"This simulated life has been quite eventful, to say the least."
Ji An broke out in a cold sweat.
He nervously clicked on the life summary, terrified that a punishment prompt would pop up.
[Overall Rating: Excellent]
[Life Summary: Raised as a human among another species, you achieved relatively glorious accomplishments.]
[You have received simulation rewards: 'Hilichurl Storm Axe Art' skill book, Elementary Proficiency in Hilichurl Language]
Well... not bad, really.
The system didn't consider his performance a failure. On the contrary, it gave him a high rating, issued rewards, and allowed him to inherit the 'Hilichurl Storm Axe Art'—a martial art he had mastered during the simulation.
For a first simulation, Ji An was satisfied with this outcome.
He looked at the skill book that had appeared in his hand.
Its pale yellow cover emitted a soft glow, and the book itself seemed to exist between the tangible and the intangible. Though he held it, he felt no weight.
On an impulse, the skill book transformed into particles of light and merged into his body.
"This feeling... I've gotten stronger."
He shuddered all over, then scanned the cave and found a stick about as thick as a bowl.
When he first lifted it, it felt heavy and awkward.
But as soon as he activated the skill, the wooden stick became an extension of his own body, moving without the slightest hesitation.
"Storm Axe Art!"
Ji An shouted in a low voice.
The stick in his hand split into countless axe shadows, striking with astonishing force.
Thud!
With the final move, he brought the stick down hard on a rock, leaving a deep mark.
During the simulation, this axe art, which had taken him ten years to comprehend, had been effortlessly overturned by a single sword stroke from his opponent. But for an ordinary person like Ji An, it was still quite impressive.
It meant he was no longer weak and helpless—he now had the power to protect himself.
'Great. With this axe art, I can at least hold my own against three hilichurls.'
After estimating his current strength, Ji An smiled with satisfaction.
[Two simulation opportunities remain. Continue simulating?]
Hearing the system's reminder, he nodded without hesitation. "Continue!"
Having gained benefits this time, he was eager to see what rewards the next simulation would bring.
...
[Attempting to obtain geographical simulation bonus... Successfully obtained 'Liyue Immortal Mountain' specialty bonus.]
Ji An raised an eyebrow. Huh? This was different from last time. He wondered what impact it would have on the simulated life.
[Randomly allocating attribute points and talent skills...]
Attributes:
Ji An nodded in satisfaction. Not bad, not bad. Apart from the poor family background, the attributes were quite evenly distributed this time.
Talent Skills:
[Forest Breeze]: Born in the wilderness.
Was it because of the geographical influence? Both simulations so far had started in the mountains and forests.
[Mischievous Child]: You were very naughty as a child.
[No Desire to Learn]: You will not attend Liyue's private school.
Hmm, these talents were pretty average. But on the bright side, it likely meant nothing too unexpected would happen.
This round is stable!
Ji An eagerly pressed 'Start New Life'.
The system began operating:
[0 years old: You were born. You are a boy.]
[1 year old: You were too mischievous. You pulled off the red string on your mother, causing her to lose control and accidentally kill you. You died.]
[Lifespan: 1 year]
[Click to view life summary.]
Ji An: ???
What the heck? How did pulling off a red string lead to death?
Was his mother's red string some kind of nuclear button?
He was utterly bewildered.
He had held high hopes for this second simulation, only to die at the age of 1.
This is just...
Feeling deeply frustrated, Ji An clicked on the life summary.
[Overall Rating: Pass]
[Life Summary: Still acting up? It's fine. Just be more careful in your next life.]
[You have obtained a unique character bond: [Haven't I Seen You Somewhere Before?]]
He couldn't help but sigh in relief. At least there was no punishment.
That made it somewhat acceptable.
But what was this 'unique character bond' all about?
'[Haven't I Seen You Somewhere Before?]: When the host reveals their true appearance in front of the specific character, a special effect will be triggered.'
What did 'special effect' mean? He pondered the phrase for a long time but couldn't figure it out, and the system provided no further explanation.
"Forget it, never mind."
Since he couldn't understand it, he decided to set it aside for now.
Half an hour had passed after two simulations.
Ji An, feeling the gnawing hunger in his stomach, decided to go find something to eat.
He picked up his wooden stick and headed out.
Now versed in the 'Hilichurl Storm Axe Art', he was no longer the person he used to be—he wouldn't have to flee at the sight of a single hilichurl.
Unless there were three or more!
Alright, after wandering around the mountain for a while, Ji An frustratingly discovered that hilichurls always traveled in groups.
There wasn't a single lone hilichurl around for him to test his newly acquired martial arts skills on and settle the score from a few days ago.
His plan to snatch food from the hilichurls had failed.
In the end, Ji An returned with a few sunsettias picked from a Cuihua tree.
Back in the cave.
Munching on the fruit, Ji An eagerly began his third simulation.
Both previous simulated lives had turned out rather poorly, yet he still received rewards.
Did that mean punishment scenarios were almost non-existent? Great, this system was really impressive!
After clicking 'Start New Life', the attribute points were automatically allocated—quite evenly, once again.
Then came the talents:
[Provocative]: Enjoys stirring up trouble for no reason.
[Magic Stick]: Can transform into a Magical Girl.
[Albino]: Will not suffer gunshot wounds.
Seeing these three talents, Ji An couldn't help but scratch his head.
They felt... slightly peculiar.
But he didn't pay it much mind. The previous set of talents had also been odd; the actual impact would depend on how the simulation played out.
[0 years old: You were born. You are a girl.]
Ah, a path never considered—turns out he could be a girl too?
But after a glance at the [Magic Stick] talent, he seemed to understand something.
[1 year old: You gave your mother the middle finger while she was feeding you milk, startling her so much she called the whole family to see.]
[4 years old: Playing pirate games with other children in Liyue Harbor, you refused to take your turn being the captain.]
Hmm... another mischievous child?
[5 years old: You met Guoba, who was out for a stroll, and tricked it into believing your home had spicy meat buns, making it wait outside your door all night.]
[...]
[12 years old: Due to your behavior, no one in all of Liyue was willing to play with you anymore.]
[13 years old: You shifted your attention to the monsters outside Liyue Harbor.]
[16 years old: You achieved the full aggro achievement. Wherever you were, you were the most reliable tank for drawing hatred.]
Just what did she do...
[...]
[24 years old: While separated from others, you were captured by the Treasure Hoarders and taken to their hideout.]
[25 years old: You transformed into a Magical Girl in an attempt to escape. You failed. The Magic Stick was taken away.]
[26 years old: The Treasure Hoarder hideout was invaded by monsters. You were killed.]
[Lifespan: 26 years]
[Click to view life summary.]
Even before clicking, Ji An had a feeling that the rating for this simulation might not be great.
But when he saw the result, his expression froze completely.
[Overall Rating: Fail]
[Life Summary: Universally disliked—you're in a league of your own!]
[You have received a punishment debuff: Maximum Hatred]
[For the next twelve hours, your location will be marked. All monsters within a ten-mile radius will be able to sense your presence.]
Ji An's lips trembled slightly.
He read the debuff description over and over again.
Twelve hours?
All monsters within ten miles?
Finally accepting reality, Ji An, pale-faced, murmured, "I get it now. This is meant to kill me."
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A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Life Simulator: Starting in Genshin Impact!
Zenless Zone Zero: Loving Daily Life Starting in New Eridu
patreon.com/deadlygoober