Chapter 1: Arrival in Middle-earth

"Whoa, where the hell is this?" Daniel was just playing The Lord of the Rings on his computer when suddenly, with a bright flash and a loud bang, he found himself in this godforsaken place.

"Chirp! Chirp!" A series of high-pitched screeches pierced the air, making Daniel jump and look around. 

When he glanced down, he froze in shock. 

He was now wearing the legendary Mithril Coat from The Lord of the Rings, with the epic Dragon Slayer sword at his waist, and a massive Mithril tower shield strapped to his back.

"What the... Isn't this my gear from The Lord of the Rings game?" Daniel stared at the unfamiliar yet very familiar equipment, his brain short-circuiting.

"Wait... have I been transported into Middle-earth?" Daniel began to piece it together.

He realized that he had been transmigrated in Lord of the Rings with his in-game character Rynar Nightstorm.

However, Daniel's enthusiasm quickly turned to dread as he realized something terrible.

 If this were Middle-earth from the Lord of the Rings movies, that would be manageable. 

But if it's from the game… Daniel thought he might as well dig a hole and bury himself now.

The game was a heavily modified version of Middle-earth, based on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies, but with added fantasy elements like battle energy and magic. 

The map and power dynamics had been altered too. While major characters and plot remained same, some of the other things had been overhauled. 

Daniel's heart was now pounding in anxiety.

…

A few goblins with green skin and short statures jumped out of the bushes, brandishing bone clubs and rusty pickaxes that barely counted as weapons.

"Yup, definitely the game version," Daniel muttered, recognizing the iconic wasteland goblins.

"Clang!" 

He drew the Dragon Slayer sword from his waist and brought the shield in front of him.

The goblins charged, their weak arms flailing as they ineffectively struck at his indestructible Mithril shield.

"Ha!" 

With a shout, Daniel swung his sword in a golden arc, slicing the goblins clean in half.

"Just as I thought…" Daniel could feel the battle energy surging through him. 

Based on this, he figured he was probably at the rank of a Grand Knight, which meant he was truly in the Lord of the Rings world.

In this system, supernatural ranks were divided into five levels: Apprentice Knight, Knight, Grand Knight, Knight Commander, and Knight Marshal. 

And there were plenty of other extraordinary professions divided in the same five-tier system.

Suppressing the urge to vomit, Daniel turned his head away from the dismembered goblin corpses. 

Sheathing his sword, he couldn't help but admire his sword—it was incredibly sharp and didn't even have a drop of blood on it.

"A small test of strength: completed. Reward: Fully Armored Shire Warhorse x1. Stored in the Lord of the Rings system space." 

Suddenly, the ring on Daniel's hand grew warm, and a bright screen appeared before him.

"The game system?! No way! It followed me here? I've hit the jackpot!" Daniel shouted excitedly. 

With this system, he could earn rewards and potentially build his own kingdom here, becoming a lord. 

After all, Middle-earth was vast, and many regions were desolate. In the game, countless players had established their own territories in the wilderness and became powerful rulers.

Once he figured out how to use the system, Daniel summoned the fully armored Shire Warhorse from the ring. 

After all, having cavalry would be a huge advantage in the wasteland. Plus, what kind of knight doesn't have a horse?

"Wow… fully armored, indeed…" Daniel said in exasperation as he saw the warhorse covered in layer upon layer of armor. 

It looked more suited for heavy cavalry, with its steel chainmail extending down to its legs. 

If it weren't for the Shire's extraordinary strength, Daniel suspected any other horse would have collapsed after a few kilometers under all that weight.

"Well, at least now we don't have to worry about small groups of orcs!" Daniel encouraged himself. 

Orcs had a basic instinct for survival, after all. Who in their right mind would attack a fully armored Grand Knight?

"System, tell me what I should do next?" Daniel asked the system, hopeful.

"..."

"Okay, so it only gives rewards based on achievements… I guess I need to meet certain criteria before it hands out anything." Daniel mumbled to himself.

"Well, first thing's first, I need to find a place to rest for the night. It's getting dark.

Maybe I should look for food tomorrow and find a village or town. Who knows where I am…" Daniel sighed, rubbing his temples.

Gathering some dry branches along the way, Daniel rode aimlessly across the wasteland, secretly hoping a few orcs would show up so he could at least pass the time.

"This looks good," Daniel said, eyeing a small stone cave formed by a cluster of interlocking rocks. The space inside was about ten square meters—just enough for him to spend the night.

"Now… How do I start a fire?" Daniel suddenly froze.

"Crap! I should've watched more survival shows!" He stared at the pile of dry wood, feeling a bit bitter. "Maybe I can try rubbing sticks together?"

"Damn it… it's not working."

"Wait, it's smoking!"

"Argh! My hand!"

"To hell with this!" Daniel finally broke down, thoroughly frustrated as he watched the sun setting over the wasteland. He was utterly dejected.

"No, I have to get this fire started! The wasteland is dangerous at night," he told himself.

At last, just as night fell, a tiny spark lit up Daniel's face. His cramped hands carefully nurtured the fire into a small blaze using the dry branches.

"Ah, praise the light!" Daniel exclaimed, practically dancing around the fire.

"First fire: completed. Reward: Long Loaves of Bread x100, Fresh Water x100. Stored in the system space."

"Huh? Rewards again! Looks like I won't go hungry after all," Daniel laughed.

The loaves were half a meter long, about the width of his hand, and the water came in one-liter bags. 

He roasted one of the loaves over the fire and took a few gulps of water from his canteen. 

Once the bread turned golden and started to release a fragrant aroma, he pulled it from the flames and bit into it, savoring the taste.

After leading his warhorse into the cave, Rynar began removing its armor under the firelight, admiring the quality. 

Yes, Daniel had already realized his new situation and taken on his in-game name, as according to him it sounded cool in the current setting instead of plain Daniel.

The armor was made from fine alloyed steel, with tightly interwoven chain links that were both lightweight and sturdy. 

As he stashed the armor back into the system space, Rynar leaned his sword against his side and lay down beside the horse. 

Gazing up at the bright stars, a wave of loneliness washed over him.

"Heh, my first night in Middle-earth. Good night," Rynar muttered to himself.

Outside the cave, the fire flickered in the evening breeze, unaware that its light could either repel wild beasts or attract unwelcome visitors.

The horse suddenly snorted, uneasy.

Having been a light sleeper, Rynar sprang to his feet, shield at the ready on his left arm and sword drawn in his right, scanning the entrance of the cave with caution.

"Oh crap! No, no, no, no!" Rynar cursed in every language he knew.

"Damn it! It's a Wyrm!" he groaned in despair.