Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

Chapter 61: Overload! Collapse and Reward Selection
The word ”scene” kept flashing over and over on the Simulator, leaving Chen Pingchuan feeling a bit confused for a moment,

after all, this had never happened before.

Just as Chen Pingchuan found himself at a loss, more words appeared from the Simulator,

the pitch-black system interface now replaced by glaring red warnings.

[Warning! Warning! Simulator overloaded. Simulated information has surpassed the host’s maximum cognitive load—emergency protection mechanisms initiated.]

[Host, please choose and confirm your simulation reward as soon as possible...]

[Host, please choose and confirm your simulation reward as soon as possible...]

[Host, please choose and confirm your simulation reward as soon as possible...]

”You keep telling me to choose, but where the hell are the options? At least give me a number—like 1, 2, 3, or an A, B, C, something.”

Staring at the blinding-red warnings, Chen Pingchuan’s face darkened—so much so it looked like water might start dripping from it.

Beneath his tightly furrowed brows, his deep eyes clouded over.

Chen Pingchuan’s mind whirred at top speed, trying desperately to deduce just what could have caused the Simulator to glitch like this,

but with so little information at hand, he felt like someone groping around in the darkness—there was no way to cobble together anything that made sense.

”Maybe it crashed... I mean, in the end, the Simulator is just another program, and all programs can crash sometimes.”

”But on second thought, what a load of crap—since when do cheats or golden fingers crash? Are you kidding me?”

He was about to keep ranting, but reality didn’t give him the chance—a brutal dizziness slammed into his brain in an instant.

”Shit...”

”Thud!”

Before he could even finish swearing, Chen Pingchuan toppled over, collapsing straight to the ground, out cold.

But even as he blacked out, the Simulator’s messages kept rolling on.

[Protection mechanism initiated, running diagnostics....]

[Diagnostics complete. Major anomaly detected in simulation’s world timeline: spatial rift has led to otherworldly biological invasion.]

[Patching world loophole...]

[Patching world loophole...]

[Patching world loophole...]

[Patch complete!]

[Eradicating foreign entities...]

[Eradicating foreign entities...]

[Eradicating foreign entities...]

[Eradication failed!]

[Initiating contingency plan. World rules have locked onto foreign lifeform—forced binding enacted. If host dies, enemy dies; if enemy dies, host inherits all of enemy’s powers.]

[Host, please select simulation reward promptly.]

[Host’s consciousness unresponsive—unable to manually select reward.]

[Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator will now auto-select optimal reward on host’s behalf. Optimizing... ]

[Optimization complete.]

[Optimization chose the Simulator Compensation Mechanism! Compensation mechanism activated!]

[Compensation One: Free exchange for all talents acquired in this simulation, and free inheritance of physical attributes.]

Note: The happiness of free shit is beyond mortal imagination.

[Compensation Two: Information energy sync—any characters who’ve had intimate contact with host during simulation will now automatically receive memory supplementation and energy compensation.]

Note: If you’ve already been intimate, leaning on them for help isn’t too much, right? No one dethrones you as Supreme Soft Rice King.

[Compensation Three: Talent compensation—optimized top-tier reward choice, can select one of three.]

[Necromancer: Type-Trait; Tier: Golden Radiance. The Skeleton Legion, Black Knight, Abominations, Frost Giant Dragons—every horror under your command. Not even death can escape your torment. You are King of Undead, and Disaster of Worlds.]

[Abyss Summoner: Type-Trait; Tier: Golden Radiance. As the anchor between reality and abyss, you can summon abyssal creatures from lands of terror through sacrifice. When this world is finally transformed into an abyss, you’ll become an Abyss Lord.]

[Divinity: Type—Unknown; Tier—Unknown. Ps: Boy, wanna be the next god?]

[Host, please choose as soon as possible...]

[Host condition: near mental collapse. Suspend compensatory rewards. Protection set to max. Memory sealing in effect. Rewards will only resume choice after Spirit attribute meets requirements and memories are restored.]

With that last message, the system’s light screen faded away completely.

Chen Pingchuan still lay unconscious, unmoving.

Meanwhile, inside the small rental room, the Black Demon One—who seemed to be dozing—suddenly stood upright,

its eyes abruptly brimming with intelligence, glancing at Chen Pingchuan’s limp form as if hesitating.

In the next moment, though, its body started swelling fast, and Black Demon One didn’t dare linger—

with a loud ”Bang!” it burst through the window and was gone in a flash.

It was late at night; people were startled awake by the commotion. Looking out through their windows,

just a handful caught a glimpse of that hulking black silhouette—the rest saw nothing at all.

Inside the City of No Night in Spring City, City Lord Belia, already halfway through her bath, suddenly sat bolt upright in bed. Casting a wary glance around and finding nothing suspicious,

she turned her gaze out the window, her eyes flickering with some mysterious light.

At the Spring City Outer District Women’s Apartment, Xia Qingxue had been deep in a sweet dream when she too jerked upright. Just moments ago, she’d been rolling around in bed with Chen Pingchuan in her dream—then, out of nowhere, a flood of strange memories surged into her mind, jerking her awake.

She saw Chen Pingchuan’s departure, saw all his struggles, saw the sky-blackening Demon-breaking Celestial Soldiers and legions of white-robed zealots in fierce battle.

Most incredible of all, the person commanding those armies—was her man, Chen Pingchuan.

Headquarters of the Blood Beast Ban, outside the Fox Race’s Princess’s bedroom,

a young man with crowned lion features suddenly shoved open the vermilion door.

”Cousin, when did you break through? Why didn’t you tell me?”

”Get lost!”

At the girl’s shout, a flicker of shock flashed across the young man’s face. He almost couldn’t believe what he’d heard; for a while, he just stood there, stunned in place.

Then, forcing a stiff smile, he managed a light, ingratiating tone:

”Hongxiu, what’s wrong? Why the temper?”

”I know you blame me for not telling Grandfather to propose to your family sooner, but believe me, I have my reasons too.”

”Now that you’ve stepped into the Godshift realm, there’s nothing holding us back. Tomorrow, I’ll have Grandfather talk to your father.”

He didn’t even get to finish—the scolding lashed out again,

”I said get lost—don’t you understand plain language?”

Ji Hongxiu’s head was in utter chaos. The moment she woke, it was as if she was a different person.

No—

It wasn’t ”as if,” she really was a different person now.

Those strange yet familiar memories kept surging through her brain.

Normally, she’d have chalked it up to a vivid dream, but feeling the real and growing force inside her body, she went silent. Power never lies.

”Hongxiu, you must be joking with me, right?”

The Lion-man just stood there, stunned. They’d been perfectly fine that morning, so how in just a few hours—

His cousin, the girl who’d always looked up to him since childhood, was suddenly a stranger.

”Pa!”

His body, just stepping through her door, was struck by some overwhelming force, flung straight out into the courtyard,

”Shut up. ’Hongxiu’ isn’t something you get to call.”

”Blood Lion, this is my last warning. If you don’t get out, you’ll never walk away again.”

Ji Hongxiu’s voice was ice-cold—chill enough to freeze the air itself. After speaking she ignored him completely.

More and more memories poured in, her limbs growing soft, as if all her strength was draining away. That man who’d once pinned her beneath him—

No—that enigmatic god—where was he now?

”Hongxiu!”

Blood streaming from his mouth, the Lion-man stared wide-eyed and bellowed in anguish—

waking the Fox-men neighbors from their dreams,

and making Ji Hongxiu, mid-thought, pause with a strange look at her childhood companion. For a moment, she tried to comfort him:

”Sigh! Why put yourself through this? Even your ancestor’s strength is only Godshift level. If I killed you now, he’d simply do nothing.”

”For old time’s sake, that was the first and also the last time.”

The young Lion-man seemed to realize something, his expression became ugly as he asked:

”Ji Hongxiu—are you seeing someone?”

This time Ji Hongxiu didn’t deny it. Biting her soft, red lips, her mind flashed again with every detail of Chen Pingchuan—

His every act, every memory, replayed like movie scenes through her head.

Seeing her reaction, the Lion-man knew he’d hit the mark,

which made him even more furious. Who the hell had taken his girl—

He shouted in rage:

”Who is it? Wang Tianhu of the Tiger Race? Li Yuanji of the Bear Race? Or Liu Huayu of the Elephant Race? Who is it—tell me, so I can accept it!”

Interrupted, Ji Hongxiu frowned, her voice colder,

if not for her plans to request a posting to Kailing Province, she’d have killed him on the spot.

Now, besides that man, no one else was worthy of her heart—no one else even deserved a connection with her.

”None of them. Don’t ask again.”

”Also, if you keep asking about him... you really will die.”

This time, Ji Hongxiu’s tone lost its ice,

but the Lion-man seemed truly frightened—his sixth sense screaming that

she was absolutely serious. One more question and his life was gone.

He didn’t even dare mouth back. Swallowing his rage, a vicious look flashed in his eyes as he staggered off, trembling, and vanished from the courtyard.

After shooing away the crowd come to gawk,

Ji Hongxiu locked the door tight,

slowly shrugged off her robes, then sprawled naked and lazy across the bed, limbs splayed wide.

One hand, white as mutton fat jade, glided slowly over her silky, snowy skin, savoring that delicate, shivering pleasure inch by inch.

The other hand moved ceaselessly below, fingers shaking with some impossible-to-name emotion.

Meanwhile, Ji Hongxiu kept mumbling to herself:

”Chen Pingchuan, so that’s your fake mortal name...”

”Wait for me. I’m going to find you.”

”When I do, I’ll see what kind of reward... or punishment you have for me.”

The images in her mind grew ever sharper, until Ji Hongxiu’s body flushed with a feverish, intoxicating red.

Her cheeks burned, her eyes clouded with desire and haze—until, finally, a moan soft as a nightingale’s call slipped from her lips.

”Ah~”