Simulation

[Your life began with a grand scene as you found yourself self born into a powerful Duke family.]

The opulence surrounding him was unlike anything he'd experienced in previous simulation.

[The Duke family ruled vast territories and held immense political and magical influence. What intrigued Strider the most was the prevalence of magic.]

[Unlike cultivation, magic was woven into daily life here. People wielded spells, created enchantments, and manipulated elements with ease. Strider, though familiar with cultivation, was fascinated by this alternate form of power.]

[At the age of four, like all children in the Duke family, Strider underwent a magical aptitude test.]

[The results were disappointing—he had no talent for magic. The news saddened him, but he held his emotions in check. He reminded himself of his true goal: to evolve his Ghostling form into a peak Wraith. Magic, while intriguing, was merely a distraction from his larger purpose.]

[Each night, when the dark elements in the environment peaked, Strider would sneak out and meditate in secluded spots to absorb the ambient dark energy. This secret practice became his nightly routine, a process he carried out diligently for years.]

[By the age of eight, Strider had gained a reputation as an anomaly within the Duke family. Unlike his peers, who trained rigorously in magic or managed family affairs, Strider appeared to spend his days painting and singing.]

[His artistic talents gained him some admiration among the family elders, particularly for his lifelike portraits of the Duke mansion's women. However, his brothers and sisters looked down on him, mocking his lack of magical ability and his perceived idleness.]

[When it came time for him to attend school, Strider astonished everyone with his vast knowledge.]

[Having retained his intellect from past simulation, he easily skipped ahead of his peers, completing the curriculum in record time. Despite this, he continued to paint and sing in front of others while secretly absorbing dark energy at night.]

[At the age of 20, Strider encountered his first major hurdle. His ability to absorb dark energy reached a plateau, leaving him unable to make further progress.]

[To evolve into a Wraith, he needed to perform a ritual, but his intuition warned him that doing so now would only allow him to reach the mid-stage of Wraith, far from his goal of becoming a peak Wraith. Strider decided to wait, hoping to discover a way to break through his limits.]

[By the time he turned 25, Strider's frustration grew. Despite years of effort, he remained stuck. The inability to progress weighed heavily on him, and he began to consider accepting a mid-stage Wraith transformation.]

[However, before giving in, he decided to search for a suitable location to conduct the ritual.]

[At 26, Strider discovered a dark secret beneath the Duke mansion: a vast prison holding over 2,000 prisoners. He realized they could serve as sacrifices for his ritual.]

[However, drawing the necessary arrays and runes would surely attract attention from the Duke family. He began sneaking around the prison to study its layout, looking for ways to perform the ritual without being discovered.]

[One night, as Strider explored the area near the prison, he felt an ominous presence coming from the Duke residence.]

[Alarmed, he made haste toward the main building, only to witness a horrifying scene. Men clad entirely in black were on a killing spree, mercilessly slaughtering everyone in sight.]

[Leading the attackers was a sinister-looking man with a cold, menacing aura. Strider's intuition told him this man was a 5th-star mage, a power equivalent to the peak of the energy accumulation realm in cultivation terms.]

[The man's strength was overwhelming, and Strider could only watch helplessly as the massacre unfolded.]

[As the number of casualties rose, Strider felt another powerful presence approaching from afar. It was the current Duke, returning from a business trip. The arrival of the Duke brought a glimmer of hope to the remaining family members.]

However, the sinister mage, Lester d'Raizel, remained unfazed. His cold voice echoed through the carnage, declaring, "It is already too late."

Before anyone could react, an enormous array activated, encompassing the entire Duke residence.

The death energy generated by the slaughter of nearly 4,000 people surged toward Lester, who declared triumphantly, "Today, I will step into the 6th stage. Remember my name: Lester d'Raizel!"

Faced with this overwhelming power, the Duke hesitated, ultimately retreating to summon reinforcements. A 6th-stage mage was beyond anything he could handle alone, as such power was typically reserved for the royal family.

But Lester, standing in the midst of his growing domain, sneered at the retreating Duke. "Too late," he said again.

A dark domain spread from Lester, encompassing the entire Duke residence. Strider felt the oppressive weight of the domain, knowing that it marked the ascension of a 6th-stage mage. Within this domain, no one below the 6th stage could survive.

Strider, along with the remaining family members and attackers, was consumed by the dark energy.

His consciousness faded, and moments later, he found himself back in the foggy system space. The simulation had ended, marking another failure to achieve his goal.

[You are dead.]

[Completion rate: 20%.]

[ Note: Are you sure about the reason for your death?]

[Simulation terminated.]

These words echoed in Strider's mind as he floated in the system space. The cold, emotionless reminder from the system seemed simple at first, but the note left him unsettled.

Why would the system question his understanding of his own death?

Strider replayed the events of the simulation in his mind, analyzing every detail.

He remembered the overwhelming presence of Lester d'Raizel, the sinister mage, and how the domain had consumed everyone within the Duke residence.

To him, the outcome had been inevitable—if only the Duke had arrived earlier, things could have been different.

With this thought, Strider's mind began to form a plan. If he could warn the Duke beforehand and provide crucial intelligence about Lester's plans, the massacre could be prevented.

The Duke, indebted to him for such vital information, might even grant Strider permission to use the Duke family's resources to conduct his Ghostling evolution ritual in secret. It seemed like a win-win scenario.

Yet, the system's note lingered in his thoughts. Why did it question the reason for his death? Was there something he had overlooked? Could there be more to the simulation than he had realized?

Strider sighed, frustration bubbling within him. "The timing was wrong, that's all," he muttered to himself, trying to dismiss the system's cryptic warning. But deep down, a flicker of doubt remained.

"If the system is questioning me, then maybe I missed something critical," he thought. Determined to uncover the truth, Strider resolved to approach the next simulation with sharper focus and a readiness to adapt.

The system's reminder wasn't just a warning—it was a challenge he intended to overcome.