NOVEL WEB Chapter 1:
Chapter 1: The Rejected Art Student at the Start:
[Detected: The host is currently in a quantum superposition of life and death, meeting the necessary conditions to activate the simulator. The simulator is now officially activated.]
[After the simulation is complete, the simulator will grant rewards and extend the host’s lifespan based on the brilliance of their simulated life. The results will be integrated into reality.]
[Current lifespan: 0s.]
In the darkness of the starry sky, Zhang Jie’s soul floated aimlessly, his face filled with confusion. Behind him, the image was frozen at the exact moment his spaceship exploded.
“Wait, seriously?”
“Did I actually crash?”
He was just an ordinary office worker on a business trip to another star sector. It was supposed to be a safe route, yet a fleet of blood-red warships, each the size of a satellite, suddenly appeared and completely annihilated the small spacecraft he had spent half his life paying off.
“My ship!”
[Would the host like to begin the simulation?]
The frozen space-time around him seemed to already hint at the answer. There was no other option but to proceed with the simulation.
Zhang Jie hesitated for a long time before finally confirming that this wasn’t a dream. He could only force a bitter smile.
“Do I even have a choice?”
“Start!”
[Activation successful. Next, seven life entries will be generated. You need to select four of them, including at least one negative entry.]
The simulator spun rapidly, and seven glowing options appeared before him.
[S] From My Broken Body, Flames Shall Rise: When you are on the verge of death, your body will erupt with flames of life and willpower, granting you a second chance at life. These flames will ignite everything! They will burn everything to ashes! [Review: Get fired up!]
[A] Genetic Hacker: You can hack into an organism’s genetic structure and modify it as easily as a programmer tweaks code. Of course, making genes collapse is as simple as moving your finger. [Review: You could become the greatest genetic scientist ever.]
[C] Useless Prophet: You can accurately predict major events around you, but you cannot prevent them from happening in time. [Review: Told you it’s useless.]
[B] Hannibal Pharmacist: You have an innate talent for making potions, particularly for turning humans into medicine. [Review: You really know how to ‘work with people.’]
[B] Rejected Art Student: You may not necessarily be an art student, but you definitely failed the entrance exams. However, after failing, your public speaking skills became exceptionally persuasive, and you possess an innate ability to rally people. You are a born leader. Your right arm is always raised at a 45-degree angle. [Review: Greetings from the Northern Province.]
[Negative Entry—Misfortune]: You are a walking disaster. Everyone around you will suffer misfortune and eventually die because of you. In the end, even entire planets may be doomed.
[Negative Entry—Blood Plague]: You were exposed to the remnants of a blood catastrophe, causing you to develop the Blood Plague. Your blood will gradually gain sentience, eroding your body from within. It is incurable and will only worsen over time. [Under certain special conditions, this may turn into a beneficial trait.]
“What the hell are these bizarre options… and who wrote these sarcastic reviews?”
“I have to pick four, and one has to be negative.”
“Tch, this is a tough choice.”
After some thought, Zhang Jie chose [From My Broken Body, Flames Shall Rise] and [Genetic Hacker.] “Useless Prophet” was just plain useless, so he ignored it.
“[From My Broken Body, Flames Shall Rise] and [Genetic Hacker] are basically must-haves. [Hannibal Pharmacist] might be useful, though I could just avoid using humans as ingredients. But [Rejected Art Student] might play a critical role in certain situations…”
“As for the negative entry, I’d rather take [Blood Plague]. I don’t want to be a living curse that kills everyone around me.”
After much deliberation, Zhang Jie finally decided on:
[From My Broken Body, Flames Shall Rise], [Rejected Art Student], [Genetic Hacker], and the negative entry [Blood Plague.]
[The simulator version of you will lose all memories and embark on a completely new life. If you are ready, please confirm to begin.]
“Let’s do this.”
“Hopefully, in this simulation, I won’t be stuck as an office worker…”
[First simulation initiated. Codename: Blood and Fire.]
As the words fell, Zhang Jie felt his consciousness being wrapped in an overwhelming force, pulling him into the simulator.
[Age 1: You were born in the nation of Rong. Your mother is a research scientist in a gene technology company, while your father is a retired genetic warrior.]
[Your birth brought new vitality to the family. Unlike other newborns who cried upon birth, you coldly stared at people with a stern face before loudly babbling in a way that sounded like a passionate speech. Your parents had high hopes for you, believing you were destined for greatness.]
[Age 2: In Rong, all children have a traditional ‘grasp selection’ ceremony on their first birthday, where what they pick symbolizes their natural talent. Your father’s close friend brought his daughter, Lin Ran, who was two months younger than you, to join the event.]
[You disappointed your parents. You didn’t choose the genetic model your father hoped for, nor the adorable daughter your mother wanted you to interact with. Instead, you grabbed a toy spear. Your father’s friend laughed at him, calling you a ‘Sigma child,’ and your father silently noted down this grudge.]
[Two months later, your father decided to take revenge in the most childish way—by sending you to Lin Ran’s own grasp selection ceremony.]
[The little girl’s bright eyes stared straight at you, making you uncomfortable.]
“Haha, Old Lin, your daughter seems to have taken a liking to my son!”
“You’re talking nonsense!”
Just as the words left his mouth, the girl reached out with both hands—one grabbing Zhang Jie, the other clutching an empty medicine vial—before turning to her father and babbling excitedly.
“Hey! You little brat, let go!”
“Old Lin, just accept it! Your daughter is practically throwing herself at my son! Haha!”
“Get the hell out of here!”
“What, are you that happy? Just wait—there’s even better news coming!”
Zhang Jie watched as his father, looking insufferably smug, leaned close to Uncle Lin and said,
“In the future, your granddaughter’s kids will take my surname!”
[Your uncle’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He flatly refused to acknowledge that his daughter had picked you. He insisted she had merely made a mistake and that she was destined to become a pharmacist. Your father laughed mercilessly at him, which resulted in both of you getting kicked out of their house. Yet, your father kept shouting provocations at the doorstep, nearly getting himself chopped in half by Uncle Lin.]
[Age 3: Based on your grasp selection results, your father enrolled you in a children’s martial arts class. Three-year-olds couldn’t do much actual training, so it was mostly foundational exercises. You were extremely enthusiastic about martial arts, constantly saying embarrassing lines about justice and fighting spirit, making your coach cringe so hard he could dig holes in the ground with his toes.]
[In this world, apocalyptic creatures wreak havoc. Humanity developed genetic serums to create genetic warriors to resist these monsters. Martial arts weren’t just for combat training—they also strengthened the body and willpower. Thus, martial arts were widely practiced, and everyone aspired to become a genetic warrior. After thousands of years of struggle, only one nation remained—Rong—where they established a frontline against the apocalyptic threats.]
[In addition, there exist extraordinary creatures, whose genes are extracted to create powerful serums. Once a person’s willpower and physical compatibility reach a certain level, they can inject these genetic serums to become a genetic warrior.]
[Age 4: Uncle Lin’s family lived just one building away. Lin Ran often sneaked over to your house to play. She was a quiet girl who usually just watched you train in silence. She liked to offer you her homemade, alcohol-free special drinks after your training sessions. However, after one sip landed you in the hospital for half a month, you never dared drink anything she gave you again.]