The Lord Simulation Is Immersive

The moment the lord simulation ended, Augustus clutched his chest in pain, gasping as the phantom sensation of a sword piercing his body lingered. The stabbing ache was disturbingly real, as if he had truly experienced the fatal blow.

Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as vivid memories of the simulation flooded his mind. The frustration of seeing his slimes fall one by one, the relentless assault of the goblins, and the mocking grin of the enemy lord all played out with agonizing clarity.

It took several minutes for Augustus to regain his composure.

He inhaled deeply, his trembling hands slowly stilling as he muttered, "The lord simulation… it's truly immersive."

"From the taste of the roasted hare to the pain of being stabbed, and even the helplessness of watching my loyal subjects die—it all felt so vivid, so real."

He wiped the sweat from his brow, his heterochromatic eyes—one crimson, the other sapphire—narrowing in thought. "If I'm not mistaken, every sensation experienced by the simulated self is fed back to me at a 100% synchronization rate."

"The only difference is that I can't control the simulated self. Instead, the simulated self's actions are exactly what I would have done if faced with the same situation."

A bitter smile crept onto his face as he leaned back against the worn wooden throne. "It's unsettling, but it also has its advantages. The simulated self is aware that it's in the lord simulation and knows about my lord talents. However…" His voice trailed off as his thoughts grew sharper.

"The lord talents themselves can't be used during the simulation," he murmured. "That explains why the simulated me couldn't activate the SSS-rank Monthly Rules talent. The simulation is designed to test how far I can go without relying on my trump cards."

He closed his eyes briefly, the weight of his situation pressing down on him. "This isn't just a tool for predicting the future—it's a mirror. A way to expose my weaknesses and prepare for what's ahead. I need to ensure that when the real challenges come, I'm ready to act decisively."

The room fell silent as Augustus sat alone in the dimly lit hall.

Augustus pondered aloud, "From the looks of it, if I don't change anything and replicate the actions of the simulated self, then I'll meet my demise two days from now."

"Or rather, even if I don't do anything at all, I'd still die. The lord of the FF-rank Goblin Village seems to be planning to expand his territory. It was only because the slimes strayed into his land that he caught wind of my existence."

He furrowed his brow, his heterochromatic eyes narrowing. "But even if I avoid sending my slimes anywhere near his territory, his goblins seem to be planning to scout the area. At best, I'd only be delaying the inevitable if I don't take action to prevent it."

The thought of dying in two days weighed heavily on him, but Augustus wasn't entirely without hope.

As long as he could draw a powerful monthly rule from his SSS-rank Monthly Rules talent, he might still be able to turn the tables and make a comeback.

Of course, he knew that failure would mean certain death.

His mind turned to another option, one whispered to him through the common sense implanted by the Voice of the Supreme Plane. It was possible for a lord to surrender to another and become their vassal, thus avoiding annihilation.

However, Augustus dismissed the idea with a grimace. He didn't want to stoop to such methods.

Besides, the Goblin Lord didn't seem like the type to accept a vassal, especially not one ruling over an FFF-rank Slime Village. Such a weak lord held no value as an ally or subordinate.

On the flip side, Augustus himself saw no reason to consider taking the Goblin Lord as a vassal if the roles were reversed. Lords with weak territories were far more valuable when killed, their lands and subjects absorbed into one's domain.

"If I remember correctly," Augustus muttered, "the Voice of the Supreme Plane mentioned something about the Lord Chat Group in the implanted knowledge."

Curiosity sparked in his mind. With a wave of his hand, he willed the system interface for the Lord Chat Group to appear before him.

A translucent screen materialized in the air, but its contents made his heart sink.

-Ding!

[You have insufficient authority to access the Lord Chat Group.]

[To gain sufficient authority and unlock the Lord Chat Group, prove your worth as a formidable lord in the Supreme Plane.]

[Currently, there are two methods to unlock the Lord Chat Group. Either of the following will grant access to it:]

[(1.) Survive for one month in the Supreme Plane without dying or becoming another lord's vassal.]

[(2.) Defeat an enemy lord by either usurping their authority through killing them or taking them as a vassal.]

[Fulfilling either of these conditions demonstrates that you are no longer an inexperienced lord and can prove your value to other lords in the Supreme Plane.]

After reading the two conditions presented by the Voice of the Supreme Plane, Augustus sighed. "It seems I can't rely on other lords. Or rather, the Supreme Plane is like a massive jungle, and only the top predators can reign supreme."

"It's unlikely for a powerful lord to assist or lend help to a weak one unless that weak lord shows exceptional value, such as possessing a powerful lord talent or a territory worth transforming them into a vassal."

With that realization, Augustus understood that he could only rely on his two lord talents, especially his SSS-rank Monthly Rules talent, to turn the tides in his favor.

If Augustus had only awakened the SSS-rank Lord Simulator as his sole lord talent, he would be in dire straits. Knowing the future was meaningless if he lacked the means to change it—an empty advantage at best.

Fortunately, he was one of the rare exceptions to become a dual lord talent awakener.

"Let's see if I can draw a powerful monthly rule."