Chapter 1: The World of the Twenty-Five Kingdoms639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhjc0BJKcd
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfT8NHtakz
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2cDyFKnYD
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You have an invitation to join the World of the Twenty-Five Kingdoms. Do you accept?639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAuY5sGsU0
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Yes / No
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Amazing. Some sort of new 3D advert?639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdJ5dgadxw
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ514nGD6NN2
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWH3CTegmu
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYT99wU4BGo
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The popup came back.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzTZRzCIFU
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You have an invitation from the World of the Twenty-Five Kingdoms. Do you accept?639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cfMPqU8cg
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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'.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEe3rcKF3J
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRoTbJKRp7
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfG3DUocn5z
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'Who are you?' asked the woman.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjeNsDXryx
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'Sean de Courcy.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkbBhbjdLG
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXyMPKDbOU
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The warrior took a step towards me, then hesitated. 'Sire? Are you well?'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfetjfTAA44
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3BdHyIOO6
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'Where am I?' My voice was different too. Deeper, somewhat older than my own.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsEAZuv3Ttz
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The three people looked at each other and the concern on their faces shifted to becoming signs of excitement.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbn481x6mR
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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.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKonj1D4qg
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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?'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMi4fuBqB95
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReczIp47KH
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Greyland639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBG8mK9Q8Z
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Economy Military People639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDWN9rjVWY
Currently building: granary level 2639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3YNKrWHcr
Monthly trade income: 0639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡux3T3q39vx
Monthly tax income: 54639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8pLTBCKek
Research: steel pickaxes
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And a lot more that I didn't take in.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzFZVqQ8IE
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'What was that?' I blurted out in surprise. 'Those messages in the air?'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQrSLxWkHq
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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.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLSStmG9YW
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'So this is a game? But it's so real.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxyAv3NiW6
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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.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNT6v8i4TEG
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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?'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3VYovIMkm
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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.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VL02yZhdG
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For once, it was their turn to look puzzled.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1x2bS6QJom
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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?'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewBdmwVQNc
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'Sure. No problem.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lazEMUc3l
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW10zIu2vDL
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'Then,' said the chancellor, 'let us go somewhere more comfortable and explain the dire crisis faced by our kingdom.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPwzbSUytG
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46JKivr79P
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYbREEuGgU
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyuxOHZ1r4
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZ18TrCESi
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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.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHSR0CPEUi
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfZdKTTAnO
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'Is the world a sphere?'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbYUkeHy7A
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhYFGn1aoH
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When Carlena saw that I was serious, she shook her head. 'No. It's as you see here.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZMIjQPPdP
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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?'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHzpf3Pj1h
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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.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlSLSFxoQ5
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'Well, at least we have one flank secure.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrTQzHw95E
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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.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfm6yGr9W1
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I lifted my fleshy right arm and pointed up. Immediately the silver menus cascaded in front of my vision.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv09O1AzPqT
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Greyland639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQZoDDzjpb
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsFSahd0Vx
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Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCJk5goPrt
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Str 7639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa23aNM2Aw6
Dex 4639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAKbiyRUjk
Con 8639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZPrrn7bTJ
Int 16639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UeucmcFQX
Wis 16639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGyVxSuxsq
Cha 3639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbVGWDc2sJ
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Please choose a character archetype:639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04XWsQpSvP
Fighter; Wizard; Healer; Scout639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjg7FcgUX1Q
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Interesting. Charisma 3 though. I waved it away. 'Can I improve my stats by exercise?'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwpJNo7eAW
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'Sire?' Chancellor Parrin had wrinkles in his face that fell naturally into an expression of uncertainty.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsAo7rXvz3
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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?'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7A7LgNfqYs
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWhq9JlRE9
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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…'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJGZT7JLGc
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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.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlJTcgjyc6
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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.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyfUuimqa9
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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.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JXD5cVYgI
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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.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNyFrorlVQ
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'And that I'm a level five Scout,' Chancellor Parrin gave a shrug. 'I certain I'm above that, however.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgLYkfoGzN
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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?'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsglOQOLNj
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'Now sire?' asked the chancellor, 'it's late.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OL2GpQKWf
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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.'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjchhZp1VgP
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This request caused Lord Arval to chuckle and soon Chancellor Parrin and Carlena were doing their best not to grin.639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnjOYH8dWR
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'What?'639Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVWVz14ZC7
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'Whoever you are, Sean de Courcy, you are certainly not King Carlos.'
