The Emperor Quest English Version

In 2013, an American company called Miracle Heaven, Inc. released a smartphone game called "Emperor Quest." It was downloaded and played by over a billion people worldwide.

Emperor Quest was a simple game where players were tasked with completing real-time missions in the real world. For example, players might be asked to do silly tasks like taking a picture of a leaf, helping an old lady cross the street, helping a lost child find their mother, and other more logical tasks.

Players would be given virtual money and points that could be exchanged for attractive prizes in the online store.

That was ten years before, in late 2023, the game suddenly shut down its servers, and Miracle Heaven Inc. declared bankruptcy.

I, Aditya Warman, an ordinary office worker who used Emperor Quest as a source of side income, almost had a heart attack when I read the news this morning.

I had been playing Emperor Quest since my college days until I became an employee at a corporation owned by one of Indonesia's conglomerate families.

My salary was decent. It was enough to cover my living expenses and my family's back home. However, three months ago, bad news came from my hometown; my father, Rivaldi Warman, suffered a heart attack. Without thinking, I immediately applied for a bank loan, which caused me to lose more than half of my salary.

I was indeed grateful that my father was cured. However, I didn't think that my income of ten million per month from completing Emperor Quest missions would stop.

Even though next month is the third month of my loan installment payments.

"Damn world...." I cursed, dropping my forehead onto my work desk.

"What's wrong?" A man said from across the table; he's Alex, my first coworker at this company. We both started from the bottom until we reached the company's mid-management level.

"They're shutting it down..." I said softly.

"You mean Emperor Quest?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, of course, that game was just a money-burning game. Maybe the game belongs to a rich person who wants to reduce their money. Maybe that person doesn't have any more funds," Alex said cynically.

"Besides, you're old, why don't you find a wife instead of playing games all the time? You're in your thirties, Adit. How long do you want to be alone?" He continued.

Married? What stupid girl would want to marry a guy who has hundreds of millions of debt in the bank? I thought angrily.

Alex was indeed my first friend since I joined the company, but he never used his brakes when he spoke. Why don't you change, Lex? I cursed.

"Oh yeah, my wife has a cousin, she wants to meet you, Dit. Tonight, you come to the house, we'll have dinner together. Honestly, Dit, I already have two kids at home. As your best friend, I don't want you to be alone. You don't approach girls. Even at the office, they're said you to be gay," Alex said.

Damn this brat, I cursed in my heart.

"No, thanks, Lex," I refused.

"Just come, as your foster brother in Jakarta, I believe you will definitely like the girl. Besides, she's my wife's cousin. You know my wife is beautiful, fair-skinned, tall, and slender. Well, this girl is perfect for you. You're also quite handsome," Alex asked while suddenly pulling my hand.

I immediately brushed it off.

"You know why they spread the rumor that I'm gay, Alex?" I asked.

"It's because you're always clinging to me." I said, glaring.

Alex just smiled wryly.

"Anyway, you just come, the free-range chicken and ducks this morning have been slaughtered by my wife at home to welcome her cousin. It's a waste," Alex insisted.

I knew Alex was the most difficult to refuse his request.

It was true what Alex said. It's just, if you think about it, if I tell that girl that I don't have a salary because my bank debt is still piling up, would that girl want to be with a guy like this? I thought.

"Okay.. Okay.." I replied curtly.

Not long after, a cellphone notification rang.

1 new notification from Emperor Quest

I immediately clicked it.

Welcome to the official closing of Emperor Quest. You are one of the players with the best profiles so far. As compensation, we will prepare a follow-up game just for you. If you are willing, we will give you a thousand times the reward from the previous game. What we offer is real without settings. Are you willing?

[Yes] [No]

What is this game? Isn't it bankrupt? Just yes this time, I thought.

I pressed yes.

Select year

[2007] [2008] [2009] [2010]

What is this?

Randomly. I accidentally pressed 2009.

Your first task is to create your PayPal account

Reward = [$1000] [100points]

Time = 30 days

Penalty = Reduction of bonuses and burnt money.

Accept Quest?

[Yes] [No]

I pressed yes.

At the same time, my eyes blurred, my head felt very sleepy, and my stomach was very nauseous.

[Mission Accepted]

Pop

I came to my senses after a hard object hit my head. In front of me, the blurry image began to clear. An unfamiliar atmosphere. An unfamiliar condition.

This is... my high school. How is this possible? I thought.

Wasn't I just with Alex discussing his wife's cousin who wanted to be matched with me? I asked myself.

A whiteboard eraser had just hit my head.

"Aditya, I know you're always the top student in this school. But, sleeping in class can get you called to the disciplinary office, you know?" A middle-aged woman in neat clothes in front of the class said loudly.

I was still feeling deja vu, not even aware that Mrs. Netty, this killer math teacher, was one of the teachers who was most against students being rude in her class.

"Now you get up and stand in front of the class!" She said firmly.

"But, ma'am..." I said, trying to explain.

"No buts. Your test scores are good, but your ethics must also be good," she interrupted.

Half-heartedly and with much doubt in my heart, I got up from the bench and walked slowly towards the front.

"Bro, why are you sleeping? You know she's like that," my classmate whispered. He's Farhan, my deskmate from tenth to eleventh grade.

I just carried out the orders from Mrs. Netty.

For an hour, I stood like a fool in front of the class.

At the end of the session, Mrs. Netty gave a fairly complex logarithm problem to the students in my class. However, no one could answer it.

Even smart students like Vivian, who had won the provincial-level Olympiad, were overwhelmed by Mrs. Netty's questions.

If you think about it, this question is a question that is mostly used for the entrance exam to a State University.

Is it possible that Mrs. Netty wants to test the abilities of second-year students? I thought.

"At this time, I want to find out who I will include in our school's Olympiad team. Last year, Vivian was able to take us to the provincial level. This year, I actually hope Vivi can participate again. But, I hope you also participate. After all, this school needs your help to increase achievement," said Mrs. Netty.

"So, no one can do it?" Mrs. Netty asked.

This question is easy, I, a graduate of Information Systems, mostly deal with logic, calculus, logarithms, and statistics.

This is a kid's question. Should I just do it? I thought.

The people in the class were just silent and bowed their heads.

If I'm not mistaken, there should be a classmate named Albert who can do it.

Where is Albert? I asked, glancing around the class. Inadvertently, my eyes met Vivian, who was sitting in front of Albert table.

I stared intently behind Vivian. Vivian instead looked at me like she was looking at dirt that she accidentally stepped on.

Damn it, where is Albert? And why does Vivian look at me like that? I cursed.

If you think about it, my school will participate in this Olympiad. If I'm not mistaken, it will advance to the national level, I thought.

Should I join? It's good enough to be able to participate in achievements and add certificates for university scholarship recommendations. If you win the national championship, if I'm not mistaken, you will get an invitation to enter the three best universities in Indonesia.

Just take it, I decided.

"Ma'am, I can answer," I said softly from the side.

Mrs. Netty instead gawked like a fool.

"Aditya, I know you're the top student. But your high scores are in subjects other than mathematics. Are you sure you can answer?" She asked arrogantly.

"If this person wasn't an old woman, I would've slapped their head," I cursed inwardly.

"I'm sure, ma'am."

Mrs. Netty threw the marker and pointed at the whiteboard. So, as proof that my words weren't just empty talk, I worked on Mrs. Netty's questions in front of the class. In a concise, solid, and clear way.

Mrs. Netty nodded and corrected all my answers. In just three minutes, I finished the questions by myself.

Mrs. Netty smiled and told me to return to my seat.

I walked slowly and smiled as if I had defeated a high school student with my information systems bachelor's degree.

Of course, cum laude, you know. "Senggol dong," I thought proudly, having just beaten a high school student.

I saw Farhan smile while giving a thumbs up. In the front row, near the window, Vivian, the student who was always a shadow behind me, looked sulky and turned her face away with a grumpy expression.

Damn it, this girl has a dislike for me since forever, it seems. Bored of losing, missy? I mocked in my heart.