Midnight, the moon still round and bright, bathing this world like the night's start.
"Seems the moon stays full, its orbit barely shifting.
A different world, huh… The System says three more hours until the Life Simulation starts. So, exactly midnight."
This world has no internet, no smartphones… No games, no anime… So boring…
"System, open functions."
A dialogue panel materialized.
Name: Noah
Age: 17 years, 6 months
Strength: None
Identity: Manor Lord of Tigerbold Manor (24)
Title: Leader of the Three Titans (0)
Inventory (Items)
Open manor members.
A notification popped up.
Members under direct management: 3
Members not under direct management: 21
"Open non-managed members."
A list of names appeared.
No images, no details—just names, ages, and roles.
"No way…"
"Open managed members."
Another panel overlaid the first, showing small avatars of Lalatina, Luna, and Liora.
"Open Lalatina's info."
A new panel displayed.
ID: 01
Name: Lalatina
Age: 18 years, 1 month
Strength: Scholar (Beginner)
Contribution Points to Manor: 3
Task History: (Select for details)
Item History from Manor: (Select for details)
Noah mused.
Barely more info…
So the System doesn't update?
"System, got any entertainment?"
System Reminder: Host, strive to grow and reach glory soon. Don't waste precious time on fleeting leisure.
Recommendation: Begin initial tasks.
…
"Oh, forgot to tell Pei Xuan to summon Wolfspire Citadel's lord for a meeting… Whatever, tomorrow it is.
Too late now."
"System, why could I see through Luna's clothes earlier?"
System Reminder: Due to your comprehensive Invincible Shield from your pact with the Void, all attacks against you are nullified. If you willingly accept or fail to detect an external attack, the shield responds based on the situation—countering, neutralizing, controlling, or retreating to prevent harm.
If killing intent is detected, or you feel fear during an attack, the shield eliminates the threat.
For example, if an enemy's attack exceeds your current capacity, causing potential harm, the shield intercepts it.
If the opponent harbors ill intent but you're unafraid, the shield controls the target, preventing further attacks.
If the attack is defensive, the shield relocates you to avoid it.
…
"System, what's that got to do with seeing through her clothes?"
System Reminder: When the Invincible Shield controls threats, it forcibly monitors harmful intentions. This occurs whenever a target within attack range—currently this world—poses a risk. In Luna's case, standing before you, her secrets and actions are laid bare.
You can detect any harmful intentions from her.
If she intends to attack, the shield counters appropriately.
"So, you're saying…
Before me, she can't hide anything under her clothes? Hehe… Wait, if it's a man, I'd see everything too? Hold on—Pei Xuan earlier… Oh! I get it! I felt terrified, so the shield blocked him…"
…
"System, open inventory."
A list of items appeared.
Equipped items on the right, unequipped on the left. Feels like a game.
Glancing right: all purple, gold, pink, orange items…
Equipped: Basic Manor BlueprintEquipped: Four Symbols GuardianEquipped: Mythic Dragon VeinEquipped: Enlightenment TreeEquipped: Living EssentialsUsed: Novice Shield (4 days, 4 hours remaining)
Left side: just gray and white items, gacha junk.
…
"Enter arrangement mode."
System Notification: Entering arrangement mode in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Noah's vision shifted, towering over the manor, now a detailed 3D model with items vividly displayed.
He tried moving buildings—denied. System Notification: Manor must reach Level 2 to alter layout.
After tinkering, finding nothing fun, Noah exited and checked the shop.
Only two items for sale:
Myriad Heavens Convergence Voucher: 20 spirit stonesLife Simulation Voucher: 500 spirit stones
Noah, sweating, asked the System, learning the shop only sold function-related items, nothing else.
After exploring, he judged: If this System were a game, it'd flop—no one would play.
Glancing at the notification—three hours left—he felt restless. Excited, nervous… but time drags endlessly.
Rolling on the bed, unable to sleep or cultivate…
"What do I do for three hours?"
After three hours tossing and turning, the clock finally struck.
System Notification: Life Simulation function activating.
"Finally…"
System entering setup.
Name: Noah
Gender: Male
Attributes: All current attributes, plus 10% enhancement
Traits Enhanced: Resolute, inquisitive, dynamic
Confirm to begin.
"Confirm."
Simulation begins in 5 minutes. Prepare to enter.
"Skip the wait."
Wait skipped confirmed.
Entering in 3, 2, 1…
…
I am Noah Dark , an orphan abandoned as a child in a remote mountain village.
I have no idea why I was left here. The only story I know is the one told by the villagers: Sixteen years ago, on a clear, breezy night, Uncle Smith suddenly heard the loud cries of a baby. Following the sound, he discovered a newborn wailing in the hollow of an ancient tree. That child was me. He took me in, and from that moment on, I was raised in this village.
This small, secluded village is called Smithwood, located in the western region of the Acx Kingdom. True to its name, six out of ten people here carry the surname Smith. The villagers mainly survive through hunting and gathering. Once a month, a trade caravan from Greythorn City comes to purchase our goods.
Greythorn City is the nearest city to our village, just a day's journey away. Smithwood is a dependent settlement under its protection. Life here is peaceful and relatively stable.
I was named Noah because when I was found, there was a wooden nameplate in my swaddling cloth, inscribed with those very words. The villagers assumed it must be my given name. Alongside it, there was also a peculiar scroll—smooth and shining on one side, perfectly round on the other, yet entirely blank. No one in the village knew what it was, only that it must have been left behind by my parents. Over the years, I tried various methods to reveal its secrets—soaking it in water, heating it over a fire—but nothing worked. The only thing I discovered was its extraordinary durability; no blade or arrow could pierce it. In the end, I decided to wear it as armor. Light and unyielding, it serves me well.
"Well, great tree, am I not a genius? You agree, don't you?"
The vast sky stretched above me, the wind howled across the mountain ridges, and white clouds drifted lazily through the heavens. Sitting atop the peak, leaning against an ancient tree, I gazed out in silence. From up here, the entire world lay before me, as if I were a sovereign surveying his domain. This place… this boundless sky, this untouched wilderness—it brought me peace. It felt like home.
Sitting here, speaking to this ancient tree, had become my daily ritual. Perhaps that's why I never had many friends. Most of the villagers considered me an oddball.
For the young men in the village, sixteen marked the age of adulthood. It was the time for the coming-of-age ceremony, a time for hunting, for taking a wife, for starting a family—that was the norm. But none of that appealed to me. I felt as if doing so would mean wasting something… something truly important.
Today was the village's coming-of-age ceremony. According to tradition, after the ritual, each participant had to venture into the forest and return with a trophy from the hunt. The trophy would determine their status in the village from then on. I had no desire for any sort of rank, so after catching a single wild chicken, I climbed the mountain and waited for the day to pass.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, its golden glow blanketed the land in warmth, urging me to return home.
Carrying the still-struggling chicken, I made my way back. The path was empty, but I wasn't afraid. To me, the chirping insects, the rustling leaves, and the murmur of the woods were not signs of solitude but the lively conversation of a forest brimming with life.
When I arrived at Smithwood, lanterns were already lit, and the village was buzzing with chatter.
I deliberately ruffled my clothes, smeared some dirt on my face, and put on a sullen expression before stepping into the central square.
A group of young men stood in neat rows, their hunting prizes laid before them—rabbits, boars, deer, all lined up for display. Three of them stood apart from the rest, more prominent than the others, their prize being a full-grown tiger.
The village chief, Edmund Smith, caught sight of me and frowned. I quickly stepped forward and began my explanation.
"Uncle Smith, today was truly unlucky. I actually had two wild boars in my grasp, but out of nowhere, a third one appeared! I lost my footing and—sigh—I was too reckless. In the end, I only managed to catch this chicken."
I spoke rapidly, barely stopping to breathe, weaving an elaborate excuse with ease. Even I was surprised by my own ability to spout nonsense so effortlessly.
Uncle Smith's gaze swept over my disheveled clothes, my dirt-covered face. With a sigh, he didn't reprimand me but instead said,
"You are still young. You must train harder and learn to be less greedy. Now, take your place in the line."
Uncle Smith was, in a way, my uncle. The man who had found and raised me, Alric Smith, was his younger brother.
In our home, there were four of us: myself, my elder sister, and my adoptive parents, Alric Smith and his wife.
Both of them were well-respected healers in the village, known for their kindness and skill. Their reputation was unmatched, and my sister…
She was one of the three great beauties of Smithwood.
Ours was the model family, admired by all.