Chapter 11: The Kingdom of Mondunion

I found myself lying in a bed, huge, heavy, and canopied, surrounded by a room that looked like something out of a museum. The walls were covered in deep crimson wallpaper with gold filigree patterns, the ceiling framed with crown moldings, and the chandelier above me sparkled with dangling crystals. Definitely Victorianesque. Old, noble, and intimidatingly pristine.

"Did I just get reborn in another world?" I mumbled.

I scratched my head, only to pause as I noticed something strange: I wasn’t wearing my clothes. My body was wrapped in bandages, neatly done, from my chest down to my thighs. My skin stung faintly beneath them, a dull ache humming in my muscles.

I stared at the wrappings for a long moment. I couldn’t even tell if this was real or not. Everything still felt too real. I raised my hand and pressed my palm to my chest.

The memory came rushing back. That moment. My blood. My fingers had been soaked in it. That pain, like being split open from the inside. That final thought that I might actually be dying.

No. This wasn’t a typical VR game death. That had felt real.

"Why the hell would it simulate real death?" I whispered, teeth clenched. "That’s not immersion. That’s just sadism."

I sighed and opened my HUD.

Still there. Still realistic, clean, glassy. It hovered in front of me like a real object. Okay, so I was still in a game. But that only made things more disturbing.

"I swear, if Takayuki programmed this to actually kill players when they die in-game… then screw the five million dollars. I’m out." My voice was quiet, but the bitterness in it was clear. "If that’s what he meant by ‘hyper-realism’… count me out."

I navigated through the HUD. Then I noticed a phone icon tucked away in the settings.

I blinked. I’d forgotten it was even there, probably because we never used it. Judeth and I were always together. But maybe… maybe this could help. If we can’t log out, maybe I could contact her on the outside. Maybe she could pull us out.

That was the main reason I joined. The prize. Five million dollars. I wanted it. But Takayuki never clarified anything about the logout. And now, having felt what it means to die in this game, I’d rather go back to Onlife. At least in that one, I didn’t feel every nerve scream when I got stabbed.

Still holding onto that hope, I moved to the clothing tab in my inventory.

Empty.

Nothing. Not a single piece of gear. Not even underwear.

"Seriously?" I groaned. "Am I just supposed to go around with my junk out until someone gives me pants?"

As if on cue, the door creaked open.

A man stepped in—tal, straight-backed, dressed in a perfectly pressed tailcoat. His silver hair was slicked back and he carried a neatly folded outfit in both arms.

"Your garment, sir," he said flatly, stepping inside. He laid the garments at the foot of the bed.

"You’re expected in the Grand Hall. Please do not be late. Everyone is waiting."

I turned to the butler. "How long was I out?"

He paused in his work, then glanced over his shoulder.
"Almost a week, sir."

I let out a low whistle. "Wow… a record, am I right?"

The butler’s face remained perfectly neutral, the kind of expression that could make statues jealous. Clearly, my sense of humor was wasted here.

Still, he called me sir.
I couldn’t help but feel… oddly special.

Then he bowed slightly and exited without another word.

I blinked. "Okay. That was… weird." I paused. "Honestly, I was kinda hoping it’d be a beautiful maid. But, well… beggars can’t be choosers."

I looked down at the clothes. My jacket. My jeans. My boots. Even my old sunglasses. Just like I used to wear in the game. I got dressed quickly. Whatever was going on, I wasn’t going to show up half-naked.
The hallway outside was just as ornate, no, more.

Gleaming marble floors stretched beneath red carpets lined with gold trim. The walls were decorated with massive oil paintings, battles between angelic knights and monstrous beasts, crowned queens riding winged lions, glowing trees rising from burning cities. There were stained glass windows that bathed the corridor in shifting blues and violets, and vases filled with otherworldly flowers that shimmered faintly under the light of hanging chandeliers.

It didn’t feel like a fantasy game anymore.

It felt like I’d stepped into a living palace.

While walking, I flicked open the HUD again and tapped the phone icon, trying to call Judeth. No response. I tried again. Nothing. Not even a beep or a failed connection message.

I gritted my teeth. "So we can’t log out and we can’t call anyone back home? Great."

This was getting out of hand.

As I approached the massive double doors at the end of the hall, two guards clad in blue and silver armor pulled them open with a synchronized motion.

The Grand Hall stretched out before me like the heart of a cathedral.

Towering stained glass windows lined the walls, each one showing a scene from a different realm, a forest city in the trees, an underwater citadel, a volcano fortress, a kingdom in the clouds. The vaulted ceiling arched high above, with iron chandeliers burning with soft magical light. Banners hung from every pillar, each bearing a different symbol.

And at the far end of the hall stood a dais. Two thrones sat upon it, one occupied by a broad-shouldered king with a beard streaked in silver, regal and armored. The other, by a queen dressed in flowing silver-violet robes, her hair like a raven’s wing, her gaze both warm and sharp.

All eyes turned to me.

The room was filled with people. Not just humans.

There were beastkin with furred arms and feline eyes. A cloaked elf with glowing tattoos. A dwarven warrior in ornate stone-plated armor. A horned woman in flowing crimson. A tall, blue-scaled man with draconic wings tucked behind him. Even a translucent-looking girl made of water stood to one side.

And then I saw them. other players. Some looked barely conscious. Others looked ready to leave this place. A few I recognized from the beginning queues.
I spotted Terrence and Ysanthe in the crow, but no sign of Jarrod.

My eyes scanned the sea of unfamiliar faces, and I recognized the little boy who’d begged us to save his parents. Then I noticed something strange: everyone in this hall… they were the same people we’d rescued from the Dungeon of Bones. The former hostages. Survivors. They were all watching me.

A girl among them met my gaze for just a moment. Was she the one who’d urged me to use magic at the Kumodokuro? I couldn’t be sure. My head was spinning.

Then, without warning, two knights stepped forward, their armor clanking like thunder. Their gauntlets gripped my shoulders firmly, not unkindly, but without room for protest.

"What the—?"

They led me to the center of the throne room. A hush fell over the crowd as I stood alone in the middle, under the gaze of dozens.

I was confused. Was this part of the game? Were they going to reward me? Or was it something worse? Maybe they thought I’d broken a rule. Maybe this was one of those twisted ‘consequences’ I’d heard about in darker game routes. I mean, we’re talking medieval setting here, people back then weren’t exactly famous for mercy or fairness.

Then the queen stood.

Graceful and regal in her layered gown of blue and silver, she raised her chin slightly and addressed me in a clear, elegant voice that carried to every corner of the hall.

"I am Isadora Callisto Ethelflaed, Sovereign Queen of Mondunion. At my side stands my husband, Leopold Garther Ethelflaed, crowned King of this realm. Together, we rule.Dear Champion of the Outer Realm… was it you who felled the spawn of Niobeorth?"
Her words hit like ice water. I blinked. "The… the what now? Are you talking about that big skeleton spider? The—the Kumodokuro?"

"Indeed," she answered with calm finality.

I scratched the back of my neck. "I mean, yeah, but—look, I didn’t do it alone. These people—" I gestured at the crowd "—they helped. I couldn’t have done anything without them."

But the queen did not smile.

"The survivors claim otherwise. They say it was you who struck the final blow. That it was your power that drove back the darkness."

I glanced at Terrence, silently begging him to speak up.

She turned toward him. "Knight Terrence. Is this truth or falsehood?"

Terrence nodded, his voice firm. "It’s true. But only because of Jack. If it weren’t for his ability… we wouldn’t have stood a chance."

The queen gave a slow, graceful nod. "Very well."

She turned back to me, her gaze now sharper—weightier.

"Then by our decree, from this moment henceforth, and in recognition of your deeds, I hereby name you leader of the chosen from the Outer Realm. From this day forward, you shall serve as a Warrior of the Union, sworn to the cause of Ashalondaria."
I blinked. "Wait—what?"

My heart started racing. I couldn’t tell if this was some side quest reward, or a trap. So I gave her my answer, something that could kill me"Look, uh… with all due respect, I don’t want a title."