Chapter 100: A Major Haul
[Your alignment has shifted. Current alignment: Chaotic Neutral → Lawful Neutral.]
[Simulation complete. Host, please make your choice promptly.]
[Option 1: Randomly obtain three skills or proficiencies you acquired during your past simulations.]
[Option 2: Randomly obtain three items you acquired during your past simulations.]
Zhou Ning: "..."
To be honest, the first half of this simulation went incredibly smoothly. It was like even the heavens were on his side. Zhou Ning thought he was playing the role of Emperor Roselle from Lord of the Mysteries, or maybe even Napoleon himself—ready to ride the tide of the times, climb to the summit, and make a fortune. But by the end, he was utterly shocked. Napoleon? My ass. This was freaking Dong Zhuo!
It was a 100% accurate reenactment of Dong Zhuo's assassination scene from Romance of the Three Kingdoms!
Still, this particular simulation had something odd about it. Unlike his previous ones, this one mirrored many aspects of reality.
For instance, the Fortune Potion, Veritaserum, and Love Potion—he'd mocked these back when he was gaming in his previous life. Their names and effects were just way too similar to potions from Harry Potter, and even the recipes and methods of preparation were strikingly close. According to the simulator, these were things he'd invented himself during this simulation, which actually made sense.
Also, it turned out he was one of the Four Heroes. Even the old lady, Granny Molly, inside his ring turned out to be one of them too. Even though he died early and didn't participate in sealing the ancient god Nyastora, this wasn't a game of mahjong—three players were enough to do his part.
As a result, Nyastora still ended up sealed underground, and Darkland was still founded. Everything just so happened to line up perfectly with historical records.
But then the real question hit him—was all of this the result of his crossing over? Or had his traversal never changed anything at all, and he was merely a pawn in predetermined history?
After all, the outcome was already set: four heroes would seal Nyastora, and Darkland would be established. A brilliant scientist would inevitably invent the steam engine and steam trains, triggering the First Industrial Revolution.
So what if, in his next traversal, he became some Joker-like villain with the goal of destroying the world? Would the ending change? Could it impact the real world?
Zhou Ning found himself genuinely curious.
As for the reward...
There was no real choice, was there? Zhou Ning didn't hesitate to pick Option 1.
[You have chosen Option 1.]
[You have acquired the specialty : Divine Favor (Beginner).]
[You have acquired the Family Creed: Knowledge is Power.]
[You have acquired the Life Skill: Bio-Alchemy (Intermediate).]
[You have acquired a new recipe: Blood worm Refinement.]
A torrent of knowledge surged into his mind. Not only did his panel show a new skill and proficiency, but the previously empty Family Creed section was now filled.
[Divine Favor (Beginner)]: A blessing from the fallen god of Alchemy and Craftsmanship, Edgeworth. Though weak, divine power still lingers. Greatly enhances learning speed. +10% to experience gain, +5 to Mental, +5 to Will.
[Family Creed: Knowledge is Power (Not Fully Unlocked)]: Activation chant: "Knowledge is power." Mentally reciting it temporarily boosts all skill effects by 40% for 3 minutes (excluding life skills). Effect scales with accumulated knowledge. Requires reading at least two books per day. Full unlock conditions: Noble Rank ≥ 5, Fame ≥ 5.
[Bio-Alchemy (Intermediate)]: A branch of alchemy capable of creating life. Use with caution!
"Nice…" Zhou Ning let out a long sigh of relief, feeling genuinely satisfied. This Divine Favor was another elite-level specialty. While it didn't directly boost combat ability, its practical effect was tremendous. To Zhou Ning, it was every bit as good as his other two elite specialty.
As for the Family Creed... that was an unexpected bonus. It hadn't even been mentioned during the simulation, yet it provided a whopping 40% boost to all skills. That was equivalent to turning beginner-level skills into advanced ones, and advanced ones into mastery level. Its strength was incalculable. After using up the Epic-level "Vampire Zhou Ning" summon card, he finally had another solid trump card.
Then there was the new recipe in Bio-Alchemy. Zhou Ning opened it and took a quick glance. It looked like those squirming little creatures he'd once made in the simulation world using blood and herbs. They even shared the same name as the ones summoned with the Blood Rite Book from the Blood Realm. It might actually be the same thing. Creepy. Not very appealing.
Although this simulation cost him 30 traversal coins and the final reward wasn't that impressive, the overall gain far outweighed the loss. Zhou Ning was more than satisfied.
On top of that, a long-lost red dot finally appeared on his task list—meaning he'd completed a task.
Sure enough, the "Literary Life" task progress had reached the full 5000/5000 and was now claimable.
Clicking to receive the reward, the panel popped up a message:
[You've completed the Hidden Quest: Literary Life (Part II). You've received: Random Template Reward Card x1, 1 Skill Point, and 50,000 EXP. You've unlocked a new series of hidden quests.]
[Random Template Reward Card: Use to obtain a permanently usable random template.]
Now that's a good item! Zhou Ning's eyes lit up with joy. Unlike the previous two one-time-use random template cards, this one had no limitations and was permanent. There was a real chance to draw something valuable. If he pulled One Punch Man, wouldn't he just skyrocket to the top?
[Would you like to unlock the Hidden Quest: Literary Life (Part III)? Yes/No]
After selecting yes, a new hidden quest was added to the task list.
Hidden Quest (Triggers under special conditions):
[Literary Life (Part III)]: Deep down, you've always harbored a literary dream. In the next phase of your life, pursue that dream. In both simulation and reality, reach a reading count of 10,000 books (Current: 5000/10000).
Quest Tip: "Read ten thousand volumes, and your writing will flow like a god." This is the third step of a long journey. Keep going! Future Grand Literary Master.
Quest Rewards: Random Reward x1, Golden Skill Point x1, 80,000 EXP.
Just as expected!
Even though he'd mentally prepared himself, Zhou Ning still felt a headache coming on. "Read ten thousand books," they said—and they meant it. He still had 5,000 more to go. Who knew when he'd actually finish?
After tallying up his rewards, Zhou Ning opened the inventory and selected the Random Template Reward Card.
[You used the Random Template Reward Card. You obtained: Template – Ordinary Office Worker: Zhou Ning.]
A beam of black light shot up. The card became three-dimensional, displaying Zhou Ning in a blue suit, wearing a skull-patterned tie in black and blue, his hands in his pockets, staring coldly ahead with an expressionless face.
[Character: Ordinary Office Worker – Zhou Ning]
[Personality: Calm, methodical, OCD, introverted, hand fetishist.]
[Talents: Acting (Blue), Extreme Calmness (Blue)]
[Skills: Killer Queen (Expert), Disguise (Intermediate)]
Zhou Ning: "..."
Judging by the skills alone, this template was actually pretty solid. But after seeing so many overpowered templates already, this one didn't really impress him anymore.
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