They don't want me to try anymore.

Hamilton took a deep breath, his eyes gradually hardening.

He bent down and finally kissed Linda's slender white hand.

"Miss Linda, rest assured, this time, I will eliminate our common enemy!"

Early the next morning.

After asking Katyusha to ask for leave, Richard lay on the bed and closed his eyes.

"The time has come..."

[Hardcore Ruthless Simulator Now Launched]

Chapter Sixteen, oh dear, how come it all fell apart right from the start?

[In the year 3541 of the Caesar Calendar, you are at St. Goethe School, preparing to participate in the annual Exploration of the Illusionary Realm.]

[You have learned that there are seven selectable fantasy realms, of which the first four, which are less difficult, will be open to first-year students and require advance application.]

Richard thought to himself: Since it's a simulation, why not try the most difficult one?

[You chose the Red Prison Mine, which is at the level 4 difficulty, making you stand out among your fellow high-level Bronze players.]

But you quickly demonstrated through your actions that rank doesn't represent everything.

You successfully overcame numerous monsters and traps in the Red Prison Mine, much to the astonishment of the onlookers.

[At this moment, you unexpectedly see a jewel-crystal cat.]

Wow! This is good stuff!

Richard had just learned about this in class a few days ago. He knew that the Gem Crystal Cat was a wondrous magical creature capable of traversing different dimensions, appearing in different fantasy worlds with a small probability, and...

Once killed, it will drop a large number of high-quality magic crystals!

Hehehe...

Kitten, you were born to be eaten!

Without the slightest hesitation, you unleashed the elemental attack. The gem crystal cat was unexpectedly sluggish, and exploded on the spot after being hit by you.

You suddenly feel muscle soreness all over your body, and your magic power is being drained in large quantities.

You have unexpectedly contracted polio.

……what?

This kitten is poisonous!

Richard then remembered that, due to the ability of the Crystal Cat to travel freely through space, there was indeed a very small chance that it would carry away something dirty.

But he never expected to be so unlucky!

That's it, this save file is probably ruined...

You were rescued from the illusion by your teachers.

Unfortunately, you happen to have an extremely sensitive constitution to polio, causing your strength to plummet from mid-Bronze to mid-Iron, preventing you from ever improving further.

Despite the many people expressing their sympathy for you, you still became a notorious loser, a hapless failure, and an object of ridicule within the school. Many believed you should be expelled because someone with the strength of a Black Iron rank could never graduate.

Zoe, Katyusha, Tom, and others care about you, but they can't help you.

Richard sighed, his feelings complicated.

Unexpectedly, the second simulation resulted in Battle Through the Heavens; thankfully, he wasn't engaged...

What should I do next?

Legend has it that polio is curable, but Connaught absolutely cannot afford it. If he can only remain at the mid-Iron rank for the rest of his life, then his goal of advancing to Legendary status through a roundabout means is destined to fail.

and many more……

The headmistress of St. Goethe called you to her office.

This legendary witch tells you that she has rejected all offers to expel or remove you from the Dawn Class, and is willing to provide you with ten years of free polio rehabilitation treatment, recommend a well-paid part-time job, and even advance you a year's salary out of her own pocket.

hiss……

Upon seeing these conditions, Richard gasped, realizing he had made a small contribution to stopping global warming.

Is this school principal my mother?

Isn't that too good?

These days, there's no such thing as humanitarianism or schools taking full responsibility for students (the latter depends on the student's parents' financial situation). In theory, St. Goethe can ignore him, just like Tom did.

Could it be due to his status as a member of the Connaught royal family? Perhaps they're afraid of causing a diplomatic incident?

No, our Connaught royal family struggles to even support a Silver Saint, they don't have that kind of weight...

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation!

Instead of immediately agreeing, you curiously inquired about the principal's reasons for doing so.

[After your persistence, the principal confessed that she discovered a student had deliberately spread the disease, causing you to contract it. She also felt guilty for breaking a promise to a friend and decided to offer compensation.]

She showed you Hamilton's newly signed dismissal notice, as well as a document to be handed over to the Sheriff's Office and the State Department.

...Was it Hamilton who poisoned me?

So ruthless...

Richard was so shocked and angry that he ignored the promise of friendship mentioned by the witch.

But then he began to have doubts.

But if Hamilton were to ask, even if that guy had a motive, he wouldn't have the ability, would he?

Ultimately, Hamilton, like Richard, was a member of the royal family of a small foreign country, with a strength of only silver... In Saint Goethe, the capital of the empire, where did he get the means to infect people with grey nucleus?

With his strength, why would he need to be a dog for the empire?

You don't believe this explanation and keep asking if there's a mastermind behind it all.

[The witch principal reluctantly admitted that there was someone else behind it all, but refused to reveal their name, saying that the other party had already paid the price, and that she was not telling you their name to protect you; you were not powerful enough, and knowing their name would only bring harm.]

She then changed the subject, introducing you to the part-time job—you were surprised to learn that it was actually the Imperial Sword Saint Luvia who wanted to hire you as a temporary clerk.

The witch principal assures you that if you accept this part-time job, the mastermind behind it all will stop bothering you, and you'll have a brighter future.

Richard raised an eyebrow, understanding the meaning behind those words.

Those who harmed him mostly had powerful connections within the empire, to the point that even the principal of St. Goethe could not easily deal with them; at most, he could only offer compensation or make deals in private.

From this perspective, the principal's claim of protective concealment is not entirely unreasonable.

The part-time job involved an old acquaintance, Luvia—according to Richard's recent understanding, Luvia was also a graduate of St. Goethe. After leaving the school, she went to the frontier to guard the border. Although she hadn't returned in recent years, she should have been in contact with the witch principal in private.

With the principal's recommendation and the prestige of his Sword Saint status, he certainly has a bright future; at the very least, he can survive with the help of the mastermind behind the scenes.

If Richard were truly in such a predicament in real life, he might agree to these conditions...

But this is a simulation!

What's the point of just surviving in a simulation?

Simulations are for taking risks!

Richard wanted more drama, more possibilities, and more rewards!

After a moment of contemplation, you stood tall and proud, facing the legendary witch with your broken body, and declared loudly, "Since the school cannot give me justice, then I do not need the school's pity!"

You rejected the principal's offer and indicated that you would voluntarily withdraw from the school.

[The principal tried to persuade you to stay several times without success. After a long silence, he praised your integrity and perseverance, but also solemnly warned you that the road ahead would be difficult.]

But you are fearless about it.

That afternoon, you left St. Goethe and began your journey home.

Sorry, Principal; sorry, Sword Saint, but I'm the man you can't have~

But now achieving legendary status and saving the country are both out of the question; I'll have to do something else...

Richard's lips curled into a smile as he came up with a new idea.

After talking with your father, you did not choose to get involved in national politics. Instead, you insisted on leaving despite the opposition of those around you and embarked on a journey to a distant place.

You disguised yourself as an ordinary nobleman and followed a traveling theater troupe to Vandan, a southern archipelago nation known as the "back garden of the goddess of art."

[With a letter of recommendation from the traveling theater troupe leader and a script you wrote on the road, you visited another famous theater troupe leader in Van Damme.]

This was Richard's plan.

Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the first simulation and not wanting to receive the same rewards repeatedly, he did not stay in his hometown any longer, nor did he plan to continue doing business.

Instead, he wanted to be a plagiarist.

It makes perfect sense for a time traveler to become a plagiarist, right?

The story of a prince who loses his powers and then becomes a great writer is quite interesting, isn't it?

And Van Dan, whose country was a world power like Romain Rolland's and had a rich artistic atmosphere, was the best stage for him to promote this project!

Then...