On the Xianzhou Luofu, in the Exalting Sanctum, inside a dilapidated house.
Victor had just barely accepted the fact that he'd been transported to another world when a prompt sounded in his mind.
A wave of ecstasy washed over Victor, and he immediately cast aside the panic and fear he'd felt upon arriving.
[Congratulations, Host, for awakening: Villain Simulator]
[During simulated role-playing, the higher the scenario's difficulty and the more evil the Host's actions, the higher the evaluation you will receive. Evaluation ranks can be used to exchange for various Traits.]
Simulator, Traits... none of this was unfamiliar to Victor!
Before he was transported, he loved reading web novels and playing mobile games.
Simulators are one of the most common cheats, allowing one to gain all sorts of Traits and enhance their strength through repeated simulations.
He had already deduced from the information on his Jade Abacus—the Xianzhou version of a mobile phone—that he had been transported into the world of 'Honkai: Star Rail'.
'Honkai: Star Rail' is called a space opera, but in truth, this world is fraught with hidden dangers.
Take the Xianzhou Luofu, where he was now, for instance. Soon, a series of major events would unfold: the 'Stellaron burst and Ambrosial Arbor's rebirth,' the 'resurgence of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus,' a 'surprise attack by a Lord Ravager,' and 'Hoolay's prison break.'
Reality isn't a game; these major events would cause significant casualties.
If the 'plot' deviated even slightly, it could lead to even greater casualties—in the worst-case scenario, more than half of the Xianzhou Luofu's ten billion inhabitants could be lost.
To avoid becoming just another insignificant death toll in the news, he needed enough strength to survive this series of upcoming catastrophes.
The approaching crisis filled Victor with a sense of urgency.
The Villain Simulator was clearly designed for him to play the villain in simulations, with greater rewards for more evil deeds.
Before being transported, Victor was just an ordinary person. He might have some reservations about committing evil acts in reality, but a simulation was like playing a virtual reality game.
And since it was a game, he didn't have many scruples.
Just as no one cares how many slices of bread they've eaten, no one cares how many people they've killed or evil deeds they've done in a game.
'System, can you give me a brief introduction to the basic rules of the Villain Simulator?'
Being cautious, Victor posed the request to the system.
[This simulator's scenario difficulties are divided into three tiers: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced, with corresponding increases in rewards.]
[After completing a simulation, the system will evaluate the Host's actions. You may then choose one Trait to keep for free. Evaluation ranks can be used to exchange for Traits of corresponding ranks or to upgrade a Trait's quality.]
Hmm, it was similar to the rules in the simulator web novels he'd read. The way to get stronger was simple: simulate repeatedly to farm for Traits.
The types of Traits were usually diverse—some were like talents or skills, while others were like equipment.
Once he farmed enough powerful Traits, it would be the moment for the master of the starting zone to make his debut.
'Let's do this, System. Start the first simulation!'
After getting a general grasp of the rules, Victor couldn't wait to begin.
[Drawing associated character...]
Victor's vision blurred. In the vast, boundless starry sky, dozens of cards danced through the air.
Seeing this somewhat familiar scene, Victor couldn't help but quip.
'Well, the card-pulling animation is pretty well done.'
Just then, a card flipped over, revealing cold moonlight, a proud, blue-clad swordswoman, a black blindfold, and long white hair...
'It's actually Jingliu!?'
Victor exclaimed in amazement.
She was the former Sword Champion of the Xianzhou Luofu, known by the epithet 'Transcendent Flash,' one of the High-Cloud Quintet, and also the master of the Luofu's General, Jing Yuan. She had since defected from the Xianzhou and her whereabouts were unknown.
However, Victor knew that during the major events to come, Jingliu would once again set foot on the Xianzhou Luofu.
'System, is it because I'm on the Xianzhou right now that I drew a scenario related to a Xianzhou character?'
Victor asked, a bit curious.
[Yes. The Host's current location greatly increases the probability of drawing a scenario for an associated character.]
Victor tapped on Jingliu's card. Swish! Three scrolls unfurled, but two of them were black and unselectable.
Victor tapped the only selectable scroll, and the system immediately displayed a prompt.
[Proceed with this scenario for the simulation? (Scenario Difficulty: Beginner)]
Victor stroked his chin.
It seemed the other two scenarios would only unlock after he cleared the beginner-difficulty one.
With that, Victor no longer hesitated and directly selected 'Yes'.
The system immediately brought up an interface.
[Please select two initial Traits. After the scenario simulation ends, you may keep one for free as a permanent Trait.]
(Trait rarity from lowest to highest: White, Green, Blue, Purple, Gold, Red)
[Illustrious Heritage (Gold): You will be born into a prominent family. Your starting point is higher than others' finishing lines.] (This Trait is a beginner-difficulty bonus and cannot be selected for retention upon completion)
[Steady Accumulation (White): No matter what you do, experience will gradually accumulate over time, making you more proficient. The longer the time, the more pronounced the effect.]
[Silver Tongue (White): Your lies are more easily believed by others.]
[Fickle-minded (White): You cannot focus on a single task; your attention is often divided.]
Just as expected of beginner difficulty. Aside from the gold system bonus, it was a sea of whites, without even a single blue.
Victor just gave them a quick glance and immediately decided that the sole gold Trait was a must-pick. This Trait would drastically lower the simulation's difficulty.
Of the remaining three white Traits, 'Fickle-minded' was clearly a negative status effect and was the first to be eliminated.
In terms of effect, 'Silver Tongue' would be more helpful for clearing the scenario.
But after a moment of thought, Victor still chose 'Steady Accumulation'.
From a long-term perspective, 'Steady Accumulation' was clearly a high-potential investment for the future.
Just before the simulation officially began, the system displayed another message.
[Warning: After the simulation is complete, the scenario's protagonist will also retain memories from the simulation! Host, please be aware!!!]
As if afraid Victor wouldn't take this warning seriously, the system displayed it in bold, highlighted red font.
After reading the warning's content, Victor frowned but wasn't too shocked.
In the web novels he had read, many simulator stories would have the female lead retain memories of the simulation, while the system would intentionally hide this crucial information from the male lead, leading to a series of subsequent misunderstandings, conflicts, and drama—euphemistically called a 'chaotic confrontation'.
He hadn't expected his own system to be an honest one. Not only did it not hide this fact, but it also seemed afraid he wouldn't notice.
After weighing the pros and cons, Victor still chose to proceed with the simulation.
The reason was simple: if he got caught up in the series of major events that would soon occur on the Xianzhou Luofu, he could easily lose his life.
Therefore, improving his strength for self-preservation was an urgent necessity.
As for offending Jingliu and being hunted down by the unhinged but beautiful swordswoman, that was a problem for the future.
In any case, the priority was to survive first.
______
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