After a long night of battle, Adam and his girlfriend, Aurora, slept peacefully.
Their bodies were exhausted from the intense passion they had shared, and a warm sense of comfort lingered in the air around them.
Time passed swiftly.
As the gentle rays of sunlight brushed across his eyelids, Adam squinted and slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he noticed was the slightly open window, through which bright beams of sunlight filtered into the room, casting soft patterns on the floor.
He glanced around and realized Aurora was not beside him.
Just then, a peculiar scent drifted into his nose—one that made his stomach grumble softly.
'It seems she's cooking breakfast?' Adam guessed. He rose from the bed, stretched his limbs lazily, and yawned.
He did a few light exercises for a couple of minutes, then headed into the bathroom to freshen up.
After finishing his bath, he stood in front of the mirror, running a comb lightly through his silver hair.
His reflection stared back at him: an extremely handsome young man with hair that shimmered faintly like diamonds.
His deep blue eyes glowed like polished jewels, and his strong, clean jawline gave him the appearance of someone sculpted by the gods.
Adam believed he stood among the finest specimens mankind had produced.
After admiring himself for a moment, he stepped out of the room and walked towards the kitchen.
There, Aurora was busily preparing breakfast.
She wore a simple apron tied around her waist, and in that moment, she looked every bit like the perfect housewife.
From a distance, Adam paused, his eyes fixed on her.
He walked up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist before planting a soft, passionate kiss on her cheek.
"Good morning, love," Aurora said with a radiant smile.
Despite the faint scent of spices clinging to her skin, the delicate floral fragrance that naturally surrounded her could not be masked.
"Good morning. What are you making for us?" Adam asked curiously, stepping away from her and finding a chair to sit as he watched her hands move deftly over the cooking utensils.
Aurora appeared to be in high spirits as she replied with a warm smile, "Of course it's a delicacy to celebrate your awakening."
Adam raised a brow, his curiosity piqued. His gaze shifted towards the array of steaming dishes nearby.
It was just as she had said. The table was laden with a true delicacy: steaks, tender cuts of beef, and even meat from awakened beasts and ingredients enhanced by mana.
The scent alone was overwhelming. Adam felt his throat tighten slightly and swallowed unconsciously.
While Aurora was momentarily distracted, he reached out and plucked a piece of steak from a nearby plate, popping it into his mouth. The meat was warm, juicy, and perfectly tender. It released a savory burst of flavor that made him close his eyes in satisfaction.
Unable to resist, he sneakily took another piece.
Aurora suddenly cleared her throat behind him.
Realizing he had been caught, Adam chuckled softly and said nothing.
"Go and sit at the dining table while I serve the dishes…"
Adam nodded at her words and, within moments, this school beauty had laid out everything before him in an elegant display.
…
The meal was hearty and satisfying. Midway through eating, Aurora paused, hesitating briefly.
A soft silver light flashed in her palm as she pulled out a scroll and handed it to Adam.
"This contains all three paths of cultivation for an awakened… don't reject it."
Adam was stunned. He turned his gaze to the scroll, noticing that it resembled an old, worn-out book. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to meet Aurora's.
Her alexandrite-colored eyes reflected calm determination.
Seeing this, Adam knew that if he refused, she would be deeply hurt.
He sighed gently, "Babe, you really don't have to do this…"
Aurora came from one of the most prestigious Awakened noble families in history.
It was said that her ancestors were among the first to awaken, and the power of awakening flowed strongly through her bloodline.
Because of this, she had awakened early at the age of sixteen, passed the entrance examinations, and was already in her second year at the university.
How his predecessor had managed to capture her heart remained a mystery, especially now that she was willing to share such a valuable treasure with him.
Adam knew that cultivation manuals for even one path cost upwards of one hundred thousand dollars.
A scroll containing all three paths would be unimaginably expensive.
A sense of emotion welled up in his heart.
'Damn, now I really have to marry her…' his thoughts moved slightly.
He set the cultivation scroll to one side and smiled. "Thanks, babe. I'll take my time to study it. How has school been? You should be returning back in four months, right?"
Aurora exhaled softly, relieved that Adam had accepted the gift.
'I really thought he wouldn't accept it… Then I'll have to play that card,' she sighed helplessly.
However, a sweet smile soon graced her lips as she heard his question asking about her welfare.
"There hasn't been much news from school. As for the missions assigned to us during the break, I'm still preparing. Once everything is ready, I will gather a few other awakeners from my class, and I will head into an origin realm or go capture a heretic."
Hearing this, Adam felt a twinge of worry grip his chest. He paused and looked at her seriously.
"Will you be alright?"
Aurora's smile dimmed slightly, but she quickly nodded.
"Of course. Besides, my guards will be accompanying me. There is nothing for you to worry about."
Adam nodded, somewhat reassured.
"I noticed Lily next door casting flirtatious looks at you… You really don't have anything going on between you two, right?" changing the topic, Aurora suddenly asked.
The question caught Adam off guard, and he began to choke on his food.
Aurora rushed to his side with a glass of water, apologizing quickly.
Only after he waved her off repeatedly did she return to her meal, though the concern in her eyes remained.
…
After the meal, Aurora needed to go out for a while to continue preparing for her school mission.
Just before leaving, she turned to Adam and tossed him a small stone.
It was a mana stone, and its faint cracks and darkened patches made it clear that it was a low-grade one.
"This is a low-grade mana stone. It should be enough to help you step into the first stage of cultivation." She hugged Adam tightly and then quickly left, leaving the dazed Adam.
Adam's mind wandered to the mana stone, and then to the cultivation manual she had given him.
Slowly, it drifted back to the… life simulator.
'Surely I shouldn't right…' Adam tried to dissuade himself, but his thoughts were already moving towards the glowing blue panel in front of him.
[Do you wish to start a paid simulation?]
...
A/N: I hope you enjoy the opening of this novel. Support by adding to your library and giving a power stone or two. Thank you. There might be no release at the usual time, as I probably would be too busy, so here's the chapter.