Chapter 2: Choosing the Talent Attribute

Behind these five positive talents were five negative ones.

Unlike selecting positive talents, which consumed talent points, choosing these negative talents would grant additional talent points as compensation.

【Heavenly Star of Misfortune】: You have no relatives or friends; even if you try to make connections, you will lose them due to various accidents. Selecting this talent grants +40 talent points.

【Premature Death Omen】: Your current lifespan is halved. Selecting this talent grants +30 talent points.

【Lost Fortune】: You are born with a life of hardship; no matter how much wealth or resources come your way, they will inevitably slip through your fingers, preventing you from saving anything. Selecting this talent grants +20 talent points.

【Alchemy Furnace Explosion】: When refining pills, you are more prone to furnace explosions than others, resulting in complete loss. Selecting this talent grants +10 talent points.

【Gluttonous and Lustful】: You possess an extraordinary obsession with food and beauty, sometimes to the detriment of important matters. Selecting this talent grants +10 talent points.

After reviewing all the talents, Lin Heng did a quick calculation in his mind.

He realized that if he selected all the negative talent entries, he would gain an extra 110 talent points. Adding this to the initial 90 talent points allocated at the start, he would have exactly enough to choose all five positive talents.

"Is the most expensive positive talent worth 90 talent points because my initial allocated talent points this time are 90? It must be configured so that the more expensive the entry, the better its effect," he mused.

"These negative entries exist precisely to grant me extra talent points so I can configure more talents, right?"

This thought flashed through Lin Heng’s mind.

In the next instant, he began pondering how to allocate the talents for this simulation.

"The simulator is set to survival mode, so to earn a high rating, I must try to live as long as possible and live well."

"My immediate priority is solving the problem of food and survival, so I must choose the 【Reset Attributes】 talent to allocate more attribute points into family background, ensuring I don’t starve at the start of the simulation."

"After solving the food issue, I need to find a way to become stronger. The 【Cultivation Prodigy】 talent must be selected, followed by 【Innate Sword Seed】, then 【Optimistic Nature】. As for 【Master Craftsman】, it’s not essential."

Having established his priorities, Lin Heng assessed how many negative talents he could accept, as this would determine which talents he could select for this simulation.

"First, exclude 【Heavenly Star of Misfortune】—it conflicts with the main survival goal."

"To live and live better, I must interact with others early on and gain their assistance."

"Similarly, 【Lost Fortune】 conflicts with the survival goal and must be excluded, as well as 【Gluttonous and Lustful】. This flaw seems minor but is too unpredictable; slipping up at a critical moment could be fatal."

"The only acceptable ones are 【Premature Death Omen】 and 【Alchemy Furnace Explosion】. 【Alchemy Furnace Explosion】 is a must—if worst comes to worst, I just won’t refine pills. It’s hardly a cost."

At this point, Lin Heng’s only lingering doubt was whether to choose 【Premature Death Omen】.

This talent traded 35 years of lifespan for 30 talent points, allowing him to select two extremely useful talents: 【Master Craftsman】 and 【Optimistic Nature】.

Aside from 【Master Craftsman】, the 【Optimistic Nature】 talent synergizes with 【Cultivation Prodigy】, enabling Lin Heng to persist more easily on the path of cultivation in the simulation, ensuring a higher evaluation.

"Let’s trade it. Lifespan in the simulation isn’t valuable; I might not even live to 35 due to some accident."

"Besides, according to the simulator, lifespan can be extended through cultivation. As long as I survive the early stages, I can compensate for the drawbacks by extending my life through practice before natural death."

Without further hesitation, Lin Heng made his decision.

Thus, his talent selection became straightforward.

By choosing the gray negative talents 【Premature Death Omen】 and 【Alchemy Furnace Explosion】, Lin Heng gained an additional 40 talent points.

Adding the initial 90 talent points, he had 130 points to allocate, which he used to select the four positive red talents: 【Cultivation Prodigy】, 【Optimistic Nature】, 【Master Craftsman】, and 【Reset Attributes】, using up all his talent points.

Next, Lin Heng used the 【Reset Attributes】 talent to redistribute his innate attributes.

Finally, after confirming his allocations, Lin Heng obtained a brand-new attribute panel.

Name: Lin Heng
Race: Human [Race Value 20]
Lifespan: 5/35 years
Strength: Fragile
Family Background: 1 → 20
Charm: 14 → 20
Comprehension: 16 → 20
Constitution: 11 → 1
Fortune: 20 → 1
Talents: 【Innate Wisdom】, 【Cultivation Prodigy】, 【Optimistic Nature】, 【Master Craftsman】, 【Reset Attributes】, 【Premature Death Omen】, 【Alchemy Furnace Explosion】
Simulation Attempts: 4

In this brand-new attribute panel, Lin Heng had maxed out his family background, charm, and comprehension attributes to the highest value of 20.

The trade-off was that constitution and fortune dropped to the minimum value of 1.

A constitution of 1 meant Lin Heng would be physically weak and prone to illness. A fortune of 1 indicated that he was almost impossible to receive additional good luck or fortune within the simulation, meaning he must rely on his own wisdom when facing fateful decisions.

But Lin Heng believed all of this was worthwhile.

A family background value of 20 represented an elite social standing, making it much easier for Lin Heng to access cultivation and receive more resources and support.

Charm at 20 ensured he would be favored by elders and acquaintances, fully enabling the advantages of a top-tier family background. Comprehension at 20 guaranteed that once he encountered cultivation, he could maximize the benefits of the 【Cultivation Prodigy】 talent.

With these three maxed attributes supporting him, the lifespan loss from 【Premature Death Omen】, the frailty caused by constitution dropping to 1, and the near absence of fortune were all setbacks that could be overcome.

As long as he could cultivate—and cultivate quickly—nothing would be a problem. Everything he desired could be attained through his own strength.

It was precisely this mindset that had led to Lin Heng’s new attribute panel.

“Begin simulation.”

After a final check of the attribute panel and talents, confirming no mistakes or omissions, Lin Heng clicked the option to start the simulation.

As Lin Heng initiated the simulation, the luminous screen representing the life simulator before him vanished.

Beyond that, nothing unusual happened.

At that moment, Lin Heng sensed a mesmerizing fragrance wafting past his nostrils.

Then, his consciousness uncontrollably dulled and faded into darkness.