The next second, Lucas's heart, which had long been overburdened, finally stopped beating.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, who had been holding him, seemed to have already accepted this outcome. She simply tightened her embrace around his lifeless body.
Then, their bodies seemed to merge together, enveloped by countless tiny black and red cubes. In the next moment, those cubes exploded, transforming into countless points of light that illuminated the entire sky, like a dazzling firework.
Atop the Jade Chamber
Dotore watched the "fireworks" blooming in the sky, a hint of loneliness flashing across her face. She murmured to herself,
"It seems you've finally achieved your dream."
Step by step, step by step, climbing to the highest point.
Just then, a soft, childish voice sounded beside her.
"Sister Dotore, the fireworks are so pretty!"
The speaker was Elsa, the daughter of Lucas and the Tsaritsa. She looked like a miniature version of the Tsaritsa, but unlike her cold and aloof mother, she was gentle and adorable. Dressed in her pajamas, she held a fluffy teddy bear in her arms.
"Yes…" Dotore said indifferently. "Though beautiful, they last only for a moment."
"Daddy once said that even if the bloom is fleeting, fireworks still have meaning!" Perhaps because she had inherited Lucas's intelligence, young Elsa spoke with a maturity beyond her years. "By the way, where is Daddy?"
"He…" Dotore hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully, "He's gone to Celestia."
"Oh, I remember now!" Elsa seemed to recall something. She unzipped the back of her teddy bear and pulled out a letter from the stuffing, handing it to Dotore.
"Daddy said to give this to you when he goes to Celestia."
Hearing this, Dotore was momentarily stunned. So, that guy had already anticipated this day?
She slowly opened the letter. The contents were simple, but after reading it, Dotore couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, muttering to herself,
"Leaving the mess of the Seven Sacred Alliance to me? You really… left me with quite the headache."
[Mission Complete: Complete the Experiment]
[Reward: Skill - Genetic Enhancement]
[Genetic Enhancement: Temporarily modifies genes to greatly enhance combat power, but causes significant damage to the user.]
[This Life Simulation Has Ended]
[Cause of Death: Death by Aging]
[Comprehensive Evaluation: You've Finally Reached the Highest Point]
[Rewards Have Been Sent and Can Be Viewed at Any Time]
[Please Choose One of the Following Two Talents as a Permanent Talent: "Rise to the Top" or "Gambling Prodigy"]
Since the [Medical Sage] talent had already been selected as a permanent talent, only two rewards were available this time.
Originally, Lucas had planned to choose [Gambling Prodigy] to prepare for the next test. However, during this simulation and his life as a gambler, he had already obtained the [Gambler's Card Shuffling Technique], a highly useful skill. After some consideration, Lucas decided to choose [Climb to the Top].
The reason was simple: if he could truly become the Tianshu this time, his strength would undoubtedly increase significantly. As previously analyzed, [Rise to the Top], though only a blue-tier talent, had a very high ceiling.
[Permanent Talent Acquired: "Rise to the Top"]
[Rise to the Top (Blue): Your strength increases as your authority grows.]
Perhaps because this simulation had been so lengthy and eventful, especially with its emotionally charged ending, Lucas felt somewhat disoriented upon returning to reality.
In particular, the moment in the simulation when he ascended to Celestia.
No matter how hard Lucas tried to recall, he couldn't remember what he had seen there.
It was as if he had encountered an area in a game that hadn't been unlocked yet. At times like these, Paimon would tirelessly remind him, "Let's explore this area later!"
"System, help me recall what happened earlier," Lucas said, rubbing his temples as he issued the command.
[You spent the night practicing "Genius Invokation TCG" with Shenhe to improve your skills, fell asleep in her room, and then activated the simulator.]
The system provided a brief recap, pulling Lucas back to reality and clearing his mind a little.
Since this simulation didn't stop time, by the time it ended, the sky outside was already beginning to lighten. Shenhe lay beside Lucas, still fast asleep.
However, Lucas still felt a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.
To be honest, "death by aging" wasn't an uncommon ending in previous simulations.
But this time, Lucas had truly experienced the pain and helplessness of aging to death in the immersive mode.
That near-delusional pursuit of "climbing to the highest point," even at the cost of his life to reach Celestia, left Lucas, the "original self," filled with mixed emotions. He even felt the urge to confide in someone.
Shenhe, of course, was out of the question.
With her straightforward, no-nonsense personality and lack of common sense, she would likely struggle to understand Lucas's current state of mind.
In the end, Lucas sighed, looked at Shenhe's sleeping face, and smiled helplessly. He tucked her in and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.
Back in Ganyu's Room
Before he knew it, Lucas found himself back where he "should" be—Ganyu's room.
After all, the original reason he had come here was to pretend to be Ganyu's lover.
But as soon as he pushed the door open, Lucas was greeted by a dizzying sight of snowy white. Ganyu, who had just woken up, was struggling to put on the black bodysuit designed by Cloud Retainer, muttering to herself,
"Why does it feel harder to put on than usual? Could it be…"
At that moment, Ganyu noticed Lucas entering the room. Her face immediately flushed red, and she hurriedly explained,
"I… I haven't gained weight! It must be… the fabric shrank!"
For some reason, seeing this scene warmed Lucas's heart. He nodded and said,
"Let me help you."
Ganyu's face turned even redder. She nodded and said,
"Then… I'll trouble you."
"By the way…" Lucas walked behind Ganyu and casually asked,
"Weren't you worried at all when I didn't come back last night?"