Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

Chapter 4 Excitement! Title Exploded
Without him realizing it, the sun had climbed high into the sky. Lying sideways on his bed, Chen Pingchuan’s brows were tightly furrowed. In the second simulation, he had clearly avoided the unstable factors, yet the outcome of death remained unchanged.

So, what exactly caused me to mutate again?

Air, food, water, pollutants—several keywords flashed through his mind.

Whatever the cause of the infection, I need to avoid it in the next simulation to find a path to survival. After all, I’m destined to become a god.

Thinking of this, Chen Pingchuan once again locked his gaze on the simulation panel.

[This simulation has ended!]

[You can choose a reward by consuming Simulation Value.]

[Rewards: Quick Gunner - Sang Biao (Title), Heavenly Dao Rewards the Diligent (Talent), Gene Enhancer (Item), Federation Coin (Item), Various Gold and Silver Jewelry (Item)...]

[Quick Gunner - Sang Biao]: Green Title. Cost: 50 Simulation Value. The appearance rate for all titles in simulations is 1%.

[Title Effect]: After equipping this title, the words ”Quick Gunner Sang Biao” will unconsciously surface in the minds of others when their gaze falls upon you. This title comes with innate Shock and Taunt effects.

Shock: Intimidates Professionals of the same level, causing them to passively feel fear. Active use forcibly places the target in a dazed state for eight seconds.

Taunt: Provokes higher-level Professionals (enemy), causing them to feel revulsion toward you. Active use forcibly places the target in a state of rage, making them attack the host with their full power for thirty seconds.

[Heavenly Dao Rewards the Diligent]: Green Talent. Cost: 20 Simulation Value.

[Gene Enhancer]: Green Item. 8 vials total. Cost: 2 Simulation Value per vial. (A gene modification agent that can repair genetic defects and enhance physical fitness by a certain amount.)

[Federation Coin]: White Item. Cost: 1 Simulation Value. (A pile of worthless garbage.)

[Gold and Silver Jewelry]: White Item. Cost: 1 Simulation Value. (A relatively stable form of metal.)

[Inherit Body State]: Cost: 100 Simulation Value. Inherits the strongest human physical state achieved in the simulation results.

...

[PS: The system panel has been automatically upgraded. The display page has been optimized, the Body State Inheritance option has been added, and you can now actively summon your personal attribute panel. The upgrade cost 5 Simulation Value (already deducted).]

HISS!

How terrifying...

Without bothering to complain about the system’s automatic deduction of Simulation Value, Chen Pingchuan’s gaze locked onto the small line of text in the system’s evaluation.

[A pile of worthless garbage!]

Chen Pingchuan’s eyes grew deep as he discovered a blind spot he hadn’t noticed before. The system’s perception is different from a human’s! The system’s descriptions of titles, talents, and items are clearly limited, not flexible like human thought. So, what should I do?

After pondering to no avail, Chen Pingchuan returned his attention to the simulation panel and made a decisive choice.

”I’ll take the title Quick Gunner - Sang Biao, the talent Heavenly Dao Rewards the Diligent, and the Federation Coin.”

[71 Simulation Value deducted.]

[Remaining Simulation Value: 8]

[Remaining Simulations: 8]

Seeing the two neat eights, Chen Pingchuan felt a knot in his stomach. Until I find a new source of Simulation Value, it’ll be impossible to run another simulation. But if I hadn’t chosen them, I would have definitely regretted it. Never mind that the ’Heavenly Dao Rewards the Diligent’ talent could verify my suspicions; that title has a mere one percent drop rate. If I didn’t take it now, who knows when it would appear again? It’s pointless to overthink it. Since I’ve made my decision, there’s no reason for regret.

Chen Pingchuan pulled a communicator that resembled an old-fashioned brick phone from under his pillow and deftly dialed a series of numbers.

BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...

After a few seconds of ringing, a bold male voice came from the other end.

”Hey! Da Chuanzi, you went for a foot massage last night, didn’t you? Skipped work this morning and everything. I don’t remember you having enough savings for... (cough) Anyway, it’s totally your fault if you don’t treat me to one.”

Listening to this interrogation, Chen Pingchuan’s expression darkened. The man on the other end of the communicator was none other than the labor market’s site manager, Li Dafu.

He was called the site manager, but he was really just muscle for the market’s owner. The reason their relationship was so good was entirely due to Chen Pingchuan’s unique demeanor.

According to Li Dafu, ”One look at you, kid, and it’s clear you’re not an ordinary person. Can’t say exactly why, but you’re nothing like those other mudleggers!”

”Brother Dafu, didn’t you brag before about having connections in the Inner City District?”

”Yeah, what about it? That wasn’t bragging; that’s a fact, okay? In this Outer City District, you can count the number of people with connections to the Inner City District on two hands, and I’m one of them.”

Listening to Li Dafu’s voice, a flamboyant image of him automatically surfaced in Chen Pingchuan’s mind.

”Okay, okay, you’re the man, Brother Dafu. That’s why I came to you and no one else.”

Since I’m asking for a favor, of course I have to butter him up.

”Spit it out, what is it?”

”It’s... it’s just...”

”It’s what? Hurry up and say it! Stop being so wishy-washy!”

”It’s just... can you get me some energy crystals?”

”....”

”Brother Dafu... Brother Li... Dafu... Li Dafu, are you still there?”

Li’s voice was hoarse, his usual playful demeanor completely gone. ”Chen Pingchuan, don’t you dare tell me that the energy crystals you’re talking about are the ones I’m thinking of.”

”They are!”

The other end of the line went silent for a long moment.

”Don’t tell me why; I don’t want to know. I’ll just ask you one thing. Do you have the money?”

Li Dafu’s tone was grave. Perhaps fearing he wasn’t being clear enough, he quickly added, ”I mean cash.”

”I do!”

The line fell silent again, though this time Chen Pingchuan didn’t have to wait long.

”Wait for word.”

After saying that, Li Dafu was clearly in no mood for banter and hung up.

That’s it, then. I’ve used up what little friendship we had. I never wanted to complicate our relatively simple friendship with things like this, but I have no other choice. If I can’t figure out how to recharge my Simulation Value, there’s a good chance I won’t survive the cataclysm a year from now. The only thing I know of that seems related to recharging it is energy crystals. I have to take this gamble. Win the gamble, and I eke out a survival. Lose, and it’s all over.

...

The buildings in the Outer City District were dilapidated yet orderly. Bustling streets echoed with the noisy shouts of vendors and were filled with hurrying civilians.

Chen Pingchuan sat in a shaky taxi, gazing out the window, feeling dazed. The morning’s events still feel like a dream.

Aside from the rather discouraging threat of death in the simulation, a smile stubbornly remained on Chen Pingchuan’s lips.

The labor market in the Outer City District was a fair distance from his apartment, a bus ride of over half an hour. Feeling slightly bored, Chen Pingchuan suddenly remembered something.

Wait, the simulation prompt mentioned something about a panel upgrade and optimization.

Curious to see what the optimized page looked like, he summoned his personal attribute panel.