I opened my eyes to find myself in an opulent room lying on a bed with wooden bed frame and delicate carvings on the posters. Golden linings even filled those carvings.
It's as if I was transported back in time. What was I doing before I woke up?
'Stop shaking your empty head."
A voice appeared in my head. In my head. Had I finally gone insane from the stress of my work?
The voice in my head chuckled. "To be exact, you're trasnported into a game."
Oh I had definitely gone insane. I closed my eyes in defeat. At least I no longer had to work.
As soon as I closed my eyes, I realized I was in a white room and a panel appeared in front of me. The panel looked exactly like that time when I played VR games with my friends.
Was I playing VR games before I hit my head? Was this a dream?
'As I said stop shaking your silly empty head.' That's when I realized the voice came from a crow. A talking crow. The crow was ruffling his feather and situated just in front of the floating panel.
"Care to explain a bit? Mr... Crow?"
Then Mr Crow raised his wing and slapped me on my head.
My head? Just like in VR games, I had my own VR self in this small white room. It's even more stuffy than a toilet.
"If you want to improve your rest area, you have to level up. What a dishonor to me to have to stay in this stuffy cubby hole with you."
Then care to explain a bit? Mr Cr... just as I was thinking that word, I saw the crow's eyes sharpened, his wing in preparation.
"How may I call you, my honor." I smiled pleasingly. Anything for the person in power, that's what I learned from working.
"I am System." The crow ruffled his feather and cleared his throat and said in a dull voice, every ounce of his previous sarcasm and pride disappeared. "Welcome to Family Glory. You're our selected player. To return to your original life, expand your family, strengthen your family, make your family knowned."
I widened my eyes in confusion.
"And... the rest, you read it yourself. You have eyes." The crow returned to his original self. He gestured at the panel in front of me with his wing and did he just roll his eyes in contempt?
I walked towards the panel and clicked onto the instruction manual.
After reading through the manual, which was just 1 page, this game seemed to be a game with a lot of flexibility. I only had one goal, when the family's level of splendor is at Legendary, I could return to my original world. It's bascially Crusaders King, just minus the war part. They seem to have taken inspiration from Crusaders King.
"What happened to me in my own world? Why am I selected?"
"Who knows? I'm just a poor System. Now go play your game. Don't occupy my time."
And then the white room disappeared. All that was left was the game panel in front of me.
Name: Old Lady Lau
Number of family members: 23
Wealth: 1000000 gold
Splendor: Insignificant [expand]
I don't even want to click expand to investigate why our family splendor was insignificant. From the back story on the manual, I could already guess.
Old lady Lau was the matriarch of the Chiu's family. Old lady Lau was from the country side, a lowly born peasant. She married Butcher Chiu when she was young. They had 3 sons. They were in truth just mere peasants until Butcher Chiu particiapted in the war overthrowing the previous emperor. That's right the Chiu's family participated in a rebellion. They supported the then nobleman, now Emperor. Butcher Chiu even died protecting the Emperor during the last seige.
You'd think the Emperor would at least grant the Chiu's family a noble title, even the smallest noble title would be enough. But no, the Emperor in truth looked down on the Chiu's family, he thought the Chius to be uncivilized, not worthy of a place among his nobles. Thus the Emperor praised the bravery of the desceased Butcher Chiu and granted the Chiu's family a hefty sum of money.
And that's all.
What a scrounge of an Emperor! Butcher Chiu died protecting him! The situation now was that the Chius was a new money family with no roots, no heritage, no prestige and no splendor. The nobles would not regard the Chius as one of them.
The only upside was that the Chius would still be occasionally be invited to royal functions. And that's because as the Emperor grew older, he kind of regret his decision then. He kind of felt guilty that the Chius was just awarded money. But the guilt was just very very minimal. When his guilt annoyed him, he would invite the Chius to some event to appease his own heart.
At least we're rich. I sighed in despair. And that I'm the matriarch, they had to listen to me. The downside, of course, was that I became an old lady. I became a 50 years old old lady with 3 sons and 10 grandchildren.
"Old lady, I am Sparrow. I have something urgent to report." Sparrow, my servant rushed into the room with a concerned look.
"What's the matter?" I asked with bone deep tiredness and brushed away a lock of silver black hair from my face. The tone and expression of Sparrow did not bode well, she looked exactly how my junior would look when she messed up.
"First Master, he got into a fight with the master of a baron and he was detained."
That stupid first son of mine. I kneaded my forehead with my fingers. He was the typical foolish prodigal son. He thought he was above others just because his father saved the current Emperor, but he never realized that the Emperor did not like our family at all. We were nothing, just a wealthy uncivilized family.
This stupid first son was the first obstacles preventing me from returning home.
I had to remove him. My eyes glinted with determination.