HLM – Chapter 5 The Lord’s Roulette That Wouldn’t Turn

The Territory Dominion of the Sun was indeed a piece of land. Just like it was displayed in the game, this territory covered an area of 1,000 square kilometers and was located at the edge of the Otago region. It backed onto New Zealand’s Southern Alps and faced the Canterbury Plains. The land consisted mostly of plains and small hills, with fertile soil and beautiful scenery.

The reason this place was referred to as a territory was because it was a noble estate within New Zealand.

As is well known, countries like New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and India are all part of the Commonwealth. They were once British colonies. Although they have long since gained independence, traces of their colonial past still linger, and noble estates are one such remnant of British legacy.

Noble estates in New Zealand date back a long time. In 1840, the British forced the indigenous Māori to sign the Treaty of Waitangi through military means. According to the treaty, the Māori had to sell their lands to the British Crown. New immigrants then came to New Zealand and bought land from the Crown. Some wealthy nobles at the time purchased vast tracts of land—these became the earliest noble estates.

Later, when New Zealand gained independence, the government didn’t abolish these noble estates. During the establishment of the new government, many upright and conscientious nobles offered help and support. As a gesture of gratitude, the government allowed them to retain their estates in New Zealand.

However, according to New Zealand’s Constitution Act of 1986, the nobles’ privileges within these estates were heavily limited and reduced. Today, these territories are effectively just large plots of privately owned land. Nobles no longer hold military, diplomatic, or tax rights over them.

The Territory Dominion of the Sun was one of these noble lands. It originally belonged to the Roberts family, but the final and only remaining member of the family—Howard Fitzalan Roberts—died ten days ago. Before his death, he designated an heir to the estate: Wang Bo.

At this point in the explanation, Charlie looked at Wang Bo with a puzzled expression and asked, “What’s your relationship with Lord Roberts? Why would he leave your name in his will?”

Wang Bo didn’t answer—because he had no idea how to. He did a quick mental calculation and realized that the day Roberts designated the heir to the estate was the same day he started the game. That was… just too strange!

Charlie wanted to press further, but Wang Bo brushed him off, saying he was tired. When they got to the hotel, he went straight to his room. Charlie, being a smart man, realized Wang Bo didn’t want to talk about it and simply shrugged, letting the matter drop.

After spending a night in Wellington, the next day Charlie took him by ferry from the North Island to a small city on the South Island called Blenheim. From there, they drove a jeep to a city named Christchurch. Finally, swapping the shotgun for a cannon, Charlie took him aboard a helicopter headed southwest.

Throughout the journey, Wang Bo experienced sea, land, and air transport. It was like skimming through postcards—he got a brief but stunning taste of New Zealand’s breathtaking beauty. It was November now, and while back home in China his hometown would already be howling with cold winds, this country was just entering summer. All around him, he saw green trees, blooming flowers, blue skies, and lush meadows.

Before coming to New Zealand, he’d learned that the country’s name in the Māori language was Aotearoa, which translates to Land of the Long White Cloud. He hadn’t understood it then. But now, after seeing New Zealand’s dustless azure skies and pure white clouds, he finally understood the name’s meaning. This truly was a land blessed with the most beautiful white clouds.

As the helicopter soared through the air, evening approached. Suddenly, Charlie reached out and tapped Wang Bo’s arm, pointing outside and motioning for him to look.

Wang Bo instinctively turned to look out the window. The sun was setting behind the western mountains, and the golden light of dusk bathed the land. At the far end of the horizon, a crystal-clear lake shimmered softly in the sunlight.

As far as the eye could see, a towering mountain range emerged in the distance. Lush green trees covered the slopes from the peaks all the way down to the foothills. The wind rustled the leaves, making the whole scene look like an undulating sea of green.

The helicopter continued flying toward the mountains. On the side of one of the hills, a medieval-style castle began to appear, half-hidden in the trees. It had gray brick walls and red tiled roofs, and nestled in the dense forest, it exuded a weathered and ancient charm. With no other buildings around it, the castle looked like a stubborn old man standing alone against the passage of time.

Wang Bo was just about to express his amazement when he suddenly shivered—damn, why did everything around him feel so familiar? Especially that castle—he felt like he’d seen it somewhere before!

And then it hit him—he remembered the dream he had the night he registered for the game. In shock, he turned to Charlie and exclaimed, “Heavens, this is my territory!”

Charlie’s expression shifted slightly. “You’ve been here before?” he asked.

Wang Bo didn’t answer. He was completely entranced, staring out at the land before him. Bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, the land showed none of the harshness typical of summer. All he could see was lush greenery so vibrant it looked like it might drip with life. For someone who had been encased in steel and concrete for so long, this wasn’t just a feast for the senses—it was a rebirth.

“How do you know this is the Territory, Dominion of the Sun?” Charlie asked again, smiling.

Wang Bo muttered, “I just know… because it’s mine.”

Of course he knew. Not just the castle—he was familiar with the hills, grasslands, and forests of this land. He had seen it all countless times—not just in his dreams, but also on the miniature sand table he kept with him. What he saw now was just a magnified, real-life version of that intricate display!

If it was the Lord’s Heart that had granted him such a vast and beautiful territory, then he had no reason to feel fear or anxiety—he should be thrilled and overjoyed!

With that thought, he called forth the Lord’s Heart, hidden at his chest.

A green glow appeared first, which then separated into two parts—one large and one small. The larger part lost its color and transformed into a sand table of the territory, while the smaller part floated into the air in front of him, morphing into a crystal-clear, semi-transparent roulette wheel.

On the roulette were five sections, each labeled with a different name: Heart of Territory, Heart of Enhancement, Heart of Wealth, Heart of Soul, and Heart of Mystery. A deep green arrow pointed to one of the segments.

In addition, a dense mist now covered the otherwise translucent sand table of the territory. But this mist wasn’t white—it was pale green, drifting slowly as though moved by an unseen breeze. It looked eerily strange.

He reached out and touched the roulette. It didn’t move. He tried silently commanding it to “Spin.” Still nothing. He mentally said, “Draw a prize.” No reaction.

The thing seemed to be purely ornamental—he tried everything, but it remained motionless.

This left Wang Bo bewildered again. Why had the Lord’s Heart changed? What was the meaning of this newly appeared green sand table? And what was up with those segments on the wheel?

Uncontrollably, his thoughts went back to the game guide he had read when he first encountered the Lord’s Heart. He vaguely remembered that the guide had mentioned things like the Heart of Territory… but he hadn’t paid much attention then. Now, without the guide, he had no choice but to figure it out on his own.

A missed chance like this might never come again. Wang Bo could only sigh inwardly—what a damn tragedy.

The helicopter found a relatively flat patch of grassland and slowly descended. Finding such a landing spot wasn’t easy. Although the territory had plenty of plains, the lack of upkeep meant the land was overrun with tall wild grass, which made it a hostile environment for a civilian helicopter.

After jumping down from the helicopter, Wang Bo looked around and asked, “Charlie, this place—this whole stretch of land—belongs to me?”

Charlie shrugged. “Of course, of course it does, man. This is your land now. Well, after we finish up the paperwork, it’ll be officially yours.”

Noticing the change in his expression, Charlie asked, “Hey, Wang, what’s wrong?”

Wang Bo shook his head, then pulled himself back together and said, “Oh, nothing… It’s just been so long since I’ve seen scenery like this. It’s really overwhelming.”

Charlie nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s something else, all right. Truly stunning. You said it’s been a long time since you’ve seen scenery like this? So you’ve seen it before?”

Wang Bo nodded. Charlie looked at him expectantly, and he said, “In a dream.”

He was telling the truth—but of course, Charlie didn’t believe him. No normal person would.

Objectively speaking, this was nothing but a patch of wilderness. At best, a beautiful piece of wilderness. The land was overgrown with wild grass and forests. There were no roads, no electricity, and definitely no internet. Within the entire 1,000 square kilometers, there was only one castle. It was more fitting to call it the middle of nowhere than a noble estate.

He asked Charlie about it, and Charlie simply shrugged. He explained that the previous lords from the Roberts family were all a bit eccentric. They refused to develop the land, and since it was privately owned, no one else had the right to step foot on it.

And so, while Queenstown—often hailed as the most beautiful town in the world—lay just 150 kilometers south of the Territory, Dominion of the Sun, this place was nothing but uninhabited wilderness.