A storm surged in his mind.
Forty years.
An entire lifetime of experience memories from adolescence to old age—poured into Evans' consciousness all at once. The sheer volume was overwhelming. He staggered backward, falling to his knees. Blood vessels in his forehead throbbed visibly. His breathing grew shallow, his vision blurred.
The pressure wasn't just physical. It was mental erosion.
It felt as if two versions of himself were now fighting for control inside his head—his present self and the man he had become over those simulation decades.
He gritted his teeth.
"I've already lived a full life… how ironic…" he thought bitterly.
Even with his sea of consciousness fully awakened, even with his mental strength surpassing five adult minds combined, the weight of so many years couldn't be borne easily. It was as if two souls were trapped inside the same body, echoing memories louder than his own thoughts.
Half an hour passed in silence.
Finally, his breathing slowed.
His eyes opened.
He stood.
Sweat soaked his shirt, and steam rose from his skin as if he had been baptized in fire. His face, however, was composed sharp and cold.
Evans looked at his hands and flexed his fingers. "Those memories… they're dangerously real. Too real," he muttered.
He knew now that memory retention was not a simple advantage,it was a double-edged sword. If one day he meditated too long, slipped too deep into memory, he might forget who he truly was.
"If I lose myself… there's no point in growing stronger."
He inhaled slowly, calmed his heart, and opened his status window.
[Status Updated]
Wizard Techniques:
– Dark Wood Beginner Technique
– Blue Spirit Meditation Technique – Intermediate
A rare smile curled his lips.
"Perfect."
He still had one final simulation left.
Evans sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and murmured:
"Start the simulation."
[Truth Simulation: Commencing]
Day One
You left Gale Town again, this time with quiet confidence. You knew where to go, how to survive, and what came next.
Day 22
You reached Shadowmere. Once again, you took work as a blacksmith's apprentice.
Day 23 onward
You began meditating every night using the Blue Spirit Meditation Technique. It resonated with your spirit far more deeply than the crude beginner method ever had.
Year 1
You meditated diligently, refining your control.
Year 5
Your spiritual power stabilized and increased steadily. You became sharper. Stronger.
Year 10
You could now manipulate spiritual energy with natural ease. But you remained focused. Patient.
Year 20
You stood just a step away from the peak of a Rank One Wizard Apprentice.
Year 30
You finally reached it,the apex of the first level.
Year 40
You began breaking through the bottleneck, slowly and methodically.
Year 50
You succeeded.
You have advanced to Rank Two Wizard Apprentice.
But your meditation technique had now become obsolete. The Blue Spirit technique could take you no further. You needed a more advanced method—and you knew where to find it.
The Blue Sea Alliance and the Dark Wood School had been at war for thirty years.
The borderlands were filled with corpses and dying apprentices. Bloodshed was common. Security was thin. It was a hunter's playground.
You slipped out of the city at night.
But fate played its hand.
You were caught.
Not by an apprentice—
—but by a formal wizard.
Too strong.
Too fast.
Too late.
Year 51
You were transformed into a puppet. A magical slave. Bound by runes and wires, your will locked away.
Year 60
You served as a war tool in the hands of that wizard—his hound, his blade.
Year 80
You fell in battle during a conflict between sects.
Your body crumbled.
Your soul shattered.
You are dead.
Do you want to retain memories or realm?
Back in the present, Evans opened his eyes as the simulation ended.
His hand hovered over the choice.
He didn't hesitate.
"Retain Realm."
This time, he needed strength,not more lives lived, not more regret remembered,just power.