The sun had long since dipped beneath the horizon, casting the ship in a cold shroud of dim twilight. Inside the cramped wooden room, Evans remained still. He hadn't left, not even once. Fear, cold and suffocating, anchored him to the rickety bed.
He stared at the worn planks of the ceiling, his thoughts heavy.
"Who killed them all?"
"Why was I spared?"
"Was it luck? A mistake? Or something else?"
The questions clawed at his mind like restless spirits, but he didn't dare seek their answers. In this world, he'd already learned that curiosity without strength meant only one thing-death.
So he waited.
The evening dragged on with agonizing slowness. Shadows crept across the floor, merging into one another until the room was cloaked in darkness. The silence was nearly maddening—only broken by the occasional creak of the ship's wooden hull.
Then, at last, it appeared.
A faint flicker in the air before him. The number 1 glowed on the simulation screen.
Without hesitation, Evans pressed it.
[The Truth Simulation has started.]
Day One
You stepped out of your room, your body tense and every step cautious. The memory of your previous fate haunted you like a shadow. The corridor was eerily silent—death still hung heavy in the air. You saw the same gruesome scene. Lifeless bodies strewn across the floor like discarded dolls. You didn't linger. You ran—your only thought: escape.
Pushing open the creaking hatch at the ship's rear, you stumbled out—into the wild.
A dense jungle stretched in all directions.
Day Two
You kept running. Your legs burned, your lungs screamed, but you didn't stop.
Day Three
Exhaustion nearly broke you, but fear kept you upright. You ran.
Day Five
You emerged from the dense foliage to the sight of a small town nestled in a clearing. Relief flooded your chest. Civilization—finally.
With shaky steps, you entered. People bustled through the streets. Normal life. You approached a nearby shop, dusty and cramped with goods, and asked, "Where am I? What is this place?"
The shopkeeper, a portly man with grizzled stubble, raised a brow. "You're in Gale Town. Part of the Blue Sea Wizard Alliance. This land is under the rule of Count Leylin."
Your heart thudded. Wizard Continent. You had made it.
Day Six
You found work at the shop. Menial, but safe. The same shopkeeper offered you food, a corner to sleep in, and no questions asked.
Day Seven
You began meditating again. Every night. Every spare moment.
Month One
You focused all your energy on constructing your first wizard ring. The foundation of a true wizard's path.
Month Two
Still meditating. Still building.
Year One
You did it.
You formed your first ring.
You became a First Level Wizard Apprentice. No witchcraft yet. But the path had opened.
Year Two
You felt ready. Too ready.
You packed your meager belongings and set out toward the capital. A mistake.
Midway through your journey, a Dark Path Wizard Apprentice intercepted you. He struck you down with cruel precision.
You died.
Your corpse became his puppet.
Do you want to retain your wizard level or your memory?
Evans' eyes widened, his chest tightening at the outcome.
"Even in a peaceful route… I died."
But this time, he wasn't hopeless. His hand hovered over the options then firmly chose retain level.
A strange pressure flooded his mind. His brain pulsed with raw, alien force. His perception exploded outward every detail around him sharpened. He could see individual dust motes, the fine grain of the wooden walls, even a tiny insect crawling near the floorboard.
He gasped. "This... this clarity...!"
His fingers trembled as he summoned his status.
[Status]
Name: Evans Blake
Age: 12
Strength: 3.4
Health: 4.3
Agility: 3.6
Constitution: 3.1
Spiritual Energy: 5
Meditation Technique: Dark Wood Beginner Technique
Wizard Level: First Level Wizard Apprentice
Wizard Talent: First Class (Lowest)
Simulation Uses Remaining Today: 0
Evans exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling with a mixture of awe and relief.
"My breakthrough enhanced everything… not just spiritually, but physically. My health, my strength… even my mind feels sharper. My perception,it's almost unnatural."
He clenched his fists. Power surged through his veins.
He took one final look at the simulation panel, now faded.
"And I didn't die this time… that means I have a real chance now. I can leave this cursed ship."
His body trembled not with fear, but anticipation. With purpose.
Still, one question gnawed at the edge of his mind.
"Why was I able to escape this time, but not during the first simulation?"
He didn't know. But now was not the time to dwell on it.
He took a deep breath, steeled his heart, and bolted from the room.
This time ,not to hide.
But to survive.