Villain Simulator, GenshinImpact

[Receiving instructions, the Life Simulator is about to begin.]

[Please select three talents from the following options. After the simulation, one talent will be retained as a permanent ability.]

[Easily Imprisoned (White)]: You are more likely to end up in prison.

[Gambling Prodigy (Blue)]: You are a natural-born gambling master. In any gambling-based game, you have one chance to cheat perfectly (this cheating must not exceed the rules of the game, and the likelihood of being caught depends on the agility attributes of both parties).

[Quiz Master (Green)]: You are exceptionally good at solving problems.

[Rise to the Top (Blue)]: Your power increases as your authority grows.

[Wealthy Background (Green)]: You are born into a rich family and never worry about food or clothing.

[Sheepish Copycat (White)]: You excel at plagiarism.

[Corner Shop Owner (Green)]: You will inherit a small shop upon adulthood.

[Village Tyrant (White)]: You are born in a village and become its local overlord (effective only within the village).

[Dynamic Jumper (White)]: Your jumping ability is about 1.5 times that of an average human.

Seeing the last three talents, Lucas fell silent for a moment.

Had the system been watching abstract videos and turned dumb?

Choosing [Corner Shop Owner] and [Village Tyrant] might make him a rural kingpin.

But what use was that? Would he become some countryside bully?

On the other hand, [Gambling Prodigy] was highly specific but perfect for Lucas right now.

After all, Genius Invokation TCG was essentially a gambling game. If he could cheat, his win rate would skyrocket. This talent was practically predetermined as a must-pick.

What? You say cheating is wrong?

As the saying goes, it's not a crime if you don't get caught (kidding).

For his second talent, he chose [Rise to the Top], picking the blue option over lesser alternatives, even if he wasn't particularly power-hungry.

For his third talent, Lucas scrolled through his permanent talent list and selected a golden talent, [Saint of Medicine].

[Saint of Medicine (Gold)]: You possess unparalleled medical talent, destined to change history through medicine.

Combat talents were tempting, but given the non-combative nature of this simulation (similar to his chef simulation), a utility-focused talent like [Saint of Medicine] seemed more practical.

[Selection complete. Generating character template.]

[Life simulation begins.]

[Age 0]:

You were born in a modest family in Liyue Harbor. Your parents ran a small shop, providing a stable yet unremarkable life.

[Age 1]:

During your first birthday's "grasping test," you ignored all the items before you and crawled under the bed to retrieve a dust-covered die. Your father, instead of being upset, laughed it off.

[Age 2]:

Your father had no major vices but enjoyed light gambling with friends in his spare time. It was all in good fun and never excessive.

[Age 3]:

Perhaps influenced by his hobby, your father taught you the rules of various gambling games as a way to pass the time. Although your mother scolded him for this, she eventually let it go, seeing it as harmless fun.

[Age 4]:

You demonstrated extraordinary gambling talent and quickly mastered all your father's knowledge. ([Gambling Prodigy] activated.) Your father was thrilled, enjoying the games with you even more.

[Age 5]:

You realized your father wasn't a great gambler. You could easily outplay him, but you feigned losses to protect his pride. Fortunately, his gambling stakes remained small, minimizing losses despite frequent defeats.

[Age 6]:

Your father suddenly began winning consistently and bringing home significant earnings. He attributed his luck to a newly opened establishment called the "Yan Shang Tea House." Though labeled a tea house, it was actually a gambling den. He believed a few more visits could make your family wealthy.

You and your mother were skeptical, but your usually gentle father was adamant.

[Age 7]:

Your fears were realized. Your father's earlier winnings were bait to draw him deeper into the gambling den's traps. Soon, he began losing heavily, squandering years of savings.

[Age 8]:

One day, your father insisted on gambling again despite your mother's pleas. Shortly after he left, your mother, overcome with grief, fell gravely ill and passed away before his return.

Stricken with guilt upon seeing his wife's lifeless body, your father swore off gambling, severing his own finger as a vow.

Having witnessed these tragedies, you resolved to exact revenge on the Yan Shang Tea House.

You offered the gambling den's owner a bet: your family's property deed against ownership of the tea house itself.

To the owner, you—a naïve child—seemed like easy prey. He agreed readily and even drafted a formal contract.

The gambling match began. Confident in an easy win, the owner was blindsided by your exceptional gambling prowess, losing everything to you.

[Dumbfounded, the owner reluctantly handed over the deed to the tea house, bound by the contract.]

[More than the loss of the tea house, what stung him was being defeated by a child. You agreed to keep this incident a secret in exchange for him granting you a favor.]

[Shortly after, your father received a letter from the former owner of the Yan Shang Tea House. In it, the owner admitted that the money he won from your father was obtained through cheating. Knowing your mother passed away because of his actions, he was overwhelmed with guilt and wished to transfer ownership of the tea house to your father as compensation.]

[Of course, this letter was written at your instruction. While it might seem somewhat implausible, the deed was there, making it hard for anyone to doubt the story.]

[Although your father had sworn off gambling, running a gambling house was a different matter entirely. Besides, with your family assets already depleted, the tea house provided a much-needed new livelihood.]

[Thus, the Yan Shang Tea House officially changed hands, with your father becoming its new owner.]

[Age 10]:

In gambling, the house always wins. Your father never gambled again but earned a significant income from running the tea house. However, perhaps due to his longing for your late mother, he never remarried, even as his wealth grew.

[Age 11]:

Although you mastered the art of gambling, you held no love for it and despised gamblers. After all, it was your father's gambling addiction that shattered your family. You had no sympathy for gamblers and felt no guilt watching them lose everything.

[Age 12]:

Like other children your age, you began attending school. With your family's newfound wealth, you enrolled in the best institution available. Before long, you found yourself labeled a "spoiled rich kid," but it didn't bother you. After all, the money came from gamblers' pockets, and you spent it without a care.

Oddly enough, while gambling didn't interest you, power had a mysterious allure. By using Mora to curry favor with classmates, you were easily elected as class president. To your surprise, after taking on the role, you felt your physical abilities inexplicably improve. ([Rise to the Top] talent activated.)

Does being class president count as power?

Lucas chuckled to himself. If I become a student council president in college, would my ego soar into the heavens?

[Age 13]:

On a snowy night, you found a young beggar girl collapsed at the entrance of the Yan Shang Tea House. Likely due to hunger and cold, she had fainted. You brought her inside and nursed her back to health.

Sympathetic to her plight, you persuaded your father to let her stay and work as a hostess at the tea house. Though reluctant, your father eventually agreed.

The girl, named Chu Yi, was older than you but frail due to poverty. Initially conflicted about working in a gambling house, she eventually stayed after you convinced her, saying, "These gamblers are undeserving scoundrels. By working here, you're just helping them ruin themselves further—why not?"

Your "warped logic" swayed Chu Yi, and she decided to stay.

Chu Yi?

Lucas felt the name was familiar. Ah, she's the NPC hostess in the game Yan Shang Tea House, known for her sharp tongue. Her backstory explains why she's so hostile toward the tea house's patrons.

[Age 14]:

You befriended a like-minded peer named Xingqiu, the second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild. Although Xingqiu's father disapproved of gambling businesses and forbade your friendship, you managed to win Xingqiu over with rare tomes you procured from the black market.

[Age 15]:

One day, you saw one of Liyue Qixing, the Tianquan, Ningguang, up close for the first time. Though she often appeared in public, she was a distant figure to the common people. Something about this mature, intelligent woman captivated you.

You realized her allure wasn't in her looks or figure but in the aura of untouchable authority she exuded, basking in the light of power.

[Age 16]:

You and Xingqiu exchanged dreams. He revealed his ambition to become the greatest light novel author in Teyvat, while you expressed your desire to join the Liyue Qixing.

Xingqiu found your dream amusing, not because it was silly, but because it was so "ordinary." In Liyue Harbor, half the children dream of becoming one of the Qixing.

Most of these dreams soon fade. After all, the Qixing represent the seven most powerful individuals in Liyue, requiring unparalleled excellence to achieve.

For an ordinary merchant, the idea is laughable. As the son of a gambling house owner, your social status was even lower, making your goal seem like a fantasy.

What Xingqiu didn't know was that your desire to join the Qixing wasn't just about standing atop Liyue but for a much deeper reason.

[Age 17]:

The success of the Yan Shang Tea House drew attention, and many sought to buy it from your father. He refused every offer.

While the scrutiny was unsurprising for a gambling business, your father managed to navigate both legal and underground dealings effortlessly. His secret? A network of mysterious "allies," whose identities even you didn't know.

When you asked him about them, he only said, "Don't ask. The less you know, the safer you'll be."

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Author's Note: Ningguan route finally? Lesss go

Also sorry for the delay I was a bit sick..