NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 1 - Life Is A Social Game
✦ Chapter 1 – Life Is A Social Game ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
In many organizations, interpersonal skills can be more important than ability alone. Think of the talented employee who missed out on promotions due to poor interpersonal relationships, or the one who gets demoted for stepping on the wrong toes – those connected to someone high up. History is full of examples proving the importance of social skills.
Take Zhang He from the Three Kingdoms period. He served three lords—Han Fu, Yuan Shao, and eventually Cao Cao — but ultimately found favor in the Wei kingdom, his final destination. He was so valued that he became one of the “Five Generals of Wei.”
On the other hand, Lü Bu also served under three lords in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms—Ding Yuan, Dong Zhuo, and Liu Bei—but he’s remembered as a symbol of betrayal. Despite his exceptional martial prowess, consistently boasting a maximum strength stat in Three Kingdoms games, his reputation remains tarnished.
The key difference between them, in my opinion, lies in their social skills. Unlike Zhang He, who joined Yuan Shao’s forces after Han Fu’s downfall, was later branded a traitor by Yuan Shao, and eventually surrendered to Cao Cao, Lü Bu took the initiative to kill Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo with his own hands.
As a result, Zhang He met a relatively honorable end as a Wei general on the battlefield, while Lü Bu was captured, pleaded for his life, and was ultimately executed by Cao Cao.
When I suddenly ended up in a world akin to a strategy game, I quickly learned the bitter lesson of the importance of interpersonal skills. One must stay alive to achieve world conquest or whatever other goals lie ahead. I endeavored not to be outright rejected like Lü Bu and focused on maintaining at least a passable reputation.
“His Majesty has ordered your arrest.”
“………….”
Even when the first kingdom I served cast me aside, I did not act rashly. Though I was displeased with the kingdom, I couldn’t show it, as it would cast doubt on my loyalty. I played the part of a loyal retainer, appearing dignified yet wronged as I was exiled.
This image of being captured peacefully for the sake of stability later helped me build my reputation in the empire.
“Very well, I accept your proposal.”
“Thank you.”
“But know this, your head will roll if you fail. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes.”
Despite initially being targeted by the Emperor, succumbing to fear would have weakened the impact of my future suggestions. I hid my trembling hands and stood firm.
After several of my strategies proved successful, the Emperor no longer mentioned executing me.
“…I surrender.”
“Why do you come to me with this?”
“I heard you are the real power behind the empire.”
“That is not true.”
When the opportunity arose to greatly consolidate my power, I recalled the story of Han Xin, who was executed after unifying China for his sovereign.
I desired world conquest, not the Emperor’s throne, so I vehemently refused various proposals. After a while, those with ulterior motives stopped seeking me out.
“Alright, I give up! I surrender! Do whatever you want!”
“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘whatever you want’…”
“Ugh! Do I have to spell it out for you?!”
Even when the queen of an enemy nation barged into my quarters spouting nonsense after her country’s defeat, I remained calm. I knew that leaders of fallen nations could be dangerous if they harbored resentment. Thus, I spent a long time persuading her through conversation.
“I’ll be back next time!”
She entered with a face as red as a beetroot but left looking a bit more composed.
This is why, despite the fearful world around me, my carefully honed social skills and my virtual mini-map gave me confidence. People were always the most frightening element.
“After the meeting, join me in the pavilion.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. In that case…”
“Alone.”
“…Yes.”
…I’m not afraid!
⊱••✩••̩̩͙⊰
Grand Strategy Games.
Games where you choose a nation and strive for world domination. Titles like the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series and the Civilization series are prime examples.
Influenced by my father, who enjoyed these types of games, I devoured every grand strategy game available. While my friends were playing with legendary fighting games or those maple-leaf-themed ones, I was at home, managing my nation. I found immense joy in coloring the map with my chosen nation’s hue, and soon, I could easily clear new games on my first try.
Then came a game called ‘The Great War’.
Despite its name, which implied World War I, it featured a fantasy world with orcs, elves, and dragons.
What made it unique was the inclusion of tactical gameplay where you directly controlled individual units.
The game even evaluated your tactical decisions with phrases like “Decisive Victory” after every battle. I often replayed the same battles multiple times, striving for the highest possible evaluation.
I usually played as the Dragoria Empire, a nation with significant starting power despite facing considerable penalties. I enjoyed everything from managing the power struggle between the nobles and the emperor while fending off invasions, to ultimately conquering the world with a fully unified empire.
Consequently, most of my thousands of hours of playtime were dedicated to playing as the empire.
Instead of trying out numerous other countries, I delved deeper into the empire. I explored everything from tactics exploiting the empire’s unique forces to the detailed lore of key imperial figures.
…Looking back, I wish I had tried out other nations.
Because, without any warning, I woke up in this game’s world.
And it wasn’t even in the empire.
⊱••✩••̩̩͙⊰
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the Kingdom of Rus, located just north of the Dragoria Empire.
It was characterized by a lack of resources, population, and technology, coupled with an incompetent and irrational leadership. How could such a nation even exist?
The answer was simple — Kingdom of Rus was not a playable nation.
It was simply a stepping stone for the Dragoria Empire’s tutorial.
The ‘Northern War,’ where the Kingdom of Rus preemptively strikes the newly crowned, chaotic Dragoria Empire, serves as the tutorial for the empire’s campaign in the game ‘The Great War.’
Astonishingly, Rus in the tutorial couldn’t even defeat the armies of the empire’s border vassals in the first battle. The subsequent mop-up operation strengthened the Noble Faction, leading to a power struggle with the Emperor Faction – this marked the end of the tutorial and the beginning of the empire’s unique “Imperial Authority” system.
In essence, the Kingdom of Rus was doomed to destruction by the time the game truly starts.
…And I had become Viktor, a 16-year-old orphan.
Ending up in the Kingdom of Rus, of all the nations, was a terrible stroke of fate.
While defeat itself might not mean much to ordinary citizens who would just swap flags, the kingdom had a unique event right when the tutorial ended — ‘Forced Conscription.’
This event drastically reduced the population by conscripting a massive number of poorly equipped and demoralized peasant soldiers. It was a mere nuisance when facing it in-game, increasing enemy units to slog through, but now, it meant I could easily become one of those mass-produced peasant soldiers.
I might be thrown into the fray with nothing but a sickle and ragtag clothes, facing down mounted knights.
To escape the kingdom, I racked my brain. The one solace was the existence of a mini-map, similar to what I used in the game.
If I could just leave this doomed nation, I could leverage my knowledge and mini-map to achieve great things.
After much deliberation, I decided to use this country as a stepping stone for my ambitions.
The Emperor of the Dragoria Empire highly valued talent.
My plan was to make a name for myself to avoid conscription as a peasant soldier and then transition to the empire when the kingdom was inevitably absorbed.
It might sound odd, but the rulers in this game often utilized surrendered talents without hesitation; hence, I believed it wasn’t impossible.
After weighing my options, I decided to enroll in the Kingdom’s Military Academy.
Given that battles required direct control of units rather than simplified personal stats, my skills would be best utilized in such an environment.
⊱••✩••̩̩͙⊰
It wasn’t easy.
I entered the academy as the top student, expecting a smooth ride, but in a place dominated by well-fed and well-educated nobles, I was always an outsider.
The instructors, wary of the nobles, deliberately gave me the cold shoulder, and the other commoner students either envied or ignored me.
It didn’t matter how well I performed in classes, war games, or tactical exams.
Trying to prove myself solely through ability was foolish. I blamed my background and the narrow-mindedness of those around me, but nothing changed.
Despite holding the top rank for four years straight, I was assigned to a remote, mountainous region of the kingdom. Even the noble who graduated second, let alone the commoner students at the bottom of the class, weren’t assigned to such a blatantly insignificant post.
At that point, I realized what I lacked — social skills.
It wasn’t about my competence; it was about how I handled myself.
If I hadn’t flaunted my abilities and had simply kept a low profile, I would’ve been better off.
From then on, I diligently recalled the memories that I had started to forget, drawing lessons from the actions of historical figures like those in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Apart from valuable lessons, this exploration yielded an unexpected discovery.
I realized that the minimap, a constant fixture in the corner of my vision, had a tactical map function. It not only showed the positions of enemies and allies but also allowed me to directly command my troops.
The ability to issue immediate orders during battle without relying on flags or horns was a considerable advantage. My insecurities about my potential shortcomings vanished completely.
Thus, I could rest easy and bide my time.
⊱••✩••̩̩͙⊰
About four years passed since my assignment to the provinces.
Knowing war was imminent, I tried to prepare as much as possible without drawing attention. I used my personal funds to gather supplies and train soldiers.
At the same time, I also kept myself informed about current affairs, ensuring I wasn’t left behind. I sought out newspapers and collected rumors circulating in taverns and inns.
I also paid attention to my social skills, and my evaluation was much better than during my time at the academy. The soldiers followed my commands well, and I had minimal friction with other officers.
As I diligently prepared for the campaign’s start, the “Northern War” finally erupted.
⊱••✩••̩̩͙⊰
Two years later.
Thanks to my upgraded social skills, I had become a general in the Kingdom of Rus.
─── ∙ ↤ END OF CHAPTER ↦ ∙ ──
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