In your final moments, you seemed to glimpse a hazy glow of the world, reflecting on your life. Only the first sixteen years seemed meaningful.
As a transmigrator, were you really only destined to live for sixteen years?
You wondered, if that guy named Hayden hadn't taken your spot in the South Zone 2 Cleaning Department, would you have been spared?
Listening to the sound of the two-headed wolf gnawing on your flesh, you reluctantly embraced death.
After reading through the life simulation, Bertram's hands shook violently.
Today was June 12th, and he was supposed to die on July 3rd?
Bertram felt a sense of urgency. In the entire simulation, the turning point in his life happened when he applied for the South Zone 2 Cleaning Department. The spot he was supposed to get was snatched by someone named Hayden.
As a result, he was miserably assigned to the Dawn Army.
The Dawn Army was a forward-moving force, leaving the city to explore areas occupied by extradimensional beings.
It was far more dangerous than the usual assigned areas.
Bertram looked at the assignment application form in his hand. The three pre-selected options were all unsuccessful, and failing to get any of them meant being assigned to the Dawn Army.
The Dawn Army—anywhere but there!
Bertram gritted his teeth and chose three new areas.
The Defense Force of East Zone 12, the Sweepers of South Zone 13, and the Scouts of North Zone 5.
These roles also involved contact with extradimensional beings, but the survival rate was much higher compared to the Dawn Army.
Just as Bertram finished filling out these new options, the metal bronze disk began to spin again, and a surge of information flooded into Bertram's mind.
[Reshape Destiny: You altered your original application choices, causing a significant change in your destiny trajectory, meeting the requirements for reshaping destiny. In your original fate, your life experiences and insights into martial arts abilities will now merge with your current self.
Additionally, based on the difficulty of reshaping destiny, the host can receive different numbers of random rewards.
Easy: One time.
Hard: Two times.
Hell: Three times.
This time, the difficulty of reshaping destiny is easy, and the host will receive one random reward, which is being drawn now.
You have received an F-level ability activation crystal. By using this crystal, you will randomly unlock an F-level ability talent.
This infinite life simulation ends here, and the next simulation will be available in one day.]
A huge influx of information surged into Bertram's mind. Firstly, in his original destiny, after joining the Dawn Army, he experienced changes in his combat awareness during training with the army.
Most importantly, Bertram had insights from a life-and-death breakthrough to F-level.
As these insights entered Bertram's mind, he realized that although his martial arts cultivation hadn't reached F-level yet, his understanding had. With the right nutrients, he could quickly elevate his martial arts cultivation to F-level.
Bertram felt a surge of joy in his heart.
No matter what, improving his cultivation was a good thing, especially since he couldn't join a non-combat department now; all his applications were for combat departments.
Only by improving his cultivation could he survive better.
Even if it wasn't the Dawn Army, the annual death rate in other regions was still over 30%.
Bertram weighed the object in his hand—a transparent crystal that had somehow appeared there. It seemed it could activate a new ability.
Abilities were valuable. A good one could significantly increase a person's chances of survival, even more than martial arts skills.
Why was Bertram always thinking about survival? Because this world was incredibly dangerous. Just staying alive was a challenge.
He activated the F-level ability crystal, and it quickly absorbed into his palm, unnoticed by those around him.
Bertram felt a sudden explosion in his mind. In a daze, he sensed a bundle of silver-white, resilient energy threads forming in his brain.
A message appeared: F-level ability [Silver Threads] activated.
Silver Threads: Can shoot up to three silver, resilient energy threads to assist in combat.
Intrigued, Bertram couldn't resist extending a silver thread from his fingertip. The thread grew longer and longer until it reached about three feet, at which point Bertram started to feel the strain.
What's going on? Only three feet?
What could he do with just three feet?
Suddenly, Bertram understood.
His ability was limited by his current level.
Even though the ability was an F-level talent, that only indicated its potential. His actual ability level hadn't reached F-level yet.
Training an F-level ability could take ages, but Bertram quickly remembered the experience and insights he had gained from his last simulation.
If martial arts skills could be improved, then abilities should be able to as well.
"Bertram, it's time to submit your assignment preference form!" said Mr.
Javion, the homeroom teacher, patting Bertram on the shoulder.
Bertram handed over his preference form to Mr. Javion, who took a look at it.
"Not bad choices!" Mr. Javion remarked.
Bertram hadn't chosen any of the non-combat departments. Everyone wanted to go to those places, thinking they had some exclusive inside information. But how could such information be known only to one person?
Choosing those places often resulted in being rejected and then randomly assigned to the Dawn Army.
The Dawn Army was almost a death sentence for anyone who wasn't a genius.
"Please, let me get in!" The students in the classroom were all praying fervently.
According to the life simulation, the final results would be announced in six days.
Since Bertram had already given up on the safer departments, it was almost certain he would be assigned to a combat department. There was no point in overthinking it.
The priority now was to improve his strength to level F before officially heading out.
"Teacher, I want to buy some blood and flesh of extra-dimensional creatures to enhance my martial arts skills," Bertram said to Mr. Javion after class.
Before graduation, these items could be purchased through the school. But after graduation, one had to buy them in the real world, and Bertram, being a newbie, clearly lacked the experience.
Mr. Javion looked at Bertram and thought to himself that he had not misjudged this kid. This was the right attitude to have when facing graduation assignments.
"Let me recommend a shop to you," said homeroom teacher Javion. "The owner is a good person and won't sell you fake or low-quality products. The prices are also quite reasonable!" Teacher Javion felt genuinely sorry for these kids. Without residency permits for the city, this farewell might be forever. Most of them would likely face death or injury within the next year.