Kingdom Domain

Inside a side chamber of the Council Hall in Northwind Keep. "How much longer until the criminal law section is finished?" "Lord Cassius, with all due respect, this undertaking is simply too monumental. Compiling an exhaustive kingdom code... that is not something the few of us can pull off in just a few months." "Oh? Why is that?" "The structure of the Kingdom of Cinders is far too complex. Not only must we factor in local productivity and social hierarchies, but we also have to account for the customs of various races and the regulation of spellcraft. This is entirely uncharted territory for us. Without extensive field surveys, it's impossible to proceed." "My lord, let me give you an example," he continued, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "Take consuming corpses of one's own kin. To humans, that is undeniably a felony—a desecration of remains. But to ogres, it is a long-standing cultural tradition. Which means, given the kingdom's current racial makeup, we would need to draft over twenty distinct versions, and that number may keep growing in the future." "Even so, the kingdom's order demands written law. It cannot wait." "Naturally, my lord. We will do our absolute best—" "One month. Within one month, you must submit a simplified framework for the Kingdom Code. As for the rest, you may take your time and fill it in gradually." "My lord, I still believe that timeframe is—" "I will provide you with all the texts and archives accumulated by the Principality of Lakeman over the past century, along with substantial funding." "But—" "There are no buts. If your work satisfies me, wealth, status, and power will all be yours for the taking. Understood?" "Understood, understood." The speaker was a player named Yundan Fengqing. At that moment, his expression was a magnificent tapestry of joy and sorrow tangled together. *Sigh...* He was merely an ordinary lawyer in real life, burdened by crushing workloads and relentless late nights. At barely thirty, he had already suffered from severe hair loss. On his doctor's advice, he had put his work aside for a while and dived into this virtual world to recuperate, hoping to find a sliver of peace in Elezerg's realm of sword and magic. Unlike those pro-tier gaming gods who had hit the Level 4 cap, Yundan Fengqing was merely an ordinary Level 1 player. He had never taken on a combat quest and had only ever killed a single chicken—a reality shared by countless casual players. Originally, Yundan Fengqing had merely intended to work as a scribe to earn some contribution points. Little did he expect that he would inadvertently display his top-tier professional expertise and get dragged off to the Council Hall, saddled with the task of drafting a legal code. Still, looking at the dazzlingly lavish rewards, he had ultimately chosen to pick up his old trade and return to his profession. Yundan Fengqing glanced around at the other players, their expressions equally varied. Most were law students, and some were even intern lawyers; among them, he was practically a senior practitioner. "Everyone, our deadline is extremely tight. The client has completely stopped acting human. Well, to be fair, he never was human in the first place—he's a dragon." "We only have one month." "I'm afraid we'll have to pull overtime around the clock to meet the schedule." He looked down at the floor covered in dense drafts of the Kingdom Code. Suddenly, old tears streamed down his face. The calm composure of a middle-aged man vanished entirely, replaced by the sorrow of a balding big boy. "Wait a second..." "Why am I still doing overtime even after crossing into another world?!" ... Cassius rose, strode out of the side chamber, and returned to the main hall. *These players—you have to ride them constantly, or they'll slack off. Otherwise, they'd drag this out all the way to open beta.* Cassius knew the ways of a demanding client inside and out. In truth, he never actually expected a functional framework of the Kingdom of Cinders' code within a single month; finishing it in three would already be impressive. But by setting the deadline at one month, he could force them to race against the clock. Players always favored compromise. If you suggested cutting a new window into a wall, everyone would object. But if you proposed tearing off the roof, they would readily agree to open the window. The drafting of the legal code worked on the exact same principle. *Dictatorial Law has limited influence on the native inhabitants after all. It cannot replace a real legal system. The kingdom needs a genuine code capable of transcending eras and bridging races,* Cassius thought. The red dragon sprawled across the Council Hall, his colossal frame making the chamber—large enough to hold a thousand people—feel rather cramped. He checked his status panel. A new achievement had already surfaced, and a gilded crown appeared in his mind. [You have established a nation. Acquired advanced achievement: King] *"Wherever the sunlight reaches, all is the empire's domain!" — Aragorn I, Holy Fadlan Emperor* [Your trait "Dictatorial Law" has upgraded to: Kingdom Domain] [Charisma +3] [Ruling Proficiency +10] [Your kingdom is yours to command. You may spend a certain amount of time to transform an area under your rule into a Kingdom Domain. Within the Kingdom Domain, you can actively suppress all spell reaction effects, or amplify the power of your own spellcasting.] *(Note: The original effects of Dictatorial Law remain active.)* *As expected of an advanced trait. This is practically a massive anti-magic field that also boosts my own magic power.* *And it even comes with a massive Charisma bonus.* Cassius marveled as he examined the panel. The familiar sensation washed over him once more, twisting his flesh and soul to deliver raw, unadulterated empowerment. His Charisma had increased by two points, along with two full 1.3-times multipliers. This caused his ability to project outward influence to take another massive leap, reaching a terrifying magnitude. Although Cassius's spellcaster level was a mere Level 13, his reality-warping base Charisma of 28 allowed the potency of his spells to rival that of certain legendary sorcerers. *So this is what it feels like to be a pure stat monster...* *Not bad at all.* With just a thought, focusing his will onto a single point without even casting a spell, the surrounding elements grew restless, and tiny sparks of flame danced through the air. No spell matrices, no Weave parameters—only the execution of will and the manifestation of innate talent. This was the sorcerer's "pure power of belief." *Now to test the new ability.* *Kingdom Domain.* Cassius slowly closed his eyes, focusing his will onto the gilded crown in his mind. A wondrous shift rippled through the surrounding space. An invisible force field slowly unfolded, and all the magical energy within bowed in subjugation before the red dragon. It could be said that he was the absolute monarch within this domain. *Kingdom Domain.* The red dragon opened his eyes, gilded energy swirling within his pupils. He could feel the surge of the surrounding elements and bend them to his will. He could intensify them or command them into silence; every wisp of magical energy in this domain felt like his subjects, his thralls. *A formidable power indeed.* *If I were to face that shadow dragon again inside my Kingdom Domain, I wouldn't be left helpless.* Suddenly, a chime resonated from inside Cassius's bag of holding. The Arcane Hermitage Medallion was pulsing with magical light. *Looks like it's time for the second Arcane Hermitage meeting.* The red dragon cast Polymorph. Shimmering motes of light drifted over his form as his colossal dragon body vanished, leaving a black-haired, golden-eyed human noble standing in the Council Hall. *Quite a lot has happened between these two gatherings, though.* A faint smile played across Cassius's lips.