---o---
"Goodnight, Snakey."
"Goodnight, Boss. Sweet dreams."
In the room, Fu Li lay on the bed and slowly closed his eyes.
Snakey stood guard silently beside him, a glimmer of tenderness in her cold, electronic serpentine eyes as she watched Fu Li's sleeping face.
[Entering Simulator…]
[Host is entering the Flame-Chaser simulation for the fourth time. Number of lottery draws +1]
[Reroll talents?]
"Yes."
The point of the simulations was to experience different lives. Fu Li had grown tired of the priest's life and naturally wanted to try something else.
The slot machine appeared before his eyes once more. After silently chanting 'Pardofelis, bless me' in his heart, he pulled the lever.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining your fourth talent.]
[Fourth Talent: Martial Artist of the Mundane World (The speed at which you learn martial arts is greatly increased. Your physical fitness and endurance are greatly enhanced.)]
[Entering simulation…]
[Current Simulation Scene: Hua's Personal Story, "A Life Adrift"]
['Tarot Card - The Sun' has been used automatically.]
[You are an orphan, abandoned in a hospital the moment you were born.]
[Just then, a couple who also had a child that day sees you.]
[The man is the owner of a martial arts dojo. The first time he saw you, he found your bone structure to be extraordinary—the perfect material for a martial artist.]
[After his daughter was born, he hesitated for a long time before finally adopting you.]
[From their conversation, your innate knowledge tells you that the man is named Mu, the woman is named Lan, and their daughter is named Hua.]
[Going with the flow, you become Hua's older brother. However, they do not hide your identity from you, and frankly tell you of your origins after you turn eight.]
[From that day on, you call the man Master, the woman Mistress, and Hua your Junior Sister.]
[However, Hua is unwilling to call you Senior Brother, insisting on calling you Brother instead.]
[From a young age, you and Hua have been different from other children. Due to your family's environment, you both began to practice martial arts in your early years.]
[As times changed, martial arts evolved from a killing technique of the past into a method for strengthening the body.]
[Because of this, every time you sparred with your Master, you had to painstakingly hold back your true strength, deeply afraid that you might accidentally kill him.]
[In the dojo, you are the genius siblings that everyone admires. But in the eyes of outsiders, your so-called martial arts practice is nothing more than a waste of time.]
[Therefore, although they don't dare to provoke you, they intentionally or unintentionally distance themselves from you.]
[Though Hua says she doesn't care, you keenly perceive the loneliness in her eyes.]
[To lift her spirits, you devise a plan to help her relax.]
---o---
"Hah! Yah!"
In the training hall, Fu Li stood on the left, watching the young girl before him let out powerful shouts as she launched a rapid series of attacks.
"White Tiger Listens to the Wind!"
"Yellow Dragon Breaks the Heavens!"
"Inch Force: Open the Heavens!!"
For her age, Hua's martial arts could already be considered the pinnacle of mastery. Her moves were sharp and swift, like a tiger descending a mountain. Even at her young age, she possessed an oppressive aura that came from her training.
Unfortunately for her, her opponent was Fu Li.
---o---
"But, but…" Hua was still hesitant. As an honest person, she had never done something like this before.
Then again, sneaking out at night to have fun sounded rather exciting.
"It's alright, Hua. We got into a good school. It's fine to celebrate a little."
"Just think about it: the night food street, fried chicken, grilled squid, and all sorts of other delicious things. You can eat whatever you want. It's my treat."
"Th-th-this…" Although her conscience told her this was the wrong choice, the demonic whisper continued to tempt her.
Finally, she shot a guilty glance at her father, who was drinking tea, and gave a weak nod.
"Alright then. But just this once, okay?"