[Day 3: After a night's rest, you notice a faint scent of blood clinging to you. You're puzzled but assume it's a lingering smell from killing Rob and his men. You pay it no mind, change your clothes, and continue south towards the orderly territories. After another hundred-mile run, you see no signs of pursuit. You decide to find a safe place to consume the Potent Mana Potion.]
[Day 12: You've consumed the entire potion and a dozen more Lesser Mana Crystals. You successfully break through to become a Level 8 Magic Apprentice. Brimming with confidence, you set out once more.]
[Day 16: You finally reach the domain of the Sunfire Knights. You find a steward and ask to join them, but you are rejected due to your unknown origins. Dejected, you prepare to leave. You wander aimlessly until you spot a breathtakingly beautiful female mage by a stream. You intend to give her a wide berth, but she looks to be on the verge of tears, muttering, "This is the third time... what do I have to do to join the Knights...?" For some reason, your heart softens. Before you know it, you're standing before her. After a brief conversation, you learn her name is Liliana, another poor soul who yearns for order and light. You feel an instant connection, a kinship. That night, by the babbling stream, is a night of bliss.]
[Day 17: You discover a pleasure unlike any you've ever known. You spend the day lost in her embrace.]
[Day 18: Your desire grows ever more intense.]
[Day 19: You feel weak and want to rest. But for some reason, your mind is clouded with desire. Your passion continues.]
[Day 20: The passion continues.]
[Day 21: The passion continues.]
[Day 25: You grow weaker, yet your spirit is unnaturally euphoric.]
[Day 28: After your passion subsides, you try to stand for a drink of water. The world goes black. You collapse into the stream. Your life essence has been completely drained.]
[You are dead!]
Alaric: "..."
He was speechless. He really had planned to try his luck with the Knights, but he never expected to die at the hands of a succubus.
Alaric could only wait, dumbfounded, for the final results.
Soon, the system's voice rang out again.
[Simulation Complete]
[Evaluation: You died, but you had fun.]
[Based on the simulation, you may choose one of the following rewards:]
[1. View a first-person recording of the simulated life.][2. The rank of a Level 8 Magic Apprentice.]
In the past, Alaric had always chosen the second option without hesitation. This time, he paused.
It wasn't that he wanted to relive his "fun," but he needed to understand exactly how he died. What if he could find the key to overcoming the trap?
After a moment of internal debate, he made his decision. He would choose the first option.
His reasoning was simple. He still had over one hundred and thirty mana crystals. At Level 7, a simulation cost 64 points, meaning he could run two more. If he accepted the upgrade to Level 8, the cost would skyrocket to 128 points, leaving him with only enough for a single simulation.
Unlike the "Mana Awakening" from Level 6 to 7, the jump from 7 to 8 wasn't a qualitative change. It was merely a significant increase in his total mana, not a fundamental leap in his nature.
Therefore, trading a simulation attempt for such a non-essential upgrade wasn't worth it.
Based on this calculation, he chose to review his last life.
As he made his choice, the text instantly transformed into a series of images that played out in his mind. It was like watching a first-person movie on fast-forward, replaying the entire experience at a hundred times the normal speed.
Alaric realized the recording didn't just have visuals and sound; it even retained smells and sensations, making it feel completely immersive. However, the 'Fast-Forward,' 'Pause,' and 'Skip' buttons hovering in his field of view did ruin the immersion somewhat.
An hour later, he let out a long breath.
"That feeling... it's easy to get lost in. Right. Next time I see that succubus from the Cult of Joy, I strike first. No chance for her to use her charms."
He realized from the replay that the succubus, Liliana, wasn't actually that strong in a direct fight. Otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted ten days. If he was on his guard from the start, he had a real chance to resist her mental control.
After thinking for a moment, Alaric stood up.
He didn't start another simulation. He didn't start another simulation. Instead, he decided to follow the safe, early part of the route from the simulation and get moving. The Cult of Bones might not care about its outer members, but he had just killed Rob. Lingering here was a terrible idea.
Following the memory from the simulation, he concealed his mana signature and ran for a full day. Just as he remembered, he saw the abandoned temple at dusk.
As he prepared to approach, he was surprised to see it was already occupied.
Alaric paused, then understood.
The person inside was the hunter. In the simulation, Alaric had arrived first and claimed the temple. This time, because he had spent over an hour watching the replay, he was late. The hunter had beaten him to it.
Alaric frowned, preparing to find another place to rest.
Just as he was about to leave, a thick, coppery stench of blood wafted out from the temple. The smell was even stronger than it had been at the scene of Rob's slaughter.
What is that hunter doing in there? How could he make such a strong smell of blood? Isn't he afraid of attracting beasts?
As he thought this, something clicked.
He suddenly remembered the replay. On the third day, his simulated self had also picked up a similar scent of blood. At the time, "he" hadn't paid it any mind and just left.
Thinking back, that smell hadn't been fresh. It had been mixed with a hint of old decay.
"Looks like I missed some kind of side quest during the simulation... Should I check it out now?"
In the past, Alaric would have given it a wide berth. But his power had surged, and with it, his confidence. Besides, his simulated self had spent a night here safely. That meant whatever was in the temple was, at the very least, wary of him at the time.
After a moment's thought, he decided to investigate.
Alaric suppressed his aura completely. Like a shadow, he crept silently towards the temple and the stench of blood.