Chapter 372: Red Talent
The second card was also purple. The image showed himself in a black trench coat styled after the Middle Ages, holding a cigar, with a deep and brooding expression.
In the upper-left corner was a white lightning icon. When he tapped it, a prompt popped up: Evolved.
Personality: Gentlemanly, resolute, authoritative, ruthless, capricious.
Talents: Born Leader (Orange), Criminal Genius (Orange), Extraordinary Charisma (Purple), Political Finesse (Orange).
Skills: Negotiation (Expert), Basic Firearms (Advanced), Basic Combat (Advanced), Dark Magic (Advanced), Swordsmanship (Advanced).
Title: The Godfather · Zhou Ning
Traversal Price: 150 traversal coins.
It was obvious—this was the version of the Godfather who had already gone through the Pirates of the Caribbean world. Zhou Ning still remembered how impressive this card's performance had been last time: valuing family, cherishing kinship and friendship, keeping his word. His leadership and charisma were top-tier—without a doubt, a card capable of clearing worlds.
Zhou Ning didn't hesitate and bought it on the spot.
As for the third template… as usual, it seemed rather ordinary.
He appeared as himself wearing an ornate robe of red, white, and black, silver hair gleaming, his expression solemn and dignified, both hands slightly raised as crimson lotus flames burned around him.
Personality: Wise, authoritative, tough, pessimistic.
Talents: King of Magic (Red), Sixth Sense (Orange).
Skills: Summoning (Divine), Magic (Divine), Prophecy (Master), others omitted.
Title: King of Magic · Zhou Ning
Price: Nearly equal to that of Emperor Qin Shi Huang—23,000 traversal coins.
Zhou Ning: "…"
He had no idea which world this template came from, but—let's skip the 'majestic' act for now, brother; I'm broke. Maybe next time.
He decisively closed the template selection screen. As usual, Zhou Ning chose Mode One, spending 200 traversal coins to initiate traversal.
[You have selected Traversal Mode One.]
[Please select two of the following ten talents as matching conditions. Note: one matching condition is already locked as "Soul Traversal."]
[1. Soul Traversal (Purple): Your traversal method in this world will be fixed as soul traversal. (Selected, locked)]
[2. Religious Prophet (Purple): Just like your predecessors, you will actively form ties with religion in the simulated world. Your life will be inseparable from faith.]
[3. Greenwater Hero (Blue): Your idol is Ayuko Hayami, your signature move is the Flying Fish Spin, and you have a natural gift for swimming.]
[4. Insidious and Cunning (Green): You are inherently devious and excel at manipulating others.]
[5. Chosen One (Red): You will carry a system with you when you traverse. (Note: This talent cannot be drawn after completing a simulation.)]
[6. Skilled Specialist (Purple): You will start your traversal with one expert-level skill.]
[7. Short Temper (Green): You are hot-tempered and prone to fighting, but your strength increases by 15%.]
[8. Pet Master (Purple): You have great experience in training Pokémon. Your Pokémon will not die unexpectedly, their health increases by 10%, and evolution probability rises by 15%.]
[9. Sweet Tooth (White): You cannot live without sweets; whether tofu pudding or zongzi, they must be sweet.]
[10. Charm (Blue): The initial favorability of all allies toward you increases greatly.]
Zhou Ning: "…"
He didn't know if it was the protagonist's halo at work, but this time, there was actually a red-tier talent on the list!
Although the traversal simulator was stingy enough to forbid bringing items out of simulated worlds, this Chosen One talent would undeniably boost his chances of clearing the stage!
Aside from Chosen One, the talents Religious Prophet, Skilled Specialist, Pet Master, and Charm were also quite tempting—an embarrassment of riches.
Since talents 1 and 5 were mandatory, Zhou Ning hesitated for a bit between 2, 6, and 8 before finally choosing 2.
Talent 6 was too random—its effectiveness uncertain. Talent 8 only worked in worlds with pet-based combat like Pokémon or Digimon.
As for the Permanent Talent, Zhou Ning thought for a while and chose the most versatile option—Tony Stark.
No matter the world, advancing the tech tree was never a bad move.
Still, he couldn't help but be curious—what would happen when The Religious Prophet met Tony Stark? When theology and science clashed, which would prevail?
[You have selected Talents 1, 2, and 5.]
[Your current talents are: Soul Traversal (Permanent), Religious Prophet, Chosen One. Permanent Talent: Tony Stark.]
[This is a Reward Map. Reward Map Explanation Mode activated. Titles Perfect Explorer and History Changer are active. You will have greater access to important storylines, and your exploration efficiency will increase.]
[Traversal coins obtained in this Reward Map will be doubled. You will also receive an additional transferable reward from this world—this reward may be an item or a skill. Therefore, please explore this world as thoroughly as possible.]
[Matching complete. In this parallel world, your soul has traversed into this world as a lucky star. You carry a mysterious system whose function remains unknown. Since childhood, you have been fascinated by religion and believe mysticism is your true calling. You possess exceptional research ability and are also a notorious playboy. Perhaps only the sky can limit you.]
[Current World Exploration Progress: 0%. When exploration reaches 66.7%, you will unlock access to the next map.]
[If you die in this simulation, the game ends.]
[Boarding Time Machine… 1%… 33%… 65%… 95%… Whoosh… Traversal complete.]
[April 27, 2766. You awaken in a shabby room, deep in thought. To your surprise, the handsome and suave you have become a dwarf?! Indeed—your current form is that of a bearded dwarf, though your memories are somewhat fragmented. You only know your name and can speak some harsh-sounding Dwarvish. Other memories remain unclear.]
[After cautious probing, you learn that your name is Burt Ironhammer, a doctor in the Dwarven Kingdom of Erebor. You are extremely poor. This place—the Iron Mountain City—is the capital of the Erebor Kingdom.]
[Unlike the generous, hearty dwarves you've read about in stories, this world's Dwarven King, Thor, is extremely greedy. Taxes are exorbitant—there's a food tax, a head tax, even a medical practice tax. He taxes the very air you breathe. You arrived just as the original Burt went bankrupt—utterly destitute.]
[April 28–May 2, 2766. To better understand the world's situation, you temporarily stop working and travel across Iron Mountain City.]
[You find that many dwarves share your plight. Crushed by taxes, they toil endlessly—mining in dark caves or hammering away in forges day and night. Though they are a long-lived race, many fall ill from exhaustion. Looking at this all-too-familiar scene, you experience a strange revelation: this nation might hold the potential for a new religion.]
[But founding a religion requires both money and followers—and you have neither. Fortunately, on the night of May 2, you finally discover the function of your system: it can open a portal to another world.]