Chapter 3 – An Ordinary Life
This was pretty impressive. Last time he only survived seven short days after the time-travel, yet came away with two skills and one specialty. If he lived longer this time…
Wouldn't he just take off?
Basic Endurance was a rare specialty that increased his stamina stat. Basic English Proficiency was useless in the game, but it gave him the Linguist sub-class, which made things run more smoothly during simulations. As for Basic Pickpocketing…
Combined with his Dexterous Hands specialty, if he spent some time on it, he might be able to untie the ropes behind him.
Just then, the door opened again. Three cultists from the Curse God Cult entered, roughly dragged a young man off the ground, and hauled him out.
Even Zhou Ning couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. That young man had been just a few spots ahead of the chubby kid. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before it was their turn.
Soon after, a line of text flashed before his eyes:
[Sacrifice has died. Current progress: 27/36.]
According to the dungeon settings, this group of inhuman cultists would sacrifice 36 people in a short period of time. No exceptions—everyone here was doomed.
The chubby kid trembled with fear and scooted closer to Zhou Ning. In a quivering voice, he asked, "Hey, do you think we're gonna die?"
Zhou Ning completely understood his desire for reassurance—but he never lied. Besides, wasn't he just a scared little baby himself?
After a brief silence, Honest Zhou Ning gave an honest answer: "Yeah. Most likely, and probably in a pretty miserable way too."
The chubby kid: "…"
If there were a negative emotion system, a +1000 prompt would've popped up above the kid's head by now.
He'd been hoping for comfort, but what he got instead was the exact opposite. The chubby kid finally broke down, wailing uncontrollably.
He was only sixteen or seventeen, probably had some training, and his lung capacity was maxed out. His crying was loud and piercing, practically operatic. Though the room had already been filled with sobbing, his voice instantly drowned out the rest.
"I'm still young! I haven't lived enough! I don't wanna die, I really don't…" he sobbed miserably, his whole body trembling—his fat shaking along with it.
"Don't cry. Everyone dies eventually. Sooner or later, it's all the same. And besides, look at all the company you've got." Even Zhou Ning was shaken by the kid's howling and tried to console him. But instead of calming down, the chubby kid cried even harder.
"I don't want to die! My dad's a duke! I'll be a duke one day too! And… I'm already engaged to Count Harold's daughter—we're getting married in a couple of years! Boohoo… is there anyone who can save me… I want to get married…"
Zhou Ning's expression turned strange. This chubby, round-faced kid was actually the heir to a duke? And he was already engaged? Zhou Ning had lived two lifetimes and still hadn't gotten married. The contrast in their lives hit him hard.
Wait… a duke?
If he remembered correctly, the Kingdom of Bryston had only two dukes. And the one whose heir had just died at the beginning…
A system notification suddenly popped up:
[You've triggered D-rank Quest: "The West Family's Gratitude." Accept/Decline?]
Zhou Ning immediately understood—his guess had been correct. It was the West family.
No need to hesitate—Accept!
[Quest Tip: As one of the noble banners of the Bryston Kingdom, the West family has one—and only one—legitimate heir: Alan West. He is of immense importance to the family. Try to save him from danger, and you'll earn the friendship and gratitude of the West family. Of course, the choice is yours. Refusing to help won't bring you any consequences—no one will blame another victim.]
As expected—it was the West family. Zhou Ning's eyes sparkled.
According to the game's settings, this world not only had the standard warrior-mage-healer trinity like most other games, but also two unique professional systems: Meteorologists and Family Creed Knights.
The West family represented the Family Creed Knight path.
Families of Family Creed Knights typically held prestigious positions and had genealogies so long they could be turned into books, along with a sacred family creed they were bound to uphold.
By adhering to this creed, they could obtain all sorts of mysterious powers. However, when Family Creed Knights were first introduced into the game, around ten years ago, their strength wasn't focused on combat.
Zhou Ning had once read a story in the game's Great Library about this:
Roughly seventy or eighty years ago, there was a prominent family in the Kingdom of Falric known as the Bradenreiser family. Their creed was: Fair Trade, No Compromises, Never Take a Loss.
Despite their nitpicking nature, their honesty and fairness quickly made them the largest mercantile family in Falric, amassing an enormous fortune.
But when the Kingdom of Bryston captured Falric's capital, that fortune became a disaster.
King Charles V of Bryston demanded the Bradenreiser patriarch hand over the money. But due to the family creed, they absolutely couldn't take a loss. No money? Fine—take our lives.
To force them, the king had the family patriarch's bones broken one by one. Just before dying, the man awakened the power of their creed and cast a curse:
"Whoever takes the Bradenreiser family's gold shall suffer eternal punishment."
Though the patriarch died, the rest of the family wasn't as steadfast. Eventually, Charles V got the money—but the curse proved true. Everyone who touched the fortune met with misfortune, and Charles V himself died after falling from a horse during a hunting trip.
Today, the Bradenreiser estate is a tourist attraction, with gold piled high inside. But no one dares to steal even a single coin.
That's the power of the Bradenreiser family's creed—Fair Trade, No Compromises, Never Take a Loss. By honoring their creed, they gained immense wealth. Those who forced them to break it always paid a terrible price.
Zhou Ning didn't yet know what the West family's creed was, nor what level the world's supernatural powers had reached this early in the game. But one thing was certain: saving chubby Alan would bring massive rewards.
But for now, Zhou Ning had to make sure he could escape first.
Previously, he had spent one Traversal Coin, but completing the last simulation had refunded one. Now with a balance of two, Zhou Ning chose to simulate again.
[Traversal preparation… Traversal Coin -1]
[Parallel self matched…]
[Would you like to spend another Traversal Coin to re-roll talents?]
Zhou Ning chose No without hesitation. With only one coin left, he had to use it wisely.
[Default talents selected: Talent 3, Talent 5, Talent 7.]
[In this timeline, you are an electrical engineering PhD with high literary talent and great luck—you often win free drinks from bottle caps.]
[Current world exploration: 0.2%. Unlock next simulation map at 66.7%.]
[If you die in the simulation, the game ends.]
[Time Machine engaged… 1%… 33%… 65%… 95%… Zoom… Simulation complete.]
[You've arrived in London, 1894. From this moment, the wheels of history begin to turn.]
[December 17, 1894: As an electrical engineering PhD, you know basic English, making communication easier. You wander around looking for partners to build a two-phase AC generator. No one pays you any attention—they think you're crazy. But that's okay. Geniuses are always lonely.]
[December 18: No food yesterday. No food today either. But poverty can't defeat a giant—though hunger might. You end up washing dishes at a restaurant.]
[December 19–20: Still washing dishes. Today you broke three plates and had to pay 40 pence—so it's like the dishes washed you instead. (Happiness -1)]
[December 22–25: Still washing dishes. On Christmas Day, you meet a man named George Bernard Shaw. You could've had a lot in common, but the conversation falls apart due to communication issues. You realize you can't keep wasting time like this.]
[January 1, 1895: Your first New Year in London. To celebrate, you take a job at a textile factory.]
[January 2: It's been a while since you heard the roar of machines. You don't mind this life, though the air quality sucks. (Happiness +1, Health -1)]
[February 5: Lucky day! A 10-shilling lottery ticket wins you a 1,000-pound second prize. (Wealth +2)]
[June 7: Your good looks and demeanor attract a blonde girl—Elina, the boss's daughter. Lovely name.]
[June 10: You fall in love. (Happiness +1)]
[July 17: Her father strongly objects. You want to shout: "The river flows east for thirty years, west for thirty more—don't bully the poor youth!" But before you can, you're fired.]
[July 18: Angry, you start working on the two-phase AC generator. Once again: "Don't bully the poor youth."]
[February 15, 1896: You didn't need thirty years—you're already broke again. (Wealth -2)]
[March 7: You find work at a machine shop. Not long after, you're promoted to assistant engineer. (Wealth +1)]
[April 5: You fall in love again, this time with a beautiful factory girl named Maggie. That same year, Tesla invents the two-phase AC generator. (Happiness +1, -2)]
[Late 1896: You get married. Life is simple but happy.]
[Early 1897: After two years of immersion and marriage, your English improves rapidly. Now you can read, write, and speak fluently. (Skill gained: Advanced English Proficiency)]
[Mid-1897: You get promoted—now a full engineer. (Wealth +1, Happiness +1)]
[End of 1897: Your stellar performance gets you recruited by John Rigby & Co., a firearms company.]
[1898: With strong English skills, you begin submitting articles to newspapers. Some are well-received, and you become a part-time columnist for The Times. (Wealth +1)]
[1900: Though not very talented, your work leads you to master gun construction and shooting skills. (Specialty gained: Firearm Knowledge. Skill gained: Basic Marksmanship Proficiency)]
[1899: Your first son is born. (Happiness +1)]
[1901: Your first daughter is born. (Happiness +1)]
[1923: Your son gets engaged, and your daughter marries a decent gentleman. (Happiness +1)]
[1925: You now have two grandsons and a granddaughter. (Happiness +1)]
[1935: You start feeling old. Everything is harder now. (Health -2)]
[1939: Germany invades Poland. World War II begins. Your wife Maggie passes away. Alone at home, you feel a vast emptiness. Looking back on over 40 years together, you wonder: If you could do it all again, what would you choose? (Happiness -4). Achievement unlocked: "Sense and Sensibility."]
September 1940: Germany bombed London. Your home was unfortunately destroyed in the air raid. As an ordinary man, you died in the bombing.
Summary:
Happiness: -1
Health: -3
Wealth: 2
A mediocre life—neither impoverished nor joyful.
Achievement Unlocked: An Ordinary Life
Rating: D
World Exploration: 29.2%
Since your exploration exceeded 20%, you've received 1 Traversal Coin as a reward. You'll receive one additional coin for every further 20% explored.