Damn it! Let's smash the darkness together!

With confusion mounting, Xu Shu's mind gradually rippled with a stirring.

The introductions to both modes also emerged as visions before his eyes.

"Legend Mode: you will carry a random 'fate,' acquire a random identity, and begin the legendary life that you were destined for, determining the fate of the world, altering cause and effect.

"You may choose to use 1/2/3 Tai Chu Scroll attempts to gain 1/2/3 portions of 'fate.'

"The higher the quality of your 'fate,' the more likely you are to complete significant achievements, which will influence your final evaluation;

"Please be aware: every choice you make in the legend, like the flutter of a butterfly's wings, will have profound effects, whether your story becomes a legend or decay is a matter of a single thought."

——

"Ah, is this a life simulation game?" Xu Shu realized.

This Legend Mode was about random identities, random maps, random rewards.

"I still have two chances today to open the Tai Chu Scroll... However, if I don't use three chances and start with three buffs right off the bat, the rewards might be lesser, which isn't worth it for someone like me who doesn't settle for less than perfection."

Xu Shu stroked his chin, not rushing to make a choice.

His gaze then moved to the other mode.

"Journey Mode: By using one Tai Chu Scroll chance, you will foresee the future as yourself, simulate the future, and enjoy a fully authentic experience;

"As the sun rises and sets, the longer you survive on your journey and the greater the impact you make, the higher your evaluation will be;"

"The secrets of heaven are elusive, the universe is unpredictable, what has passed is set in stone, but the future is not predetermined, the future you see may not come to pass, please remember this is only a premonition."

At the end of the modes' introduction was a line of rather conspicuous text:

"Great master, please choose a mode to start (—Legend—Journey—)..."

The ellipsis behind these words pulsed as though waiting for one to type in a text document.

*

*

Having read the introduction, Xu Shu pretty much had a grasp of it.

Both were role-playing games, but with one distinction:

Legend: life simulation, where the character is someone else.

Journey: future simulation, where the character is oneself.

As for the theme, it's all about achievements, or in layman's terms, "making big news."

The wilder, the better.

"Hm, looking at it this way, Journey Mode might be more direct and effective for my current situation, allowing me to become a prophet, which could help me handle upcoming situations."

Xu Shu clenched his fist, weighed the pros and cons, and then decided to initiate Journey Mode.

Next, he felt as if he had plunged into a foggy abyss; visions of light and shadow flashed before his eyes, like a rapid slideshow:

[Checking current status...]

[Check complete.]

[You're in a real bind here; you're at an abandoned prison far from any refuge. You, along with other Scavengers, are caught by the prison's master 'Black Widow' and held as Forbidden Concubines, always in danger of being favored and harvested.]

[Today, Black Widow chose your neighbor first, and after a brief and disappointing harvest, out of anger, she killed him.]

[The piercing screams chilled you to the bone, and you wanted to pick up a weapon, but there was nothing here, only a floor littered with wet tissues~]

[Oh no! Now Black Widow has set her sights on you, indicating that you should serve her well. What's your choice?:]

On the screen, there was a dynamic image of a shapely woman.

She wore a semi-transparent black silk outfit, with her fair shoulders half-exposed, a waist that could be encircled with ease, and long, well-proportioned, seductive legs.

The flaw was her arrogance: above her forehead was a ring filled with eyes, eight in total; her fontanel was also gaping open, inside which was a mouthpart of worms covered in flesh, nibbling and chewing.

"Holy shit."

Xu Shu's scalp tingled.

Black Widow... a Spider Monster?

[You declined Black Widow's 'generosity' respectfully, insisting on preserving your chastity, hoping this would help you avoid disaster.]

["If you won't do it, there are plenty of other men who will!" Black Widow shredded you alive, making you into a meat soup to nourish the others.]

[Because Black Widow was busy 'entertaining men,' researching recipes, tonight's mating ritual was canceled.]

[The other prisoners in the jail were spared, and they all gave a thumbs up to you on the dinner table.]

[Bro, you smell great!]

[You died, this Journey Mode has ended, settlement underway...]

[Evaluation: Trash, not worth mentioning! Although courageous at heart, daring to face the gory reality of yourself, it didn't change the fact that you're a small fry, but at least you managed to do one good thing.]

[You have gained a prop: Self-Sacrifice (Common)]

[Self-Sacrifice (Common): An intangible powder that, upon use, makes your good deeds more likely to touch those around you, causing them to shed a tear or two involuntarily, even if the matter is unrelated to them.]

[Todays' attempts remaining: 1/3]

——Fizz! Fizz!

The surrounding fog dissipated, and reality returned all at once.

"Damn it, ugh!" Waves of pain erupted from every nerve in his body.

Xu Shu's face was ashen as he knelt and retched.

He felt as though he had truly experienced a cruel murder and a complete death.

"Shit... this damned authentic experience!"

Xu Shu cursed silently in his mind, discovering that he had a strong mental fortitude, for he hadn't collapsed psychologically.

However, now the situation was different from what he initially thought.

He had assumed he was caught by human traffickers.

But now, it seemed that was not the case; instead, he had encountered one of the "monsters" that occasionally invade the Wasteland!

In this age, every human settlement was, from the inside out, sectioned into three layers: