Second Try!

You once again enter the simulation copy world with the same talent little dark lord.

Once again, you are born into the Duke family.

[The familiar sights, sounds, and lively atmosphere of the mansion greet you, but this time, you view it all through a lens sharpened by the knowledge gained from the first simulation.]

[You understand your limitations and the challenges that lie ahead. Knowing full well that you lack magical talent, you abandon any hope or excitement for the talent ceremony that will occur at the age of 4.]

[Instead, you focus on planning your actions meticulously, keeping in mind the chain of events that will unfold in the future.

Determined to use your foresight to your advantage, you attempt to meet the current Duke even as a young child.]

[Your goal is clear: warn him about the future and secure his cooperation to help you complete the ritual necessary for your Ghostling-to-Wraith evolution.]

[However, as expected, your request is brushed aside. To the Duke and the others, you are nothing more than a talentless child unworthy of their time and attention.

Refusing to let this setback deter you, you decide to take a different approach.]

[Drawing upon your knowledge of the future, you start making small predictions about events that are bound to occur. These predictions are minor, yet their accuracy is undeniable.]

[Over time, the consistency of your success begins to draw the attention of those around you. Slowly but surely, even the most skeptical members of the family start acknowledging your presence.]

[Eventually, even the Duke, whose attention is rarely drawn to trivial matters, takes notice. Skeptical yet intrigued, he agrees to meet with you.]

[This marks the second time you are facing the Duke—the first being in the tragic final moments of your previous simulation, where he, like the rest of the family, perished in Lester d Raizel's domain.]

[In your meeting with the Duke, you reveal a carefully crafted explanation: you claim to possess the ability to glimpse future events through dreams.]

[The Duke, though cautious, decides to test your abilities. Over the next few years, he asks you to predict specific events, and each time, your predictions prove accurate. With each success, the Duke's trust in you grows.]

[However, you begin to notice something unsettling: those within the family who know about your supposed "gift" start disappearing under mysterious circumstances.]

[Although you suspect foul play, you choose to ignore it for the time being.]

[Your primary focus remains on securing the Duke's agreement to support your evolution ritual—a crucial step in your plan to reach the Wraith stage.]

[This agreement becomes your lifeline, as the evolution ritual requires resources and conditions that only someone of the Duke's stature can provide.]

[Confident that you have earned the Duke's favor, you begin using your "Little Dark Lord" talent without constraint, believing that your cooperation will ensure your safety.]

[ You are certain that the Duke values your abilities too much to harm you.]

[Due to you absorbing dark element you reached the state where you can't absorb more at the age of 16]

[You asks the Duke on how he can absorb more of dark element in his body and the Duke says you have to wait for a decade only then he can tell you about it]

[This leads you to become suspicious about Duke but you ignore it thinking that it is only a simulated world]

[At the age of 26, you decide it is time to warn the Duke about the impending attack by Lester d Raizel.]

[You provide him with detailed information about the massacre that will soon unfold at the Duke mansion and Lester's ascension to the 6th-star Great Mage.]

[The Duke listens to your warning but remains cold and distant. Despite his chilling gaze, he assures you that there is no need to worry. His words offer you a fleeting sense of relief, but unease lingers in the back of your mind.]

[When the attack begins, the events play out almost exactly as they did in the first simulation. The mansion is plunged into chaos as Lester leads his forces in a brutal massacre.]

[The once-lively estate is reduced to a scene of bloodshed and despair. Despite your warnings, the Duke arrives late, just as he did before. However, to your shock, both you and the Duke survive Lester's domain this time.]

[As you process the chaos around you, confusion clouds your thoughts. You question why you were spared and why the Duke, who knew about the attack in advance, failed to prevent it.]

[While knowing everything he failed to prevent it and now he is standing calmly beside lester as though the massacre don't faze him]

[Was this outcome orchestrated by Lester, or was the Duke complicit in some way?

Your questions are soon answered as the Duke reveals a truth that shatters your understanding of the situation.]

[He explains that he is merely a clone of the real Duke and that the name "Lester d Raizel" is a pseudonym created by the true Duke to deceive the royal family.]

[Before your eyes, the Duke merges with his clone, revealing himself as both the master of the Duke family and the one behind the massacre.]

[The Duke—now fully revealed as Lester—explains that he spared you because of your ability to foresee the future.]

[He offers you a proposition: work for him, and he will provide you with the resources and support needed to continue your cultivation and achieve your goals.]

[As the truth sinks in, you realize how many critical details you missed during the first simulation. You reflect on your actions and choices, understanding that your lack of caution and awareness could have led to countless deaths if this were the real world.]

Faced with the Duke's offer, you evaluate your options carefully.

However, a chilling realization strikes you: your knowledge of the future is limited to the events up to the age of 26.

Beyond this point, you have no way of predicting what lies ahead. If you fail to provide the Duke with accurate information about future events, he will undoubtedly grow suspicious.

Understanding the danger of the situation, you make a bold and decisive choice. Without hesitation, you use the Ghostling's soul explosion technique, sacrificing your life to escape the Duke's clutches.

The decision is swift, leaving the Duke speechless. He cannot comprehend why someone with such potential would choose to end their life over facing a setback.

[System notification:]

[You are dead.]

[Copy completion: 50%]

[Note: Reality is the most cruel.]

[Simulation terminated ]

As the simulation ends, Strider finds himself back in the foggy system space. The weight of the lessons learned in this simulation lingers heavily in his mind.