"Fortunately, in the previous simulation, I had started studying seriously in the second half of my junior year and even landed a job related to my major after graduation. Not only did I retain most of my academic knowledge—it actually deepened."
Tony Snow smiled to himself, already preparing for another run of the Life Simulator.
[Would you like to use the Life Simulator? Complete one of the following tasks to proceed. (Note: Tasks are not stackable for multiple uses)]
Task One: Dare to Love
Description: Your life is too routine. Find a romantic partner—regardless of gender, age, or even species. Inter-species romance is permitted.
"What kind of nonsense is this? Interspecies romance? What am I, some kind of mythological monk who marries a snake? There aren't even humanoid snakes walking around," Tony muttered, clearly disturbed by the strange first task before even looking at the rest.
Task Two: Study Hard and Strive for Progress
Description: Even slackers can turn things around. Study seriously for over 24 hours in the campus library. (0 / 24)
Task Three: Bold Enough to Skip It All
Description: Skip at least ten classes within ten days of the task's release.
Tony shook his head. The third task might have been manageable during a regular semester, but it was currently only the first day of the seven-day Founders' Week break. That left just four class days in the ten-day window—not enough to skip ten sessions.
That left Task Two as the only viable option.
After selecting it, Tony suddenly found himself… with nothing to do. His original plan was simple: scroll his phone until 1 or 2 AM, fall asleep, then wake up late and waste the day playing games.
But now, he had this simulator—his unexpected gift. And to use it again, he had to complete a study task. Which meant—no more lounging. He was bored. He couldn't even fall asleep anymore.
"What exactly does 'effective time' mean?" Tony wondered aloud. "If I didn't have this simulator, would I have really died at 28?"
That thought made him reflect deeply for the first time in a long while.
Tony had grown up in a small, quiet village. His parents worked far away for most of his childhood, so he was raised by his grandparents. He only saw his parents during school breaks—mainly during winter holidays.
It wasn't until university, when he enrolled in Westbridge City—the same city where his parents now worked—that he started seeing them more often.
He'd studied diligently through grade school, middle school, and high school. But once he hit college, all discipline vanished. He read web novels in class, stayed up until 3 AM gaming, and rarely left his dorm.
"If I kept living like that, no wonder the first simulation showed me graduating 'with great difficulty' and then working some soul-draining job until I dropped dead."
Looking back, Tony had to admit the simulation had been pretty accurate.
He didn't believe in fate, but it was hard to argue with a future that made sense. As he mentally picked apart the second simulation, he eventually fell asleep without realizing it.
When he woke up the next morning, Tony instantly called out to the Life Simulator in his mind, wondering if everything had just been a dream.
The glowing panel reappeared immediately.
Even better, the knowledge he had gained from the simulation was still intact. It wasn't a dream.
Tony breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed his phone from under his pillow, and checked the time—already past 9 AM.
He got up, washed, and stood frozen with his backpack in hand, unsure of what book to take.
"What's the plan again?" Tony asked himself aloud.
After the first simulation, he'd decided to stop wasting time. He had started preparing for grad school in the second simulation. Should he follow the same path now?
If so, he should probably bring his Advanced Mathematics books.
If not, he might be better off reviewing some professional course materials.
Tony eventually decided to give the grad school path a serious try. He still had a full year left, and now he had the simulator—he had a real shot at doing it right this time.
He rummaged through the dusty shelves of his room and pulled out Advanced Mathematics, Vol. 1 and 2, which had been untouched for years.
After a quick breakfast of a breakfast roll and some hot soy milk at the campus cafe, Tony made his way to the university library.
He found a quiet corner seat, pulled out Volume 1, and stared at the table of contents. Phrases like "Functions and Limits," "Derivatives," "Definite Integrals," and "Differential Equations" brought back painful memories.
He groaned. "Maybe I picked the wrong book…"
But as he began reviewing the first chapter, bits of familiarity returned.
During the second simulation, Tony had indeed studied for over a year preparing for grad school. Even though he eventually failed the exam and forgot much of it by age thirty, he had still gained a strong base.
Now, with that simulated knowledge integrated into his real mind, Tony found that the math wasn't as foreign as he'd feared.
Without the knowledge retained from that simulation, Tony probably would've given up within the first hour. He'd barely touched academics for two years.
But now, he moved from confusion to familiarity, and eventually, total immersion.
Before he knew it, noon had arrived—and his stomach was growling.
On his way to lunch, he checked his task progress.
[Current Task Progress: 2 / 24 hours]
After eating, he returned straight to the library and continued reading.
Hours passed without notice.
By the time the library lights dimmed for closing, Tony had clocked 6 / 24 hours of effective study.
He was more than pleased.
"Looks like I can complete the task by the 5th," he thought. "I'll get to simulate again soon."
Tony had started to understand how the simulator counted "effective time": not by mere presence in the library, but by focus. It required the kind of deep concentration he usually reserved for web novels—when even loud noises couldn't pull him out of a story.
That night, Tony showered early, went to bed by ten, and even set an alarm for 7 AM.
On the evening of October 5th…
"Hey kid, it's you again. We're closing up," the librarian—a tired but kind woman—called out from across the room. She had seen Tony every night that week.
"Oh! Sorry, really sorry! I lost track of time," Tony said sheepishly, snapping out of the math fog. He scrambled to pack up his books.