The moon climbed high, a brilliant lamp casting its cool silver light upon the earth. The night was quiet, a gentle breeze whispering a unique nocturnal harmony.
They say that even the night in Leithanien possesses poetic richness and romance, but Orion felt nothing of the sort.
At least, his backside didn't.
Those guards had been merciless. If he hadn't possessed some strength, those blows would have caused serious injuries.
He leaned against a park bench, gazing up at the starlit sky.
According to Leithanien regulations, he would be deported back to Kazdel tomorrow, signifying the complete failure of his plan.
Orion hadn't expected such a swift and utter defeat. He sighed softly.
This feels like a wasted life. Should I try again?
Would the system mock me as a "trash host"?
If only he hadn't drawn Sarkaz as his race; if only he'd carefully reviewed each step before selecting his talents.
If Orion were to list them, there would be countless "what ifs," but they were meaningless now.
He shook his head.
Suddenly, he recalled a phrase spoken by a professional athlete:
Failure is a constant companion throughout life; that's life.
If one doesn't learn from failure, it becomes meaningless.
He reflected on his experiences here.
He summoned the interface only he could see and carefully reviewed his talents once more.
His gaze fell upon the single Gold talent, "Exceeding Expectations."
Orion had already experienced the power of this talent, understanding it was his only chance for rapid advancement.
His short-lived success at the tavern was largely due to this talent.
When everyone believed he was a great artist, he became one.
However, this path was now blocked. Mastering art wouldn't save him, nor would it help him accomplish his mission.
Life doesn't always offer choices. From the start, it often dictates your path, using subtle yet relentless tactics to confine you to a predetermined trajectory.
Since acquiring the Sarkaz race, he seemingly had many options, but in reality, only one path was available.
He had also made a new discovery – a rare gain during this period.
Even his extraordinary artistic talent couldn't achieve external success. The plight of other Sarkaz could only be worse.
Even in Kazdel, the Sarkaz homeland, their rights weren't guaranteed.
Even the mine where he recently worked was owned by a Victorian contractor. A twelve-hour workday barely provided enough to support a family of three Sarkaz.
A Sarkaz family needed to work over twelve hours a day to save money. Orion had worked himself to the bone to afford a single guitar.
While his mission was to rescue girls, he felt he needed a rich woman to rescue him.
Wait… rescue girls?
Seeming to recall something, Orion reopened the mission details, carefully reviewing the mission parameters and talent descriptions.
"System, give me a more detailed description of the mission requirements."
[Ding. To guarantee a normal simulation and a fair simulation environment, the system cannot provide the host with additional prompts. Please explore the details independently~]
Orion was dissatisfied with this response. He continued to ask for clarification, hoping to bypass the vague prompts.
Perhaps annoyed by his persistence, the system stopped responding.
"This is useless…"
Muttering under his breath, Orion was surprised by the system's unhelpfulness.
He returned to the system's previous response: it couldn't provide additional hints, but Orion only needed clarification on the mission details.
In other words, detailed clarification was a hint!
So the "rescue girls" mission isn't as simple as it sounds.
Orion realized he'd fallen into a conceptual misunderstanding. He thought "rescue" meant providing a girl with a safe and warm home.
But the system might define "rescue" as establishing a prosperous and peaceful nation, where everyone is rescued.
Thinking this through, Orion felt enlightened.
Could he be a genius?!
No wonder he'd received talents like [Originium Adept] and [Exceeding Expectations], capable of significantly enhancing his capabilities.
Perspective! His perspective had been too narrow!
Somehow, he recalled those passionate street speeches at the tavern, the anger and fervent emotions deeply affecting him.
It wasn't just the Sarkaz's inherent passionate nature. He understood more about the Sarkaz, their secrets, and their history than the average Sarkaz.
The system's choice of this simulation period must have a deeper meaning.
Orion's eyes lit up. He understood the system's intention.
To rescue girls, he must first liberate the Sarkaz people and bring peace and prosperity to Kazdel. Wouldn't that complete the mission?
That's the system's true goal!
Through his recent hardships, he understood that Kazdel was in a state of extreme ideological division.
The Sarkaz sibling monarchs were being swept away by the differing ideologies of their people, drifting further apart.
Theresia's advocacy for republican ideals was being increasingly replaced by internal Sarkaz resentment and oppression, leaving only a spark to ignite the powder keg.
And Orion knew that spark would arrive soon – a gift from a Leithanien Duke.
Therefore…
Just as Orion had initially staked everything on the single Gold talent, he must make a similar choice now.
All or nothing!
All in! This is strategy! After all, a hero never retreats from battle!
Another plan slowly formed in his mind, like a rapidly growing seed, deeply rooted in his nerves.
He needed to return to Kazdel to investigate the specifics of his new plan.
Thinking of Kazdel's current state filled him with determination.
He was ready.