Chapitre 32: Villain Simulator, Ch 32

[Year 601: You passed away peacefully with no remaining attachments. Though you never had children, your funeral was filled with people who had benefited from your kindness throughout your life. They probably wouldn't believe that the elderly man lying in the coffin with a smile was once a villain who desecrated corpses, destroyed nations, and killed god.]

[This life simulation has ended.]

[Cause of death: Died of old age.]

[Overall evaluation: Peaceful demise.]

[Your rewards have been sent and are available for viewing at any time.]

As this long journey finally came to an end, Lucas felt a mix of emotions, unable to calm his heart.

Unlike his previous two simulations, this time, it felt like he had genuinely lived for 600 years.

"So, this time, I ended my life as a good person?" Lucas mused. "Isn't this supposed to be the Villain Simulator?"

[There are plenty of villains in this world who die peacefully. That is the true nature of the Villain Simulator.]

The system gave its answer.

And it made sense—this was a "Villain Simulator," not a "Tragic End Simulator."

Perhaps because Lucas had died so suddenly in the first two simulations, dying of old age this time felt a bit strange.

[Please choose one of the following three talents to keep as a permanent talent: "Medical Sage," "Die of Old Age," or "Old but Vigorous."]

Was there really any choice here? Of course, it had to be [Medical Sage]—not only was it a golden talent, but the other two would only become useful in the real world 30 or 40 years later.

[You've acquired the permanent talent "Medical Sage (Gold)."]

[Medical Sage (Gold): You possess an exceptionally powerful talent in medicine, destined to use your knowledge to change the course of history.]

After selecting the permanent reward, Lucas casually checked the system inventory, curious to see how many rewards this simulation had yielded.

Typically, rewards were based on achievements and how long you survived in the simulation. After living for 600 years, the rewards should be substantial.

[This simulation's rewards: A-rank loot box ×3, S-rank loot box ×1, Gold-tier talent ×1.]

In addition to loot boxes, there was even a talent reward?

And not just any talent—another golden talent!

Two golden talents from one simulation. This was a jackpot! Combined with the loot boxes, this simulation's rewards were six to seven times more valuable than the previous one.

[Dendro Archon's Gene (Gold)]

[Effect: The gene of the Dendro God takes root in your body, granting you the ability to wield the purest Dendro Elemental power. As your strength grows, your elemental power will increase.]

So, it was the Dendro Archon's gene from the simulation?

Based on the description, it seemed like Lucas couldn't yet wield the overwhelming power he had in the simulation.

Out of curiosity, Lucas reached toward a decorative potted plant nearby and concentrated. "Grow!"

In Teyvat, only those with a Vision could manipulate elemental power. For those blessed with a Vision, using elemental energy was as natural as walking or eating.

Lucas could feel the elemental power coursing through his body, but he wasn't sure how to control it. The plant in the pot only swayed slightly—whether in response to his elemental power or simply to a passing breeze, he couldn't tell.

"Well..." Feeling embarrassed as people around him gave him strange looks, Lucas lowered his hand and blushed. "Looks like I need more practice."

But just then, Master Mao, who had just entered the backyard to gather ingredients, was startled.

The sapling he had planted in the yard only a month ago had somehow grown into a massive tree, several stories tall, thick enough for two people to wrap their arms around.

"Holy moly, looks like that fertilizer I bought really worked wonders!" Master Mao exclaimed. "What was it called again... something like Golden Fertilizer?"

...

Of course, Lucas had no idea that his elemental power had merely targeted the wrong plant.

Now it was time to open the loot boxes.

[Opened A-rank loot box. Talent acquired: "A Knight Never Fights Barehanded."]

[A Knight Never Fights Barehanded (Purple)]

[Effect: You can treat any object in your hand as a weapon, imbuing it with special properties.]

[Description: Even a mop with dung on it becomes a mighty weapon in your hands.]

A purple talent from an A-rank loot box, huh?

Not bad, though the description was a bit... odd. Lancelot would probably want to hit someone for this.

[Opened A-rank loot box. Equipment acquired: "Mask of Disguise."]

[Mask of Disguise]

[Effect: When worn, this mask allows you to take on the appearance of any individual you've seen (you can only transform into someone you've encountered).]

[Description: If you're planning on impersonating someone's significant other, make sure to take precautions.]

A transformation mask? If it weren't for that suggestive description, he wouldn't have even thought of using it like that...

[Opened A-rank loot box. Equipment acquired: "Nano Battle Suit (Youth Edition)."]

[Nano Battle Suit (Youth Edition)]

[Effect: A nanosuit that can be equipped and repaired at the molecular level, enhancing the user's physical abilities. Its appearance can change based on the user's preferences.]

[Description: The "Youth Edition" just sounds better. It's actually the cheap version.]

Then just call it the cheap version! Damn it!

Still, Lucas was interested in this reward. After all, who wouldn't want a superhero suit? Maybe he could be like the mysterious Darknight Hero over in Mondstadt.

[Opened S-rank loot box. Talent acquired: "Lord of the Undead."]

[Lord of the Undead (Gold)]

[Effect: All undead creatures will have a favorable impression of you, and you can command undead creatures weaker than yourself.]

[Description: Please refrain from doing anything weird to corpses.]

Another talent?

And it seemed related to his experiences in the simulation.

The only downside... there didn't seem to be any undead creatures in Teyvat—no skeleton soldiers or zombies. This was a 12+ game, after all. Including anything scary would probably lead to complaints from parents.

While it was a golden talent, it felt somewhat useless.

Wait, would the little zombie Qiqi count as undead?

After opening the four loot boxes, the rewards were decent, though they didn't seem to provide any immediate power boosts.

Or was this part of the system's design?

...

"Customer, thanks for waiting!"

At that moment, Xiangling cheerfully brought the food to the table with a grin. "Here's a special dish of mine—Spicy Slime. It's a complimentary dish for new customers. Enjoy!"

Lucas looked down at the Slime on the plate. The Slime looked back at Lucas. The air between them grew awkward.

Was this... really edible?

Just as Lucas was about to dig in, a loud, rough voice boomed from a nearby table.

"Hey, lil' sis! You think you can just ignore me, Brother Hu? It's your honor that I'm asking you to share a meal! Don't you go giving me the cold shoulder!"

Lucas looked up and saw a large, bald man standing at a nearby table. And sitting at the table was a silver-haired girl who looked rather familiar...

Wait, wasn't that Shenhe?

Although Lucas had never met Shenhe in real life, they had shared numerous "close interactions" during the simulations.

Lucas knew every detail about her, including the location of her moles, so naturally, he recognized her instantly.

However, despite his excitement, he quickly reminded himself that this was the real world, where he and Shenhe had no connection whatsoever.

At the moment, she seemed to be in a bit of trouble.

Standing in front of her was a man calling himself "Brother Hu," a burly thug covered in tattoos. He was clearly one of the local ruffians, and two lackeys stood by his side.

Brother Hu's gaze held an obvious malice, likely attracted by Shenhe's beauty, leading him to harass her.

However, Shenhe's expression remained completely calm. She reached for a booklet at her waist—it was none other than "Cloud Retainer's Guide to Polite Conversation."

Frowning slightly, Shenhe began flipping through the pages. After reading a few, she nodded and muttered to herself, "Hmm... Master wrote that when a stranger offers to buy me a meal, I should respond like this..."

"Hey! I'm talking to you! Can't you hear me?" Brother Hu, growing impatient, raised his voice.

Shenhe cleared her throat and recited, word for word: "Who do you think you are? Take a look at yourself in the mirror. Do you really think you're worthy of inviting me to dinner?"

Brother Hu's face immediately darkened. The veins on his forehead bulged as he shouted, "You damn woman! Are you mocking me?!"

At that, Shenhe squinted at the booklet again and read aloud, "Angry, are we?"

"You—!"

Brother Hu, enraged, raised his hand to strike Shenhe, but before he could react, there was a soft "crack" sound. He felt a sharp pain shoot through his fingers and looked up to find that one of them had been snapped cleanly, bent at an unnatural angle.

Then, pain shot through his lower back and buttocks. With two swift "thuds," two strange cylindrical objects fell to the ground—obviously thrown at him.

Brother Hu looked around, scanning the restaurant. The patrons, initially interested in the scene, quickly turned away to avoid trouble with the thug.

"Damn it! You wanna play dirty, huh?" Despite knowing the person who struck him was powerful, Brother Hu tried to maintain his bravado. "You just wait! I'll be at Tiger Rock Street, and if I catch you, you're dead meat!"

Clutching his injured rear, he limped out of the restaurant with the help of his two lackeys, grimacing in pain.

"Those guys are notorious bullies from Tiger Rock Street. I wonder which expert stepped in to teach them a lesson," Xiangling, who hadn't left yet, gave Lucas a cheerful smile. "If I find out who it was, I'll treat them to one of my special dishes!"

Lucas could only smile in response, staying silent.

He wasn't one for drawing attention, and besides, who knew what kind of bizarre "special dish" Xiangling might serve?

Of course, it was Lucas who used his M1911 pistol, loaded with rubber bullets he had redeemed using his points.

After all, causing a death in the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor would have caused a lot of unnecessary trouble.

[You have earned 500 Virtue Points!]

As expected, a classic act of "saving the damsel in distress" immediately earned him some points.

As for Shenhe, Lucas briefly considered approaching her but decided against it. The bond they shared in the simulator should stay there.

Besides, seeing how cold and distant Shenhe seemed, if he tried to strike up a conversation now, he'd likely end up with the same fate as that "Brother Hu."

However, Lucas wasn't aware that Shenhe had already cast her gaze toward him.

Though her face showed no expression, her mind was in turmoil.

How was this possible?

The man sitting there wasn't just anyone—he was the same man who had appeared in her dreams, threatening her with Chongyun's safety, forcing her into unspeakable acts, and attempting to deceive her.

There was no mistake!

Even if the age was slightly different, his face, his demeanor, even the smallest gestures were identical to the man from her dreams!

It couldn't be a coincidence—there had to be a connection between this man and the villain from her nightmares.

Moreover, the person who had just helped her by throwing those projectiles... seemed to be him as well.

Could it be... that he knew who she was?

The thought made Shenhe's cheeks flush slightly.

If he did know her, then he might also be aware of what happened in the dreams...

There was no way she could just walk up and ask him directly if he recognized her. For now, all she could do was wait and observe, hoping for the right moment to find out more.

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Author's Note: Well some interactions and misunderstandings with one of my fav character Shenhe 🥳