The abrupt end of the simulation shocked Aron. Though the beginning of the simulation had been very rough, ever since he had managed to escape to the woods, Aron felt that everything had been going pretty well.
There may have been a few rough patches here and there, but his growth once he entered the forest outside of the Perch villa was extremely good. Especially for his movement techniques, which had reached the mastery levels of Perfection and Major Achievement, respectively.
He also thought that his journey after his time at the Consuming Sect had been going well. After all, he had reached the level of Lesser Core in just a few months. The difference between Minor Cores and Lesser Cores is more than just a name. There is a significant difference in quality in both comprehension speed and cultivation speed.
That was also part of the reason Julia had been able to eliminate the 'him' of the simulation. Not to mention having two attributes that she can imbue into her techniques, her Major Core had probably allowed for her to enter the mid stages of the Meridian Establishment realm, something far, far away from what he was capable of achieving. With the comprehension that comes with a Major Core, she was probably using upper and peak Black techniques at Middle Step or Major Achievement. As a member of one of the 4 Orthodox Sects in the Northern Region, it was possible she was even using low or middle Purple techniques at First Step or Minor Achievement.
Any of those techniques would have completely dwarfed the power of his own. With her cultivation and technique mastery, it was no doubt that Julia would be able to wipe the floor with him.
What Aron didn't understand was how it was possible that they had met each other once more in such circumstances. In terms of probability, the likelihood of this happening was simply inconceivable.
When he had read that he was able to recognize her and that she hadn't recognized himself, it has to be said, he was quite upset. Even if they were only half-siblings. Even if they barely spent time with each other, it didn't stop him from recognizing her after over a dozen years.
What kind of excuses could be made to not be able to recognize your own flesh and blood kin?
Of everything that Aron had read, that was what had made him the most upset. Some of the events had been sad, while some were scary, and others were frustrating. This event, however, was something that really crossed Aron's line.
Still, he wasn't allowed to revel in his anger for long as the voice in his mind continued to speak.
[Congratulations, Host, on completing your first simulation.]
[A list of rewards will now be generated as the simulation has finished.]
[Please select from this list of rewards that were selected based on your experience during the simulation.]
[Essence Cultivation (Peak 9th Level of Essence Refinement). The Host will be granted the cultivation that his simulated self had reached during the course of the simulation. The increase will be gradual and the host will experience the breakthrough for each layer of the Essence Refinement realm. The Dao Fragment will, however, be able to suppress the fluctuations of Essence in the world, allowing the Host to keep their cultivation hidden, if they so choose. The Host will only receive the cultivation, and will not gain the higher Core. Cost: 25 Essence Stones.]
[Core Evolution. It has been detected that the Host has experienced an evolution in their Core level. The Host's Minor Core will advance to being a Lesser Core. Along with an increased cultivation speed, the Host will experience an increase in their comprehension abilities. The increase in cultivation speed will be instant, but the Host will experience a burning pain within their stomach. The comprehension increase will be unnoticeable. Cost: 15 Essence Stones.]
[Simulation Talent (Just Run!). The Host will be able to extract the talent that the host was granted at the start of the simulation and integrate it with their body in real life. The talent will be the exact same as it had been throughout the simulation, the exact limits of the talent will have to be found out by the host. Extraction of talent (Just Run!) will not limit the host's ability to extract more talents in the future. Cost: 10 Essence Stones.]
[Simulation Experience. Upon selection, the Host will receive all memories that the 'him' within the simulation had experienced. This will include all aspects of the simulated host's memories, including, but not limited to, the emotions, sensations, comprehensions, and desires. The Host will only receive the memory of the experience and not the physical or real aspects of that experience. While the Host will 'remember' cultivating, the Host will not receive any actual cultivation. Cost: 0 Essence Stones.]
[Reminder!]
[Host can only select one reward per simulation. The number of rewards may increase in the future as the Host increases their strength.]
Aron read the messages intently. If there was one thing he had been looking forward to throughout the entire simulation, it was the promise of rewards.
However, as Aron read through the rewards one by one, the expression on his face seemed to grow more and more gloomy.
After all, the messages were telling him that he needed to exchange Essence Stones in order to cash in on two of the rewards.
That already made them impossible to select at the moment. He couldn't just walk up to his father and ask for a few dozen Essence Stones!
Those were meant for cultivators. He would have no valid excuse for requesting them. In fact, it may even prompt his father to check on his talent months before the examination. If he received his father's scorn in the simulation then, how much would he receive here and now if he asked for something like Essence Stones.
He also couldn't ask somebody like Marvin.
As someone who cannot cultivate, Marvin would have no way to give you Essence Stones. He also can't go around asking for them, either.
Furthermore, Marvin is technically an attendant for the Perch family. If Aron was to ask for Essence Stone, even if the pair were close with each other, Marvin would have the obligation to alert the family of Aron's request.
If he wanted to get his hands on Essence Stones, Aron would need to wait until the examination was finished and he had officially begun cultivating. But if he were to leave the rewards hanging in limbo, Aron wouldn't be able to simulate again.
All of this was very disappointing to Aron. The 9th level of Essence Refinement was something that had taken the simulated version of himself over 13 years to cultivate. If he were to be able to bring that cultivation back to the real world, Aron would essentially be skipping 13 years worth of unnecessary cultivation. He could use that time for any number of things.
Aron wasn't as disappointed with not being able to bring out the talent that the simulation had given him.
Even though the talent seemed to be very suitable during this first simulation, Aron could tell that it wouldn't be as effective as he continued to climb in cultivation.
In the simulation, the talent had allowed Aron to reach the level of Perfection in a low level White talent. In the same amount of time, however, Aron had only reached the level of Major Achievement in a low level Black technique. That was with the guidance of an individual at the level of Soul-Body, too. The difficulty in techniques was also exponential in difficulty once one reached the level of Black techniques. Aron's level of mastery would only get worse and worse over longer and longer periods of time.
Even if he had the Essence Stones, Aron likely wouldn't choose this option.
With both the first and second rewards out of the question, this only left the third option of Simulation Experience.
Aron was confused about this. Hadn't he already experienced what was in the simulation? Would he just have to read it again? It didn't make much sense to him?
The reward mentioned that he would share the emotion of the 'him' of the simulation, but he felt that he already had. After all, there were several times that he had cried during the simulation.
Still, being the only free option, it was the option that Aron would have to select.
Luckily Aron was still laying in bed as he selected the option.
As soon as he willed for the 3rd reward to be selected, an influx of memories entered into his head.
Aron's back arched as the infusion of memories caused a surge of pain.
His hands went up and grasped his head. The pain only continued to grow worse as more and more memories entered into his mind.
Tears began to flow down his face. Some were from the pain he was experiencing, yes, but most were from the emotions that were stirred by the memories made in the simulation. He had been extremely sad and hurt as he read some of the simulation, but he never could have imagined the truth behind those emotions.
Anger, sadness, joy, and hatred. 18 years worth of emotions that Aron had never experienced crowded into his young mind.
As the input of memories ceased, so too did the pain. It was too late, however, as Aron was already falling unconscious.
The pain contributed to this, sure, but his exhaustion was mostly from the emotional drain. An entire lifetime of feelings were placed within a single minute of time. The emotions were intense, to say the least.
As Aron slept, changes began to occur in his body. The most evident of which was the black glowing Seed that seemed to appear within his heart.
***
A month went by as Aron slept.
When he first didn't show up to his lessons, people assumed that he was sick and allowed him the day off without searching for an answer.
Though he didn't answer through the door to let in any attendants or Marvin, those who took care of him simply assumed that his sickness was keeping him from wanting any visitors.
When the second day came, however, and Aron still refused to answer anyone coming to his door, Marvin had an attendant open the locked door with a master key.
As the attendants and Marvin witnessed the sleeping Aron, they assumed that he was tired from sickness. They attempted to wake him to have him eat a warm meal, but he would not stir.
As hours continued to pass without Aron moving even a muscle, everyone began to worry. Elders were called in to check on his condition. When they couldn't find anything wrong with him, the physicians of the estate were called in to check on his condition.
Still, no one could find what was plaguing the young child.
Poison was suspected but considering the rest of his health it seemed unlikely.
Retardation was also investigated, but nothing came up in that route.
Eventually, besides a maid that was assigned to keep watch on Aron alongside Marvin, everyone gradually forgot about what had happened.
Meanwhile, the memories that Aron had ingested had been slowly combining into his own. It was a long process. 18 years was a good amount of time.
A month after Aron was knocked unconscious by a wave of memories that both did and did not belong to him, he woke up.
As his eyes opened, a message from the Dao Fragment appeared in front of his eyes.
[Simulation Experience successfully integrated.]
[Congratulations Host on selecting and receiving your first reward from the simulation. Remember, as you continue to grow stronger your rewards will continue to grow, too.]
[As a month was needed in order to combine the Host with the memories received, the Dao Fragment was able to stack the simulation chances. As four weeks have passed by, the Host now has four simulations that they are able to use.]
[Congratulations Host! I hope that your experiences allow you to grow strong and in your preferred direction.]