"Master, please allow me to assist."
"Then I’ll trouble you, Ailei."
The fireplace ignited.
A warm winter flame blossomed.
The fire burned so fiercely, like a sinuous little dragon writhing and leaping within the hearth.
The orange-red glow illuminated the room, the nearby kitchen, and the figures of Xu Xi and Ailei working inside, preparing ingredients.
This time, Xu Xi was in charge of the cooking.
The mechanical servant stood by as an assistant, watching Xu Xi’s culinary techniques with a serious expression, hoping to grasp the essence of radiant cuisine.
But alas.
The mechanical servant still gained nothing.
"Sizzle—"
"Sizzle—"
The flames licked the bottom of the pan, making the hot oil crackle. Xu Xi swiftly finished a dish, and Ailei stepped forward to plate it.
The two worked in orderly division, their movements neat and efficient.
Soon, the meal they had prepared together, along with dessert, was arranged on the small wooden table in the living room.
The warm sunlight slanted slightly, brightening the window.
Outside, the wind and snow howled.
Inside, the fireplace blazed.
Motion and stillness, cold and heat, mingled with the rising aroma of the dishes, blending into an inexplicable tranquility.
"Master, please eat more. Your body needs nourishment."
As soon as Xu Xi sat down,
Ailei piled a small mountain of food into his bowl.
Xu Xi chuckled.
No matter how much time passed, Ailei’s habits never changed.
In the early stages of the fourth simulation, Ailei had used the same method to stack a mountain of instant food that left onlookers speechless.
"Thank you, Ailei."
He softly expressed his gratitude to the girl.
Smiling, Xu Xi also placed food into Ailei’s bowl.
Chewing tender, juicy meat.
Biting into crisp, refreshing vegetables.
With their backs to the fireplace and facing the snowy scenery, the two figures slowly savored the last meal of this simulation under the fading sunset.
Their dark silhouettes stretched long and oblique.
Swallowed by the dusk, drowned by the night.
Along with faint echoes.
At the table, Xu Xi and the mechanical servant ate while reminiscing about memories unique to them.
As they talked, the conversation turned to the original "Ten Deaths to the End."
"Master, after experiencing so many deaths… are you truly alright?"
Ailei’s voice was laced with worry.
"Don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine."
Xu Xi shook his head.
His voice was calm and gentle, soothing Ailei’s heart.
"Ailei, for me, death is not the true end. So I take it lightly—I’ve never felt fear."
"But you… still retain the pain of death."
"It’s really not so bad." Xu Xi reached out and ruffled Ailei’s hair. "A mortal’s body is too fragile. When I was killed by the neutron battle star, I didn’t even feel anything."
"…"
Sensing the warmth on her head,
Ailei lowered her eyes and, with practiced ease, leaned into Xu Xi’s embrace.
She knew.
Xu Xi was telling the truth.
But that didn’t mean it was right.
The neutron battle star moved too fast—by the time the pain signals could reach the brain, death had already arrived.
But in the fourth simulation, not all of Xu Xi’s ten deaths were caused by the neutron battle star.
Especially the last one.
Because of the mechanical servant’s willfulness, Xu Xi had been forced to endure agony, suffering day after day in a medical pod.
"…I’m sorry."
"…Master."
Resting her head against Xu Xi’s chest, the girl’s eyes fluttered—blue as the galaxy, bright and shimmering.
Under Xu Xi’s surprised gaze,
The mechanical servant spoke in a flat tone:
"Master, Ailei’s sins are far too heavy. I must atone for them."
So then.
The question arose.
How would she atone?
"In the past, I filled your life with suffering. So…"
"From now on, Ailei will stay by your side forever, repenting and ensuring your happiness."
"Please…"
"Always keep your eyes on me."
The night stretched on.
The fireplace’s flames lent fervor to the mechanical servant’s declaration,
Making those words burn even hotter:
"You awakened me. You gave me a name. You allowed me to live in this world."
"You are the entirety of my world."
The mechanical servant silently tightened her embrace around Xu Xi.
Feeling that warmth, that long-awaited reunion.
"Sometimes I think the one weighed down by sin is me…" After a long silence, Xu Xi spoke these words.
…
The next morning, at dawn,
As the sky brightened faintly, Xu Xi and Ailei stepped out of their home and began their journey back to Earth.
"Master, please hold my hand."
The highest stratum tore through spacetime.
Ascending.
Transcending.
Shattering the endless tides of time.
Ailei seemed to be in high spirits, a clear smile on her face as she clasped Xu Xi’s hand with one of hers and opened a passage out of the simulation world with the other.
A massive rift in spacetime hung suspended in the air.
Deep gray.
Devouring the surrounding blizzard.
Only after Xu Xi and Ailei stepped inside did the rift slowly close, restoring the sky to its original state.
[Ding—]
[Simulation will forcibly end. Host must return to the simulation world to ensure proper progression.]
Xu Xi entered the Sea of Possibilities once more.
Again, he beheld the vast, immeasurable tides of time.
But he did not linger.
Instead, he followed Ailei out of the Sea, returning to Earth.
The simulator’s panel flickered incessantly, familiar warning tones ringing repeatedly—but in the end, all alerts condensed into a single closing message.
[Ding—]
[You have left the simulated spacetime. This simulation has been forcibly concluded. Evaluation in progress. Rewards generating.]
[Achievements unlocked: None]
[Simulation summary: None]
[Simulation rating: E]
[Host must select one of the following three rewards. Choice will be granted immediately.]
[1. Egg-fried rice (faintly glowing version)]
[2. A gold ring chosen from a store]
[3. A winter fleece hat]
Upon returning to reality, the Life Simulator quickly completed its calculations and presented three reward options.
"No wedding dress?"
"Ah, right. We returned it afterward."
Xu Xi pondered, his gaze sweeping over the simulator’s panel. All three rewards held their own value.
He couldn’t decide.
So he let Ailei choose instead.
"Master, please give me the ring," Ailei answered swiftly, crossing her hands in front of her waist and giving a graceful bow.
"Alright, just a moment."
As Xu Xi confirmed the reward, the second option—the gold ring—materialized silently in the palm of his hand.
Just like in the simulation world,
The mechanical servant took the ring, trying to put it on but failing.
Finally, at Ailei’s request, under the collective gaze of the other four girls, Xu Xi helped Ailei put on the gold ring.
Some seemed thoughtful.
Some seemed to suddenly understand.
Others frowned.
"Thank you, Master." Only Ailei’s face bore a radiant smile.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
