Arthur stood there, as still as marble, absorbing the last glimmers of golden light that sank into his skin.
Outside, the city shimmered like a dream polished to perfection,a breathtaking vision of ambition and possibility.
[Primary Objective: Rise, Arthur Osborn. Build a dynasty that will outlast empires.]
These words were more than just a mission; they were a challenge,a spark igniting something deep within him.
A slow grin crept across Arthur's face, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
It was the kind of smile people might mistake for charm until they realized it was assessing them like prey.
"In my last life…" he murmured, his voice low and edged with shadows, "…God blessed me with a mind sharp enough to cut glass. High IQ? Check. Perfect memory? Absolutely. A learning curve faster than ninety-nine percent of those I met."
He turned from the window, catching the faint flicker of light still lingering in his pupils reflected in the glass.
"But I lacked one crucial element: connections. No family name to back me up. In that world, merit was currency no one accepted. I had the brains to build something extraordinary… yet all I could do was watch as those born with silver spoons seized it instead."
His gaze dropped to his hands,flexing once before curling into fists.
"And here's the harsh truth: reality is far crueler than any fiction I've ever read. In stories, at least villains meet their demise on cue. But in real life? They get promoted."
He released a slow breath and lifted his head again, locking eyes with the horizon beyond the glass.
"But now… now I possess both." His grin widened into something wickedly triumphant.
"The intellect… and the pedigree. I will never again be trapped under a system crafted by those at the top; instead, I will become that very system everyone else must navigate."
The chandelier light caught the sharp line of his cheekbone as he turned back to Neo-Luminara,the sprawling capital below him,like a chessboard awaiting its first move.
And that's when foreign memories began to unfurl within him,not as an overwhelming flood but rather as a steady tide pulling him deeper into an unfamiliar world.
Panterra.
Just saying its name carried weight,the kind forged through millennia of history and ambition.
This wasn't some fragile little planet like Earth; Panterra was colossal,a titan among planets,ten times larger with enough surface area to swallow every continent he'd known and still have room left over!
Over 510 billion square kilometers filled with land and sea shaped into twelve massive continents,each distinct as fire is from ice.
Its population? Between eighty and one hundred billion souls! That staggering number made Earth's crowded streets feel like quiet country lanes in comparison.
Arthur's mind raced through vivid scenes like a strategist flipping through dossiers, bustling metropolises, sprawling farmlands that seemed to stretch into infinity, oceans alive with fleets of cargo airships, and mountain ranges so colossal they created their own weather systems.
The names of the continents etched themselves into his consciousness, each one a world unto itself:
Zephyria- The largest continent on the planet, the heart of advanced technology.
Aurelia - the vibrant heart of modern finance and politics.
Verdania - an emerald expanse known for its agriculture and cutting-edge bio-tech.
Noctis - a land cloaked in shadows, industry, and whispered secrets.
Solara - sun-drenched and rich with solar energy and rare minerals.
Aquarion - masters of water-bound cities and oceanic power.
Eryndor - where ancient kingdoms and ancient tribes meet new ambitions.
Frostara - a frozen frontier embroiled in resource wars.
Ignis - volcanic lands fueled by steel and heat-forged innovation.
Lunara - where desert moonlight illuminates trade routes carved in sand.
Crystalia - famed for its jewel mines and cultural artistry.
Umbra - the hidden continent shrouded in mystery and myth.
And presiding over this vast tapestry was a single governing body: The Panterra World Council.
It's an alliance so powerful it made the United Nations feel like a children's club! With twelve seats,one for each continent,its members could ignite or extinguish wars with just a phone call.
But what truly distinguished Panterra wasn't merely its size or political clout; it was its eras.
Arthur felt these epochs like chapters in an epic saga, each heavy with consequence:
Ancient Era (Pre–10,000 BCE): A legendary age when continents were still forming, giving rise to civilizations under gods whose names faded into myth.
Classical Era (10,000 BCE–500 CE): The dawn of intercontinental contact,a time when trade, conquest, and diplomacy began weaving the first threads of global connection.
Medieval Era (500–1500 CE): An age marked by exploration and relentless warfare; kingdoms rose and fell like the ebbing tide.
Industrial Revolution Era (1500–2000 CE): A transformative leap into mass production, mechanized armies, and the birth of the Panterra World Council itself.
Modern Era (2000 CE–Present): An era where ambition knows no bounds; technology dances hand-in-hand with greed while old families still hold tight to power's deepest levers.
And right now, Arthur himself is standing at the very pulse of Aurelia Continent that is the Aurelian Federation,in the third capital city of the country..Neo-Luminara, the dazzling capital of the Federation.
As he gazed out through the expansive window, his eyes were drawn to the elevated mag-lev lines snaking through the city like veins, connecting its vibrant districts.
Glass towers loomed above him, their surfaces alive with dynamic advertisements that danced and shifted in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Below, a bustling network of skyways teemed with autonomous transports zipping by, each carrying dreams and ambitions from one corner of this metropolis to another.
It was breathtaking. It was exhilarating and now… it belonged to him.
[Host.] The System's voice resonated in his mind,sharp and unwavering. [Your journey begins now.]
Arthur caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the glass, offering a subtle nod as if acknowledging an unspoken challenge.
"Then let's see what I can do with this board I've been given…"