'Truly, the saying don't judge a book by its cover shouldn't be taken lightly!' Adam muttered to himself.
'I just hope I don't drain myself too much and end up dead because of this talent. Maybe I should've gone with the gun expert instead and tried a high-tech world—if something like that even exists.'
There was no room for regret now. Adam focused, eyes tracing the flowing lines of glowing blue words that continued appearing before him.
[Year 16: You woke up early and realized your aunt had already left. Not thinking much of it, you cheerfully rushed to the Cultivation Pavilion, a place where one could receive a cultivation manual.]
[There, you picked the most powerful scripture available: the Immortal Sutra. Your parents tried to dissuade you from cultivating it, warning that the family only possessed a single volume.]
[But you were too proud to listen. You claimed you were the protagonist, and like all Chinese novels, you would naturally find the rest of the scripture in the future.]
[Your real goal, however, was to grow stronger as fast as possible. And so, that day, you officially stepped onto the path of cultivation.]
[Year 17: You continued training in the Immortal Sutra for over a year and had already broken through to the third stage of the Immortal Gathering Realm.]
[Over time, your sister and a few bold maids—unafraid of consequences—fell under the irresistible allure of your white talent: Master of All.]
[Year 18: You reached the sixth stage of the Immortal Gathering Realm, shocking your clan. A celebration was held in your honor. No one in the family had ever cultivated that quickly.]
[That night, in the arms of your aunt and sister, you were about to bask in the pleasures of your success, when a towering figure suddenly descended upon the Immortal Clan.]
[He accused you of being a heretic cultivator and struck you down instantly, killing you and your two relatives on the spot.]
[You died.]
"Fuck! Damn it—fucking bitch!" Adam shot to his feet, rage boiling in his chest.
"Who the hell was that giant? Where the hell did he come from? Why would he just show up and kill me? Was it because of how fast I was cultivating? Or the cultivation method itself? Or... was he jealous that I was attracting all the beauties?"
His head swam with questions. The simulation had been progressing so well. He was finally enjoying himself—and then, out of nowhere, that figure appeared and ended everything in an instant.
As confusion and frustration clouded his thoughts, a new line of text suddenly flashed before his eyes.
[Please select one reward from the following options:]
[1. Your strength in the simulated world]
[2. White Talent: Master of All]
[3. Knowledge of the Ancient Immortal Realm]
[4. Immortal Sutra]
[5. Immortal Essence Stone]
"Damn, that's a lot…" Adam inhaled sharply, scanning the list in front of him.
"I can eliminate the White Talent: Master of All right away. That thing is too unstable. I have no idea what kind of effect it would have in the real world. My girlfriend might actually kill me if I bring that chaos back. This isn't a game. I can't take stupid risks."
He moved to the next option in his mind.
"The Immortal Essence Stone… it probably works like a mana stone. But without an immortal cultivation technique, it's useless."
"Knowledge of the Immortal Realm? That sounds nice, but it's not my original world. What good would that information do me here?"
"Which leaves my simulated strength and the Immortal Sutra…"
Adam fell silent, lost in thought. He paced for a while, weighing the value of each remaining option. Minutes passed before he finally smiled, as if struck by clarity.
"System, I choose the Immortal Sutra."
His voice was steady, resolute. He could always simulate the immortal world again and acquire power through experience. But finding the Immortal Sutra again? That might never happen.
'Besides, maybe in future simulations, I'll find the missing volumes of the sutra,' Adam thought, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.
He knew he'd made the right call. He could have gone with strength, but that might have been a short-term benefit.
Without a solid foundation, that strength would eventually be lost. A cultivation technique, however, was something he could build upon—endlessly.
'Now that I have a real cultivation method, I can simulate the Ancient Immortal World again and choose the strength option next time,' he thought, grinning wildly.
A pulse of white light flashed in the air, and a thick book materialized in his hands. Adam instinctively stepped back a little, surprised by the weight and size of the tome.
He flipped it open and began scanning through the content. To his surprise, the immortal language written within made perfect sense to him.
Apparently, one reward from the simulation had carried over—a passive ability allowing him to comprehend the Immortal Tongue. Relieved, he immersed himself in the book.
The room went silent, save for the soft rustle of turning pages and his measured breathing.
After a long while, he slowly inhaled and let out a quiet sigh.
'How complex… To think I managed to cultivate something like this in my simulated life. No wonder progress felt slow. It wasn't slow at all. It was actually ridiculously fast.'
The realization stunned him. And yet, his white talent, Genius, had already begun to stir again, bubbling with potential ideas.
'What if I can substitute mana for immortal essence? Maybe I can compare this sutra with the technique Aurora gave me. If I'm lucky, I might be able to develop a unique technique tailored entirely to myself.'
But that idea felt premature. His mind couldn't fully grasp it yet.
'Seems like I'd need a red-tier talent to instantly understand all of this and make something truly meaningful out of it,' he mused.
Setting the hefty book down nearby, he considered the situation. Since it was written in the immortal language, there was no danger of Aurora reading or understanding it.
Stretching lightly, he muttered to himself, "Time to head out to the Awakeners Association and get my license. A day has already passed. I can't delay any longer."
With that decision made, Adam took a quick shower, dressed in light clothing, and stepped out of the building. After walking a short distance, he hailed a taxi.
"To the Awakeners Association…" he said calmly.
...