Beep... Beep... Beep—Crossing mission completed. Energy reserves nearly exhausted. The Ring World System is entering sleep mode temporarily.
The cold, mechanical voice faded as Ronald slowly stirred from his deep slumber. The first thing he noticed was the rising dust and the pounding of hooves.
A jarring bump sent a wave of nausea through his stomach, and sharp pain shot through his right arm, where an arrow had lodged itself.
Where am I? Wasn't I just playing a game?
His mind still foggy, Ronald found himself lying across the back of a galloping horse. A young knight in red armor rode beside him, his face contorted in anxiety as he spurred his horse forward. Around them, dozens of knights in matching red armor were riding at full speed, their horses kicking up dust.
Suddenly, the knight beside him noticed his dazed expression and lowered his head in shock. His face lit up with joy.
"Your Majesty! The forces of Prince Cheng are right behind us—what should we do? Where should we flee?"
Your Majesty? Is he talking to me?
Ronald's body ached as if it had been torn apart, and his mind was in disarray. Just then, an overwhelming surge of memories flooded his consciousness, causing his head to pound unbearably. Before he could process it, everything went black again.
The next morning, the first rays of the rising sun broke through the darkness of the land. The warm light filtered through the treetops, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Ronald's senses were flooded with the earthy scent of the forest and the faint fragrance of a young girl's body.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in the arms of a girl. Surrounding them was a dense forest, with soldiers in red armor scattered around, lifeless on the ground.
"Your Majesty, you're awake!" A voice filled with relief rang in his ears.
Ronald looked up to see a young girl with a face streaked with blood and dirt, and his face flushed. Her bright eyes were filled with concern.
The memories are clear now. Ronald thought as his mind slowly settled. I've crossed over... and I've become the king of a fallen kingdom.
This wasn't Earth. It was a place known as the Tianheng Continent. The body he now inhabited had once belonged to the original King of the Kingdom of Sun and Moon, also named Ronald.
Not long ago, this king had been overthrown in a palace coup. On the night of his wedding, he was betrayed, dethroned, and chased out of the capital. Now, he was on the run, and his life had been hanging by a thread.
The girl holding him was Fan Qingyue, the captain of the royal guards. She was the only female guard in the entire palace and had reached the first stage of body refinement. She had fought tooth and nail to protect him during the chaos, escorting him all the way to this point. Along the way, however, he had been struck by a poisoned arrow, causing his soul to almost depart.
But why had he crossed over? Ronald couldn't understand it, but here he was.
As Fan Qingyue saw the color return to his face, she sighed in relief, tightening the red cloak around them both. She raised her voice and called, "General Zhao, His Majesty is awake!"
A moment later, in a clearing deep within the forest, Ronald, now wearing the royal robes of the Sun and Moon Kingdom, sat on a stone slab. After eating a bit of food and drinking some water, he looked noticeably better.
Before him knelt over a hundred red-armored guards, their faces marked by the scars of battle. Clearing his throat, Ronald softly commanded, "Everyone, rise."
His voice was deep but slightly weak, lacking the strength it should have.
At his command, the group of soldiers immediately shouted in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Having integrated the memories of the original Ronald, he quickly adapted to his role. Though his body still ached and his mind remained cluttered, he steadied himself and calmly ordered, "Liu Long!"
A tall young man, standing at the forefront of the group of guards, stepped forward with a salute. "At your command, Your Majesty!"