Leon's apartment was a disaster.
Empty soda cans and energy drink bottles littered his desk, an open pizza box balanced precariously on the edge of his chair, and somewhere under the mess, his phone buzzed with notifications he had long since ignored.
The blinds were drawn, blocking out the late afternoon sun, leaving the room dimly lit by the glow of a massive gaming monitor.
The only sound, aside from the faint hum of his PC, was the rapid clicking of his keyboard and the occasional muttered strategy under his breath.
He sat hunched in his gaming chair, headphones over his ears, his unkempt black hair sticking out in odd directions.
His hoodie was wrinkled, and his eyes bore the heavy marks of sleepless nights — deep, dark circles that told the tale of someone who had spent far too long in front of a screen.
But despite his disheveled appearance, his hands moved with a sharp precision, fingers flying across the keyboard as he mumbled to himself.
"Reinforce the eastern wall… move the archers back… drop a mage battalion here…"
This wasn't just any match. This was the match.
The battle that would decide whether he ascended to S-Rank in Dominion Online, the highest rank possible in the game's intricate, empire-building system.
A rank so few had achieved that those who did were practically legends in the gaming community.
If he won this, he wouldn't just be another player with a solid kingdom — he would be a ruler among rulers.
His opponent was Ironclad, one of the most notorious players in the game, a veteran whose tactical prowess was nearly unmatched.
Emphasis on the Nearly though.
Leon had studied every one of Ironclad's past battles, dissected his strategies, anticipated his counters. He was ready.
On the screen, Leon's forces moved into position.
His A-Rank Territory, the culmination of years of work, stood as a fortress brimming with soldiers, war engines, and defenses that had taken months to perfect.
The battle had already been raging for over an hour, both sides suffering heavy losses, but Leon could feel it — he was winning.
His economy was running smoothly, his reinforcement lines were optimized, and Ironclad had fallen into the trap Leon had meticulously laid out.
The enemy's heavy cavalry, a staple of Ironclad's military strategy, had been lured into a bottleneck where Leon's fire mages unleashed a barrage of devastation.
The cavalry units, once the heart of Ironclad's strategy, were now nothing more than ashes and scattered armor.
Leon smirked, his fingers dancing across the keys. "And… checkmate."
A final push from his elite Royal Guard smashed through the enemy's last defensive line, cutting down the retreating soldiers.
Onscreen, the golden banner of Leon's army unfurled over the enemy's capital city.
Then, a notification appeared in the center of the screen.
[Victory! You have conquered an A-Rank Territory.]
A second notification popped up.
[You have reached S-Rank!]
Leon leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply.
He had done it.
He had reached the pinnacle of Dominion Online.
Years of grinding, planning, strategizing — it had all led to this moment.
He let himself bask in it for a second, the adrenaline slowly draining from his system.
He should probably celebrate. Maybe order some real food for once. Or actually sleep.
Then another notification flashed on the screen.
[Hidden Option Unlocked: Do You Wish to Rule for Real?]
Leon blinked. He sat up, rereading the text.
That… wasn't normal.
He had seen every hidden quest, every endgame mechanic in Dominion Online, but this? This was new.
"Did they add some secret event?" he muttered, rubbing his tired eyes.
Maybe it was an S-Rank exclusive feature. If so, he had to check it out.
The prompt only had two options: [Yes] or [No].
Leon grinned lazily. "Might as well see what happens."
He clicked [Yes].
Instantly, his screen went black.
The world around him blurred, his body suddenly feeling weightless.
A rush of wind roared in his ears, his stomach flipping as if he were falling.
He tried to grip the arms of his chair, but his hands met nothing.
Panic flickered in his chest, but before he could even comprehend what was happening, everything stopped.
Then, light flooded his vision.
And Leon found himself somewhere else.