Heart of the Dynasty

"When I found out that I had crossed over into another world, I thought I must be the protagonist."

"Especially when I realized I was still playing the private server version of the strategy game Heart of the Dynasty, I became even more determined."

"The next step was to find a scrap of wood to win back my soul, and then it would be a constant counterattack, a comeback, and reaching the peak of life. That's what was written in the novel."

"But now, I find that novels are all deceiving, because I'm about to die."

"Which protagonist do you know who fails at looting a house and then loses their soul? Yes, that's me."

---

Dane woke up from his dream, and those annoying voices were finally inaudible. He had been ill all afternoon. The shaman in town said he was surrounded by evil spirits, and that a simple dispel spell followed by an afternoon's rest would solve the problem.

Sure enough, the shaman was right. After the dispel treatment, Dane lay in bed for two hours and felt completely recovered.

"Thank you for your patronage. The cost of this treatment is 370 gold coins." The half-orc shaman, with a haggard face, skin, bones, teeth, and fur all in disarray, revealed a set of irregular yellow teeth as he smiled at Dane.

Dane's scalp tingled. He sat up from the dirty bed, his strong, muscular upper body on display. Despite his physical strength, the cost of the treatment still frightened him. "Three hundred and seventy gold coins? Damn old Borg, you might as well rob me!"

The old shaman, nicknamed Borg, replied, "I'm not as professional as your Dread Ghost Mercenary Group. Please pay up quickly. You should know that dispel is a second-circle divine spell, and the casting materials are very expensive."

Despite his resentment, Dane reluctantly took out 370 gold coins from his pouch. As a mercenary who constantly walked the fine line between life and death, he had no choice but to pay. The old shaman was the only one in Rotten Wolf Town who could cast such spells, and offending him was not an option.

Dane Ghostblade was a mercenary leader, known as one of the prominent figures in Rotten Wolf Town. As the second-in-command of the Dread Ghost Mercenary Corps, he had earned the nickname [Ghost Knife Hand] due to his battle prowess and reputation. Life had been relatively good for him, especially in the chaotic land of Hindler—a land of half-orc settlements and human warlords. With his fearless fighting style, he thrived in this blood-soaked land.

In this tumultuous place where orcs, humans, merchants, mercenaries, pirates, and bandits all clashed, the Dread Ghost Mercenary Group had nothing to fear. With over 200 members, they were a formidable force, and even the mayor of Rotten Wolf Town, Barbell, a corpulent human businessman, had to temper his greed in the presence of Dane.

Lately, Dane had been feeling particularly lucky.

As a berserker with orcish blood, he had achieved a notable reputation through his scars and the countless heads he had claimed. This reputation had earned him the position of the second-in-command of the Dread Ghost Mercenary Corps. However, in this world, even the leaders of mercenary groups faced the fear of being ousted due to meritorious deeds.

The leader of the Dread Ghost Mercenary Corps, Ghostfang Bynes, and Dane had been friends for many years. But Bynes was already fifty years old and, given the life expectancy of half-orcs, was likely to live only another ten years at most. Bynes intended to pass the leadership to his biological son, but Dane's high rank posed a problem for Bynes' son, who was unremarkable.

Frustrated by this situation, Bynes might have resorted to extreme measures if not for Dane's high reputation, which would cause significant upheaval. Dane knew well that the old man might have attempted to kill him if not for their long-standing friendship.

Despite being someone who would not be easily subdued, Dane had no choice but to resist.

A few days ago, he had ambushed a caravan, taking his team of over thirty men to plunder a convoy of hundreds of guards. He had managed to seize a substantial amount of wealth, which he intended to use to strengthen his own faction and challenge Bynes.

But then, illness struck him right after returning to Rotten Wolf Town with his loot. The fever lasted two days, and during that time, he was bombarded by strange memories and sensations, none of which made sense to him.

In his weakened state, he had sought out the shaman. Old Borg had told him that evil spirits were tormenting him and that he needed a divine spell to dispel them, hence the recent ordeal.

Old Borg was infamous for his unscrupulous practices. A second-circle divine spell, even from a scroll, would cost only around 150 gold coins, but Borg charged 370. The exorbitant price was a common grievance among the townsfolk, but with no other options available, Dane paid it.

As he left the shaman's hut, Dane cursed Borg, "You old crook, you'll get what's coming to you someday!"

Ignoring Dane's words, Borg merely waved him off. Dane stepped out into the dusty, desolate landscape of Hindler. The sky was filled with yellow sand, and Rotten Wolf Town was a dismal, rundown place, a stark contrast to the bustling trade hub it was meant to be.

Rotten Wolf Town was a significant trading post in southeastern Hindler. Goods from the western human lands were transported through the Southern Cross and offloaded at the nearby Sand Bay Port, then carried inland by camel caravans. The town itself was not large, with a population of only two or three thousand, but the influx of merchants, guards, mercenaries, pirates, and bandits brought the total population to tens of thousands during the busy autumn season.

Dane, standing amidst the dust, was deep in thought about his next move. His illness had disrupted his plans, and he worried about the state of his mercenary group.

As he pondered, a hunched figure ran towards him, shouting, "Boss, boss, it's bad!"

Dane recognized him as Tommy Jerome, the [Smart Ghost] of the Dread Ghost Mercenary Corps.

Tommy was one of Dane's trusted subordinates, known for his cleverness despite his timidity. "Calm down, Tommy. How many times have I told you to keep your composure? What's wrong?"

Tommy took a breath, then said, "Golobo and the others have been captured by Nasha, and all the loot from the caravan has been seized!"

Dane's heart sank at the news. Golobo was a brave half-orc warrior and one of his most reliable men. Nasha, one of the three chiefs of the mercenary group, was a staunch ally of Old Bynes.

"What are you waiting for? We need to save Golobo! Tommy, gather our men. We can't let Bynes' underlings take advantage of us!" Dane grabbed his sword, ready to confront the Dread Ghost Mercenary Corps and reclaim what was rightfully theirs.

But as he took a step forward, he suddenly felt a jolt in his heart, as though something terrible was about to happen.

Before he could act, his vision blurred and he collapsed.

When he opened his eyes, he was stunned by the sight before him—blue skies, green fields, and forests unlike anything he had ever seen.

Dane, who had grown up an orphan and seen many harsh realities, had never experienced such beauty. He took a deep breath, overwhelmed by the fresh, grassy air.

He was anxious, knowing that his plans were in jeopardy, but there was nothing he could do in this unfamiliar place. He had never seen such rich and fertile land near Rotten Wolf Town or anywhere in Hindler.

Hindler was a land of sand and dust, a nascent nation of half-orc tribes, human merchants, and warlords, not a lush paradise.

He looked up and saw a towering stone structure in the distance.

Dane had never seen such a grand tower before, but it stirred a strange sense of familiarity.

A fragment of a memory surfaced: "Is this the Empire Tower?"

This memory was not his own but one of the many disjointed recollections he had gained from the evil spirits. Although the memories were fragmented, the one about a game called Heart of the Dynasty was surprisingly clear.

It was said to be a kind of holographic game, a form of magic that transported people from their world to another. In that world, the original owner of Dane's body had been a lord, managing lands and battling enemies as part of what seemed like a game or entertainment.

The tower before him was the iconic landmark from the opening scenes of Heart of the Dynasty.