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Chapter 2 - Death again?

[Day 99: An Inspector from the Cult of Bones arrived to collect the monthly fee. Rob greeted him warmly, offering a large sum of mana crystals. As the Inspector was leaving, he glanced at you and praised your talent for magic. Rob smiled, but behind his back, you felt his ice-cold gaze on you.]

[Day 100: Sensing a threat, Rob began to spy on you, desperate to uncover the secret behind your meteoric rise in power. You had already erased all your tracks. He found nothing.]

[Day 108: Sensing the shift in Rob's attitude, you grew wary of the thug.]

[Day 113: Despite your caution, you couldn't outwit the cunning old bastard. You were poisoned. A slow, creeping toxin stole your strength. You died!]

"Dead again? I'm fucking dead again!"

He snarled through gritted teeth, "Rob... this doesn't end until one of us is dead!"

Before he could vent his fury, the system's voice chimed in.

[Simulation Complete]

[Evaluation: You chose to bide your time, but you underestimated a villain's treachery. Your underestimation proved fatal.]

[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 4 Magic Apprentice.]

Alaric chose '2' without a second thought.

Once again, a torrent of heat flooded the core of his being. This time, the sensation was twice as intense, lasting twice as long.

When the heat faded, he was firmly a Level 4 Magic Apprentice.

Alaric brought two fingers together and hissed, "Shape!"

An invisible blade, forged of pure mana, materialized out of thin air. It struck the wooden post before him, carving a gash two inches deep.

This was one of the few crude spells he knew—an Evocation spell: Mana Shaping.

Before, his mana blades could barely scratch the post. Now, its power had exploded. It was a true combat-ready weapon.

Beyond the surge in mana, Alaric felt his physical body had been fortified as well, growing much stronger than before.

He estimated he was now stronger than most common mercenaries. If he had time to prepare a few crude magic scrolls, even renowned warriors would likely be no match for him.

Power coursed through him. His eyes gleamed with elation.

But his excitement was short-lived. Another choice loomed.

He was Level 4. The next simulation's cost had quadrupled to 8 Points. After the first two simulations, he only had seventeen mana crystals left.

This meant one more simulation would leave him with almost nothing. There would be no turning back.

This time, however, he didn't hesitate.

Alaric took a deep breath, grabbing eight Lesser Mana Crystals. Recharge!

The crystals in his hand dissolved into dust. His Points now stood at 8.

Without a moment's pause, he initiated the third simulation.

[Day 1: With your remaining nine mana crystals, you prepared to leave Baker Town. Anticipating Rob's ambush, you avoided the main road, slipping carefully through the dense forest. After half a day, you were clear of the area.]

[Day 2: You found a safe place and continued your training with the last of your crystals.]

[Day 5: You exhausted all your crystals, but failed to break through to the next level. Knowing the hardship of a wandering mage, you didn't seek your fortune in another town. Instead, you decided to try your luck with the Cult of Bones.]

[Day 8: With the strength of a Level 4 Magic Apprentice, you easily passed their test and became an outer member of the Cult. You were ecstatic.]

[Day 9: You discovered that outer members were a dime a dozen. The Cult didn't seem to care if you lived or died. Not only were there no resources, but you also had to pay a monthly 'contribution' to the organization.]

[Day 11: Lost and confused, you were cornered by a Level 6 apprentice named Shad. He forced you to join his crew. Seeing the menace in his eyes, you didn't dare refuse.]

[Day 14: Shad told you and his other two lackeys he needed a base of operations. An idea sparked in your mind. You suggested that Baker Town was a lucrative spot. Take out the Level 5 Rob, and you could control the entire market. Shad was intrigued.]

[Day 16: Shad led you back to Baker Town. After a fierce battle, Rob's heart was shattered by Shad's Evocation Blast. He died with his eyes wide open. Standing over his corpse, you felt a strange sense of satisfaction.]

[Day 17: Shad successfully took Rob's place as the new boss of the Baker Town market. He was on top of the world, slapping his chest and promising that as long as he was feasting, his brothers wouldn't starve. You were genuinely moved.]

[Day 38: The Cult's Inspector arrived. He paid little mind to the change in leadership. He simply sized up Shad before collecting the usual fee. Afterwards, he extorted a huge additional sum from you all for 'unsanctioned fighting and destruction of organization property.' After the Inspector left, Shad cursed him furiously.]

[Day 39: Shad gathered you all, vented about the Inspector, and then demanded ten crystals from each of you to cover the loss. He also cut your share of the profits.]

[Day 69: The Cult's Inspector appeared again, extorting another massive sum from Shad. After seeing him off, Shad cursed him out just like last time, but the Inspector, who had doubled back, overheard everything. In an instant, Shad became a soulless husk. The Inspector casually promoted you to be the new boss of Baker Town.]

[Day 71: You took Shad's place and found the role suited you surprisingly well.]

[Day 76: You broke through to become a Level 5 Magic Apprentice.]

[Day 99: The Inspector arrived on schedule. You respectfully paid the monthly fee, along with a generous 'tribute.' The Inspector took your gifts, but still berated you with a stone face. You were forced to hand over your last thirty crystals just to get rid of him. You wanted to scream in fury, but the image of Shad's fate made you swallow your anger.]

[Day 223: You finally broke through again, reaching Level 6 Magic Apprentice. But the Inspector's ruthless exploitation was slowing your progress to a crawl. Your hatred for him festered, but you were powerless.]

[Day 536: By grinding down the vendors and pouring every last crystal into your training, you finally broke through once more. You became a Level 7 Magic Apprentice.]

[Day 579: The Inspector who had been bleeding you dry didn't show up. In his place was a young man with a sinister aura. Before you could even ask what happened, he gave a casual wave of his hand. Your entire body exploded into a fine mist of blood.]

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