Chapter 4: What?defying fate!

A graceful and ethereal woman floated in mid-air, exuding a holy and tranquil aura.

This woman was breathtakingly beautiful, dressed in a pure white robe, resembling a celestial being from the heavens. She was so captivating that one couldn't bear to look away, even if they had seen her ten years ago, as was the case with Sebastian.

However, Sebastian had no intentions of approaching her. This woman was extraordinary, a guide on the path of immortality, and she was also the central figure in "Wild Valley World," Nüwa.

Many players had seen Nüwa's appearance and enviable figure, causing some of them to salivate. Unfortunately, they didn't show her the respect she deserved. Some players attempted to strike up conversations with her, some begged for her help, and others even had inappropriate thoughts.

The consequences for such behavior were severe. Players who initiated inappropriate conversations were temporarily confined in a virtual "black room" for a few minutes. Those who used obscene language or made indecent proposals not only faced confinement but also suffered a permanent reduction in their charm points.

As for those with more sinister intentions, their fate was even worse. They were incarcerated for a full seven days, experienced a permanent decrease in charm points, and had negative NPC favorability ratings upon release. This meant they couldn't receive quests, and their personal attributes were reduced by half for a week. Many players fell victim to these penalties.

In his previous life, Sebastian had attempted such interactions, but his intentions were different. He believed that there were hidden quests or rewards associated with Nüwa. So he persistently and respectfully inquired about these hidden tasks and rewards.

Nüwa eventually grew weary of his inquiries and confined him to the "black room" for a few minutes, which made Sebastian realize he should be more prudent.

In his current life, Sebastian was not about to repeat those foolish actions. Instead, he remained quiet, waiting for her to speak.

Nüwa gazed at him serenely, her lips slightly parted as if echoing heavenly music.

"Mortal, do you truly wish to embark on the path of cultivation?"

"Yes," Sebastian replied.

"Tell me your name."

Sebastian answered without hesitation, "Sebastian."

In his previous life, his ID was "Love Venom," and those who understand the term "licking dog" will know what it means. Now, in his reincarnation, Sebastian only wants to be himself.

"Now that you've decided to embark on the path of immortality, I'll give you a chance. What kind of opportunities you'll receive will depend entirely on your own efforts."

Here it comes! The starting talent is about to be revealed! Sebastian's eyelid twitched.

If he guessed correctly, he would receive a similar innate talent as he did in his past life, an underwhelming talent called "Business Prodigy." The talent's effect is simple: -10% spirit stones spent on purchasing items and consumables in town shops. In other words, it helps save money, but it has no other use...

This talent is actually best suited for a game merchant, but Sebastian has no interest in it. He can only accept this mediocre talent as he pursues the path of cultivation.

Yet, with this talent, he still successfully advances to become a top-tier expert and becomes the first mage in "Wild Valley World."

"Never mind, let 'Business Prodigy' be 'Business Prodigy.' Innate talent doesn't determine everything. Based on my knowledge of 'Wild Valley World,' even with a poor start, I can still turn the tables."

Sebastian comforts himself.

Lady Nüwa raises her gentle hand, and a ray of rosy light enters Sebastian's body, examining his constitution. For some reason, what should have taken just a few seconds to complete took much longer this time. The rosy light remained inside Sebastian's body for half a minute before finally dissipating.

Just as Sebastian was getting puzzled, a game notification sound chimed.

"Congratulations on acquiring the innate talent 'Defying Fate'!"

Sebastian was puzzled. Why didn't he receive the "Business Prodigy" talent this time? Could it be because of his reincarnation, or did the jade pendant assist him?

Thinking about this, Sebastian quickly looked at the description.

​¹​: Born against the heavens, opposing the heavenly Dao, defying heavenly luck.

Just these twelve words made Sebastian realize that this was definitely not an ordinary talent.

In his previous life of ten years in "Wild Valley World," he had never heard of anyone obtaining such a talent.

Hastily reading further:

This talent has three effects.

​²​: Those born against the heavens experience a phoenix-like rebirth. All innate attributes are maxed, but every time you die, all innate attributes decrease by 10%.

​³​: Those opposing the heavenly Dao incur the jealousy of the heavens. With each breakthrough in a major realm, all attribute rewards are doubled, but they will always trigger heavenly tribulation. If you fail to overcome the tribulation, your soul will be scattered.

​⁴​: Those defying heavenly luck have opportunities at their side. With each breakthrough in a major realm, you receive an additional random talent. However, every time you reach a major realm, you must fulfill 'Heavenly Dao Level' conditions.

After reading the talent description, Sebastian fell into silence for a few seconds, then he was ecstatic!

Never did he expect that his talents would change after his rebirth, and "Defying Fate" was an unbeatable talent! Although it offered not just benefits but also risks, for Sebastian, it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Great opportunities come with great risks. If he didn't have the heart to face these challenges, he might as well not have been reborn.

"The talent has been granted to you. Now you must choose your appearance."

As Nüwa spoke, she lifted her fair hand, and a projection appeared, displaying Sebastian's face. Beside it were numerous hairstyle options.

This was similar to character customization in online games. In "Wild Valley World," you couldn't customize your character's face; you were stuck with your natural appearance. However, you could choose a hairstyle suitable for the mystical world, such as loose hair, tied hair, or a plain bun. There were also options like the explosion hairstyle similar to "Storm Riders," the round bangs like the protagonist in "The Legend of Sword and Fairy," and even bald heads, bald heads covered in dirt, and more.

Sebastian chose a semi-loose hairstyle with a coronet, which suited his face and made him look elegant.

In his past life, he had been a bit immature, thinking that he had been handsome all his life and he didn't care about his in-game appearance. As a result, he chose a hairstyle like that of the protagonist "Storm Riders," not realizing that higher attractiveness would make it easier to gain favor from opposite-gender NPCs, and his explosion hairstyle significantly reduced his initial charm value.

This time, Sebastian didn't want to make the same mistake.

Image confirmed.

Next, in front of Sebastian, a scroll appeared. The scroll unfurled in the air, revealing a map divided into four sections, each labeled: Eternal Peace State, Moonlight State, Admiring Immortals State, and Prosperous Harmony State.

These were the four birthplaces players could choose from. Although the map of "Wild Valley World" was vast, these four states were only a small part of it. However, other regions had extremely high danger levels and required high cultivation levels to explore.

These four states were the ideal birthplaces for four mainstream professions in "Wild Valley World": Mages, Healers, Weapon Crafters, and Body Cultivators.

Eternal Peace State was most suitable for Mages.

Moonlight State was most suitable for Healers.

Admiring Immortals State was most suitable for Weapon Crafters.

Prosperous Harmony State was most suitable for Body Cultivators.

This didn't mean that you couldn't excel in other professions there. However, each of the four states concealed unique and extraordinary opportunities that other lands didn't possess. For example, Eternal Peace State hid the opportunities left behind by powerful Mages, including various rare magical treasures, abilities, and immortality pills.

The same applied to other professions. But these opportunities were hard to come by, and the triggering and completion conditions were very strict. To obtain them, both luck and strength were necessary.

Sebastian needed to decide which profession he wanted to pursue.