Villain Simulator, Ch 18

Lucas immediately understood. Rosalyne did love him, but to prevent him from carrying out a potentially world-ending madness, she had no choice but to kill him with great pain.

The raging flames would soon burn both Lucas and Rosalyne to ash, merging them together, never to be separated again.

Strangely, Lucas didn't feel any pain from the flames. At that moment, he even thought—maybe this wasn't a bad ending after all. At least, he could be with the woman he loved forever.

However, at that moment, Rostam, who had been fighting alongside Roland against Arundolyn, suddenly stopped upon seeing Lucas engulfed in flames. Without hesitation, he turned and charged toward Lucas.

This wasn't a command from Lucas; it was Rostam's own decision.

From his dried and cracked lips, a hoarse shout emerged: "Brother..."

A sharp blade cut through the air in a long arc, slashing Rosalyne's back. However, instead of red blood, a molten, lava-like liquid fire erupted from the wound.

Rosalyne screamed in agony and collapsed, falling out of Lucas's arms.

"Rosalyne!"

Seeing Rosalyne gravely wounded and lying on the ground, Lucas snapped back to reality, but the flames she ignited still raged on his body. He felt his consciousness gradually blur from the intense pain until everything turned to darkness...

[Exiting Immersive Mode...]

[Switching to Text Mode...]

"What... just happened?"

After regaining consciousness, Lucas returned to reality, but the sensations just now felt so real that he found it difficult to breathe. "Am I... already dead?"

Given his previous experiences, this situation usually ended in death.

Unfortunately, the Die of Old Aging trait didn't seem to activate at all.

But then, the system responded:

[You are not dead. During your prior medical research, to resist the lingering poison of Durin's blood in Rostam's organs, you injected yourself with large amounts of genetic activation agents to enhance your self-healing abilities. These agents and Durin's blood merged and counteracted each other, producing a unique regenerative factor.]

[Achievement Unlocked: Regenerative Factor]

[New Skill Gained: Regenerative Factor]

[Effect: Your body has developed a unique factor that greatly enhances your healing ability, although you will still feel the associated pain while your body recovers.]

A new trait with such an impressive ability?

Could this mean I'll be able to regenerate like Wolverine, maybe even regrow half my brain if it gets blown off?

Though, based on how the system works, Lucas doubted it would give him such an overpowered ability.

[Thanks to Rostam's intervention, you weren't burned to death by Rosalyne's flames. However, you did fall into a coma due to severe burns.]

Wait... was it Rostam who saved me?

Seeing this line of text, Lucas couldn't help but feel conflicted.

Logically, without his command, Rostam shouldn't have acted on his own. Could it be that he sensed the danger Lucas was in and acted on instinct?

It's ironic, really. In order to save his "enemy," Rostam had to strike down his former "lover."

---

[Some time passed, and you woke up in intense pain. You found yourself in the cellar of the Church of Favonius, which also served as a refuge stocked with plenty of supplies in case of disaster.]

[However, there was no one around—not even Rostam. As you began to recover from your injuries, the ground suddenly shook violently. Then, a loud crash echoed as if something had collapsed. Dust fell steadily from the ceiling, and though you wanted to investigate, your body was too weak to move.]

[Fortunately, your body recovered quickly (Trait Regenerative Factor activated).]

"Wait..." Lucas raised a question. "Can new traits work in the life simulator?"

[Although only the three initial traits can be used at the start of each simulation, traits gained within the simulation can be utilized in that session.]

Makes sense…

It's only fair that traits earned during the simulation should apply since they're a direct result of actions taken during that life.

---

[Finally, you were able to move again. You went to the cellar door, trying to open it, but it wouldn't budge as if something heavy was blocking it.]

[You guessed that the earlier tremor caused the Church of Favonius to collapse, trapping you inside the cellar. Despite being able to create powerful undead warriors, your physical strength was quite ordinary, making it impossible to force the door open.]

[You tried summoning your undead soldiers but received no response. There were no corpses or tools around to craft new ones either. Thankfully, there was plenty of food and water in storage, enough to sustain you for a long time since this refuge was designed to accommodate thousands of people. Supporting just one person was no problem.]

[You searched every corner for an exit but found nothing. A harsh reality began to dawn on you: unless someone else rescued you, you were likely trapped in this dark cellar forever. But considering your crimes, even if you were rescued, it would probably only be to face the harshest punishment. Your choices are...]

[1. Hold out as long as possible]

[2. End it all]

If this were happening in the real world, someone might genuinely consider the second option.

After all, not everyone can be a Robinson Crusoe. At least he had an island and a companion, Friday. Meanwhile, Lucas had nothing but the darkness of the cellar.

But this isn't real life; it's a simulation. Lucas wouldn't have to endure that torturous isolation firsthand.

"I choose to hold out. Let's see how long I can survive."

Following previous patterns, the longer he survived, the better the rewards would likely be.

Besides, Lucas was curious about how long "he" could last, what had happened to the outside world, why he was trapped here, and, most importantly—what had become of Rosalyne.

---

[In the end, you chose to live on. You still wanted to see Rosalyne again. You didn't hate her for trying to take you down with her. Now, you had all the time in the world to think of a way to resolve your conflict.]

---

[Age 40: A year passed, and you continued to live in the cellar. Not a single person came to open it, and you hadn't heard a single sound from the outside. This was strange—after all, the Church of Favonius was one of the most important buildings in Mondstadt. If they were rebuilding the city, they should have started here.]

[Perhaps the people of Mondstadt were truly wiped out by your undead army, or maybe they had abandoned the city and migrated elsewhere. You didn't care about any of this. Your thoughts were only of Rosalyne. You weren't afraid she was killed by the undead because you had commanded your army to protect her and yourself at all costs.]

[As for why Rostam attacked Rosalyne, it was likely because protecting you took priority over protecting her.]

---

[Age 41: You grew accustomed to the solitude. Fortunately, you didn't have to worry about food and water. The supplies here were magically enhanced to last for an incredibly long time.]

---

[Age 42: Perhaps due to removing Rostam's skin, Durin's blood gradually stopped affecting you. Strangely, your body also didn't seem to be aging as expected.]

Reading these lines, Lucas couldn't help but think, How much longer am I going to be trapped here?

[Age 42: Due to extreme boredom, you began exercising. Previously, you disdained physical training, believing human physical limits couldn't be surpassed. However, now you fantasize that if you can become strong enough, you might be able to punch through the obstacles blocking the cellar door.]

[Age 43: Without realizing it, you built up a muscular physique. With your medical skills, you could remove the burn scars left by Rosalyne on your body, but you choose not to. Every time you see those scars, you're reminded of her.]

[Strangely, even though the burn marks have long since scarred over, you often still feel burning pain. Based on your medical knowledge, you assume it's phantom pain and don't pay much attention to it.]

[Age 44: The candles in the cellar take 24 hours to burn down completely, and you use them to track the passage of days. This is your fifth year in the cellar, and you've given up hope that anyone will come to rescue you.]

[Age 45: You discover an old sword in a corner of the cellar, surprisingly untouched by rust. Although you've never practiced swordsmanship, you've observed countless of Rostam's battles and meticulously recorded his fighting techniques to test his combat potential.]

[You can remember every muscle and bone in the human body, so naturally, you also remember every one of Rostam's moves. Thanks to the physical training you've done, your body is now much stronger than before, and you begin practicing sword techniques by mimicking Rostam's style.]

Rostam was the creator of the Favonius Swordsmanship, but unlike the "sword techniques" of Liyue, Favonius Swordsmanship is more of a battle tactic with no fixed forms. One: slash, two: cleave, three: pierce, then repeat from the beginning. That simplicity is the essence of the Favonius Swordsmanship technique.

[Everyone who practices Favonius Swordsmanship develops their own style. While the techniques you recall from Rostam are extraordinary, without any real swordsmanship training, you can only grasp its "form," not its "spirit."]

[Age 46: You've made some progress in swordsmanship.]

[Age 47: Using Rostam's techniques, you craft your own version of Favonius Swordsmanship and decide to name it Favonius Swordsmanship: Wolf's Fang in memory of your former friend, foe, and most loyal servant.]

[Skill Unlocked: Favonius Swordsmanship: Wolf's Fang]

[Favonius Swordsmanship: Wolf's Fang

Rank: B

Effect: Increases critical hit rate by 20% when used.

Description: A sword technique developed based on the undead Rostam's fighting style. It still falls short of his original skill and is only of moderate quality, but it's more than enough to deal with ordinary swordsmen.]

You can unlock skills too?

Though it's only a B-rank skill, Lucas is still surprised.

Considering the protagonist in this simulation spent most of his life without any exposure to martial arts, being able to create a new sword technique purely based on memory is remarkable.

If his talent were any higher, he might be able to create something like Nine Yin Manual from The Legend of the Condor Heroes.

[Age 48: You gradually become obsessed with swordsmanship.]

[Age 49: You unexpectedly find a rat in the cellar, which brings you great joy. First, it proves there's life nearby, and second, it provides some comfort in the ten years of solitude.]

[Age 50: Your body hasn't deteriorated with age; instead, it's becoming even stronger (Old But Vigorous trait activated).]

Finally, that trait kicks in!

Lucas feels touched.

After all, this is his first time surviving past 50 in the Villain Simulator.

It wasn't easy!

[Age 51: Your body grows even stronger, and your once white hair begins to turn black again (Old But Vigorous trait activated).]

[Age 53: You can easily do 1,000 push-ups (Old But Vigorous trait activated).]

[Age 54: You...]

"Hold on!" Lucas interrupts suddenly. "How long am I going to be stuck here?"

Given the protagonist's current condition, he could probably live longer than Lucas in real life.

And with nothing significant happening in the story, things are getting a bit dull.

[The progression of events within the simulator cannot be predicted, and this system does not provide spoilers.]

"So, I just have to watch this unfold?" Lucas feels exasperated. "Isn't there a fast-forward feature?"

[The system requires time to compute the simulation, so fast-forwarding is not possible. However, the host can enter 'AFK mode.']

"AFK mode?" Lucas asks, confused. "Doesn't real-time stop while the simulation runs?"

[In AFK mode, the real-time pause is lifted, and the simulator runs automatically. The host will be notified when important events or decisions arise.]

"Why didn't you mention this useful feature earlier?" Lucas asks, exasperated.

[I figured you didn't ask.]

"Alright, alright…" Lucas relents. "Activate AFK mode."

[AFK mode activated.]

As expected, once AFK mode is activated, the real-time freeze is lifted.

Additionally, a semi-transparent window appears in Lucas's field of vision, allowing him to monitor the simulation's progress. He can close it if he doesn't want to watch.

As the system stated, though, the simulator doesn't speed up much in AFK mode.

"Fine, I'll check on it tomorrow morning…"

Perhaps because the recent events in the story were too intense, Lucas feels a bit stifled in his chest and decides to get up for some fresh air.

---

At the same time...

In Keqing's room...

"Lucas! I'll kill you!"

With an enraged shout, Keqing bolts upright in her bed, drenched in sweat, her expression tense and agitated.

More importantly, her eyes are filled with a deadly killing intent—something seen only in those who have experienced countless slaughters.

"Where… am I?" However, as she looks around the familiar room, "Keqing's" face shows confusion. She murmurs, "My room?"

How could this be?

Hadn't she and her family moved away after being framed at the Tianquan Academy? Even their property in Liyue had been sold off.

That's right, this isn't the real Keqing; this is the dark Keqing from the Villain Simulator who had joined the Abyss Order and become "Thunder Calamity Rakshasa."

Whether this "Thunder Calamity" version of Keqing was born from her nightmares or was a manifestation from an alternate timeline where the events of the Villain Simulator truly happened remains unclear... for now.

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Author's Note: CMonnn guys leave powerstones and reviews!!! 

And I wont make you wait long for the dark keqing next chapter 😈