On a green plain that seemed to have no end, despite all the lush vegetation, there appeared to be no life at all. A strange place, where not even a single herbivore could be found to take advantage of all that succulent weed.
Although it seemed like an enviable source of terrain for many desert kingdoms, this place was, in truth, a curse. The grass was not edible. In fact, any being who dared to consume it would quickly discover why this land was truly a calamity.
All that verdant grass was the result of an ancient battle, long lost in the annals of this earthly plane's history.
The entire plain had been born from a forbidden spell cast during a battle of unknown motives. The result was an almost endless expanse of grass rich in magic, one that semmed to serve no purpose other than decorating the landscape.
Its nutritional value was zero. On the contrary, it poisoned anyone who dared to eat it due to the high concentration of magic in its vibrant leaves.
For centuries, many attempted to conquer the land, hoping to use it, or even learn a fraction of the divine magic that had been unleashed there. Yet after years of research and countless failed attempts, all those who tried eventually abandoned this cursed place.
Animals and monsters who once tried to take advantage of the terrain also perished before the untamable magic energy concentrated within it. Despite the plain's immense allure, after many deaths and failures, all chose to avoid it.
This land, abandoned by gods, humans, animals, and monsters alike, was rarely even used by merchants due to its vastness and the impossibility of obtaining food or even water.
This tranquil place rarely visited by strangers, whose only companion was the sound of the wind passing through it… seemed to have found a new victim.
Amid this endless green expanse lay a motionless figure.
He wore a white robe adorned with golden lines that seemed to run across the fabric, evoking a strange mystical sensation. His hair was brown, and his pale skin, probably the result of years of isolation, was poorly suited for survival in a sunlit environment like this one. His face was not particularly remarkable, yet it carried a subtle masculine charm.
But it was a pity, a true pity indeed. Another life had been claimed by this cursed place.
At least, that was what a passerby might think upon casting a quick glance at the figure disturbing this strange endless plain. But someone with a more attentive gaze would notice that his chest, lacking muscle though it was, still moved faintly.
Though he was not dead, he did not seem far from that inevitable fate within this beautiful green hell.
Time passed as the winds continued their strange dance across the land, as if trying to bring some illusion of life to it. Imperceptibly, the eyes of the motionless figure began to twitch. Was this his final struggle before finally succumbing to his destiny?
After a few seconds, the figure lying on the ground managed to open his eyes.
Strangely, his brown, earth-colored eyes did not contain the expected resignation of someone in his situation. Instead, they held confusion, as if he had just awakened there.
His name was Victor.
A bold name chosen by his parents, meaning "winner." As if determined not to disappoint them, Victor had always been hardworking. Whether in sports or academics, he consistently outperformed his peers.
Despite always "winning," he never let it go to his head. He knew that the moment he did, it would consume him. After a stellar childhood and adolescence always the best in his class, no matter the subject he finally achieved the modest goal his parents had set for him.
He began his career at a giant international corporation, earning a salary far above average for his profession. Having finally reached that milestone, he decided to celebrate with friends that night.
He drank and drank as if there were no tomorrow…
And apparently, there truly wouldn't be one.
"Ugh… this headache is killing me. Where am I? This definitely isn't my apartment…" he muttered, his voice hoarse from days without water.
His mind throbbed. His throat felt as dry as a desert.
Trying to understand his situation, he attempted to get up. Unfortunately, his body refused to obey or rather, it lacked the strength to carry out the command it was given. Days without food or water had left his body without even an ounce of strength for the most basic movements.
"D-damn it… this time I really overdid it with the drinking. How many days passed for my body to end up like this?"
Unable to rise, he turned his head to the left and then to the right, hoping to find something, or even someone who could give him a helping hand.
To the left he saw endless green. The flawless, uniform vegetation stretched infinitely before his eyes.
To the right he had the exact same sight. If not for the sun's slightly different position, he would have doubted himself. Everything was so perfectly identical, as if copied down to the smallest detail.
A wave of emotions surged through him anger, sadness, regret… and finally, acceptance.
The night that should have marked the beginning of a new era for him seemed instead to have led to his end.
"…Yeah. I can't believe it, but this really seems like the end for me. Years of studying and working hard, only to die in some unknown place."
Resigned, he gazed at the sky. Looking at the clouds being carried by the wind across it, sweeping through the endless plain, somehow making his situation slightly more bearable.
After several minutes of watching the clouds dancing with the winds above, something strange began to distort his vision.
"Hm? What the hell is that?"
Before his eyes, a strange window began to take shape.
"Is this some final hallucination before the end?" he thought as unfamiliar symbols started appearing within it.
The symbols shifted constantly, like a child's scribbles meaningless and chaotic. Yet, strangely, they seemed to follow a certain pattern.
[ Система симуляции магии ]
один — Пассивная симуляция — Стоимость: 5
маныдва — Активная симуляция — Стоимость: 10 маны
мана: 15 / 15
After several minutes, the shifting scribbles finally stabilized, organizing themselves within the window.
[ Magic Simulation System ]
1 – Passive Simulation | Cost: 5 Mana
2 – Active Simulation | Cost: 15 Mana
Mana: 15 / 15 (regen: 5/day)
"Hahaha… this has to be a joke. Did loki decide to prank me on my deathbed?"
"How could something as good as a system appear out of nowhere for a dying guy like me?"
Even though Victor believed the hallucination was merely the work of some bored deity, he had nothing left to lose. He tried to touch the floating window before him.
Unfortunately, he couldn't, not because the window was intangible, but because his body lacked the strength to move.
"Useless body! You can't even grab your last lifeline…" he muttered angry.
The floating window flickered, as if sensing his futile attempt. A message appeared in the lower-right corner:
[*To select the desired option, use a limb or your mind to choose the type of simulation.]
"Great! That's exactly what I needed. Good thing this system has an accessibility mode."
Now that the issue was resolved, Victor began pondering his next steps.
"I don't know if this system works like the ones I read about in online stories where the protagonist gains abilities or items after simulations or if it's like the others where you get nothing but information…"
During his adolescence, he had read many novels in which the protagonist received a system that allowed them to simulate lives. These systems usually offered two modes just like this one.
In Passive Simulation, depending on the author's imagination, it could mean watching a character in third person perform random actions without control, or simply reading a crude block of text describing events.
In Active Simulation, the system owner would participate directly, controlling the character in first person, choosing paths and decisions or, again, selecting actions in a written format.
Or lastly they could all just give out some informations based on the reality.
Remembering those stories from his past made his mood fluctuate.
"If it's like the first type, great. My chances of survival won't be 100%, but at least they'll be higher than zero. But if it's like the second… then this really is just a cruel joke."
Of course, this system could be completely different from what he had read. This was reality not some cheap fiction. Everything depended on fate alone.
"Well, no use worrying about what hasn't happened yet. There's only one way to find out what this system does and it is to test it!" With things set straight on his head he begun to ponder his next steps.
Wich type of simulation would he chose?
If his condition were better, he might have chosen the second option. But seeing its 15 mana cost, he abandoned the idea.
In a simulation, anything could happen. If he gained nothing useful, it would truly be the end.
In the end, he chose the first option that was only 5 mana per use.
It depended almost entirely on luck, but it was worth the risk. After all, he would have two additional attempts compared to choosing the second option.
Having made up his mind, he began the simulation.
Using his mind, he selected the first option. After a few seconds of concentration, the window began flickering rapidly before exploding into several blue lights that shot toward him.
Seeing the lights rushing toward his eyes, he felt surprise but no fear.
When the lights reached him, everything around him went dark.