---o---
[Piercing the Veil: The veil of fate shrouding the top of the Tree of Existence is the greatest obstacle you are destined to overcome… That web, woven from the threads of fate, covers the truth of this entire sea of stars, holding everything within the grasp of destiny's great hand.]
[The greatest secret of Terminus, the Finality, lies behind this web. The experiences from your last simulation, where you traced the Path to its source, have given you a special revelation, allowing you to formulate a plan in your mind… a plan to break through the obstacle and see everything clearly.]
[After loading this entry, you will begin the first phase of the "Piercing the Veil" plan project: "Honing the Blade".]
A Plan Entry? Start a plan project?
Ron scratched his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Although Ron had completed quite a few projects in the Life Simulation Game before, such as "Blizzard Immunity" and "Molding a God"—two projects that had drastically affected the outcomes of their respective simulations and pushed them in completely different directions from the norm—this was the first time something like a "Plan Entry" had appeared as a reward.
How was a plan project initiated by a Plan Entry different from a normal project? What made it special?
As Ron's doubts surfaced in his mind, the Plan Entry on the screen flickered, as if it had heard his thoughts. A red "?" icon popped up beside it, flashing brightly.
Ron immediately clicked on the question mark. The text box on the screen dimmed, and an explanation appeared over it:
[Plan Entry: There are always grand undertakings that require generations of people to pour all their efforts into for even a glimmer of hope… Perhaps you have countless chances to try again, but each chance represents a generation, represents a powerless and desperate failure—but failure will eventually end, and success is born from necessity.]
[Every Plan Entry represents the beginning of an unimaginably grand undertaking… Perhaps you will be unable to complete this undertaking, or perhaps you will give up halfway in despair, but no matter what, after trekking arduously along the rugged path, you can always hope to see the scenery at the road's end.]
[When you load a Plan Entry, you will begin a project that will never stop, no matter the circumstances. This project will be divided into multiple phases. Each time you reach 100% completion for a phase, you will complete that phase of the project, receive a portion of the rewards for its completion, and unlock the next phase of the project.]
[When all phases of the project are complete, you will unlock a special choice… You will choose the outcome for this project: a stable conclusion, or an attempt to break through the plan and achieve even more.]
A grand plan that is impossible to complete in a single simulation…
Looking at the text on the screen, Ron rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
After reading the explanation for this Plan Entry, Ron immediately understood what this thing was.
Although this Plan Entry offered no attribute bonuses whatsoever, it didn't mean it wasn't powerful.
In fact, this was the simulation reward Ron needed most right now.
When the last simulation ended, Ron was still wracking his brain, trying to figure out how he could possibly break through that veil of fate and reach the top of the Tree of Existence to see the truth of this world.
But the reward he received right after the simulation ended was like a timely rescue, pointing him toward a clear path.
Although, given enough time, Ron himself could have come up with a plan to try and break through the veil of fate, that would have required trial and error…
An operation like breaking the veil of fate, even if it were Ron doing it, would require several simulations for trial and error, not to mention an immense amount of time to construct the plan. Only then would success be possible.
And now, the Life Simulation Game had directly given him a Plan Entry, constructing a perfect plan for him… Although this plan was clearly extremely difficult and would require multiple simulations to complete, it at least pointed Ron down a path that was guaranteed to be correct, saving him from wasting time on further trials.
This is a pretty good reward… Why don't I load it up and see?
With this thought in mind, Ron clicked the screen in front of him, choosing to load the entry.
The explanation on the screen faded away, and the original entry text brightened once more, with new words appearing after it:
[Now, it is the beginning of a grand undertaking…]
[Load the Plan Entry, begin a crazy, unimaginable plan, and accomplish an earth-shattering feat—]
[Tell Him… even a worm, as humble as mud, has a chance to tear the heavens asunder!]
[You have chosen the Plan Entry: "Piercing the Veil". You have begun the first phase of the "Piercing the Veil" project: "Honing the Blade".]
[Honing the Blade: [The Destruction] Nanook told you many things… Piercing the veil is the only chance, and to pass through this veil of fate, you must first forge a sharp blade to cut open this web of destiny. Only then can you glimpse the reality that lies behind the veil.]
[It is time to try honing the blade—but what form will this blade take?]
[Perhaps no one in this world can help you solve this problem… What form this blade will ultimately take, only you can decide.]
[After starting this project with the Plan Entry "Piercing the Veil," your trigger rate for Miracle Events will increase by 10% while you are designing the "Blade."]
[When you trigger a Miracle Event related to "Mechanical Design," you will inevitably complete a "Blade" Miracle Design.]
[Currently, this project's completion is at 0%—Complete a Miracle Design to advance this project's phase.]
Looking at the new text box on the screen, Ron rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment.
A Miracle Event… huh?
To think I just thought this Plan Entry had no attribute bonuses… I was wrong.
Entering the first phase of the project immediately adds a full 10% to the Miracle Event trigger rate. Although this 10% trigger rate isn't that high for the worldly Ron of today, and it can't compare to the Divine Authority from the last simulation—it's only comparable to the red entry "Pursuit of Truth" he got back when he was a researcher—the important part isn't that.
The important part is the guaranteed effect it provides…
While Miracle Events are something that can happen anywhere in this sea of stars, they are not tied to any grade or level. Any event, no matter how small, can be called a miracle.
But the impact of Miracle Events obviously varies… The impact of a miracle that lets you become a god cannot be compared to one that gives you the blueprint for a missile launcher. The same would naturally apply to the Miracle Design of the "Blade."
Miracle Events are difficult to trigger and are, in essence, a gamble that requires multiple simulations for trial and error… But with the effect of the "Honing the Blade" phase, that's no longer necessary.
The guaranteed effect of this phase means that as long as Ron triggers a Miracle Event related to "Mechanical Design," he will inevitably complete a Miracle Design for the "Blade." This will save Ron an immense amount of trial-and-error time, allowing him to complete this project much more easily…
Thinking of this, Ron couldn't help but nod in satisfaction. Looking at the text on the screen, he thoughtfully rubbed his chin as he began to formulate a grand plan to complete this project in his mind.
But just as the thought took shape, he felt a headache coming on… A "blade" capable of breaking through the veil of fate would be anything but simple… In his last simulation, Ron had crossed paths with Terminus, the Finality, and knew that this being could influence other Paths. Trying to use the power of a Path to deal with the veil of fate It had laid out was, quite clearly, utterly impossible.
Therefore, this "blade" specifically targeting the veil of fate must be a powerful weapon designed by mortals, created without the use of any true Path powers.
Completing a Miracle Design is no problem for Ron; he had completed who-knows-how-many in his last simulation, which had all started from a single, small Miracle Design.
But unlike before, the current Ron didn't have the full backing of Herta, nor did he have his own advanced research ship and laboratory. To complete a Miracle Design now, he was inherently limited by his environment.
Research isn't building castles in the sky. To design a device capable of breaking the veil of fate, one needs, at the very least, sufficient material conditions. Only with the support of the most cutting-edge intellect and resources in the entire universe would there be a chance to break through the veil of fate personally laid down by Terminus, the Finality…
Ron thought for a long time and finally made his decision.
This project from the Plan Entry, unlike others, can also be advanced in reality. To maximize efficiency, he should naturally start laying the groundwork in reality… At the very least, he first needed to find a helper.
The success of the last simulation made Ron keenly aware of the importance of a "helper." If he could once again receive the full support of someone like Herta, his chances of completing the entire "Piercing the Veil" project would be greatly enhanced.
However, he had already arrived on the Xianzhou [Luofu] and was temporarily trapped here. He had no way of crossing the thousands of light-years to another star system to find the Azure Planet, locate Herta's Space Station in its orbit, and have a nice chat with Herta about cooperation.
…In that case, given the circumstances, he could only find a helper here on the Xianzhou [Luofu].
Ron had been extremely wary and suspicious of the Xianzhou [Luofu]'s sudden arrival before. But the information he gained from this simulation allowed him to successfully rule out the possibility that Lan, [The Hunt], was a puppet of Terminus, the Finality. This meant that the arrival of the Xianzhou [Luofu] was definitely not due to the will of an Aeon—
Therefore, the Xianzhou [Luofu] must have come here because of the will of another [Player]. Another player of the Life Simulation Game had deviated from the destiny pointed out by the simulation.
Ron had to find that player and lay out the stakes for them. Regardless of what their original intentions were for coming to Jarilo-VI, or what their thoughts were about him, all of that had to be temporarily set aside.
The life and death of the entire sea of stars is the most important thing… Ron wasn't prepared to waste any time playing mind games with another Life Simulation Game player. Only by uniting everyone who could participate in the simulation would they have the best chance of resolving the threat of Terminus, the Finality.
This being who could easily resolve the existence of all the Aeons was by no means an enemy that could be easily dealt with… Ron was confident, but never arrogant.
There is strength in numbers. Facing a crisis and seeking cooperation from others is never a shameful thing.
But… before that, figuring out the detailed information of that simulation player was also extremely important.
Who exactly was that player? What was their attitude toward Ron? And what did they know about the future crisis?
Although Ron already had some guesses, he didn't act rashly right away.
To know yourself and your enemy is to be invincible. A negotiation for cooperation is also a battle fought at the negotiating table. Ron had already formulated a simple plan in his mind.
But… now was clearly not the time to execute that plan.
Ron lazily fell back onto his bed and, in no time at all, drifted off to sleep, letting a moment of rest soothe the weariness in his soul.
Although the death in this simulation didn't seem to have a major impact on Ron, it had, in fact, plunged him into a state of extreme fatigue.
The pain of death affected his very soul, and the worry about the veil of fate shrouding the Tree of Existence made him anxious deep down.
All of this left him utterly exhausted. It was only because of his serious attitude towards the great enemy, Terminus, the Finality, that Ron didn't immediately realize this fatigue welling up from the depths of his soul. It wasn't until now, when he realized it was late and there was nothing more he could do, that his mind finally relaxed, allowing the exhaustion from the depths of his soul to consume him as he fell deep into the land of dreams.
---o---
And just as Ron fell into an exhausted slumber due to the results of this simulation, on the other side—
Staring at the densely packed simulation summary on the light screen before her, Fu Xuan couldn't help but clench her fists. Her nails dug into her small hands, turning them pale and leaving deep imprints.
She bit down hard on the straw of her Immortal's Joy tea. The tough, eco-friendly straw was nearly bitten in two by the Master Diviner's pearly white teeth…