The moon climbed high into the branches, like a bright lantern, casting its cool silver light upon the earth. In the quiet of the night, the gentle wind wove together a unique nocturnal symphony.
The guards tonight had truly been ruthless. If Shen Lin didn't have some strength, he might have been severely injured.
Leaning back gently on a park bench, Shen Lin raised his head to gaze at the stars glittering in the sky.
He hadn't expected his plan to collapse before it even began. A soft, self-deprecating sob escaped his lips.
This attempt feels useless. Should I start over?
Would the system laugh at him, mocking him as a useless host?
If he were to list them, Shen Lin could think of countless "ifs." But now, none of them mattered anymore.
Shen Lin shook his head.
Failure had always been an inseparable part of life—this was the nature of existence. But if one failed to learn from failure, then failure would be utterly meaningless.
Thinking back to the events he had experienced since arriving here, Shen Lin called up the system panel, one only he could see. He stared at his talents for a long time, reflecting on them.
When everyone thinks you're a great artist, then you become a great artist.
But now, the path of a great artist was no longer feasible. Pursuing art could neither save him nor help him complete his mission.
Life does not always give you options. From the very beginning, life often defines your route, forcing you onto predetermined tracks through a mix of crude and subtle techniques.
Even though he had acquired the Sarkaz bloodline, giving the illusion of having many choices, in reality, there was only one path he could take.
If he couldn't make a name for himself through his extraordinary artistic talent, then the plight of other Sarkaz people would only be worse than his own.
Even in Kazdel, the homeland of the Sarkaz, their rights were never guaranteed.
For instance, in the mine he had worked at not long ago, the contractor was from Victorian. The Sarkaz laborers worked 12-hour shifts, and their wages barely sustained a family of three.
As these thoughts churned in his mind, Shen Lin opened the task list again. This time, his gaze lingered on the task panel and talent descriptions for an extended moment.
"System, give me a detailed description of the task," he requested.
[Ding!]
To ensure the host's simulation runs as intended and to create a fair and just simulation environment, this system cannot provide scoring hints. Please explore and discover on your own~
Perhaps tired of his repeated inquiries, the system refused to offer any additional explanations.
"Isn't this just useless…" Shen Lin muttered under his breath, frustrated.
He realized now that he'd been caught in a misunderstanding from the start. The salvation he'd imagined and the salvation the system intended... seemed entirely different.
He had thought salvation meant offering a downtrodden girl a dependable shoulder and a warm home.
But the system's concept of salvation might involve something far greater—creating an environment where the country was at peace, its citizens thrived, and prosperity abounded for both family and nation.
Wouldn't everyone be saved in such a world?
Am I actually a genius?!
Suddenly, it all made sense. No wonder the system gave him talents like [Originium Master] and [Live Up to Expectations], talents capable of dramatically elevating his personal abilities.
As these realizations hit him, memories of the impassioned street speeches he had witnessed while working at the beer hall resurfaced.
The fiery anger and fervent excitement of those speakers had deeply moved him—not because he had inherited some inherent rage from the Sarkaz people, but because he now understood their plight, their history, and their pain better than most.
Shen Lin's eyes shone with clarity. He finally understood the system's true purpose.
If he wanted to save the girl, he first had to liberate the Sarkaz nation, bringing peace and prosperity to Kazdel. Only then could his mission be truly completed.
This was the system's true meaning—the voice of justice!
Just as Shen Lin had pinned all his hopes on his golden talent at the beginning, this time, he had to make the same commitment.
All in. All in. All in!
It was either everything or nothing.
Going all in isn't just gambling—it's wisdom! After all, heroes don't run away from battle!
Another plan slowly formed in Shen Lin's mind, like a wildly growing seed taking root deep in his nerves and spreading throughout his entire being.
He had to return to Kazdel to figure out how to implement his newfound strategy.
Thinking about the current state of Kazdel, his heart burned with unwavering determination.
He was going to start fighting.