Chapter 1: The Overlord of Humanity
The train rattled softly as it sped through the dimly lit tunnels of the city's subway system. It was Sunday evening, and the car was almost empty, just a few scattered passengers dozing off or staring blankly at their phones.
Dane Harper sat in his usual spot by the window, his headphones on and his phone glowing in his hands. The screen displayed the familiar title screen of Harem, Dragons, and Deities (HDXD), his favorite visual novel.
Dane was a man of simple pleasures.
At 27, Dane has long since accepted that his life wasn't going to be some grand adventure.
"Hehehe...
He laughed to himself, clearly content with himself at this moment as he was looking at his screen with pride.
"Finally... fucking finally...
His days were spent in a cramped office cubicle, crunching numbers for a job that barely paid the bills. His nights? Those belonged to him. And for Dane, there was no better way to spend them than diving into the worlds of his favorite games.
HDXD was his obsession. It had everything he loved: high-stakes fantasy, overpowered characters, and, of course, the harem routes.
The game was infamous for its complexity... multiple endings, branching storylines, and a level of difficulty that made even the most seasoned gamers sweat.
But Dane had poured nearly 7,000 hours into this game.