Chapter 48: [Meat Rations]
Chapter 48: Chapter 48: [Meat Rations]
A new queen?
The old queen?
Zhu Ge hadn’t forgotten how many children the Mouse Queen had in total.
She had given birth to so many moles, yet the Mouse Queen was still the Mouse Queen. She had never been replaced.
In comparison, the chances of a young, inexperienced new queen succeeding were far too slim.
[The Princess Mole gathered three Worker Rats and challenged the Mouse Queen, but she failed. As one of the Mouse Queen’s Worker Rats who answered the call to battle, you did not have to fight. You have obtained the trait: Steadfast.]
’I got a new trait!’
Zhu Ge relaxed slightly.
Even if he couldn’t obtain a unique trait in the end, he already had two traits just from this run.
At the very least, the trait "Steadfast" sounded pretty good.
’As long as there’s a safety net, I’m good.’
[The Princess Mole was exiled from the Mole Kingdom. The colony returned to normal, and you resumed your work digging tunnels.]
[One day, you found a rare plant root and ate your fill. Afterward, your claws and teeth underwent a second growth spurt, becoming much harder. You have obtained the trait: Growth.]
’Another trait!’
Zhu Ge hadn’t expected this. Although he didn’t choose the simulation’s main theme—the "Queen" path—from the start, he still managed to get two seemingly decent traits.
After all, the most powerful aspect of his simulator wasn’t that it simulated a story for him to watch, but that it allowed him to obtain traits!
The traits were what truly mattered!
As long as he could get powerful traits—never mind a unique one like "Kunpeng," even one a tier lower would be fine as long as it was useful.
For example, this "Growth" trait might have a pretty good effect on him.
"But the Princess Mole wasn’t killed? She was just exiled from the underground?"
"Then how is one supposed to become the mole queen?"
"Maybe the initial choice is critical, but can it be salvaged later on?"
Zhu Ge analyzed the current result, speculating on the various causes that led to this outcome to prepare for his future choices.
[You live in the food nest, gnawing on plant roots every day. You eat your portion and give the rest to the moles in charge of transport.]
[One day, you smell the Mouse Queen’s scent of joy once more. You know that the Underground Kingdom has welcomed a new princess.]
[You know that the Underground Kingdom will one day face another choice. In the future, you must choose a scent. Your choice is—]
[1. Go take care of the Princess Mole early and become her confidant.]
[2. Continue with your current duties.]
[3. Flee the burrow and leave your fate to the heavens.]
’Make a choice in advance?’
Zhu Ge found it absurd, yet it also felt perfectly reasonable.
His preconceived notions made him subconsciously think of a mole as just an animal.
But what was the reality?
Never mind this world; even in his past life, humanity hadn’t completely discovered, understood, and mastered all information about Earth’s creatures.
Ages and ages ago, some plants, animals, and even fungi had already developed their own unique systems for survival.
Even though moles were small, it was normal for them to develop their own unique system, one that so closely resembled a human kingdom.
The current three choices were very much like an aging emperor and the Crown Prince in a dynasty.
He could choose to loyally follow the old emperor and continue to improve himself step by step, but that path was too slow.
Or, he could invest in the Crown Prince early. If the Crown Prince ascended the throne, he would be greatly rewarded for his early support, but failure would mean utter ruin.
Alternatively, he could retreat from the world and not get involved in anything. But for a mole, escaping the burrow was basically a death sentence.
"Whatever. Since I’m trying to follow the Queen’s path, I’ll go follow the Princess Mole and see what she’s up to."
Zhu Ge finally made his decision.
After all, he still remembered that the mole he was simulating seemed to have become a Worker Rat because its claws and teeth grew too fast and too well.
But besides that?
He didn’t have a clue.
So it was better to make contact.
[You went to take care of the Princess Mole early, became her confidant, and fulfilled her every request.]
[The Princess Mole developed for several days without leaving the nest and eventually became an ordinary Worker Rat. You returned to your original food nest.]
’That’s it?’
Understanding dawned on Zhu Ge.
At the very least, he had figured out the first rule: unlike the previous Swordfish simulation, he couldn’t just stay still at the beginning. He had to take action.
[You spent your entire life in the food nest, digging new tunnels and searching for food, ultimately achieving nothing. You have obtained the trait: As Usual.]
[This simulation has ended.]
’It’s over?’
Zhu Ge’s guess was correct. No unique trait like "Kunpeng" had appeared during the simulation.
Perhaps, just as he predicted, he had to follow the simulation’s main theme.
[Traits obtained from this simulation: Hunger, Steadfast, Growth, As Usual.]
[Hunger: Physical constitution decreased, sanity decreased, digestion and absorption ability increased.]
[Steadfast: Survival instinct increased, life force increased, cowardice value increased.]
[Growth: Growth potential increased.]
[As Usual: Maintain your current state of mind for one minute.]
Four traits!
And all four of them seemed pretty good!
However, driven by the thought that ’the next one will be better,’ Zhu Ge started the next simulation.
"I went down the wrong path at the very beginning of the last simulation," Zhu Ge summarized.
For the first choice, he had followed his past experience and chosen to stay in the nest and wait.
That led to the mole becoming a Worker Rat.
’Maybe becoming a Worker Rat requires meeting certain conditions. Besides the claws and teeth, I wonder what else...’ As Zhu Ge pondered this, he began the next simulation.
[You have become a newborn mole, the 389th offspring of the Mouse Queen, male.]
[Food was plentiful when you were born, and you were well-fed.]
[But on the eighth day of your life, the colony was struck by famine. You were eaten by the Mouse Queen as food. You have obtained the trait: Meat Ration.]
[This simulation has ended.]
What???
Zhu Ge was stunned. A sense of absurdity instantly washed over him.
’It’s over already?’
’I just died?’
’Eaten as a meat ration?’
’That’s way too abrupt!’
Zhu Ge frowned as he looked at the "8 attempts" remaining on the simulator.
But he finally understood. The simulator was most likely based on real-world scenarios, not simulations run by some system.
This meant an increase in uncertainty. After all, a system would follow a set of rules, but in reality, anything could happen.
However, this also meant that many of its mechanics could be deduced by comparing them to real life.
[Meat Ration: Your body will become delicious and tasty.]
An absurd ending, and an absurd result.
"Third time, begin!"
...
There were only ten chances in total!
The second attempt was basically a waste, only yielding the "Meat Ration" trait.
Obviously, the current situation was not suitable for choosing this trait.
The third and fourth attempts were much the same.
Although he lived a long time without being eaten as a meat ration, he still couldn’t get on the queen’s path.
Because he was a male mole!
This also made Zhu Ge realize just how severe the gender discrimination was in the mole colony.
"Fifth time!"
"Sixth time!"
"Seventh time!"
The second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth—a total of five chances—were wasted.
And when the seventh chance arrived, Zhu Ge finally got the gender he had been dreaming of.
[You have become a newborn mole, the only female among the Mouse Queen’s current batch of eleven offspring, and her 819th child overall.]