Chapter 4 Literary Masters
[Simulation complete. Host, please make your selection.]
[1. Randomly obtain three skills and specializations acquired during the simulation.]
[2. Randomly obtain three items acquired during the simulation.]
Zhou Ning was silent.
It took him a long moment to come back to his senses. The simulation had been so realistic that he felt a pang of melancholy just from reading the summary.
If I had to choose again, caught between reason and emotion, would I still pick Maggie, my wife of forty years, or Elena, the girl who had given me my beautiful first love?
I don't know, I really don't know. It's an impossible choice. Then again, maybe I'd just pick the beautiful girl with the biggest breasts.
Despite his melancholy, he selected his reward faster than anyone, choosing the first option without a second thought.
He had been a firearms engineer for a long time in the simulation, and choosing the second option might have yielded a pistol, but that was only a possibility. In his current situation, taking such a gamble would be foolish. It was far safer to stick with the known quantity—the three skills he urgently needed.
[You have selected option one.]
[You have acquired the expertise: Firearms Knowledge.]
[You have acquired the skill: Basic Marksmanship.]
[You have acquired the skill: Professional English Proficiency.]
[Your Linguist level has increased for mastering more than one professional language! You have gained the skill: Body Language.]
[Body Language: Allows communication with others through gestures even when no language barrier exists. Success Rate: 50%. Stamina Cost: 5.]
The Linguist upgrade also granted him one random and one free attribute point. The random point went into Agility, raising it from 8 to 9. After a moment's hesitation, Zhou Ning assigned the free point to Agility as well. That brought it to 10, finally reaching the level of an average person.
Feels good.
I wonder if I can control the simulation process?
Now that he had Basic Marksmanship, his chances of escape would be much higher if he could just get his hands on a gun.
"Bang!"
The door was suddenly thrown open.
Zhou Ning's hair stood on end as he snapped into high alert. Three cultists from the Curse Cult shoved their way inside.
The sacrificial ritual was clearly moving several times faster in reality than it had in the game. In just half an hour, they had already gone through several rounds, and the progress tracker now read 30/36.
At the current rate of two people per round, even Zhou Ning couldn't be sure he wouldn't be chosen next.
The chubby boy next to him was even more terrified, his face as pale as a sheet. Zhou Ning could hear the kid's heart hammering in his chest.
Fortunately, the suspense didn't last long. The three cultists quickly grabbed two other prisoners, and the door slammed shut again amidst hysterical sobs.
Zhou Ning let out a slow breath.
This kind of psychological torture is the worst, he thought. Like something out of a Hitchcock movie. It's maddening.
Wait, what's that smell?
Zhou Ning frowned and took a deep breath. There was a faint but unpleasant smell of sulfur in the air.
"Hey, do you smell that?" the chubby boy, Alan, must have caught it too, because he asked in a trembling voice.
"Sulfur," Zhou Ning replied, his own expression turning solemn.
According to legend, the evil god resides in Purgatory, where the most famous landmarks are its rivers of flowing lava and mountains of bright yellow sulfur. Therefore, the god's descent is always accompanied by that distinct, pungent smell.
He recalled the game's plot: whenever a player failed the scenario and the Curse Cult completed the sacrifice, a cutscene would play showing the evil god's silhouette. It looked like a spider and was utterly terrifying.
This confirmed what Zhou Ning already suspected: the summoning was actually working.
Coming from a noble family, the chubby boy was naturally familiar with the legend. He took a shuddering breath and burst into tears again.
"Waaah, I don't want to die..."
"Isn't anyone going to save me...?"
"I'll give you anything... sob..."
The boy's wails were devastating. They were not only infectious but also had a piercing, operatic quality that made one's scalp tingle. Standing next to him, Zhou Ning felt like the sound was powerful enough to blast the fillings from his teeth.
Are you the reincarnation of a train whistle?!
[A sacrifice has died. Current progress: 32/36.]
A huge cheer erupted from outside, a clear sign that the cult's summoning had progressed.
He couldn't wait any longer. Zhou Ning activated the simulator and chose to time-travel again.
[Preparing for time travel... Time Travel Coin -1]
[Matching with a parallel space instance...]
[You have selected Talent 3, Talent 5, and Talent 7 by default.]
In this parallel world, you are a Ph.D. in electrical engineering with an extreme talent for literature and incredible luck. You frequently win free drinks with your purchases. You are known for being fair, and everyone likes you.
[Current World Exploration: 29.2%. At 66.7% exploration, you will gain permission to unlock the next simulation map.]
[The simulation ends upon your death.]
[Engaging time machine… 1%… 33%… 65%… 95%… WHOOSH… Travel complete.]
[You have traveled to London, 1894. From this moment, the wheels of history begin to turn.]
After the familiar message, the wheels of history began to turn once more.
December 17, 1894: As a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, you already possessed professional-level English, allowing you to communicate with the locals. This time, you did nothing but wash dishes in a restaurant.
December 19, 1894: Washing dishes...
[December 20, 1894: Washing dishes... If dishwashing had a professional rating, you would be a grandmaster by now, capable of washing three or four plates simultaneously. (Happiness -1)]
December 22, 1894: Washing dishes... After a week, you have saved a small sum of money. (Family +1)
[December 25, 1894: Still washing dishes... On Christmas Day, a man named George Bernard Shaw comes to the restaurant for dinner. Your professional English ensures your conversation flows smoothly, free from the awkwardness of your previous encounter. Sharing a high level of literary knowledge, you have a lively discussion and quickly become good friends.]
December 27, 1894: Your friendship with George Bernard Shaw deepens. With his financial support, you quit your dishwashing job and rent a modest apartment.
January 1895: You officially begin your writing career. As a gifted writer, your first short story, "Letter from an Unknown Woman," is published in The Times thanks to an introduction from George Bernard Shaw, who calls it "a stunning masterpiece!"
January 10, 1895: Your debut work brings you great fame. Soon after, your second short story, "The Metamorphosis," is published, and your renown spreads throughout London. (Family +2, Happiness +1)
[February - May 1895: You publish a series of six legendary short stories, including "The Chameleon" and "The Gift of the Magi." These classics bring you fame and fortune, and you are hailed as one of the greatest short-story writers of the late 19th century. (Family Status +1)]
May - September 1895: You begin writing your novel, "The Magic Mountain." Upon publication, it becomes a sensation throughout Britain. The monumental work's influence eventually spreads worldwide. (Happiness +1)
November 1895: "The Magic Mountain" is completed. A famous critic writes: "The Magic Mountain captures the essence of European life. Its influence has even spread across the globe." (Happiness +1)
December 1895: Having accumulated sufficient funds, you stay true to your original aspiration and assemble a team to research two-phase AC generators.
January 1896: With sufficient funds and manpower, what can possibly stop you? You successfully develop a two-phase AC generator! Your research is promoted nationwide, bringing you enormous wealth. (Family Wealth +3).
February 1896: People begin comparing you to Leonardo da Vinci. Your novel, "The Magic Mountain," is nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Your combination of good looks, talent, and integrity makes you immensely popular. You officially enter the upper class and begin attending banquets. At one such event, George Bernard Shaw introduces you to a minor Italian nobleman. You are drunk and promptly forget his name, but it hardly seems to matter. Forgetting the name of some minor noble is no great offense. [Achievement Unlocked: Pride and Prejudice]
[March 1896: You meet Elena again at a banquet, and once again, it is love at first sight. (Happiness +1)]
[October 1896: Due to your qualifications being deemed insufficient, you do not win the Nobel Prize in Literature. (Happiness -2)]
April 1897: You and Elena marry in a grand ceremony. Her friends and family from Liverpool attend, including her childhood friend, Jonathan, a tall and handsome young man. The saying proves true: a childhood sweetheart is no match for a fated encounter.
May 1897: Your second novel, "One Hundred Years of Solitude," begins serialization. The work is a true masterpiece, bringing you even greater fame and fortune. (Family Wealth +2)
August 1897: A killer calling himself Jack the Ripper appears in London. He murders several prostitutes, one of them near your home. To ensure your safety, you begin collecting expensive pistols and daggers. You select the finest firearms, load them, carry one with you, and lock the others in a case. You also polish your daggers until they are razor-sharp and lock them away as well.
October 5, 1897: Your novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude" is nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before the winner is announced, you are at a London pub with George Bernard Shaw when you are attacked by a strange man. You draw your pistol and shoot him seven or eight times to no effect. He eventually catches you, drains your blood, and you die. [Achievement Unlocked: Interview with the Vampire]
[Simulation Complete]
Summary—Happiness: 7, Health: 0, Family: 6. It should have been a glorious life, blessed with a beautiful wife, a successful career, and a comfortable family. But an unexpected death forced you to see the world's hidden truths, which is a wonderful thing. It is worth noting that after your death—perhaps in your memory, or perhaps because your books were simply that good—you were posthumously awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature! Many consider you the greatest writer of the late 19th century. It is a pity you died so young.
[Rating: C+. World Exploration: 49.2%. As your exploration has surpassed 40%, you are awarded 1 Time Travel Coin. This reward can be claimed for every 20% increase in exploration. For your significant impact on world literary history, you are awarded an additional 1 Time Travel Coin.]
Zhou Ning: ???
Why did nineteenth-century Britain suddenly take such a weird turn?