2: Chapter 2 begins the simulation

After clicking, a line of text appeared on the light screen.

[Trait Description: Traits are special buff effects attached to the host that can take effect simultaneously in both the simulation and reality. Traits are divided into five Ranks: White, Blue, Purple, Gold, and Red. The higher the Rank, the stronger the buff.]

[Excess traits will enter the Trait Repository and can be freely equipped before entering the simulation.]

Without hesitation, Lin Shuangwan clicked directly.

[White Trait · Body Lightening Technique: Perception of body weight is reduced by 3%, and damage taken when falling from heights is slightly reduced.]

Lin Shuangwan stared at that line of text for three seconds.

Fine.

Even a mosquito leg has meat; having something is better than having nothing.

She clicked for the second draw, and the ball of light condensed, spun, and shattered again. It was white again.

[White Trait · Fleet-Footed: Movement speed is slightly increased, approximately 1.2 times that of an ordinary person.]

Lin Shuangwan's expression softened a little.

This one is actually useful.

Being able to run fast is a core competency in any world.

Especially for someone like her who has neither fists nor backing, running a few steps further might just mean saving her life.

This is the last chance.

The ball of light exploded.

This time it was different.

The color of the light screen's border jumped suddenly, shifting from a dull gray-white to a steady, deep indigo, with imperceptible flowing light washing over the entire frame from the corners.

The third trait slowly emerged.

Blue.

[Blue Trait · Eidetic Memory: All information seen or heard by the host can be completely recorded in memory, unaffected by the passage of time, with no loss of clarity when recalled.]

Lin Shuangwan's breath hitched for a split second.

She read the line from beginning to end twice. She recognized every character and fully understood the meaning when combined, but she still couldn't help but read it a third time.

"It was worth it."

Two words, spoken very softly.

After embedding [Body Lightening Technique], [Fleet-Footed], and [Eidetic Memory] into the trait slots one by one, the trait bar became 3/3.

Her gaze shifted to the second option on the light screen.

[Start Simulation]

She reached out and pressed it.

Her vision suddenly went black.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but Lin Shuangwan found herself floating in a boundless Void Realm.

There was no ground beneath her feet and no sky above her head; in all directions, there was only uniform, opaque ink-black.

And directly in front of her, a mirror surface appeared out of thin air.

[Simulation Start]

[Simulation Day 1, Yongan Street, just after the heavy snow stopped, early morning.]

[You, Mother Lin, Auntie Zhao, and others left the prison and headed to the county office.]

[County Office Main Hall.]

[Magistrate Lu Fengnian was sitting behind the official desk, toying with a teacup lid.]

[Shopkeeper Qian's copy was handed up.]

[Magistrate Lu Fengnian picked it up and only glanced at it, tossing it aside as casually as if flipping through a piece of used scrap paper.]

[You stepped forward: "My Lord, the copy states in black and white that my brother, Lin Hao, is listed as missing, not a deserter. The two notices contradict each other; I implore you to investigate thoroughly."]

[Magistrate Lu Fengnian picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and didn't look up.]

["Oh, you mean this." He took a sip of tea and set the cup down. "This county has received a correction letter from the Northern Military Garrison. The previous notice was indeed a copying error. After review by the military garrison's staff officer, it was confirmed that in the Battle of Qingshi Ridge, your brother, Lin Hao, neglected his duty and deserted the battlefield. With both witnesses and physical evidence, the case is ironclad."]

[He finally lifted his eyelids, looked at the copy below the hall, and then looked at Shopkeeper Qian: "As for this thing in your hand, it is a copy of an official document that has already been corrected and voided. It cannot be counted as evidence, nor can it serve as a statement in court."]

["My Lord!" Shopkeeper Qian said anxiously, "But that notice was posted by the government and stamped with the county office's red seal..."]

["Thud."]

["Shopkeeper Qian." His tone didn't change. "Military notices involve Northern military secrets and are posted for the public to know, not for private transcription or copying. You privately copied military documents; according to Article 93 of the 'Qing State Decree', you are to be punished with twenty strokes of the cane."]

[The color drained from Shopkeeper Qian's face.]

["Considering your advanced age and frailty, and that you were muddle-headed for a moment, this county will not pursue it this time." Magistrate Lu Fengnian's voice was very slow, slow enough that every word could be heard clearly. "But if there is a next time..."]

[Shopkeeper Qian's face flushed red, and just as he was about to speak, the gavel had already been slammed down.]

["Nothing else, court dismissed."]

[Magistrate Lu Fengnian stood up, brushed his cuffs, and walked toward the back hall without looking back.]

["Anyone who continues to pester, disturbing the court, will be detained."]

Outside the mirror surface.

Lin Shuangwan frowned. She saw it clearly now; Magistrate Lu Fengnian was being so biased that it was obvious this matter was aimed at them, not some accident.

[The group walked out of the government office, and no one spoke.]

[Back to the prison.]

[At noon, only a few hours remained until departure.]

[Two men wearing short tunics stood in front of the prison cell. "Miss Lin, our Gang Leader wishes to see you. Please come with us."]

[Although she didn't know what they wanted, anything was better than waiting to die in prison now.]

[Black Tiger Gang Main Hall.]

[In the center, sitting on a rosewood armchair, was a young man, only twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with a face like polished jade and sword-like eyebrows.]

[The moment his gaze landed on your face, it was as if he had finally seen an object he had been searching for for many years, his eyes full of excitement.]

["Miss Lin, I am Wei Feisen, the Branch Leader of the Black Tiger Gang in Yunjin City. I have long admired you... No, I should say, I have been waiting for you for a long time."]

[You didn't bow, nor did you reply, just looking at him like that.]

[Wei Feisen didn't seem to mind. "I have heard about your brother's matter. There were some mishaps on the military garrison side, and the notices were inconsistent; it is indeed disheartening."]

[He set down the teacup lid and looked up. "However, this kind of matter is neither big nor small; it all depends on who is handling it."]

[You spoke up: "What does Gang Leader Wei mean?"]

[Wei Feisen smiled, took a letter from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it over.]

["This is a personal reply from the Northern Military Garrison's staff officer. As long as I submit another document, your brother can be changed from a deserter back to missing. The exile order will naturally be revoked."]

["As for that uncle of yours... Lin Datong, right? He is easy to handle too. In this small Yunjin City, there is no trouble that I, Wei Feisen, cannot resolve."]

[You looked at the letter, not reaching out. "What do you want?"]

[Wei Feisen set down his teacup, his gaze locking directly onto her face, his eyes full of fanaticism: "Marry me, be my, Wei Feisen's, wife. For this lifetime, you will belong only to me."]