Simulation of Destruction: Why Am I the One Who Becomes a Herrscher Every Time?
Author: Yae Sakura
Synopsis:
Ye Chang'an had acquired a simulator system. Changing other people's fates earned him more simulations, but every simulation ended with him becoming a Herrscher.
"In my first life, I lived in the Previous Civilization. Eden and I grew up together, and we got married. As Honkai disasters grew more frequent, I thought we could hold out for fifty thousand years... Then I became the First Herrscher."
"In my second life, I lived in the Current Civilization. Sirin and I were childhood sweethearts, and we were both taken away for experiments. As they injected us with Destruction energy, I thought Sirin was about to become a Herrscher... Then I became one first."
"In my third life, I lived in the Previous Civilization. The Sakura sisters and I grew up in the Far East, and Sakura and I became assassin partners. As... Fine, fine. I'm becoming the Third Arbiter too, is that it?"
Whenever a Herrscher disaster appeared in a simulation, at least one of the Herrschers was Ye Chang'an.
"System, you'd better have an explanation."
"...You put too many points into Destruction energy resistance."
Ye Chang'an: (￣ー￣)
(Take the synopsis with a grain of salt; the story fills in the rest.)
Chapter of Creation: Journey to a New World: Old Six's Sacrifice Unleashed Boundless Power
Of all the stories about transmigrating into the world of Honkai, Fu Hua really seemed like an NPC whose sole purpose was handing out starter gifts.
That was because her Tai Xu Sword Qi was just too good.
At the very least, it could raise your resistance enough to survive a dip in Destruction energy. At its peak, you could unleash the Tai Xu Sword God and go a few rounds with a Herrscher.
Having arrived when the Tai Xu Sword Sect had only just been founded, Ye Chang'an wondered whether he might have a chance to learn Tai Xu Sword Qi too.
The answer was painfully disappointing: he couldn't even develop the entry-level sword heart.
"Your mind is restless, and the sword heart eludes you. You must quiet yourself before you can attain it."
That was the advice from the Shenzhou flatboard known as Immortal Chi Yuan. It crushed Ye Chang'an so thoroughly that he buried his face in Lin Zhaoyu's arms and refused to get up for ages.
Wondering how he got away with that without Lin Zhaoyu slapping him?
Because Lin Zhaoyu was his... uh, adoptive mother?
That was close enough.
Ye Chang'an was a reincarnated transmigrator. He had entered the world of Honkai as a newborn and had barely nursed for two days before a Honkai disaster struck.
Everyone in the village turned into Death Warriors, and Lin Zhaoyu, who rushed over after hearing the news, cut them all down.
Lin Zhaoyu froze when she saw that he hadn't become a Death Warrior. Then, following Immortal Chi Yuan's example, she brought him back to Tai Xu Mountain to raise him.
A few days later, Chi Yuan returned to the mountain with a three-year-old red-haired girl. She heard Lin Zhaoyu's report, said nothing, and tacitly allowed her to keep raising him.
Eight years had passed since then. He was eight years old now.
At first, he had been thrilled to learn he would grow up on Tai Xu Mountain.
Now all he could do was sigh.
"If I can't learn Tai Xu Sword Qi, how am I supposed to survive in this world?"
The Tai Xu Five Aggregates were heart, form, intent, soul, and spirit. The Heart Aggregate's Sword Heart Art was the most important foundation.
The Heart Aggregate was the path, refining the heart and forging the body.
The Form Aggregate was technique, combining deft movement with precise forms.
The Intent Aggregate was the instrument, taking up a sword and giving it form.
The Soul Aggregate was the furnace, making a sword of all things.
The Spirit Aggregate was the pinnacle, breaking ten thousand arts with a single thought.
Ye Chang'an was stuck at the most basic step: developing a sword heart. He could recite all 462 sounds of the Sword Heart Art backward, yet he still couldn't produce one.
Perhaps Immortal Chi Yuan was right. His mind was too restless.
But the truth was... he had transmigrated too late.
If he had still been a teenager before crossing over, he might have stood a chance.
Unfortunately, he had already been an overworked office drone. Reincarnation might have given him a child's body, but inside, he was still the same adult.
The younger one began tempering a sword heart, the better. The earlier it took shape, the purer it would be.
Trying to cultivate a sword heart with an adult mind was like trying to cook a meal out of sand. It was wasted effort.
"No sword heart means no resistance. No resistance means I'm cannon fodder. Oh, heavens, don't do this to me."
Ye Chang'an sighed at the sky. Living on Tai Xu Mountain had become so frustrating he wanted to die.
He was sitting on a mountain of treasure and couldn't take a penny of it. It hurt.
System activating. Binding Parallel World Simulator...
As he wallowed in misery, an inexplicable mechanical voice sounded in his head and left him stunned.
"A system? A simulator? No way."
He knew both of those. They were standard equipment for transmigrators.
But he had been here for eight years. Why would a system show up now?
Binding complete. You may begin a simulation at any time.
Remaining simulations: 1
The mechanical voice sounded again. Certain he hadn't imagined it, Ye Chang'an ventured a question.
"Hey, uh, system? You there?"
Hello, host. I am temporary customer service representative 001. How may I help you?
The mechanical voice became a gentle woman's voice, pleasant to listen to. Ye Chang'an found it soothing.
He was also surprised and excited, of course.
"So you really are a system. Why did you only show up now?"
Eight years was an awfully long wait. Even the oldest computer wouldn't take that long to boot.
Host, your simulation count increases with the number of people whose fates you change. The system cannot activate while that count is zero.
At 001's answer, Ye Chang'an froze.
"The number of people whose fates I've changed? Have I changed anyone's fate?"
He thought back over everyone he had met in the past eight years. Apart from his birth parents, whom Lin Zhaoyu had cut down, there were only the six people on Tai Xu Mountain.
Chi Yuan and her five disciples.
None of their lives seemed to have changed.
"001, whose fate did I change?" Ye Chang'an asked curiously.
"Chasing Steed Sword, Ma Yanqing."
"(⊙o⊙)... Chasing Steed Sword? Ma Yanqing? Who's that? I don't remember anyone by that name."
Even more confused, Ye Chang'an frowned and searched his memory for named characters from the game.
Then he remembered.
"Holy shit. It's Old Six."
Ma Yanqing was Tai Xu's sixth disciple. He later changed his name to Ma Feima, but Ye Chang'an was used to calling him Old Six.
And the guy's life really did live up to that name.
"Wait, no. Old Six hasn't even come up the mountain to become a disciple yet. I've never met him, so how did I change his fate?"
It still didn't make sense to Ye Chang'an, but 001 couldn't answer, so he let it go.
"Forget Old Six. Tell me about this simulator instead. What does it do? What's it good for? Can it help me develop a sword heart?"
The Parallel World Simulator allows you, the host, to experience a new life in another parallel world.
The explanation was short and exceedingly vague.
Ye Chang'an had to keep asking questions. After a round of back-and-forth, he more or less figured out how his system worked.
In four words: it was pretty much useless.
It was nothing but a simulator. Aside from running simulations, it had no functions at all.
Nor did he gain much afterward. He couldn't bring out anything he acquired during a simulation, making the benefits virtually nonexistent.
The only thing he could keep was his memory. Memories from a simulation would not disappear when it ended.
"A useless simulator for a useless transmigrator."
Ye Chang'an cursed outright. Then he decided to run a simulation anyway.
He was bored out of his mind on Tai Xu Mountain, where nothing ever happened. He might as well find something to do in a simulated life.
Simulation starting. Host, please choose when or under what conditions your memories will awaken.
"Huh? I get to choose that?"
Surprised, Ye Chang'an asked for details, and an idea began to take shape.
A simulated life could be customized, somewhat like choosing traits, though Ye Chang'an's options were limited to his memories.
For instance, he could seal his memories until he turned eighteen, or set them to awaken after he accomplished a particular goal.
It didn't seem very useful at first glance. But when he thought of the Tai Xu Sword Qi he so desperately wanted, he saw a way to use it.
"Seal every memory except the Sword Heart Art. Have them awaken once I've fully mastered the sword heart."
An adult mind was unsuited to forming a sword heart. So he would return to a child's innocence, develop one, then recover his memories and reap the rewards.
He was calling in an amnesiac substitute.
Settings added. Beginning simulation. Host, you may view the simulation log after your memories awaken.
The simulation began.
Age 0: You were born a boy. You were curious about this unfamiliar world, but the strange sounds in your head fascinated you even more.
You tried to make sense of the 462 sounds and felt your heart grow calm.
You began cultivating the Sword Heart Art and gained the Still Water sword heart.
Chapter of Creation: Journey to a New World: Hello, Old Woman with Twin Guns
Your father was Wang Qing, your mother was Xue Xia, and your name was Chang'an.
You practiced the Sword Heart Art in your head every day, and your Still Water sword heart steadily improved.
Age 1: Your sword heart reached the Dustless realm.
Age 2: Your sword heart reached the Bright Mirror realm.
Age 3: Your sword heart continued to improve.
Age 4: Your parents enrolled you in preschool. Your sword heart reached the Tai Xu realm.
The condition for awakening your memories has been met. Your memories have awakened.
Ye Chang'an stared at the brief simulation log, dumbfounded.
"Didn't I set them to awaken once I mastered the sword heart? Why did they wait until I reached the Tai Xu Sword Heart?"
He didn't understand. He was utterly floored.
This was absurd. Tai Xu at four years old? What was Little Immortal Cheng Lingshuang supposed to think of that?
Awakening condition: full mastery of the sword heart. Your memories awakened as specified. Please rest assured, host.
001 replied in text. Ye Chang'an stared at the words "full mastery of the sword heart" for a long time, speechless.
Before you continue