novelraw Chapter 25 Simulating the Future
Chapter 25 Simulating the Future
An ancient-style calligraphy brush slowly floated in mid-air, its tip automatically dipping into invisible ink. It then began to write rapidly on the blank notebook Lu Xingchen had prepared beforehand, the characters neat and flowing:
[July 12th, XX year of the Douluo Calendar, Aolai City, Tang Family.]
Five-year-old Tang Wulin nestled in his mother Lang Yue's arms, his little face full of curiosity as he tilted his head and asked, "Mommy, what exactly is Daddy's martial soul? You never tell me."
Upon hearing this, Lang Yue's eyes flashed with surprise; she hadn't expected her son to suddenly ask this question. After hesitating for a moment, she still answered softly, "Your father's martial soul is Blue Silver Grass."
"Blue Silver Grass?" Tang Wulin's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands excitedly. "Mom, when I awaken my martial soul, will I also awaken Blue Silver Grass like Dad? I heard that martial souls are inherited from mom and dad!"
Looking at her son's innocent face, Lang Yue felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
The inheritance of martial souls is indeed traceable, but Tang Wulin is not her and Tang Ziran's biological son; he was a child they accidentally found in the icy snow years ago. What kind of martial soul he will awaken, no one can say for sure.
To avoid arousing her son's suspicion, Lang Yue suppressed her complex emotions, reached out and ruffled his hair, and changed the subject with a smile: "Okay, don't think about it too much. Mom will make your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs today, okay?"
Sure enough, upon hearing the words "sweet and sour pork ribs," Tang Wulin's attention was immediately drawn. He excitedly jumped out of bed, grabbed Lang Yue's hand, and ran towards the kitchen: "Yes, yes! I want a big bowl!"
Watching her son's cheerful figure disappear into the distance, Lang Yue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but the worry between her brows did not dissipate.
Lang Yue looked down at her hands and murmured to herself, "The awakening ceremony is in six months. If Linlin awakens a martial soul that is completely different from ours, will he doubt his origins?"
After five years of living and working together, Lang Yue had long regarded Tang Wulin as her own son, and she didn't want him to suffer any harm whatsoever.
The writing on the notebook gradually stopped, and "0-01" slowly fell onto the table, returning to calm.
The writing on the notebook gradually stopped, and the brush returned to Lu Xingchen's hand.
Looking at the recorded contents, he had already made a clear judgment in his mind: "I will awaken my martial soul in half a year. In that case, Tang Wulin and I are the same age."
He clearly remembered that in the original timeline, not long after Tang Wulin awakened his martial soul, he would encounter the Silver Dragon King, who had lost his memory and taken human form, in an inconspicuous little corner.
At that time, the Silver Dragon King was ignorant and naive, like a blank sheet of paper. She was surrounded by a group of thugs who wanted to take her away and sell her. It was Tang Wulin who rescued her and took her home, thus sowing the seeds of their destiny.
"It seems that the birth of the Silver Dragon King is not far off."
Lu Xingchen closed his notebook, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.
"If I go to Aolai City then, I wonder if there's any chance of intercepting the prize."
A thought suddenly appeared in Lu Xingchen's mind, startling him.
He was well aware of the Silver Dragon King's value. If he could establish a bond with her while she was still confused and lost her memory, he would undoubtedly have another trump card that could change the course of the game in the future.
But then he thought about Tang Wulin's background and couldn't help but shake his head. With the Tang family's foundation and influence in Douluo Continent, the possibility of him intercepting Tang Wulin was probably extremely slim.
"But we have to try. How will we know it won't work if we don't try? But it's too dangerous to go there rashly. Why not use the power of '0-02' to deduce it and test the trajectory of fate?"
Having made up his mind, Lu Xingchen immediately adjusted his concentration and entered a state of deep prayer. He raised his hand and took out a pair of ancient-looking silver glasses from the Chaos Sea space—the sealed artifact "0-02 Omniscient Eye".
He perked up as he placed the glasses on his nose, the cool metallic touch invigorating him. He then silently chanted in his heart, "In the name of 'God,' draw the thread of destiny and let the trajectory of the future appear before my eyes."
As the prayer ended, the "0-02" lens instantly emitted a faint silver light. Lu Xingchen could clearly feel the spiritual power in his sea of consciousness rapidly flowing away like a flood. In just a few breaths, a considerable amount of it had already been consumed.
He was prepared for this. One of the core abilities of "0-02" is "omniscience", which allows him to see through the target's past experiences and future trajectory, leaving no information hidden.
Through a special prayer ritual, this power can also affect the holder, allowing them to deduce various possibilities for their future.
Of course, Lu Xingchen prefers to call it: Simulated Future.
After all, the future is ever-changing. The moment a person glimpses the trajectory of fate, the timeline has already subtly shifted, and the so-called "future" will change accordingly.
What he needed to do now was to use this power to deduce the outcome of his plan to intercept the Silver Dragon King in Aolai City.
Soon, the silver light on the lenses converged into a flowing image, clearly presented before Lu Xingchen's eyes:
[Future Simulation Launched: Timeframe – Six months from now, Location – Aolai City.]
Lu Xingchen arrived in Aolai City. The small city was clean and full of life. He didn't know Tang Wulin's exact address, but he knew that Tang Wulin would definitely attend a Soul Master Academy after becoming a Soul Master.
After making some inquiries, Lu Xingchen quickly learned that the only Soul Master academy in Aolai City was called "Red Mountain Academy." He went to a street corner near the academy, chose a secluded spot, and patiently waited for school to let out.
The bell rang, the gates of Red Mountain Academy opened, and students emerged in twos and threes.
Lu Xingchen's gaze swept quickly across the crowd, soon locking onto his target—Tang Wulin. The reason was simple: the boy's appearance far surpassed the other children, making him easy to spot.
Lu Xingchen silently memorized Tang Wulin's appearance, keeping a low profile as he followed behind him, prepared for a long-term stakeout—he knew the Silver Dragon King would most likely appear on Tang Wulin's way home from school.
Perhaps it was a coincidence of fate, but not long after, Lu Xingchen saw several shady-looking thugs gathered at the alley entrance ahead, pointing and gesturing at a silver-haired little girl huddled in a corner.
The girl had long, silver hair like moonlight and extremely rare purple eyes. Such a unique appearance could only belong to the amnesiac Silver Dragon King.
Lu Xingchen's heart tightened; he knew his chance had come. Before Tang Wulin could stage a "hero saves the damsel in distress," he rushed forward, spreading his arms to shield Na'er behind him.
"You bad people, get out of here right now!" Lu Xingchen released his first spirit ring without hesitation. The yellow spirit ring lit up at his feet, and his youthful voice carried an undeniable air of authority.
To his surprise, the thugs showed no fear upon seeing the spirit ring; instead, a ruthless glint flashed in their eyes.
"You brat, so what if you're a Soul Master? I'm going to teach you a lesson today!" The leader of the thugs pulled out a gleaming dagger and lunged at Lu Xingchen.
Fortunately, Lu Xingchen was prepared. Relying on his physical abilities as a Soul Master and his grasp of timing, he finally managed to defeat the thugs after a prolonged struggle.
He rubbed his slightly sore arm, turned around, gave the girl behind him a gentle smile, and reached out to help her up: "Little sister, are you alright?"
However, faced with his kindness, the girl cautiously took a step back, her purple eyes filled with wariness and unease, as if she were filled with fear of him.
Lu Xingchen paused slightly, then withdrew his hand and asked in a gentler tone, "What's your name? Where do you live? Shall I take you home?"
The girl remained silent for a long time before uttering two words in a voice barely audible: "Na'er." She said nothing more.
Lu Xingchen sensed her deep wariness and knew it wasn't the right time to press her, so he suggested, "Since you can't remember where you live, I'll take you to the Federal Administration. Maybe we can find your identity information there."
Just as he turned to leave with Na'er, a piercing screech of brakes suddenly rang out—an out-of-control soul-guided bus, like a wild horse, was hurtling towards them!
In the critical moment, Lu Xingchen instinctively pushed Na'er away forcefully, but he himself had no time to dodge and was slammed into by the massive vehicle. His body flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground, where he lay motionless.
Lu Xingchen died suddenly.