A luxurious horse carriage waited in front of the Miloid mansion. Four horsemen stood at the front and back, spears at the ready. Everyone waited for Kyle Miloid to leave the house and begin the journey to the capital. Soon, the mansion's entrance opened, and two servants emerged, carrying suitcases.
As the servants loaded the suitcases into the carriage, Kyle Miloid, his wife, three sons, and two daughters appeared at the door. Kyle led the way, the others followed calmly. Having said their goodbyes inside the house, Kyle didn't wait and walked towards the carriage. His chief steward, who was to travel with him, opened the carriage door, and the two of them boarded.
When the cavalry commander mounted his horse, all the soldiers prepared for the journey. At the commander's command, the luxurious horse carriage, bearing the flag of the Miloid Duchy, moved forward and set off for the capital, the imperial palace.
As Kyle Miloid's convoy calmly drove away, Maisie couldn't wait any longer and approached her older brother, Atalay.
- Big brother, you talked to dad, didn't you?
- (Atalay didn't miss the chance to tease his sister.) I mean, we talked about a few things, but… I don't understand which one you're talking about.
- Dad let me play with the primitive world. He said he'd talk to you about it and help me.
- (Atalay paused a little, as if thinking.) I'm thinking, but I don't remember such a conversation. Dad might have forgotten to mention it. (He paused a little more.) Although, he might not have said it on purpose. In that case, it's out of the question for me to help you with this.
- Brother! Don't make fun of me… What do you mean, he didn't tell me. Dad would never lie to me. He wouldn't deceive me. He must have talked to you.
- We talked, of course… Dad wanted me to take good care of you and prevent things from upsetting you. That's why, if you have any problems, don't forget to tell me. I'll always be by your side…
- (Maisie's eyes were filled with hope, but her brother's final words plunged her into pessimism.) So, my dad forgot to mention it…
As pessimism and sadness hung around Maisie, her head bowed, and moisture welled in her eyes. Observing the situation, Atalay couldn't bear to see his sister upset any further, so he calmly approached and hugged her tightly.
- Okay, don't be sad. If I'd known you'd be this upset, I wouldn't have teased you. I'm sorry… Forgive this stupid brother, okay? As you said, we talked to my father. He asked me to help you with the "Primitive World." You can calm down now, right?
- (Maisie wiped the moisture from her eyes with the back of her hand.) Okay…
- Then… Let's go home and talk about the game. Don't forget to invite Asena. She'll be playing with you, too, right?
- Yes brother, we'll play together...
...
The four hundred virtual rooms seized from the Star Academy raid were shared equally among sixteen Supreme Masters. While it's unknown what the other Supreme Masters did with the virtual rooms they took, Emperor Lebreheinn divided sixteen of his twenty-five virtual rooms equally among the four dukes guarding the empire's borders. He kept the remaining nine virtual rooms for himself.
The four virtual rooms in the Miloid Duchy were under military protection. These rooms were used to enhance the battle formation and tactical combat skills of skilled soldiers with sufficient knowledge and skill in the use of elements.
Independent martial artists living in the Duchy could also use these virtual rooms with the permission of Duke Kyle Miloid, but until now, only one person had been granted this permission. His use of the virtual room had occurred after he had completed a secret mission for the Duchy. After all, it was nearly impossible for someone not enlisted in the military or belonging to the Miloid family to use the virtual rooms.
...
A week later, Atalay, Maisie, and Asena arrived at the duchy's military headquarters. The soldier who greeted them at the headquarters entrance guided them to the room containing the virtual rooms. The interior was quite spacious, with four virtual rooms positioned right in the center.
Soldiers stood guard at various points in the room. While the medical team was making final preparations, three technicians were checking the virtual rooms. At this point, the military commander entered, accompanied by two middle-aged soldiers, and approached Atalay and Maisie. Atalay respectfully bowed his head to the commander.
Atalay had trained under Commander-in-Chief Celal since childhood. They had a master-apprentice relationship, but now Atalay was sitting in Duke Kyle Miloid's seat. Since he represented the Miloid family, Commander-in-Chief Celal could not disrespect Atalay.
- Welcome, sir.
- Hello, commander.
- As you ordered, we have arranged the virtual rooms and increased security measures to the highest level. I've also assigned two of my strongest and most reliable men to assist Lady Maisie. (He gestured to one of his men.) This soldier's name is Polat.
(Polat stood at attention and bowed to Atalay and Maisie.) He's an earth-element user and the best close combatant we have. He rose to the rank of Martial Lord two years ago, becoming the third Martial Lord in our army.
Last year, I allowed him to play in the primitive world. He managed to advance all the way to the fifth safe zone on his own. I am confident that his knowledge and experience will be of great assistance to Lady Maisie.
(He pointed to the other soldier and brought him forward.) This soldier's name is Serdar. Although Serdar has only been with us for five years, he worked as an independent martial artist for many years. And due to the missions he undertook, he has been to many different countries. He is knowledgeable on many subjects and has effective communication skills. He can communicate with the local people in the primitive world.
He also possesses the fire element and is a very proficient swordsman. One of the few swordsmen in our military…
- (Atalay intervened before Commander Celal could continue his speech.) I see you've found some very good men, Commander. I trust you… Now that there are four of them, they can enter the virtual world, right? I want my brother to play safe and sound.
- I understand your concerns, sir. Don't worry. Yesterday, I injected the soldiers with nanobots and sent them to the primitive world for testing. They checked the surroundings and reported no danger. So, everything is under control, and we're ready. Whenever you order, the mission will begin.
- Okay then… (Atalay turned to his brother.) Maisie, go with Asena to the medical team and have your checkups. I will come to you as soon as possible.
(When Maisie and Asena walked away, he turned to the soldiers.) Polat, Serdar, you go ahead into the primitive world. If you don't come out within two hours, I'll assume everything is fine and send my brother to join you...
(He then turned serious and began speaking in a threatening tone.) Take good care of my brother. Don't let him get hurt. Two hours is enough time to find a safe place. If my brother dies in the primitive world, he won't be able to play again for six months. I don't want that to happen.
Proceed calmly. Stay away from danger as much as possible. Two or three months of gaming experience will be good for him. Especially stay away from enchanted creatures and the poison forest. I don't want my brother to get upset and have his psychology ruined.
Also, do what my brother says, but if you sense danger, I give you permission to take initiative. Protect my brother, protect yourselves, and return safely within three months. Understood?
-(Both soldiers snapped to attention simultaneously.) Yes, sir.
...
Due to the large number of players and the scarcity of virtual rooms, restrictions were placed on the primitive world game. A dead player could not rejoin the game for six months. Some families, using this rule as a shield, would ambush and kill their enemies as soon as they left the safe zone. This way, they both got rid of their enemies and made room for their unattained allies.
Of course, this didn't continue. Mutual agreements prevented these deaths, but there were still those who disobeyed the agreement and sought revenge. Therefore, if you weren't strong enough, it was best to work with a group.
The virtual game rooms in the Miloid duchy had no live broadcast screens. They didn't even have screens showing the players' health status. They simply had the virtual room.
These virtual rooms contained nuclear energy engines that generated infinite energy. Once activated, they could operate for thousands of years without needing any other energy. The only problem with this virtual game system was the limited number of nanobot capsules. Fortunately, they had learned how to reuse the nanobots injected into players from engineers who died four hundred years ago. They overcame this problem somewhat, but the scarcity of nanobot capsules still prevented them from playing the virtual games whenever they wanted.
...
Even though two hours had passed, the soldiers who had entered the game did not come out, so Atalay, convinced that the game was safe, allowed Maisie and Asena to enter the primitive world game...