Chapter 0001: Crossing Over

Moreover, with the trend of time travel being so fashionable, Chris no longer harbors thoughts of death. He is prepared to embrace the benefits of time travel and enjoy a more exciting journey of life here

He even searched through the tree of knowledge in his mind and became even more certain that this Arant Empire absolutely did not exist within the civilization of his previous life

Did the ancestors of this body slay dragons? What a joke, if you are going to fabricate a myth to elevate your family's lineage, at least stretch it back a bit further—like saying you slayed dragons five hundred years ago. Who claims that their grandfather slayed dragons just a few decades ago?

Chris desperately battled the unappetizing dishes before him with his knife and fork, continuously lamenting the history of Western cuisine in his heart—couldn't these Westerners redirect even a fraction of the ingenuity they applied to colonization towards the creation of delicious food?

Chris did not know their names, so he pondered slightly and unleashed the strongest trump card of a time traveler—feigning amnesia

Indeed, after he expressed his hunger, the arriving waiter prepared a sumptuous meal for him: there were chopped bread cubes, warm mashed potatoes, and a piece of medium-rare beef lying in the center of the plate. Unfortunately, there wasn't even a decent bottle of red wine here

"Alright, um... Vagrong... I know this is a bit unbelievable, but I really can't remember anything. " Chris tried to put on a very frustrated expression: "Ahem! I'm a bit hungry right now, could you prepare something for me to eat?"

"Does this world... really have dragons?" Chris, suddenly realizing something, widened his eyes and stopped his awkward laughter, looking at his army commander, Vagrong, and asked in astonishment with a drawn-out tone.

Wait a moment

Chris instinctively turned around and saw the armored man behind him, then he felt the ground beneath his feet give way, causing his entire body to lean backward.

Lord Chris! Just as Lord Chris was lost in thought, a middle-aged man who appeared to be a minister spoke up beside the bed: "There is no disaster that cannot be overcome; you must not take your own life."

"Where exactly am I?" Chris weakly asked, feeling as if his throat was about to catch fire.

He reached out to rub his forehead, as there was a sensation of dizziness and pain from a hangover. He tried hard to recall how he ended up here, and what exactly this place was.

Thinking of Chris here, he couldn't help but feel a sense of glee, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face

"Sir, a few days ago, the Arant Empire raised the taxes, increasing our annual tax from 300 gold coins to 1000 gold coins." Deans, sitting to the left of Chris, brought up this troubling matter

He has traveled through time, and he has done so by inhabiting the body of a Westerner. It appears that this is medieval Europe, and by chance, his extensive knowledge includes an understanding of medieval Europe.

When Chris opened his eyes once again, what he saw was a bed canopy draped in silk. He did not like this Western style; it was cumbersome and quite impractical

Fragments of memory shattered upon a pair of exquisite leather shoes and impeccably tailored trousers, Chris recalled that he was previously standing on the top floor of a skyscraper

It seems that I have underestimated this journey through time. Falling from the previous excitement into the depths of despair, Chris realized that he had not traveled to a specific point in history, but rather to another world

Uh. He parted his parched lips and emitted a hoarse sound, startling several anxious figures waiting by the bedside.

A loud sound echoed as the window behind him was pushed open from the inside. A man dressed in black armor reached out his hand, shouting in panic, "My lord! My lord, please do not jump!"

At that moment, he seemed to embody various best actor awards such as the Oscar, Golden Globe, Hundred Flowers, and Golden Rooster, confidently stating: "I can't remember anything; my mind is completely blank"

"Yes, my lord. What is depicted here is the heroic tale of your grandfather, Lord Ailanxier Talans, leading his army to slay the dragon." Upon hearing this, Waglorn, the commander of the castle's army, finally showed interest and responded, "That was an extraordinary battle"

Standing on the towering rooftop, Chris gazed down at the entire castle, surrounded by thick city walls and fluttering black flags, with vast fields of wheat outside the castle and forests and mountains further in the distance

Since he has vassals and military commanders, Chris felt that at least he would not have to worry about food. No matter how impoverished a lord may be, it is to be expected that he would have access to an abundance of exquisite cuisine

Isn't this how novels are typically written? Muskets against cavalry, cannons dismantling city walls, fists striking Germany, feet kicking England, drunkenly resting on the lap of a beauty, and awakening to wield power over the world—this is a formula, a full embodiment of the tropes found in rural-themed literature

It seems that without toppling the great mountain above, rising up is not an easy task. Chris sighed inwardly and then realized another issue.

Before Chris, it seemed as if he could see the entire history of humanity before his crossing. The experiences and methods, science and knowledge accumulated over millennia ultimately converged into a robust golden tree, its branches and leaves flourishing, standing tall in his mind.

The adult has awakened. The man in armor was the first to approach Chris's bedside, followed by two middle-aged men dressed in splendid robes

... ...

The knowledge of forging, the knowledge of metallurgy... The various achievements and conclusions of modern industrial civilization are embedded like fruits in these shimmering golden veins, gradually transforming into the trunk and branches.

In his memory, he was already dead, yet now he stands on the rooftop of a castle, with only a faint recollection of a name: Tang Ning

"I can't remember." Chris, still looking self-righteous, was quite the bachelor. Since he had to pretend to have amnesia, he had to commit to it completely. He knew nothing about everything in front of him and had to start all over again.

"Speaking of which, what exactly is this matter about paying 1,000 gold coins that you mentioned?" Chris put down his knife and fork after having some mashed potatoes and bread.

Two middle-aged men looked at each other, somewhat at a loss. A man in armor, however, was the first to speak—he knelt beside the bed with a pained expression and cried out, "My lord! I am your most loyal general, Vagrong! Do you not remember me?"

Indeed, my lord, although we must pay a heavy tax of 1,000 gold coins each year, there will always be a way to resolve the situation," another middle-aged man, who also appeared to be a minister, comforted.

The industrial equipment he had never seen before, the chemical knowledge he had studied for ten years, were all vividly engraved on the golden veins that made up the great tree, easily accessible for Chris to touch, just as convenient as flipping through a monograph in a library

Wait! ... Which empire is this Arante Empire ...? He, who is familiar with European history, truly does not know the name of this country

He reached out his hand, wanting to grab something, but caught nothing. In the moment of falling, he truly wanted to shout loudly to the bastard behind him: "I didn't mean to jump..."

Having read countless time-travel novels out of boredom, Chris remained remarkably calm at this moment. He knew he was not dreaming, and everything before him was indeed real

This income is nearly the entirety of the city of Selis. If we give it away, we will not even have enough to support the soldiers

He tilted his head back, seeking to ease his mood, when a massive mural above him caught his eye. A giant dragon, covered in scales, was breathing fire amidst the crowd, while countless soldiers were engaged in exterminating the beast

The piece of beef with blood streaks affected his appetite; in comparison, he still found the medium-rare steaks from the Western restaurant in his previous life more tempting.

Since he has come, he should find peace in it. If Chris were to jump off a building again, he would never dare to do so. Those who have attempted suicide once often lack the courage to do so again

This mural ... ... is truly well-painted. " Chris, who was subconsciously feeling confused about his journey through another world, exclaimed.

And - picture - book "Of course." Vagrillon nodded, affirming to his amnesiac master: "Moreover, there are many..."

As he struggled to recall more memories, it was as if he had opened Pandora's box, and an overwhelming amount of information flooded into his mind. This information collided in Chris's brain like a torrent, connecting like meridians.

Oh, I remember now... I jumped off the building myself... from the top floor of my own company... The fragments of memories in Chris's mind began to connect, allowing him to recall many things

He strived to awaken the memories in his mind, yet all he could see was that towering tree and the countless technologies—possessing such a formidable golden finger, it is likely that he could thrive remarkably in this world

Ah! This process gave him a splitting headache. Chris instinctively held his head, his body twisted and struggled in pain, even causing him to start gagging frantically.

"I am your vassal, Deans, my lord Chris," said the middle-aged man with a full head of long hair as he introduced himself. As soon as he finished speaking, another bald man also began to introduce himself: "I am your vassal, Stride... Do you remember me?"

These two ministers appeared quite interesting, as Chris curiously observed them: one was bald but had a thick beard, while the other had flowing long hair but no beard.

The man in armor looked at a middle-aged man beside him, then turned to Chris with some confusion and said, "My lord, you are in your own bedroom"

Haha, this myth is really good, my ancestors were dragon-slaying warriors? Haha. Chris forced a smile, dismissing Vagron's statement.