The sun hung high in the sky as Tyler trudged along the dirt path, his dark eyes scanning the horizon for signs of civilization. Hours passed, and the distant sight of a town finally broke the monotony of rolling hills and dense forests. From afar, it looked lively—people bustled about, their chatter carrying faintly on the wind. The faint clink of metal hinted at a world far removed from modern Earth.
Tyler slowed his pace, observing the townsfolk. Men and women walked openly carrying swords, staffs, and other weapons. Some of them seemed to radiate a faint glow or left shimmering trails in the air, evidence of magic. His heart raced. This was no ordinary world. Magic existed here.
"Magic," Tyler murmured, a sharp grin spreading across his face. "A tool that powerful will make rebuilding my empire much more... interesting."
But Tyler was no fool. Back on Earth, his power stemmed from careful planning, manipulation, and an intricate understanding of human nature. The rules he had lived by—the ones that made him the Dark Influencer—were simple but unbreakable:
* Remain in the shadows.
* Capture the hearts and minds of the people.
* Know everything there is to know.
Here, those rules would still apply. To dominate, he needed to understand this world and its inhabitants.
Tyler's clothes, though fine by Earth's standards, were already caked with dirt from his journey. As he approached the town's wooden gates, a plan formed in his mind. To gather information and start from nothing, he needed anonymity.
He spotted a narrow, shadowy alley just past the town entrance and slipped into it unnoticed. The alley reeked of dampness and decay. A few figures lingered there—men and women with hollow eyes and torn clothes. They sat slumped against the walls, their faces hardened by desperation.
Perfect, Tyler thought. If there was one place people ignored, it was the fringes of society. And if there was one group of people who heard everything, it was the beggars.
He adjusted his posture, hunched his shoulders, and ruffled his hair to appear more disheveled. His mind, sharp as ever, focused on his new role. Here, he wasn't Tyler Jones, the Dark Influencer. Here, he was just another beggar.
Tyler approached one of the men, who sat with his back against the wall, chewing on what looked like a piece of stale bread. His gaunt face and sunken eyes barely registered Tyler's presence.
"Spare a crumb for a man down on his luck?" Tyler asked, his voice soft and raspy.
The man looked up, squinting. "Another wanderer, huh? Got nothin' to give."
"Fair enough," Tyler said, sitting down beside him. He rested his back against the wall and surveyed the alley. "What's this town called?"
The man frowned. "You don't know? This here's Elmsworth, the southern trading hub. Where've you been livin'?"
"Far from here," Tyler said with a shrug. "Looking for a fresh start. Heard this place has... opportunities."
The man snorted. "Opportunities, sure. If you don't mind breakin' your back or havin' your coin stolen by the guilds."
"Guilds?" Tyler asked, feigning ignorance but already intrigued.
The man chuckled bitterly. "You're new, alright. There's three guilds that run this town: the Merchants' Guild, the Adventurers' Guild, and the Black Fang. You cross one of 'em, you're as good as dead."
Tyler nodded, storing the information. It seemed this world wasn't so different from Earth after all—power was divided among factions, and survival meant knowing who pulled the strings.
For the rest of the day, Tyler stayed in the alley, watching and listening. He noted the flow of people, the mannerisms of the townsfolk, and the snippets of conversation that passed by. Every piece of information was a thread in the web he would soon weave.
By nightfall, he had learned much. Elmsworth was a bustling town on the edge of a vast kingdom. The Adventurers' Guild held sway over warriors and mages who sought fame and fortune, while the Merchants' Guild controlled trade and wealth. The Black Fang operated in the shadows, dealing in crime and secrets.
As the moons rose high above the town, Tyler leaned back against the wall, a smirk playing on his lips.
"This world may be new," he whispered to himself, "but the game remains the same. Manipulation, influence, power... I'll play it better than anyone else. And this time, I'll have magic on my side."
Tomorrow, he would begin his ascent. For now, he would let the shadows of the alley cloak him, just as they had back on Earth.