(This story is purely fictional. Any resemblance is a great honor!)
(Where brilliant brains are stored—)
(Where wise brains are stored—)
In the dark, damp death prison, Zheng Qian slowly opened his eyes.
The surrounding walls were made of icy stone. The air was thick with the rotten stench of mold, and the occasional rustling of rats or insects came from somewhere nearby.
"Where... is this?" Zheng Qian tried hard to remember, but his mind was a complete muddle. He could not recall anything.
He only remembered being an utterly ordinary wage slave from the twenty-first century, working from nine in the morning to nine at night, six days a week, and occasionally putting in overtime.
His name was equally plain and unremarkable—Zheng Qian, a clear expression of his parents' earnest hopes for him.
His memories ended with the shrill blare of a horn late that night...
That day, because he had to finish a proposal, he had worked overtime until after midnight.
On his way home after finishing work, riding his own battered electric scooter, an out-of-control heavy truck came straight at him.
And then? There was no then.
When he woke up again, he had already appeared in this cursed place.
Just after waking, Zheng Qian looked at the unfamiliar and miserable surroundings with a blank expression. Just as he was about to rub his eyes and take another look—
"Clatter—"
He discovered that both his hands were locked in heavy iron chains. It was not just his hands—his ankles were also shackled with weighty irons. Whenever he moved even slightly, the chains emitted a grating scrape.
"Hey, newcomer, stop struggling." A hoarse voice came from the cell next door. "No one who enters this death prison ever gets out alive. The Autumn Equinox is in seven days. We'll all be dragged out and beheaded then, so save your strength."
Zheng Qian's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked, "What is this place? Why am I locked up here?"
The man let out a cold laugh. "What are you pretending to be stupid for? This is the death prison of Xishan Commandery in the Xingyang Dynasty. Only serious offenders are kept here. What crime did you commit? Don't you know that yourself?"
"The Xingyang Dynasty? Xishan Commandery? A death prison?" Zheng Qian froze.
He had never heard of the Xingyang Dynasty or Xishan Commandery, nor could he remember committing any crime. And now he was even going to be dragged out and beheaded!
What era was this? They still beheaded people...
"No! A dynasty? A commandery city? Could I have transmigrated? And I actually started by getting locked in a death prison?!!" Zheng Qian muttered, realizing it only belatedly.
In other words, he had first been hit to death by a heavy truck, then finally transmigrated and gained a second life, only to be dragged off for beheading now?
This was way too damn tragic!
Just then, footsteps came from outside the cells. Several jailers in black armor approached. The man in front rapped the bars with the hilt of his blade and said coldly, "Zheng Qian, you'll be executed at noon in seven days. Enjoy your final moments."
Zheng Qian's heart sank to the bottom. He tried to explain, but the jailer did not even bother responding. He tossed in a last meal and turned to leave.
"Am I really going to die here?" Zheng Qian clenched his fists, his heart filled with unwillingness and despair.
He was merely a powerless wage slave. Most of the knowledge he had learned in his previous life had been returned to his teachers after he started working.
Expecting him to escape the death prison on his own would be less trouble than simply killing him with a single slash.
Just as Zheng Qian was despairing, a cold, mechanical prompt suddenly rang out in his mind:
"Ding! The host has been detected to be in a desperate situation. The Myriad Worlds Simulator has been bound."
"The host may use this simulator to enter the myriad worlds and undergo trials, obtaining resources such as cultivation methods, martial arts, heavenly treasures, divine weapons, and spirit pills to improve their own strength."
Zheng Qian was stunned, then his face filled with wild joy.
As a veteran netizen, he naturally knew what a simulator was!
His golden finger had finally arrived!
As long as he used it properly, let alone leaving this death prison alive—even immortality would no longer be a mere dream.
But the prerequisite for all that was that he first had to understand how to use this [Myriad Worlds Simulator].
As soon as this thought appeared in Zheng Qian's mind, a stream of information rapidly emerged within it.
It took him a full quarter of an hour to finish reading it all.
He also gained a thorough understanding of the [Myriad Worlds Simulator] that had just appeared.
The ability of the [Myriad Worlds Simulator] was simple: it allowed the host—in other words, Zheng Qian—to simulate a life in different worlds.
After completing each simulation, Zheng Qian could draw at least one reward from the simulated world.
These included, but were not limited to, cultivation realms, cultivation methods and martial arts, heavenly treasures, spirit pills and miraculous medicines, and so on.
Of course, simulations could not be conducted arbitrarily. Zheng Qian roughly organized the specific requirements:
1. Using the [Myriad Worlds Simulator] for a simulation required consuming [Simulation Points].
There were two ways to obtain [Simulation Points]. The first was for the [Myriad Worlds Simulator] to absorb energy on its own and produce [Simulation Points]. The speed of acquisition was directly proportional to the strength of the host—in other words, Zheng Qian.
The stronger Zheng Qian was, the faster the [Simulation Points] would naturally increase. The reverse was also true.
The second method was to absorb treasures containing sufficient energy and obtain [Simulation Points] from them. The amount obtained depended on the quality of the treasure.
2. The [Myriad Worlds Simulator] would randomly generate a world of a corresponding level based on the host's strength and allow the host to simulate a life there.
The world levels were divided into: Martial World, Low Martial World, Mid Martial World, High Martial World, Heavenly Martial World... and so on.
3. During the first simulation in a world of each level, Zheng Qian could freely draw one talent of the corresponding world level to enhance himself. (Each simulated world could grant only one newly acquired talent.)
If he was dissatisfied with the talent he drew, he could consume [Simulation Points] to draw again.
4. The number of [Simulation Points] required to simulate worlds of different levels, the number required to draw talents, and the levels of talents available were as follows:
Martial World: one [Simulation Point] for one simulation and one talent draw; white-level talents could be drawn.
Low Martial World: ten [Simulation Points] for one simulation and one talent draw; green-level talents could be drawn.
Mid Martial World: one hundred [Simulation Points] for one simulation and one talent draw; blue-level talents could be drawn.
High Martial World: one thousand [Simulation Points] for one simulation and one talent draw; purple-level talents could be drawn.
And so on. The higher the world level, the more [Simulation Points] were consumed, and the better the talents obtained.
5. Once a simulation began, the host would randomly be reincarnated as any supporting character or nameless nobody in the simulated world other than the protagonist. The timeline would also be random.
However, no matter whom he reincarnated as, he would start as an infant, and all talents would be the same as the host's.
6. After the simulation ended, the host could choose rewards according to his rating in the simulated world. He could choose at least one reward and at most five.
The ratings were: Inferior (0–20 points), allowing one reward; Average (21–40 points), allowing two rewards; Superior (41–60 points), allowing three rewards; Excellent (61–80 points), allowing four rewards; Perfect (81–100 points), allowing five rewards.
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