Doomsday Life Simulator System In A Zombie Apocalypse World Update Era-Chapter 96: Old MacDonald

[When the white light disappeared, the figure of an elderly man gradually became visible.]

[He had a sturdy, broad-shouldered build that didn’t match his age. His posture was straight and steady like someone who had spent his entire life working the land.]

[His weathered face carried deep wrinkles carved by decades under the sun, while a thick gray beard and mustache framed his jaw.]

[A worn straw hat rested atop his head, casting a shadow over a pair of calm yet sharp hazel-brown eyes that held the quiet confidence of someone accustomed to taming stubborn beasts.]

[He wore a faded plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms, sturdy suspenders, and well-used leather gloves. His trousers were tucked into a pair of rugged farming boots stained with soil.]

[In one hand, he held a long wooden pitchfork polished smooth from years of use, while a coil of rope hung from his belt alongside a small pouch of seeds.]

[Though he looked like nothing more than a humble rancher, the faint aura surrounding him carried the steady vitality of fertile earth and thriving livestock.]

[It felt as if the moment this man stepped onto a piece of land, barren soil would soon turn into a flourishing farm.]

[This was the legendary rancher spoken of in the nursery rhyme, Old MacDonald.] 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

[Old MacDonald slowly looked around after the summoning light faded.]

[His calm hazel eyes first swept across the unfamiliar metal surroundings of the train carriage before settling on the three people standing before him.]

[His gaze lingered briefly on Scarlet Vale, as if recognizing something familiar about her presence.]

[Then the old rancher adjusted the straw hat on his head and rested his pitchfork against his shoulder. "Hmm."]

["Well now... this ain’t the plains I remember."]

[He studied you for a moment before giving a small nod. "You must be the one who called me here, lad."]

["My name’s MacDonald. Been tending ranches and farms longer than most folks care to count."]

[His eyes briefly shifted toward Scarlet again. "Didn’t expect to see Red Riding Hood here..."]

[He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if recalling something from memory.]

["Last news I heard, the Church of Light had the werewolves of your city executed."]

["Thought the Hunter Coalition was still after you."]

[He let out a small breath before giving a faint nod. "Seems you managed to slip away and ended up here."]

[The old rancher glanced around, recalling the information given to him by the World Will of the Train Survival World.]

["Didn’t even know something like a train crew existed."]

[He then looked back at you, "Well... wherever land and beasts need tending, I reckon I can make myself useful."]

[You nodded at Old MacDonald in acknowledgment, "Old man, we’ll rely on you on that. We have a train carriage modified into a ranch, and if we ever encounter magical beasts, we plan to expand the Ranch and incorporate such beasts into it."]

["At that time, we’ll leave it to you. None of us youths have any experience with farm work, so it’s better to leave it to an experienced professional like you."]

[You then informed Old MacDonald about the past experiences of you, Jade, and Scarlet as a train crew during the past six days while walking, heading out of the black market treasury, and returning to the train.]

[Although the World Will had informed Old MacDonald about the information and common sense of the Train Survival World, it was still better to let him know firsthand information about the station worlds, resources, and many more.]

[While you were chatting, you didn’t forget to use Hint Prompt on Old MacDonald to check his information since you were quite curious about him.]

[As someone who had lived way longer than Scarlet and even came from the same world as her, Old MacDonald likely knew more about the Fairy Tale World than Scarlet.]

[Because of that, using Hint Prompt on him would yield more information that even Scarlet didn’t know. After all, Scarlet had mostly spent her entire life in the town where her grandma lived.]

[However, you didn’t like invading the privacy of someone who’d become your lifelong ally, so you informed Old MacDonald about your Hint Prompt talent and asked for permission.]

[Old MacDonald didn’t mind, "Lad, I’ve lived for several hundred years. I have nothing to hide... lived honestly as a rancher and farmer."]

["You can check my information. However, be warned. It might take a long time... to find the information you want."]

[You thanked Old MacDonald and used Hint Prompt (Gold) talent on him.]

{Hint Prompt: Old MacDonald was once an ordinary farmer in the Fairy Tale World. However, his unparalleled dedication to ranching and agriculture eventually earned the recognition of the World Will of the Fairy Tale World.

From that day onward, he ceased aging and became the living archetype of the Rancher, a figure whose presence could turn barren land fertile and tame even the wildest beasts.}

[After receiving that hint prompt, you used it countless times, yet most of them were related to Old MacDonald’s several hundred years of life as well as his capabilities and power.]

[You discovered that while Old MacDonald was a pure-blooded human and wasn’t even a High Human like you and Jade, he was immortal in the sense that he would never age.]

[Even you and Jade weren’t truly immortal. A High Human merely just had a higher lifespan than a normal human.]

[However, Old MacDonald was only ageless and didn’t have eternal youth. His physical appearance was locked to the time he was acknowledged by the Fairy Tale World’s Will.]

[Moreover, looking this old and experienced was one of the elements that made him fit the narrative role of a Rancher, so the Fairy Tale World’s Will didn’t bother to grant him eternal youth.]

[After reading countless hint prompts related to Old MacDonald’s personal information, you finally stumbled upon a piece of information related to his world.]

{Hint Prompt: The Fairy Tale World is a world with a very idealistic and fantastical power system at its core. While other power systems exist within it, its true power system was based on the narrative role assigned by the Fairy Tale World’s Will.}