The portal to Tier 5 wasn't like the others. No spinning lights. No flashing warnings.
It opened silently… like a door left ajar in an abandoned castle.
As Lian, Jayce, and Demist stepped through, they felt it immediately—pressure. Not from gravity or heat, but a weight in the air. Like a hundred eyes were watching.
They emerged on a vast battlefield. Castles lay in ruins. Giant statues of fallen monarchs stood cracked and half-buried. And everywhere, spectral warriors clashed in silence.
A black banner flapped in the wind, its emblem a crown broken in half.
---
[ Welcome to Tier 5 – "The Realm of Forgotten Kings" ]
> Genre: Fantasy / War / Kingdom Simulation
Tier: 5
Level: 1
World Rule: "All who enter must claim a Kingdom."
Passive Law: "The Crown Demands Conflict" – No alliances without a Throne Treaty.
Time Limit: 30 Days – Conquer or Die.
A prompt appeared in front of Lian:
[ Choose Your Kingdom: ]
1. Kingdom of Coinfire – Resource-focused, economy thrives on transport and trade.
2. Kingdom of Mirrorbone – Illusion mastery and psychological warfare.
3. Kingdom of Ironstride – Fortified defense, slow to rise but nearly impossible to conquer.
Jayce and Demist received their own options.
"I pick Coinfire," Lian said. "Let's lean into what I've got."
Jayce grinned. "I'm taking Mirrorbone. Sounds dramatic."
Demist nodded, deadpan. "Ironstride. Obviously."
The world shimmered around them—land carved itself into zones, flags materializing with their chosen crests.
Each of them became the ruler of their own fledgling kingdom… but still allies. Barely.
---
Main Quest: Rise or Ruin
> Objective: Raise your kingdom to Rank 3 within 30 days. Survive enemy invasions.
Side Quest: Forge a Throne Treaty between rulers.
Optional: Discover the identity of the Lost Emperor.
Rewards: Throne-Class Vehicle Part, New Passive Talent, Map Access to Tier 6 Gate.
---
Over the next few days, they built.
Lian's kingdom became a hub of coin transport—his roads glowed with golden threads, and caravans formed as his coin multiplier began influencing entire systems. Merchants gathered, and prices bent to his talent.
Jayce's kingdom was a maze of reflective towers. Nothing inside was ever where it seemed, and his soldiers wore masks of laughter and sorrow. Illusion traps protected his vaults.
Demist forged Ironstride into a castle fortress on wheels—literally. His "castle" slowly rolled forward like a tank, flattening forests and enemies alike.
Then came the first attack.
A former king—long corrupted by system failure—descended with a ghost army.
[ World Boss Detected – The Hollow Sovereign ]
> Class: Forsaken Royal
Goal: Steal all Throne Cores to revive the Empire of Ash.
The kingdoms were forced to defend.
Jayce distracted the phantom legions with hall-of-mirrors tactics and endless clown-faced dummies.
Demist blocked the Hollow Sovereign's advance with shield formations lined with auto-firing siege weapons.
Lian? He launched the final blow.
A golden coin, charged with the essence of every delivery and transaction made in his kingdom.
[ Talent Activated: Coin Avalanche ]
> All stored coin-based kinetic energy released in one blast.
The Hollow Sovereign cracked. Shattered. Screamed a forgotten royal oath—and disappeared.
---
[ BOSS DEFEATED – All Kingdoms +1 Level ]
[ Throne Treaty Forged – Temporary Alliance Formed ]
[ Side Quest Unlocked – Investigate the Lost Emperor's Grave ]
As the dust settled, the three kings stood among their people.
Jayce looked at his own throne and muttered, "I was a joke back home. Now I'm leading illusions against ghost kings."
Lian nodded. "We're rewriting everything."
Demist, uncharacteristically, cracked a small smile. "And we're not dying. That's progress."
---
> Deep beneath the battlefield lies the resting place of the Lost Emperor—rumored to be the first wielder of a system.
What they uncover may change everything they know about the multiversal road...