Chapter 28: Second Simulation: Toilet Start

Not bro!

What the hell is this? Only one is usable!

Zhang Jie collapsed; whose damn dad gave all these traits this time?

This sole S‑rank 'Dog Luck Equals Heaven' is still the biggest version trap; having this makes the simulation score high as hell!

There's also 'Little Nan Brew'; he really suspects the simulator has some weird fetish—last time the airship he bought in the mall was like this, and Zhang Jie even checked the official flagship store, but there's simply no option for Little Nan Brew!

Then there's 'Heaven Envies Talent'; is this really a positive trait? And it's forcing me to pick it!

After all, 'Little Nan Brew' definitely can't be chosen; next is 'Martial Way Divine Ability', which could still turn a bike into a motorcycle, and the only normal option is... not 'Deer Management' but 'Prosthetic Holy Hand'.

Excluding these two somewhat decent traits, the last one can only be chosen from 'Heaven Envies Talent' or 'Dog Luck Equals Heaven'!

Zhang Jie was torn; if possible, he wouldn't want to pick either of them...

But the simulator disagreed, insisting he pick three.

What the hell is this doomed start!

Zhang Jie anxiously scratched his head, but the simulator didn't care and started the countdown directly.

Warning: if you don't choose, the simulator will automatically random‑select three traits for you. Countdown: 15 seconds... 14... 13...

Okay okay okay, I choose! I choose!

Zhang Jie humiliatingly chose 'Martial Way Divine Ability', 'Heaven Envies Talent', and 'Prosthetic Holy Hand'.

No way; overall, 'Heaven Envies Talent' is better than 'Dog Luck Equals Heaven', after all the latter only lets you live past 29 at most, and in my first simulation I didn't have this trait and also died before 29.

As for negative traits...

Zhang Jie glanced over; since he wants Martial Way Divine Ability, he definitely can't pick the second 'Cyber Mental Illness', because negative traits are inevitable, so if he's going the martial arts route, he definitely can't pick this.

Overall, the first 'Prosthetic Rejection' is better, which fits the martial arts path.

OK! That's it!

Selection complete; now drawing a random trait from your previous simulation.

Draw successful! You got (SS) Strange Blood Disaster Body!

The trait has been automatically adapted for you to usable effect in the current simulation: (S) Beast Blood Devourer: you can devour the blood inside beast disasters to strengthen yourself, effect depends on the level of the beast disaster devoured.

In the simulator you will lose all memories and start a new life; if ready, please select to begin.

What a pleasant surprise!

Activate!

Second simulation activated; codename: Blood and Steel.

Just like the first time, Zhang Jie's consciousness was once again sucked into the simulator.

Age one: you were born in a female toilet of a vocational high school, an extremely disastrous start; being trafficked would count as turning fate upside down, provided you survive until then.

A world severely eroded by beast disasters, where giant beasts rampage, humans have built towering steel walls, penning themselves in like livestock, surviving with difficulty using old‑era deep underground mineral extraction tech and various prosthetics.

Your mother secretly abandoned you in the male toilet; a passing custodian discovered you, and you managed to survive!

This custodian didn't find the child's mother; he wanted to call the police, but the principal strictly forbade it on grounds of damaging the school's reputation.

This custodian also has a family, two kids, and his means don't support raising another; for his job and family, he couldn't avoid compromising.

This counts as his last bit of conscience; after days of searching, he found you a qualified guardian—a martial‑arts‑club prosthetics doctor, a sturdy bearded man with stubble.

He took you in; you were small and didn't understand what was happening around you, you only remember this usually stern, often frowning big man, who would grow gentler whenever he saw you.

"He's a sturdy little guy." That's how he evaluated you.

Regardless of origin, for unknown reasons you suddenly got a new father; he named you Zhang Jie, hoping you could walk alone without worry, and also hoping you wouldn't care about your background, solitary and pure.

Old Zhang may be a rough‑hewn man, but he has a knack for childcare—knowing what temperature water to use for milk, why a child cries, how to achieve balanced nutrition; he does it all perfectly, something a rough‑hewn man wouldn't be expected to do.

You were well cared for; your body was naturally healthy, and with meticulous care you could start walking on the ground before turning one.

Age two: your growth was much faster than other kids'; Old Zhang was often busy, working part‑time as a prosthetics doctor and teaching boxing; he owned his own gym with many trainers and students.

Although you were small, you could faintly sense that Old Zhang was different from others.

Old Zhang's body was very sturdy; unlike other trainees coming to learn boxing, his skin had patches resembling metal or rubber, and some could even flick a steel blade from their arm; you were very interested in what these people had on them.

Age three: one day you finally told Old Zhang your thoughts in your short, vague speech, and he laughed while explaining those people's bodily features to you.

Called prosthetics, it's a device that links to the nerves to function like a real body, but if you choose to abandon your original flesh, you are no longer a whole person.

You once had a faint hope for prosthetics, but hearing that you'd have to cut off part of your body made you dare not want them anymore; you thought those who use prosthetics are pitiable, and you told Old Zhang.

Your little head's thoughts were still simple, but when you asked this question you could clearly sense Old Zhang's emotion shifting; only later did you realize it was a feeling called wistfulness.

You're still young... you don't understand what it means to have no control over your fate, nor to have your heart not be your own...

Old Zhang leaned back in his chair, his large hand slowly rubbing Zhang Jie's head, his eyes full of memories.

Often, fate has already arranged everything; in this world, without prosthetics you have no right to speak.

Little Jie, do you want to get prosthetics?

Zhang Jie shook his head like a rattle drum; he remembered that when he was playing and accidentally hurt his balls, that pain was ten thousand times worse than Old Zhang's spanking.

Whenever he thought prosthetics required removing his balls, he shuddered.

You told Old Zhang about hurting your balls, and he burst out laughing heartily, saying bluntly, 'When you want to swap, just let me know!'