Adam Carter saw another screen appear before his eyes. On the screen, he was sitting at his desk, frowning as he looked at his empty palm.

Suddenly, his consciousness was sucked into the screen.

An electronic voice sounded: "Your future life has been successfully loaded!"

It was still the pitch-black room where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Adam Carter shifted his body a few times in the chair, then stood up, still leaning against the edge of the desk as he walked to the wall and pressed the light switch.

The room was illuminated by the light.

He quickly scanned the furnishings in the room.

All the familiar items, the walls covered in pale yellow patterns and greenish mold spots, the books covered in mold, and the windows blocked by wooden boards all came into view.

The date crossed off on the desk calendar was still April 17th.

Who would have thought that this room, which didn't seem all that unusual, had most likely already been occupied by 'that thing'?

Staring at the pale green floor tiles beneath his feet, Adam Carter took a deep breath and was just about to take a step when a strong stench of dead rat suddenly rushed into his nose!

That thing was coming!

His pupils contracted as he stood rooted to the spot, his gaze darting around the room and at his feet.

When he looked again at the window sealed with wooden boards, a new suspicion arose in his mind.

The way that thing appeared might not be limited to emerging from beneath his feet—this thought flashed through his mind in an instant—as his eyes hurriedly darted about, he saw that from the shadows cast by himself, the desk and chairs, and all the other furnishings under the light, a large amount of tar-like liquid was gushing out, surging toward Adam Carter in an instant!

It completely enveloped Adam Carter!

The 'tar' clung to Adam Carter's skin, bones, and blood, then began to stretch out in all directions—

Intense pain, so strong that even his brain couldn't bear it, came from every part of his body!

"You are—a shadow—"

On his face, twisted in pain, the corners of his mouth suddenly curled up into a chilling smile.

He understood everything.

'That thing' didn't emerge from the floor at all; it was the shadow cast everywhere by the parts blocked from the light!

No wonder his future self would make the room completely dark and board up the windows.

As long as he was completely immersed in darkness, it wouldn't appear!

Where did his future self get this information?

Thoughts flashed through Adam Carter's mind like a stream of data, and instead made him forget the intense pain in his body.

Vaguely, he seemed to hear the electronic voice prompt: "You have comprehended a temporary talent: Pain Diversion (White)."

"Pain Diversion (White): You have the ability to divert your own pain by distracting yourself."

Adam Carter's vision went black.

The electronic voice became even clearer: "You are dead."

"Temporary talent: Pain Diversion (White) has disappeared."

"This simulation is over."

"Rating: D-.

Comments: It seems you've finally used your brain a little. Though it was still useless, at least you comprehended a temporary talent and got a taste of something new.

Reward: 1 Yuan Jade."

"The following items can be brought out of the simulation game this time..."

A dial appeared, and option 0 showed a triangular object resembling a badge. Adam Carter checked its detailed information.

'Talent—Pain Diversion (White), spend 50 Yuan Jade to bring it out and make it your permanent talent.'

"You can bring a temporary talent comprehended in the simulation game into reality and make it your permanent talent this way?"

Adam Carter glanced over the dial and once again skipped this option.

He couldn't afford 50 Yuan Jade.

Including the one Yuan Jade he just received as a reward, he only had three Yuan Jade in his wallet.

"Exit simulator."

Adam Carter said in his mind.

As soon as the thought settled, the darkness enveloping his body vanished without a trace.

The smooth, bright walls of the room, with no trace of mold, appeared before his eyes. He turned his head to look at the bookshelf, and the books inside were also free of mold.

This was reality.

But the future in the simulator was about to happen soon!

Turning on the computer, Adam Carter quickly typed a question into various search engines: "How can you prevent objects from casting shadows under light?"

Chapter 3: Gang Hole

Adam Carter quickly found an answer: No shadow is cast when light shines perpendicularly on an object.

But Adam Carter soon realized that the 'shadow wraith' could emerge from the shadows cast by any object, and there was no way he could make light shine perpendicularly on every object!

Suppose that after entering the simulation game, he didn't turn on the light but brought a flashlight with him and shone it perpendicularly on the floor—maybe that would prevent shadows from forming—or maybe not. Would the outline of the flashlight's beam count as a shadow?

There were many drawbacks to this method, and no matter how careful he was, there was always a risk of failure.

Adam Carter then thought of the shadowless lamp used in hospitals.

He looked up the principle of the shadowless lamp and found that it only minimized the main shadow, but couldn't completely eliminate shadows.

Even if the shadowless lamp worked and he could install one in his room, what about outside the room? The hallway? The stairwell?

He didn't have the money for that.

Since anywhere with light would inevitably produce shadows, could he choose to move only in the dark?

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Adam Carter's mind!