[Sir… Sir, the Girl Rescue Simulator has been successfully installed. The host can check detailed information via the system panel. Rejecting the prompt requires a confirmation. ]
"…"
In the small but cozy room, soft lamplight cast a warm glow on the ivory walls, veiling the space in a hazy ambiance.
At a sparsely decorated desk, a young man, his weariness evident from a sleepless night, heard a voice echoing in his head. Subconsciously, he reached for his phone and opened it, only to find no notifications.
Orion tilted his head, subconsciously checking his surroundings to confirm if anyone was playing a cruel joke.
He had experienced similar pranks from his good buddies before. Seasoned as he was, he could remain outwardly calm when faced with such things.
After all, he didn't want any inappropriate actions captured by some hidden camera, then uploaded to some website the next day, leading to a social death.
After a moment of checking, he finally confirmed the voice wasn't a hallucination.
Could it be…?
A tremor ran through Orion. He attempted to summon the interface of the newly installed simulation.
"Although, I have to say, I never thought someone like me, a normal person, could receive such a…"
He muttered, seemingly reminiscing. He sighed softly.
He was just an ordinary office worker, holding a job with the impressive title of Nine-to-Five Writer at a prestigious company, but in reality, he was forced into voluntary overtime every week.
He thought he would live an unremarkable life, but Heaven had decided to play a joke on him.
[Ding——]
[Congratulations, host, on successfully activating the Girl Rescue Simulator. This simulation will comprehensively assist the host in experiencing the lives of various impoverished girls through rescue. ]
[After the simulation begins, the host's consciousness will be projected into the simulated world.]
[At the end of each simulation, relevant rewards will be issued based on the distinctiveness of the host's simulated life.]
[Available simulations: 1]
Orion's attention was completely captivated by this suddenly appearing virtual interface.
"Oh? Girl Rescue Simulator, sounds pretty exciting."
"Rescuing various impoverished girls… theoretically, there's more than one girl needing rescue?"
He scratched his chin, feeling the task might be a bit challenging.
Currently, the words [Start Simulation] on the simulation interface were blinking incessantly, like a flashy neon sign. Orion felt a strange sense of déjà vu, like a cheap mobile game ad.
If they changed [Start Simulation] to [Share with friends to start immediately] or [Watch a 30-second ad to start immediately], it would be more fitting.
Orion remained silent for a while, confirming that he hadn't missed any loopholes in the system introduction, before pressing the button.
After all, he was very curious about how this Girl Rescue Simulation worked.
[Simulation starting——]
[Worldline unfolding——]
[Detected simulable world: Arknights]
[Talent creation complete. Please select four talents as the starting talents for your first simulated life.]
[Talent tiers are: Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, Gold]
[Note: If a talent meets the evolution conditions during the simulation, the evolved talent will encompass the effects of the original talent.]
[For example, if a Green talent evolves into a Blue talent, the Green talent will disappear, and the Blue talent will include the effects of the Green talent in addition to its own.]
"Huh? Arknights world simulation?"
Orion suppressed his inner strangeness and looked at the virtual screen.
[Green Talent: Fitness Trainer]: A slight increase in your strength, combined with a proportional and aesthetically pleasing physique and well-developed muscles.
[Blue Talent: Art Cells]: You possess an innate artistic talent. Your thoughts and mental energy can be effortlessly expressed through art. You are a natural artist.
[Blue Talent: Charm Aura]: Slightly increases your inherent charm attribute, improving the first impression you make on others. You will find it easier to gain the goodwill of others.
[Green Talent: Art of Language]: When interacting with others, your communication skills are slightly enhanced. You will find it easier to gain the goodwill of others during conversations.
[Purple Talent: Originium Adept]: You possess an innate Originium aptitude, granting you greater control over Originium Arts than those of the same species. However, due to your affinity for Originium, your chances of contracting Oripathy are significantly higher, and the severity of the Oripathy is also increased.
[Gold Talent: Exceeding Expectations]: Your interaction capacity is slightly enhanced. When others have high expectations of you, your abilities will improve based on those expectations. The degree of enhancement is related to the number of people with expectations and the intensity of those expectations.
"The fact that talents can evolve suggests that the initial talent quality isn't the most crucial factor, but rather how well they're combined to better accomplish the task?"
Orion's eyes flickered back and forth, assessing the Gold and Purple talents, the two highest-tier talents among the options.
The [Gold Talent: Exceeding Expectations] was a must-choose for Orion, offering the highest cost-effectiveness compared to other talents.
However… that Purple talent…
Orion reluctantly tore his gaze away from [Purple Talent: Originium Adept]. This was a difficult choice. The talent's offered boost was undeniably tempting, but its side effects couldn't be ignored.
There's gain and loss; he had to weigh the pros and cons.
The world he was entering was [Arknights], and his mission was to rescue girls.
The best way to complete the mission, he realized, was to achieve a certain social standing, providing them with societal protection, and avoiding the Infected identity at all costs.
Because on Terra, in Arknights, the Infected identity meant stagnation and disenfranchisement in many areas.
And there was one more crucial point…
Orion's gaze fell upon the only Gold talent among all the options. Its effect alone provided the potential to make all the other talents subservient to it.
Ultimately, Orion chose [Blue Talent: Charm Aura], [Blue Talent: Art Cells], [Green Talent: Art of Language], and the single [Gold Talent: Exceeding Expectations].
For greater stability, he opted for the safest strategy.
In Orion's plan, regardless of his birthplace, his Art Cells would allow him to travel to Leithanien and develop his skills. By leveraging the other talents to enhance social interaction, gaining a high social standing wouldn't be a problem.
Once he accumulated sufficient wealth and social resources, he could then focus on his mission of rescuing the girls.
The weak save themselves; only the strong can save others.
[Host's talent selection complete. The host will now randomly draw a race.]
Looking at the roulette wheel that appeared before him, Orion felt a sense of unease.
"Huh? Race is also random?"
"Damn, with the talent selection, as long as it's not Sarkaz, other races are insignificant… Oh?"
The Sarkaz race has a characteristic: almost all of them are Originium Adepts, but they are fundamentally afflicted with Oripathy.
However, each race only occupies a small segment of the wheel, making it difficult to accurately draw a specific race.
Watching the rapidly spinning roulette, Orion quickly scanned it, discovering not only common races, but even some select lineages.
Before Orion's anxiously beating heart, the roulette spun like a wheel of fate, its pointer slowly decelerating.
"Wow! Sui Bloodline? Holding partial authority; that's an immediate boost!"
The pointer didn't stop as Orion had hoped, but instead crept forward like a snail.
"Ah… Drake is fine too. Holding Victoria's royal succession rights; unless you actively seek death, you won't die."
Relieved, a relaxed smile appeared on Orion's face.
While not getting a powerful lineage was disappointing, Drake was still a prestigious race, generally acceptable.
As it neared its stop, the pointer, seemingly using its last bit of energy, moved between the Drake and the next race.
[The random selection result is: Sarkaz]
[Host, the simulation is about to begin. Have a fun simulation! (∠･ω<)⌒☆]
"Great, it's… What the hell?!"