Chapter 2: [Text Simulation]

However, on the way back, disaster struck!

While passing through a wilderness forest, he was ambushed by a second-tier magical beast—a White-Headed Eagle.

Though they fought fiercely and both suffered injuries, the White-Headed Eagle, its wings stained with blood, fled in defeat, while he was poisoned by its strange and deadly toxin, which continuously drained his life force.

In truth, the White-Headed Eagle wasn't particularly adept at close combat, nor did it possess any long-range attacks. Its greatest threat lay in its poison, which lurked deep within the body and was extremely difficult to remove.

This poison wasn't entirely incurable, but as a newly-minted noble who had just retired from the front lines, he lacked the connections and resources of other nobles who had long-established themselves, even spanning several generations.

As a result, though he had some savings, no noble was willing to sell him an antidote.

Recently, another noble even visited him, offering to exchange the antidote for his land. Naturally, he refused.

But the noble was the eldest son of a viscount and a third-tier knight, so considering his current situation, Rhett couldn't afford to offend him.

He could only swallow his anger and mentally mark down the grudge.

"Sigh, I've really embarrassed the transmigrators," Rhett sighed inwardly. He had thought that becoming a noble and carefully managing his affairs would allow him to achieve greater things.

But just as he glimpsed a ray of hope, he was swallowed by endless darkness.

"If only I'd been given a cheat ability when I transmigrated, my achievements would surely have been far greater than this," Rhett thought to himself.

Reflecting on his life's journey—full of hardship and struggle, yet still unable to control his own fate—Rhett couldn't help but feel a deep sense of injustice.

Why did other protagonists have what he didn't?

"Waaah, waaah!"

The cry of a baby interrupted his thoughts. The negative emotions that had been rising within Rhett gradually subsided. After all, with two lifetimes of experience, controlling his emotions had become a basic skill for him.

Instead, the baby's cry piqued his interest.

"Vanessa has been pregnant for nearly ten months now. By my calculations, she should be giving birth around this time," Rhett mused, nodding to himself.

Due to his illness, and as a precaution, no one but his three sons and the butler were allowed near this floor of the castle.

As a result, no one had come up to inform him that Vanessa was in labor, so he had been unaware until now.

As his eldest son's first child—his first grandchild—was born, it brought a ray of light to Rhett's dark, pain-ridden days.

Hearing footsteps approaching and the baby's cries growing louder, Rhett's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Just then, a white light flashed before his eyes, quickly condensing into a panel.

This sudden change shocked Rhett almost as much as the joy of having a grandchild. He sat frozen in his chair, carefully reading the information on the panel.

[You have established a family, spanning three generations, meeting the requirements to activate the Family Simulator.]

[Family population +1, Fate Value +10]

"Hah, so I do have a cheat ability! And the condition for unlocking it was having three generations under one roof. You could have told me that sooner!" Rhett regretted bitterly. Had he known this, he wouldn't have bothered going to the front lines. He would have stayed home, focused on expanding his family, and aimed to hold his grandson sooner!

But it's not too late now. Eager to explore the system, he looked down at the panel, which indeed appeared to be a system interface.

[Head of the Family: Rhett Green]

[Second Generation Members: Tucker Green, Riley Green, Thales Green]

[Third Generation Member: ?]

[Text Simulation]

[Real Simulation]

[Fate Value: 75]

The simplicity of the panel pleased Rhett.

The question mark next to the third-generation member likely represented his grandson, indicating that he hadn't been named yet.

Rhett's interest piqued. With his past life's experience, it wasn't hard to guess that the panel's main functions likely lay in the options of [Text Simulation] and [Real Simulation].

Based on this, it seemed that the Fate Value might be a consumable resource?

Before he could delve further into the system's features, Tucker walked in, holding the newborn grandson with a loving expression.

Riley and Thales eagerly gathered around.

"I didn't expect Vanessa to give birth tonight. What a joyous occasion."

"This little guy is so adorable. Not only does he resemble Big Brother, but he also has a bit of Father's charm," Riley and Thales commented as they admired the baby.

Only after they had finished did Tucker carefully bring the baby to Rhett, his excitement barely contained. In a low voice, he said, "Father, please name him."

Perhaps because Tucker was naturally stronger than most, his offspring had inherited this trait. Holding his grandson, even through the blanket, Rhett gently rocked him.

Gradually, the crying baby fell into a peaceful sleep.

Looking at his grandson's red, newborn face, Rhett resisted the urge to reach out and touch him, fearing he might accidentally hurt the little one with his strength.

"I've already decided on a name. He'll be called Dick," Rhett said with a broad smile, handing Dick back to Tucker. He then stepped back and sat down again, waving his hand. "You all go downstairs now. I'm a bit tired and would like some quiet."

Hearing this, Tucker, Riley, and Thales all straightened up and responded in unison, "Yes, Father." They then left the room.

With the departure of his three sons, the fifth floor of Deep Rock Fortress became quiet once more.

Rhett took a deep breath and sipped some water from a nearby cup.

He then reopened the system.

When his mind settled on the [Text Simulation] option, a prompt immediately appeared before his eyes:

[Do you wish to activate the Text Simulation? Each year simulated will consume 5 Fate Value.]

Though curious, Rhett suppressed his urge to experiment and chose to decline.

Next, he focused on the [Real Simulation] option, wanting to understand the difference. Another prompt appeared:

[Do you wish to activate the Real Simulation? Each day simulated will consume 1 Fate Value.]

The general workings of the two simulation modes were easy to grasp, but the Real Simulation's cost of one Fate Value per day equated to over three hundred Fate Value for a year.

This sharp increase in cost surprised Rhett.

Why was the Real Simulation so much more expensive?

Rhett suspected that a secret lay hidden within this difference.

He then turned his attention to the final section, [Fate Value]. With a thought, an explanation popped up.

[Ways to Obtain Fate Value: Kill enemies above your rank +1, Advance in power +5, Advance in secondary profession +5, Birth of a new family member +10]

"I see. The initial 75 Fate Value likely came from my three sons and one grandson, contributing 40 points. The remaining 35 points must come from my progress through Magic Apprentice, First-Tier Magician, and Second-Tier Magician, along with Tucker and Riley's advancements." Rhett quickly calculated and understood everything.

His face lit up with interest.

After some deliberation, he decided to test the [Text Simulation].

With 75 Fate Value remaining, he needed to understand the exact benefits his cheat ability could provide.

Currently, he urgently needed a solution to his physical condition, and he wondered if the Family Simulator could offer a breakthrough.

[Do you wish to activate the Text Simulation? Each year simulated will consume 5 Fate Value.]

He decisively chose, "Yes, simulate one year!"

Immediately, the screen before him changed, and a series of prompts began to refresh.

[Year 473 of the Jinlun Calendar, November 7th: Your grandson Dick is born.]

[November 10th: Thales decides to depart with a merchant caravan from the town of Chuiying.]

[November 15th: Thales sneaks away midway and heads to Goldmine Town alone, planning to visit Rilys.]

[November 16th: Thales meets Rilys, who is pleasantly surprised. She has him stay the night.]

[November 25th: Thales returns and brings you a small potion, which alleviates your condition but only temporarily. You can only hold on for another two years.]

[December 7th: On an extremely cold night, a strong wind causes the collapse of your town's pasture buildings, killing most of your cows.]

[Year 474 of the Jinlun Calendar, January 3rd: A second-tier Iron-Horned Sheep and a second-tier Flame Dog fight by Sun Lake on the western side of your territory. Both are severely injured, and a passing first-tier Wind Wolf claims the victory.]

[January 8th: A traveling merchant arrives in your territory. You ask if he has any items or methods to cure the White-Headed Eagle Poison. He says he has nothing related.]

[January 9th: The traveling merchant is chased by a second-tier mutated Wind Wolf and flees to your castle. Fearing casualties, you, along with Tucker and Riley, help the merchant drive off the Wind Wolf. The merchant then suggests hunting down the mutated Wind Wolf, as its materials are valuable. You agree.]

[January 10th: After searching, you find the lair of the second-tier mutated Wind Wolf in the western thorn forest. The mutated Wind Wolf's strength surprises you again. Although you win the battle, both of your sons tragically die. Searching the lair, you find a legacy left by a fifth-tier Grand Magus. You propose splitting the spoils with the merchant, but he refuses. The merchant then tries to steal the treasure by attacking you, and you die.]