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墨書 Inktalez
Tang Ziran suddenly opened her eyes, the bed and the blanket enveloping her like a warm nest. The recent screams, running, and death felt like a mere illusion.
"Am I... dreaming?" she trembled as memories surged into her body against her will, making her feel cold, as if she were a corpse in winter.
Her mind struggled to comprehend what had just happened. Had she... died? She reached out to touch her face; it was smooth and uninjured—she was very much alive.
"It must be a dream, yes, a dream within a dream," Tang Ziran tried to convince herself as she mechanically dressed and got out of bed. She went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator... the meager food inside looked exactly like what she had seen in her "dream." Outside the window, the thick fog obscured everything else.
Wait, exactly the same?
She sat down at the dining table, momentarily stunned. The memories and emotions she had forcefully suppressed surged back like a tide, threatening to drown her. Could it be that she had... been reborn? Was everything in that dream real?
How does one emerge from the shadow of their own death? Tang Ziran didn’t know. She couldn’t ask anyone for help or seek comfort from others; all she could do was slowly digest it herself—there was no other way.
In the dream, the monster's tentacles felt like cold iron, carrying the scent of rust as they pierced through her cheek and sliced open her skull like tofu.
Fortunately, everything happened quickly; she didn’t feel much pain. However, the fear that crawled over every part of her body in that instant still left a deep imprint within her.
There was no enlightenment that came from having died once; at no moment did she want to live more than now. Her body trembled slightly, cold sweat soaking through her clothes.
[Target search in progress... Host death detected... Matching initiated... Initializing... Please wait]
Protocol detection in progress
Cloud coverage established: Data import beginning
Countdown: 5... 4... 3... 2... 1
<<< Program activation successful :)
[Hello, Host. I am Simulator System 001]
The sudden appearance of the system, whether it was a figment of her imagination or not, pulled the girl from the depths of her overwhelming fear, allowing her to lean back slightly against the chair. It was a gesture of relaxation.
"You just said I’m dead?" Tang Ziran attempted to engage in a dialogue with this unexpected system that had invaded her mind, trying to grasp the current situation.
【Yes, host. Life signs have been detected as absent, triggering a rollback. This system has captured an energy anchor point and has successfully initiated and bound itself to you. The world you are in is currently under invasion by an unknown force, and the danger level is rising.】
"So all of that wasn’t a dream... it’s real." Tang Ziran's voice trembled, her subconscious unwilling to accept this reality.
She hurried to the floor-to-ceiling window on the right side of the living room, pressing against the glass to observe everything outside.
It was nearly nine-thirty; through the fog, she could barely make out the buildings across the street. The residents who would normally be out and about were nowhere to be seen. It was winter now, and there were hardly any animals around, making the outside eerily quiet compared to usual.
No screams, no monsters, and no blood or corpses scattered about.
This was supposed to be an ordinary day; it should have been an ordinary day. Tang Ziran's vision blurred as tears welled up in her eyes, distorting everything before her. Her mind flickered between images of her recent death and thoughts of her parents far away.
But soon, Tang Ziran managed to stop her tears. She raised a hand to wipe her eyes and forced herself to calm down.
"001, you are a simulation system. What exactly can you do?"
【By using the Coin of Fate, this system can simulate future events along the flow of time, showcasing different possibilities that can help you gain an advantage, dear host. Let’s begin the simulation according to my prompts.】
A lake-blue virtual screen materialized before Tang Ziran. She reached out to touch it but felt nothing.
【Host, the system has no physical form; it can be operated with your consciousness.】
Tang Ziran refocused her attention on the screen that appeared before her, estimating its dimensions to be about 60 centimeters long and 50 centimeters wide.
The interface was very simple; on the far left were function keys labeled 【Simulation】【My Items】【Personal Panel】 arranged vertically, taking up little space. The right side was mostly empty.
The icon corresponding to 【Simulation】 was a golden coin, with numerous branches radiating from its center towards the edges like tree limbs.
Opening the backpack revealed it to be empty. After returning, she clicked on the character tab, and a series of data appeared before her.
Name: Tang Ziran
Race: Human
Status: Healthy
Strength: 2
Agility: 3
Constitution: 3
Spirit: 5
Luck: 3
The simulator had quantified Tang Ziran's six attributes, presenting them in a straightforward manner. However, she was unsure what the maximum values were and how her personal stats measured up.
"Please click 'Start Simulation' for your first simulation," the voice of 001 echoed once more.
Tang Ziran hesitated no longer. Following the system's guidance, she focused her mind and clicked on "Simulate." A line of text appeared on the screen—please toss the coin of fate to begin the simulation.
—Detected that you currently possess only copper coins; the simulation will automatically use copper coins.
—Please confirm to start the simulation.
As Tang Ziran clicked to confirm, content began to materialize in the previously blank area on the right side of the screen.
—You have started a simulation. The simulation content is as follows:
You experienced a death, and out of fear of the unknown monster, you chose to hide at home, locking yourself in.
Fortunately, the unknown creature did not invade your neighborhood. You listened to the distant screams outside your house, the chaotic and terrified voices piercing through your nerves as they filtered through the window. You prayed for the monster to leave quickly.
You counted the remaining food in your home. Although there weren't many fresh fruits and vegetables, there was enough water to last for two weeks. Still, you worried about what the future might hold.
You watched various reports on your phone and television, discovering that unknown creatures had appeared all over the world, most of them violent, with the death toll continuously rising.
Your country's officials acted swiftly, suppressing the monster near your home.
The authorities organized an evacuation for your neighborhood. However, during the evacuation, you encountered another monster and were torn apart amidst a chaotic barrage of gunfire.
[This simulation has ended. You can choose one of the following options:]
1. Supplies in your backpack during evacuation
2. A piece of paper with writing on it (recommended)
"Is this how it ends?" Tang Ziran stared incredulously at the screen displaying her death outcome, her eyes wide with disbelief.
She felt dizzy, unable to accept what had just happened.
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