Humans might actually be incapable of distinguishing fear from joy—at least, that was how Narumi Tōru felt.
Curiosity toward the unknown, tinged with a trace of fear and intertwined excitement like twin vines, always urged him step by step toward those tempting mysteries.
[Then, please begin the attribute roll for your third simulation.]
The system's voice sounded like a gently coaxing guide. As its words fell, a dice-rolling animation popped up on the blank document page.
"Instead of putting effort into these fancy little design gimmicks, you'd be better off properly refining the game rules."
Even as he complained, Narumi still followed that deep-seated yearning for the unknown and clicked the rolling dice animation with his mouse.
[Rolling… generating… generation complete.]
[Family Background: Unlike the previous two simulations, this time you are born into a wealthy and harmonious family. A car, a house, two busy parents, and even a younger sister—congratulations on finally drawing the classic manga protagonist family setup.]
"Whether that really counts as a protagonist aside… just how wealthy are we talking?"
[You are born into the family of a Japanese-based British diplomat. In terms of material conditions, you are better off than 99.99% of households worldwide.]
"Ha… the family situations I rolled before were basically orphan-level. Jumping straight to this much happiness feels like a pretty extreme gap."
[Naturally Gifted: Thanks to your exceptional talent and aptitude, you are widely acknowledged as sharp-witted and quick-thinking. Whether it's academics or social skills, you grasp things immediately.]
As expected, after adjusting the drop rates, the chance of pulling good traits really was five times higher—there it was, the kind of attribute he wanted.
[Deeply Loyal and Affectionate: Perhaps you previously experienced life as someone 'cold and unfeeling.' This time, you may experience a completely different mindset. You value your bonds with those close to you above all else, and you possess something precious that belongs to you alone.]
At first glance, this trait seemed completely opposite to the attributes from the first simulation, and it might be difficult to role-play—but Narumi Tōru didn't think it would be that hard.
After all, whether they were attributes or traits, everything the system provided was essentially a "numerical adjustment" based on some aspect of himself. The difference between being deeply affectionate and emotionally detached was ultimately just the degree of importance placed on emotions. At its core, he could understand the logic behind it.
[Bide One's Time: Rash probing and impatience have nothing to do with you. As long as it serves your desired objective, even minor sacrifices and effort are calculated and acceptable.]
Alright, alright—this really was turning into keikaku dōri now.
[Favored by Fate: Buying lottery tickets almost never results in a loss and usually nets a small profit; guessing answers on exams works out nine times out of ten. This kind of trivial-level luck is already routine for you. Favored by the Goddess of Fortune, you are practically immune to unfortunate accidents, enjoying a smooth life that leaves others envious.]
Wait a second—weren't there a bit too many good traits this time around?
Just like the so-called conservation of luck when pulling gacha, drawing too many excellent attributes in a row made it feel like a terrible trait might suddenly drop next to "balance" that fortune.
[Half a Soul: Just as some people spend their entire lives searching for their twin flame to complete them, your soul, too, awaits the moment it will become whole.]
"Half a soul… what does that mean?"
It didn't sound like a negative trait, and since it appeared among the starting attributes, it must have a reason for being there—maybe it was even the key to this simulation.
[For the sake of your simulation experience, please allow me to keep you in suspense. You will gradually uncover the truth through your own exploration. That process of discovering it yourself is surely far more interesting than me telling you in advance.]
"That may be true, but if something like last time happens again…"
Narumi shifted his tone, and the system's attitude immediately became more deferential.
[I understand your concern. However, I can guarantee that among the things I am currently withholding, there is nothing that will cause you trouble in the future. Moreover, the only thing you need to keep in mind this time is the same precaution I added last time—nothing more.]
In other words, the simulation might affect reality, so don't act too recklessly… probably.
"But I don't actually understand how this 'influence' works on reality. Could you explain it more clearly? That would make things easier for everyone."
Narumi was certainly fascinated by dangerous mysteries, but people who spoke only in riddles without saying anything concrete didn't count.
[The way the simulation influences reality is similar to the butterfly effect, and it isn't something I can easily explain in just a few words. You only need to be careful not to act in ways that stray too far from your original personality and logic, and not to treat the simulation entirely as a fleeting dream or a game.]
Come to think of it, no one could really say for sure how simulations affected reality. But the fact that traits inherited from the simulation could function in real life proved that this broken system's simulation game and reality were connected through some kind of "channel."
And the people he'd encountered in the simulations before—the Yukinoshita sisters, Yamada Ryō, even Bocchi—had all behaved toward him in subtly ambiguous ways.
Was it because they were slightly influenced by the simulation, making their impressions of him oddly nuanced… or was the influence far stronger than he had imagined?
If that was the case, then acting rashly and digging his own grave really wasn't a good idea.
[That's the general situation. As for the finer details, I will appear again to explain them once you encounter specific cases within the simulation. And as I mentioned earlier, all positive qualities you display in this simulation can be inherited into reality—provided that your ending's overall evaluation reaches A+ or higher. Of course, even if you fail to reach that, it doesn't matter; the original rewards will not be reduced.]
Alright, this planner was still more conscientious than some scummy operators out there. At the very least, it genuinely delivered on the rewards and buff bonuses it promised.
[And considering that you have already passed through two simulations, as a token of gratitude for your continued participation, the third simulation will include even more Easter eggs designed to make you smile knowingly—please look forward to them.]
There it goes again, speaking in riddles. Well, at least it wasn't telling him to "discover" a pile of bugs waiting to be fixed.
[The simulation will begin exactly twenty hours from now. Please make your preparations during this time—we will meet again when the simulation starts.]
As soon as the system finished speaking, the computer screen reverted to the state it had been in ten minutes earlier.
Narumi pressed a hand to his forehead and glanced at the digital clock beside him. The hour hand was stopped at nine o'clock in the evening.