Chapter One: The Imperial System

In a daze, he opened his eyes to see a vast expanse of verdant forest. The trees, bathed in sunlight, looked as though they had just been cleansed by rain, washed free of dust, troubles, and the scars of yesterday. They stood on either side of the path like well-dressed soldiers, orderly and proud, stretching all the way to the edge of the woods. Birds flitted joyfully through this green sea, chirping energetically as they flew tirelessly toward the distant horizon.

The scene was undoubtedly soothing, yet Sun Li felt a deep sense of unreality. Just a moment ago, he had been at home, sitting at his computer, gleefully dominating the AI in Age of Empires. In the blink of an eye, he now found himself in a primeval forest.

Had he played the game so much that he was hallucinating? Maybe a nap would fix everything.

Ten minutes later, Sun Li sat dejectedly on the ground, forced to accept the truth: he had transmigrated. It was bad enough to have crossed over, but to be dropped into a primitive forest—what was he supposed to do, survive as a handyman? As a modern-day otaku, he had zero survival skills.

Just as he was wishing for a cheat code, a series of beeps sounded in his mind.

"System integration complete.

Greetings, Commander. I am the Empire Conquest System Sprite. Please select a location to establish your Town Center. Due to the collective consciousness of intelligent life on this plane, you have ten minutes to deploy the Town Center. Failure to do so will result in system shutdown, and the host will be ejected from this dimension."

"What happens if I get ejected? Does that mean I go back to Earth?" Sun Li asked anxiously.

"Given your weak physical constitution and lack of any protection, there is a 99.9999999% probability you will be shredded to pieces by spatial turbulence. It is strongly advised not to attempt this."

Upon hearing this, Sun Li bolted, cursing the system under his breath.

Not far ahead, he spotted a small river and a patch of open ground. With no time to lose, he summoned the Town Center. What he saw next shattered his atheism: a flash of white light, and a massive two-story building materialized from thin air.

"System, are all Imperial buildings created like this? Could I drop one on someone for fun?" the stunned otaku asked blankly.

"Due to the extremely weak magical forces in this dimension and to prevent plane rejection, all future buildings must be constructed manually. However, system workers are highly efficient, so rapid expansion is assured."

"So, just a one-time spectacle—no more flashy appearances," Sun Li muttered, his dreams of crushing enemies with falling buildings dashed.

A chime sounded. "To better integrate with and ultimately conquer this dimension, the system will issue random tasks based on your current achievements. Completing these tasks will reduce plane rejection, unlocking more technologies and units. The lower the rejection, the greater the rewards. Your current tech level is the Nomadic Age. Please explore features on your own. The next tech level is the Feudal Age.

Friendly reminder: Plane rejection is generated by the collective self-preservation consciousness of all intelligent beings here. Eliminating or conquering native lifeforms will effectively reduce rejection. For every native subdued or defeated, you will earn a Point Coupon, which can be exchanged for elite troops or extended lifespan regardless of tech level."

At the mention of extended life, Sun Li grew feverish with excitement. If he conquered the world, could he become immortal? As he indulged in fantasies of eternal life, the system chimed in again.

"Mission generated: Within one month, construct all Nomadic Age buildings and amass a defensive army of one hundred. Reward: Increase population cap from 200 to 1000. (This dimension is dangerous; survival is your first step toward dominance)."

Sun Li snapped out of his reverie in dismay. "What? A population cap? How am I supposed to wage war? My armies, my grand legions!"

Sensing his distress, the system sprite reassured him: "Rest assured, Commander. All system units are fiercely loyal and fearless. The region we have transmitted to is among the most backward in this world; local intelligent life is still in the tribal era."

Tribal era? Sun Li smirked. Even the weakest Imperial unit could wipe out a tribe. Confidence surged through him.

"Very well, let me witness this glorious era!"

First, he decided to survey the available buildings and resource systems.

"Commander, you can call up the interface to select construction and command units. Each unit has detailed information—please consult as needed. Only Town Centers can produce workers, and only workers can build structures."

Starting resources were 500 food, 100 wood, and 100 gold. Wasn't that a bit stingy? And why no stone? Was this Age of Empires III?

"System sprite, do you have a name? Never mind, I'll just call you Little White from now on. Why is there no stone? Is this Age of Empires III? Do workers have muskets?"

"To avoid outright rejection, the system's data has been adapted to reality, making resources and mechanics more realistic. Any valuable mineral here can be converted to gold based on quantity and mining difficulty. Workers are weak for now, but in emergencies can be armed as militia at the Town Center—barely passable as cannon fodder, not recommended for battle. Note: Stone can be converted to gold but is of such low value it is a waste of time to mine. Mining stone is an utterly foolish endeavor."

Reading the note, Sun Li exploded with rage. "You're the fool! Your whole family is—" (ten thousand words omitted).

Wisely, Little White activated its selective deafness protocol, waiting for Sun Li to tire himself out. The sprite thought to itself that silence was indeed golden. After a long tirade, Sun Li felt as if he were playing music to a cow, and swore never to waste another word arguing with a system, intelligent or not.

Time to get down to business. Production begins with workers—he would build as many as possible. Filled with ambition and ready to embark on his path to kingship, Sun Li suddenly shouted at the sky, "Little White, you fool! What the hell, you’ve tricked me again!"