Chapter 4: The Price of Reality
The sun had barely risen over Wu Tan City when Xiao Yan opened his eyes. Sweat soaked through his inner robe, and his chest rose and fell in heavy breaths. For a moment, he was silent, staring at the wooden ceiling above.
He could still feel it.
The heat of the desert.
The scent of sand and fire.
Queen Medusa's voice—soft but cold. Her presence. Her pain. Her trust.
He had died defending her.
And he had no regrets.
Then the system's voice echoed, sharp and mechanical.
> [Ding! Daily Simulation Available.] [Current Simulation Points: 1] [Note: Deep Simulations cost 2 Points. Only Text Simulations are available until you acquire more points.]
Xiao Yan blinked.
"What? Text simulation?"
> [You used a gifted Deep Simulation previously. All future Deep Simulations cost Simulation Points.]
He sat up slowly, heart still heavy from the death he'd experienced. The thought of returning to that immersive world, only to be locked out, made him clench his fist.
"So it's not free anymore..."
> [Would you like to begin a Text Simulation?]
He hesitated, then exhaled. "Do it."
> [Initializing Text Simulation... Drawing Talent...]
> [Talent Drawn: Green Grade - 'Mild Spiritual Sensitivity'] [Effect: Slightly improves spiritual sense and detection of nearby energies.]
"Barely useful," Xiao Yan muttered.
The simulation began.
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> [Text Simulation Begins]
> [Age: 15. Location: Xiao Clan Compound.] [You notice signs of strange Dou Qi in your courtyard late at night. A masked figure is watching you. You do not react.]
> [Over the next week, more eyes seem to follow you. You try to investigate, but your strength is too low. Your father grows concerned.]
> [At the clan meeting, Nalan Yanran visits alongside a Misty Cloud Sect elder. Your engagement is publicly broken.]
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth as the lines unfolded.
> [You show no emotion, and the crowd mocks you. Nalan Yanran says you have no future.]
> [You try to train harder, but with only three Dou Qi stages, your efforts are slow.]
> [Yao Lao does not appear.]
His heart sank at that.
> [You begin brewing low-level pills, selling them for coin to fund your cultivation. However, the market is competitive. Your profit is small.]
> [A rival clan poisons one of your customers. You are blamed. Your Xiao Clan name is dragged through the mud.]
> [Your cousin Xiao Ning challenges you publicly. You lose.]
> [You try to enter the Magic Beast Mountain Range to find a breakthrough.]
> [You are killed by a Mid-Grade Wind Wolf after three days of surviving off grass and dirty water.]
> [Simulation Ended.] [Lifespan: 4 Months] [Earned Simulation Points: 1]
> [Rewards Available:]
Mild Spiritual Sensitivity (1 Point)
Basic Poison Resistance (Free)
Low-Level Alchemy Techniques (Free)
Xiao Yan stared at the text.
Killed by a wolf.
Abandoned by his fiancée.
Yao Lao never appeared.
No flames. No justice. No honor.
Just weakness.
Just silence.
He exhaled.
"So this is what happens without the ring... Without effort... Without power."
He chose the Basic Poison Resistance and Alchemy Techniques. He needed practical skills.
> [Rewards applied. Current Points: 2]
His body tingled slightly as new knowledge settled into his mind. How to identify basic poisons. How to process herbs better. Nothing powerful, but useful.
Still... it wasn't enough.
He stepped out into the courtyard. The sky was overcast. The air cool.
The Xiao Clan estate was quiet, with only a few servants sweeping the stone paths.
His hand reached for the ring on his finger.
Still no reaction.
"Yao Lao... are you waiting for something? Or someone?"
He didn't know the trigger.
In the simulation, without Yao Lao, he died like a dog.
But in this real world, he still had a chance.
And now, 2 Simulation Points.
He looked to the horizon.
"I'll earn more. I'll unlock the next Deep Simulation soon."
His voice was firm.
"And when I do... I'll rewrite this world."
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> [New Mission Unlocked: Earn 3 Points to Unlock Advanced Talent Draw] [Hidden Mission: Fulfill 1 Prophecy from the Text Simulation (Rewards Tripled)]
He smiled faintly.
Now it begins.
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