Chapter 2 – First Traversal Simulation
Within view, there were only three lonely options: [Shop], [Map], and [Achievements].
Both [Shop] and [Achievements] were currently empty. Upon clicking into the map interface, only one map was available:
[Mist-Lost London] – Traversal Cost: 1 Traversal Coin
With just 2 traversal coins in hand and no other choice anyway, he spent one coin to enter and see what was inside.
As he focused his attention on [Mist-Lost London], several new messages popped up in his field of vision:
[Preparing for traversal…]
[Matching you with a parallel universe version of yourself…]
[Please choose 3 of the following 10 talents to use as matching criteria]
[1. Uneven Legs (White): Your legs are different lengths.]
[2. Narcissist (Blue): You're handsome, but extremely self-absorbed.]
[3. Doctor of Electrical Engineering (Purple): You're considered an authority in the field of electrical engineering.]
[4. Healthy Diet (White): Your diet is strictly vegetarian. You never touch meat.]
[5. Minor Luck Boost (Green): Your luck is slightly improved.]
[6. Zidane (Purple): You have ball skills as phenomenal as Zidane's, but your hairstyle is identical to his at 35.]
[7. Literary Talent (Blue): You're highly gifted in literature.]
[8. Fair-Minded (Blue): You're extremely fair in your dealings.]
[9. Trendy (Green): You have great fashion sense.]
[10. Futanari (Purple): Your reproductive system is… a little different from most.]
[Choose your talents carefully. Re-rolling the list costs 1 traversal coin each time.]
Zhou Ning: …
This game seems kind of dumb!
What the hell is "Uneven Legs"? "Zidane"? And what the hell is "Futanari"?
Honestly, there wasn't much to choose from. The best options were clearly 3, 5, and 7.
[You have selected Talents 3, 5, and 7.]
[Match successful. The parallel world version of you is a PhD in electrical engineering with strong literary talent and excellent luck—frequently winning free drinks from bottle caps.]
[When you die in the simulation, the game ends.]
[Boarding time machine… 1%… 33%… 65%… 95%… Whoosh… Traversal complete.]
A few seconds later, still waiting to traverse, Zhou Ning was stunned. He had expected to be launched away with a "biu" sound and temporarily escape his predicament, but turns out… he was still in the same dark, gloomy room! Only now, blue text started scrolling in front of his eyes.
He'd been duped—this damn thing was a text-based game!
[You have traversed to London in the year 1894. From this moment on, the wheel of history begins to turn.]
[December 18, 1894. As a PhD in electrical engineering, you are full of ambition and dream of inventing a generator—only to discover that generators already exist. Your professional knowledge tells you the first generator was invented by a Frenchman named Pixii in 1832. You've indeed arrived in the latter half of the 19th century. Oh, and you haven't eaten today. But that's fine—researchers are used to skipping meals. You can handle it.]
[December 19, 1894. You finally confirm the exact date. Still brimming with ambition, you aim to beat Tesla to the invention of the two-phase AC generator. But you find yourself with no partner, no tools, no lab, and no one willing to fund you. Still haven't eaten. You tell yourself you can handle it… who are you kidding.]
[December 20, 1894. Starving and dizzy, you decide to get any job you can just to survive. But your English is lacking—you can read but not speak. You begin to regret not studying English properly. Traversing worlds isn't as easy as it sounds.]
[December 21, 1894. Your clothes are stolen by a homeless man, and you're badly beaten. You wander outside a bakery for a long time, starving. Luckily, a kind man across the street observes you for a while. He buys you some bread. You are so moved, you cry.]
[December 22, 1894. Another failed day of job hunting. However, your English has improved somewhat. You can now understand part of what's said and can respond with basic phrases. You've acquired the skill: Basic English Proficiency.]
[December 23, 1894. Too weak to walk, you reach out your trembling hands for bread displayed outside a bakery. You're caught and beaten severely—several ribs are broken. You've acquired the trait: Basic Endurance. You've also acquired the skill: Basic Pickpocketing.]
[December 24, 1894. On Christmas Eve, snow falls. The smell of roast turkey wafts from store windows. The atmosphere is warm and festive. You lie quietly in the snow, freezing to death on the streets of London. Two days later, the same kind man from before pays for your burial.]
[You have acquired the achievement: Orphan of the Mist.]
[Evaluation: From traversal to death, you lasted seven days. "Mediocre" doesn't even begin to describe your incompetence. But it's worth noting that the man who gave you bread and paid for your burial was named George Bernard Shaw. Inspired by your tragic life, he wrote the novel Cry of the Wanderer in 1895. Your sorrowful character shocked all of Europe, catapulting Shaw to fame and earning him the first Nobel Prize in Literature in 1895. His work also sparked public criticism of Britain's welfare system. In a way, that literary titan rose to fame by feasting on your misery.]
[Evaluation Grade: F. World Exploration: 0.2%. However, due to your deep influence on world literary history, you receive 1 traversal coin and 500 experience points.]
"That's it?" Staring at the short, dull, and miserable life he had just lived, Zhou Ning's expression shifted from confusion, to disbelief, to sheer shock. He wanted to curse, but didn't know where to start. In the end, he could only sigh deeply:
"Sigh…"
It was absurd, and he hated to admit it, but if he were the one who actually crossed over… it probably wouldn't have gone much better.
Way to disgrace the traversal community, bro.
[Simulation complete. Please make your choice.]
[Option One: Randomly obtain three skills or traits acquired during the simulation.]
[Option Two: Randomly receive three items acquired during the simulation.]
As soon as these options appeared, Zhou Ning chose the first without hesitation.
[You have obtained the skill: Basic Pickpocketing.]
[You have obtained the trait: Basic Endurance.]
[You have obtained the skill: Basic English.]
[Because you now know two or more foreign languages, a new sub-profession has been unlocked: Linguist.]
Moments later, Zhou Ning felt some fundamental knowledge of English and pickpocketing appear in his mind. His skill panel now showed a new trait as well.
[Basic Endurance: Stamina growth factor +0.13, Willpower +1. Negative status effects such as hunger, thirst, and cold affect you slightly less.]
——————
In Apocalypse, Strength determines physical attack and physical attack limit. All melee damage classes require high Strength.
Agility determines movement speed, attack speed, and evasion, and also slightly boosts ranged attack power. It's a must for ranged physical DPS.
Stamina increases max HP. Every 1 point adds 10 base HP and 12 stamina. Some traits and skills can alter this growth factor and slightly boost defense.
Willpower determines resistance to abnormal status effects and max willpower. Higher Willpower increases resistance and improves learning speed.
Spirit basically corresponds to casting talent and mana regen. It determines the strength and sustainability of magic attacks—core for magic-based classes. If this stat is low, playing a magic class is nearly impossible.
Charisma affects initial favorability with characters and factions, and gives discounts in NPC transactions.
Looking at the new skills and traits on his panel, Zhou Ning came to a conclusion:
The two games had indeed merged. Anything gained in the Traversal Simulator could be carried over into reality.