was just lying there on the pavement like some silent assassin, harmless at first glance, waiting for its moment. And he—Victor Salvatore, a perfectly normal guy who had just finished grocery shopping—had stepped on it without even noticing.
His foot slid.
His balance shattered.
Time stretched.
"Wait—WAIT—!"
Then—
THUD.
Everything went black.
A faint breeze brushed against his face.
Cold. Not the kind of cold from air conditioning or winter wind—but something deeper. Ancient. Quiet.
Victor's brows twitched.
"…Ugh…"
His fingers moved first. Then his chest rose with a slow, uncertain breath. His eyelids fluttered, heavy as if weighed down by something unseen.
"…Where…?"
He forced his eyes open.
The world that greeted him was not the street he had fallen on.
It wasn't his home.
It wasn't Earth.
Above him stretched a vast canopy of carved gold and jade. Silk curtains swayed gently, shimmering under soft light. The scent in the air was faintly sweet, mixed with something herbal—like incense burned in temples.
Victor blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"…Okay…" he muttered hoarsely, staring upward. "Either I'm dead… or I hit my head way harder than I thought."
He pushed himself up slowly.
The sensation hit him immediately.
His body… felt different.
Stronger. Lighter. Yet somehow heavier with presence.
And then—
Memories.
Not his.
They came crashing in like a flood.
A name.
A throne.
A kingdom.
Victor Salvatore.
Emperor.
His breath caught.
"…No way…"
His hands trembled slightly as he looked down at himself—fine robes, intricate patterns, the faint weight of authority stitched into every thread.
"…I got isekai'd?" he whispered, disbelief dripping from every word.
Upon waking, he found himself transported to another world, taking over the life of an emperor who shared his name, age, and appearance.
Victor let out a hollow laugh.
"Of all things… I end up as an emperor?"
He rubbed his face, still trying to ground himself.
"…This is insane."
At first, it sounded like a dream.
A fantasy.
But the more the memories settled, the clearer the truth became.
And with it—
The dread.
It sounded quite nice, but this was a world brimming with countless nations and teeming with martial arts experts.
Victor's expression slowly stiffened.
"…Right. Of course it wouldn't be that easy."
There were too many countries, clashing swords and spears for the sake of their interests, constantly waging war against each other.
He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his black hair, his unusual purple eyes narrowing slightly.
"…So basically," he muttered, "I didn't just get a throne… I got a front-row seat to chaos."
There were too many experts, with their lofty skills and peculiar temperaments, ready to behead you if they took a dislike to you.
Victor's lips twitched.
"Great. Love that. Truly. Fantastic world design."
In this world, dynastic changes occurred with alarming frequency.
"…Let me guess," he murmured under his breath, piecing things together, "kings don't retire here… they just… die."
Some statistics have shown that these countries tend to change their ruling class every 20 years.
Victor froze for a second.
"…Twenty years?" he repeated slowly.
Then he leaned back, staring at the ceiling again.
"…Yeah. I'm definitely screwed."
As the head of state, the Emperor often dies without a place to be buried.
"…That's not even tragic anymore," he muttered dryly. "That's just insulting."
Being a newly enthroned Emperor of a small kingdom, he is already facing such a crisis.
Victor let out a long breath, his expression turning serious.
"…Alright. Let's not panic."
But his mind didn't listen.
Abroad, major nations watch and wait, ready to invade at any moment.
Domestically, influential noble families control the economy and people's livelihoods, plundering the wealth of the citizens.
Victor's jaw tightened slightly.
"…So outside wants to kill me, and inside wants to bleed me dry."
In the martial world outside, outlaws of the forest claim mountains as their own, engaging in killing and looting.
"Bandits too?" he sighed. "Why not. Add dragons while you're at it."
On the court, there were treacherous and sycophantic officials who controlled the state affairs, outwardly obedient but inwardly defiant, looking down on him, the young Emperor.
Victor's eyes darkened faintly.
"…Snakes in silk robes."
This start was truly too difficult!
"…Yeah," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "This isn't hard mode… this is nightmare difficulty."
The only consolation was that his late, so-called father had left him some power; otherwise, he would have thought about fleeing!
Victor paused.
"…Wait," he said slowly, lowering his hand. "Running away doesn't actually sound that bad…"
But before the thought could settle—
A voice echoed in his mind.
(Ding! Congratulations, player, your Dynasty Builder System is now online!)
Victor froze.
"…Hold on."
He sat up straighter.
"…What did you just say?"
What is this? Victor's—no, Victor's—thoughts stirred, and a stream of information entered his mind.
His eyes widened.
"…No way…"
Victor was pleasantly surprised: This is actually the Dynasty Builder Game I played before I transmigrated, and it transmigrated with me, even mutating! My golden finger has arrived! Haha!
Victor let out a sharp laugh, almost disbelieving.
"…You're kidding me."
He leaned forward, eyes lighting up.
"…The same game?"
"This… this is cheating," he whispered, a grin slowly forming.
This is a system where players can grow and strengthen their nation by reasonably mobilizing and allocating national resources.
Following his transmigration, a mutation occurred, projecting into reality.
The functions remained largely the same, but one more feature was added: the stronger the nation, the more powerful he became.
Victor's heartbeat quickened.
"…So if my kingdom grows…"
"…I grow."
A slow smile spread across his face.
"…Now we're talking."
(Ding! Player, your current identity is Emperor of the Salvatore Kingdom. Would you like to bind to the current nation, Salvatore Kingdom?)
Victor didn't hesitate.
"Yes!" he said immediately, voice firm.
"Obviously yes!"
(Ding! Binding successful. The player's strength will now synchronize with the national power of the Salvatore Kingdom. Reward: Origin Mana Realm True Mana level strength!)
In an instant—
Power surged through him.
It wasn't gentle.
It wasn't subtle.
It was overwhelming.
Victor's body stiffened as energy flooded his veins like a raging river. His muscles tensed, his senses sharpened, and the very air around him seemed to tremble faintly.
"…What the—"
His breath hitched.
His vision sharpened.
His hearing expanded.
Everything became clearer.
Sharper.
Alive.
Victor's strength soared rapidly, expanding hundreds of times, breaking through the mortal barrier and becoming a strong practitioner of the Origin Mana Realm.
Victor clenched his fist slowly.
"…This… is real."
Feeling the surging power within, Victor was extremely excited: I am now an Innate master, haha!
Victor laughed under his breath.
"I'm not just surviving this world…" he murmured.
"I might actually rule it."