"The unconscious icy school beauty, the tall, rich villain who seizes the opportunity, and the heroic bodyguard who arrives too late... Classic, absolutely classic," Grayson chuckled to himself.
Watching the simulation unfold before his mental eye, Grayson felt an odd detachment—as if observing a parallel version of himself. His simulated counterpart played the villain role perfectly, yet not mindlessly. Every move was deliberate, calculated.
It had been eighteen long years since he transmigrated into this world. And only now was he beginning to glimpse its true secrets.
Clearly, the waters of the Ironwood Empire ran deeper than he ever imagined.
Instead of panicking about the unconscious Anya, lying motionless before his Maybach, Grayson relaxed further into his seat. His half-lidded gaze was calm, indifferent.
Women?
Simulators were much more interesting.
Let her lie there a while longer. Nothing would happen.
[The enraged protagonist, Luke, discovered through surveillance footage that Anya had been picked up by you half an hour ago. He erupted in fury, stole a motorbike, and raced after you.]
[However, you, possessing the wisdom of a time traveler, had foreseen his response. You had ordered your driver to contact several departments within Demonic City.]
[All the traffic lights on the roads leading to Magic City Hotel turned red simultaneously.]
[Luke, desperate to reach Anya, became trapped at every intersection.]
[When he attempted to run the red lights, reflective-clad traffic officers immediately swooped in, citing him for violations and impounding his motorcycle.]
Grayson couldn't help but laugh at the image.
"Of course. The me inside the simulator isn't some brainless villain, after all," he muttered in amusement.
"Since I know there's a 'Dragon King bodyguard'—a protagonist candidate—how could I possibly let him arrive smoothly?"
Obstacle after obstacle.
That's how a real villain plays.
However, Grayson's smile froze stiff on his lips as the simulation continued:
[Inside Magic City Hotel, you begin detoxifying Anya. Her destiny line—her luck—suddenly begins to boil.]
[An unknown existence hidden deep within your body reacts violently.]
[It forcibly absorbs and plunders Anya's boiling destiny energy.]
[Your spine burns like molten lava, undergoing rapid, shocking changes.]
[Ghostly howls echo around you, as if ancient souls are being torn apart.]
[The curse that once shackled your body... breaks.]
[You awaken the legendary "Supreme Emperor Bone." Your physical transformation begins, and you step into the threshold of cultivation!]
Grayson's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
Curse?! Supreme Emperor Bone?!
His entire body tensed involuntarily.
No wonder—no wonder he had been unable to cultivate all these years!
No matter how hard he tried, the spiritual energy he gathered would always dissipate into nothingness.
It wasn't a lack of talent.
He had been cursed—sealed, shackled from within—since birth!
Grayson's heart grew cold.
Even the Grierson family's legendary ancestor—a towering existence at the Heavenly Realm—had failed to detect the curse.
Just what level of entity could place such a monstrous restriction on him?
A Celestial-level enemy?
A True Immortal on Land?
In the Ironwood Empire, there was only one known land-bound True Immortal—the Emperor himself.
But why?
Why would an existence of such unimaginable might go out of their way to cripple an infant?
Grayson's thoughts spiraled darkly.
Moreover, this Supreme Emperor Bone...
Just what terrifying thing was hidden inside him all this time?
Did the Grierson family know?
Had they hidden it from him?
Countless mysteries swirled in his mind like a hurricane, suffocating him.
If it hadn't been for the activation of the Villain Simulator tonight, Grayson might have remained a caged bird forever—an ant under glass.
Never touching true power.
Never glimpsing his destiny.
He sat rigidly, fists clenched tightly, until the simulator's soft buzz brought him back to focus.
[While you are stunned by the transformation, you also notice something else.]
[Anya's sudden appearance—and the way her destiny catalyzed the breaking of your curse—feels too coincidental.]
Grayson narrowed his eyes.
Exactly.
It was suspicious.
Had someone orchestrated this encounter?
Was Anya sent deliberately? A chess piece moved by invisible hands?
Setting those questions aside for now, Grayson dove back into the simulation details.
According to the timeline, he still had about an hour before Luke—struggling against traffic and delays—could arrive.
Plenty of time to act.
[You are momentarily overwhelmed by the discovery of your curse and the emergence of your Supreme Emperor Bone.]
[Joyous beyond measure, you begin practicing the Grierson family's ancient martial scripture—The Ancient Dragon Elephant Sutra.]
[In mere breaths, you step into the first level of cultivation. Your body begins its metamorphosis, muscles twisting and reforming under tidal waves of spiritual energy.]
Grayson's heart thudded heavily.
The Ancient Dragon Elephant Sutra was one of the most formidable body-forging techniques in the entire Ironwood Empire.
Only the heirs of the Grierson family had the privilege of studying it.
His older brother—the acknowledged genius of the Griersons—had taken months just to step into the initial stages of the Sutra.
Yet here, Grayson's simulated self shattered that benchmark effortlessly, achieving the first transformation in mere seconds!
Terrifying talent.
[First stage: Transcendence. You separate yourself from the mundane world.]
[With condensed spiritual energy, your body becomes as durable as iron. Your skin resists blades and flames alike.]
[You easily form the strength equivalent to a full-grown elephant.]
Incredible.
And yet, that was only the beginning.
[Your body adapts rapidly. Within half an hour, you reach the second realm of cultivation.]
[A spiritual lake condenses within you, stabilizing your transformation.]
Anya remained unconscious nearby—unknowingly fueling his evolution.
At this rate, Grayson realized, his growth would soon outpace even top-tier prodigies of the empire.
Luke, the so-called protagonist of destiny?
He would be nothing but an ant before Grayson's rising might.
A slow, dangerous smile crept across Grayson's lips.
But the simulator had even more shocking revelations.
[You notice that part of Anya's destiny energy is continuously being absorbed by your Supreme Emperor Bone.]
[This grants you a brief "Destiny Blessing"—a state of enhanced fortune and rapid breakthrough.]
So that was it!
Not only did the Supreme Emperor Bone grant monstrous cultivation speed, it could also plunder fate itself.
The reason he had been cursed was becoming clearer.
If news of such a physique ever spread, he would become a target of fear, envy, and assassination attempts.
Even ancient holy bodies couldn't compare.
Grayson exhaled slowly, his expression grim.
"This is dangerous," he murmured.
"Too dangerous."
Power at this level would inevitably attract attention.
The same forces that once cursed him would surely act again if they realized he had broken free.
Suddenly, the simulator displayed a red warning:
[After breaking through to the third cultivation realm—Tongxuan—you experience a momentary loss of self-control.]
[You begin to suffer intense pain from your Supreme Emperor Bone.]
[A piercing chill invades your body, heralding the arrival of something unknown and sinister...]
Grayson sat up straight, his back stiff.
Something was wrong.
Something beyond just cultivation.
A deeper layer of the trap was springing shut.
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