[One White Life Shard consumed]
[Input a Directional Plan!]
Eh?
Sol was momentarily confused before an instinctive understanding appeared in his mind. For a simulation to begin, he had to have an idea about what to simulate. He needed some infantile plan for the future, and the Life Simulator itself would run that plan against reality itself.
That was the limit of what a White Shard could do.
Then…
What plan to add?
As he began thinking, Sol immediately rounded out his current predicament. Before anything, he needed to save himself from execution. Otherwise, not to mention eating the sun, he wouldn't be able to jump off the roof.
An infantile plan for escape bloomed in his mind, and before he could ponder more, the system prompted him.
[Simulation beginning]
[Detailing Reality around the Host, Collecting Data from the Heavens]
[...Initiation Complete]
Damn, I hadn't even detailed you on the plan, on hell.
But then, Sol focused on the simulation, heart pounding.
[Day 1.]
[Time was already nearing night by the time you came out of your daze. And by then, Mirin had fallen asleep on your lap, hugging your waist with tears all over her face. You couldn't bear to wake her up, so you also laid down against the wall, falling asleep without a hitch due to how tired you were.]
[Day 2. You woke up at 2 am, noticing how weirdly similar the clock on Earth and this world were. Both were 24 hours in a day and both had seven days in a week.]
[By the time Mirin woke up, you had already had the maids arrange a sumptuous breakfast in your room. But when she did wake up, she was as shy as a spooked rabbit. She had rarely slept in your room, after all, and it was clear that she was shocked by your inexplicable kiss earlier.]
[You sighed.]
[Because you were castrated early in life, you had become extremely afraid of being put in a state where you would have to reveal that fact to Mirin. She didn't know you were castrated and you didn't want her to think you were not a man. That was why you had never allowed her to sleep with you. Mirin, on her part, had always thought that was because you were not yet ready.]
In reality, Sol looked at the lady who was now trying to hold back her tears as she stared at the sky. He pulled her into his lap, caressing her hair.
She is so similar to Liora.
Mirin bit her lips, she couldn't stop the tears as she began to sob.
Ignoring her, he looked back at the simulation.
[The kiss still made Mirin reel. She couldn't help but wonder whether this change in your behavior was because you felt close to death. That saddened her to the point food felt meaningless.]
[You yourself was not that afraid because you planned to escape before the Emperor returned. The only thing to worry about was the Contract that the First Brother placed on you.]
[On the other hand, thinking about your castrated member, you felt infinite shame and insecurity. It was a curse to not be capable when a woman as fantastic as Mirin was so close and willing.]
So true, but that's not my first concern at this point, he thought with a sigh. I have more pressing problems.
[After that period of time spent eating, you began to plan for your escape. One thing in your hand gave you confidence to escape!]
[You gulped down the food and picked up a book hidden under your bed, Mirin looked curiously at you and asked what it was.]
[You looked at her, subconsciously focusing on her lips, and she blushed, looking away and beginning to clean your room's burned mess. You couldn't help but laugh.]
[You focused back on the book.]
[This was a book you had once skimmed long ago: Escaping the Royal Prison!]
[It was written by a past criminal who escaped from the Royal Prison. And from then on, the book was perfected every generation by all criminals who tried to escape the prison itself. Crucially, only you knew about this shady book because you had found it from a dead criminal!]
[It had been manifested as a book after the dead prison escapee's Sculpted Gift crystallized into an Object! An ever-growing guidebook to escape the Royal Prison. One only you knew existed.]
[Your plan was to read it until you find an effective method for your own escape. It was not about escaping your exact situation, but there should be some inspiration there in.]
[Sadly, you were an inherent procrastinator. You subconsciously found a more interesting novel beside you and ended up checking it out.]
Uh, what am I doing? Stupid!
[You muttered inwardly that the Emperor wouldn't come tomorrow, so you still had time. And thus, you spent the day reading the novel: Conquering the Immortal Empress!]
[You hated the novel.]
[Day 3. Today, you swore you won't procrastinate and began reading the prison break book. But after you finished one page, you came to believe it was enough for today. It was just the introductory page!]
"..."
Reading up to there, real world Sol was speechless. But he couldn't argue—he could see himself doing exactly this after saying he wouldn't do such a thing.
Even with his life on the line, he procrastinated and finished working after reading just the introduction page.
Would he waste this entire simulation procrastinating?
Sol sighed as he subconsciously combed Mirin's hair. It felt weird to comb someone else's hair.
[You found another interesting novel about an escapist Gifted who had the power of fast movement, and that made you excited. You said to yourself that it was for reference and began reading the novel. Even as Mirin spent more and more time hugging you, you didn't let her stop you from reading.]
[Reading was more important. This book was too interesting.]
Truly a cold man I am.
[You will think about escaping after you finished it.]
[The day passed, and you still hadn't finished the novel. You found out it had 9 sequels and you were incredibly excited.]
Sigh…
[Day 4. You found the sequels and began reading them. Seeing you fall further and further into the ruinous habit of escapism, Mirin could only hide her sadness and hug you more. She would try to bring you out to see the interesting places in the palace, but for you, the book took precedence.]
[It was the most interesting.]
Truly a man without a dick!
[Day 5. You finished the 4th book in the sequel. The story was growing more interesting.]
[Day 11. The book was bigger than you anticipated.]
[Day 20. You finished the final book's last page, your face warped in wrath. In your anger, you threw the book in your hand at the wall. Then yelled at the wall: "What?! The Author died? This book is unfinished!? DAMN YOU MOTH—"]
[Due to the past few days, Mirin had become immensely depressed. She began complaining about everything you do. About how you were wasting your last days, how she wanted to see the world with you for at least one day.
[You shouted at her that it is your last days, not hers. Shocked, she left crying.]
"..."
[You didn't console her. It was better for her to hate you a bit if it would make your potential death easier on her.]
[Feeling compelled, instead, you looked at your own hand. It was time to truly try escaping.]
[Having an idea, you left at night and reached a certain part of the palace. The corridor was as bright as morning itself.]
[There was a room there, the door standing alone. On it was written: Raven Blackheart. This was the room of the fastest Gifted in the Empire. The new High Commander in training for the Royal Military itself.]
[A Stage 5 Gifted who could blow Sol to smithereens with a thought.]
[Upon a few knocks, a tired man came out. He didn't look friendly.]
[You immediately explained that you just wanted to see everyone in the palace once before you died!]
["At this time of night?" The man barked.]
[Taking his hand unceremoniously, you smiled. "Sorry, then I'll go away!"]
Sol's eyes brightened. Finally doing something productive.
[After leaving Raven Blackheart behind, you looked at your own hand. The Body Morph Gift slowly left your body, leaving behind another ability that seemed as swift as lightning inside you.]
[This was your ace in the sleeve. A Sculpted Gift here-to-fore unseen. A calm, cold smile stretched across your face.]
[Others would have predicted the ways you would escape based on your existing abilities. But as long as you had a Gift no one could anticipate, can't you leave by surprise?]
[No one knew that you could copy any Sculpted Gift by touching its host. It was just that you could only have one Gift at a time, and you had been using an old Body Morph skill for a long time.]
[The Body Morph itself was just a failed attempt to heal your castrated body; you had just kept it around to show others, and only the Emperor knew about your real gift.]
[Thinking about all of that, before midnight ended, you jumped down the palace roofs, your body transforming into a lightning shadow as you moved in a blitz through a dark forest.]
Hm? That won't work, did I get stupid?
[Immediately, you grinned. As I expected, that contract doesn't say I can't leave the palace. It just says I can't break the palace laws. The decree stating I can't leave the palace is not yet official, nor is it a law, it's just something I've been told not to do verbally, so I can leave!]
In reality, Sol tensed. Something was wrong.
That was a loophole, and the second rule of the contract was to not exploit loopholes.
I would never do such a thing, is the simulator glitching?
Sol's entire body's hair stood on end.
[You ran through the forest with incredible speed.]
[First Brother, you've underestimated me!]
[You froze. No. The First Brother isn't the type to underestimate people, and I am not the type to be this impulsive.]
[Did I forget something?]
[Just as that thought echoed in your mind, you felt a lightness in your step. A circle in your vision. And the next thing you knew, you were enveloped by darkness. You remembered the second law you had seemingly forgotten: Don't try to use loopholes.]
Sol tensed even more.
Why had he forgotten such a crucial oath?
[Just as your consciousness was vanishing, a voice said icily: 'The moment you signed my contract, your soul belonged to me! I just had to ask you to do one thing for me, 'Hey, Sol, forget one of the Oaths.' And it is a beneficial clause for you because it made you freer, though that freedom was merely an illusion!
[This is a mind warp. My power! Anyone under my contract, their mind belongs to me. You will write clause against me using you? I will find loopholes. You will write against taking advantage of loopholes?
[I will still use loopholes. Tsk. Did you really think I didn't know your Gift? How delusional. Heh, it really is scary though! Such Gift. Such talent. Good riddance. Good Riddance!]
[Rampant jealousy and vindictive satisfaction were clear in the echoing voice.]
[Due to your death, this simulation ends here.]
Sol was speechless.
I wouldn't try such a reckless plan… But if I forget the oaths I am under, it is inevitable that I get manipulated.
A bead of sweat dripped down his temples.
Sol hadn't expected the First Brother's Gift to be capable of such a thing.
Perhaps sealing might have been a better choice.
He had jumped from lava only to land in the middle of an ocean.
Ugh… now it also makes sense.
The Sol in the simulation had been slowly building up fear in his mind, even without his own knowledge. His logic had been corrupted by fear, one day at a time. His mind had been warped beyond logic.
Even his procrastination had become worse.
Reading was clearly his own way of escapism from reality.
The question repeated in his mind.
Can the power of Oaths be used like this?
If he didn't have the simulator, that very well could have been his fate. Death at the hands of his elder brother.
Is this what family is to them?
Sol's entire worldview seemed to disgust such a paradigm.
DING!
[Simulation Rewards generated successfully. The host can choose one of the following rewards:
1) A skill from the simulation.
2) An object from the simulation.
3) An abstract thing you owned from your description of the simulation.
2) Discard all above options and generate an Innate Talent based on the simulated experience's achievements.