"Huff… huff…"
My arms trembled as I pushed myself off the floor for the fiftieth time that night. Sweat dripped down my face, stinging my eyes. The small apartment room smelled of sweat and exhaustion. My muscles burned, my chest heaved, but I kept going.
(LOOK AT YOU. PATHETIC. TWO WEEKS AND YOU STILL STRUGGLE WITH PUSH-UPS. A CHILD COULD DO BETTER. LOSER. USELESS LOSER.)
"Shut… shut up…" I muttered between breaths, collapsing flat on the floor.
(OH, ARE YOU TALKING BACK TO ME NOW? WOW. HOW BRAVE. SHOULD I GIVE YOU A GOLD MEDAL? NO—YOU'D PROBABLY DROP IT. HAAHHAHA.)
I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the voice. But then—
BZZZZZZ.
My head pulsed. A sharp ringing noise shot through my skull, like someone drilling directly into my brain.
"Arghhh!" I grabbed my head, rolling onto the mat. The pain wasn't ordinary—it was the system.
A faint blue glow appeared before me, the hologram screen flickering alive.
[NOTIFICATION]
TASK: Beat up Shinji and Ryo.
REWARD: 10 Gold Coins + Unlock "Body Customization" feature.
My breathing steadied. My vision locked on those words.
"…Beat up Shinji and Ryo?"
(YES, LOSER. YOUR BULLIES. THE SAME TWO WHO LAUGHED AT YOU IN YOUR PAST LIFE. FRIENDS NOW, FRIENDS THEN, DOESN'T MATTER. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO STRIKE BACK. AND DON'T GIVE ME YOUR PATHETIC MORAL DILEMMA NONSENSE. DO IT. 10 COINS. BODY CUSTOMIZATION. YOU NEED IT MORE THAN ANYONE. HAHAHA.)
My fists clenched. Shinji and Ryo… They were the same as before. Mocking. Laughing. Pretending to be close, only to throw me under the bus when it mattered most.
Maybe the system was cruel, but maybe this time… it was giving me a way to take back something.
---
That night, I stood in the shadows across from Ryo's house. The street was quiet, the hum of distant traffic mixing with the faint chirps of insects. My hands were sweaty inside the black gloves. My face was hidden under a plain black mask. In my right hand, I held a metal bat I bought from a sports shop earlier.
(LOOK AT YOU. FINALLY STARTING TO LOOK LIKE A MAN. THOUGH, LET'S BE HONEST, EVEN WITH THAT BAT, YOU'RE STILL A LOSER. BUT MAYBE TONIGHT YOU'LL LEVEL UP. HAHAHA.)
I ignored the insults, focusing on the small power box at the side of Ryo's house. With careful fingers, I twisted the main switch.
Click.
Darkness swallowed the building. Lights went out, and a confused shout came from inside.
A moment later, the door opened.
"Damn, what the hell? Power outage?" Ryo stepped out first, wearing a loose T-shirt, scratching his head. Shinji followed, holding a phone flashlight. "Oi, maybe the breaker tripped?"
Perfect.
I stepped from the shadows. The bat gleamed faintly under the moonlight.
"What the—?" Shinji barely managed before I swung. The bat slammed into his stomach, knocking the air out of him. He dropped the phone, curling in pain.
Ryo turned, wide-eyed. "Who the hell are—"
The second swing cracked across his shoulder, sending him staggering into the wall.
Their groans filled the empty street. I stood over them, my chest heaving, bat raised again.
(YESSS! BEAT THEM. BREAK THEM. EVERY HIT IS A STEP AWAY FROM BEING THE LOSER YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN. TAKE WHAT'S YOURS, LOSER. TAKE IT!)
My mask hid my face, but inside, my expression twisted—fear, anger, satisfaction, all tangled together.
For once, I wasn't the one being beaten.
I was the one holding the bat.
....
The bat still echoed in my head long after I had left Ryo and Shinji curled up on the ground. My legs felt shaky, my breath uneven, but I walked quickly through the dark streets, slipping the mask into my bag. By the time I reached my apartment, my chest was still pounding—not only from fear, but from something else.
Excitement.
The moment I shut the door behind me, the familiar blue glow appeared again in front of my eyes.
[TASK COMPLETE]
REWARD: 10 Gold Coins + Body Customization Unlocked.
The screen shimmered. A soft clink echoed in my ears as ten golden coins floated in front of me like little holograms before vanishing into the system's inventory.
(LOOK AT THIS. THE LOSER ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING RIGHT. BRAVO. SHOULD I CLAP? NO—I'D BREAK YOUR EARS WITH HOW LOUD I'D LAUGH. NOW OPEN YOUR MENU, LOSER. TRY NOT TO SCREW IT UP.)
I sat on the edge of my bed, wiping sweat from my forehead, and said softly:
"Open System."
The blue screen unfolded wider than usual. A new tab blinked in bold letters:
[BODY CUSTOMIZATION]
My hand trembled as I touched it. The interface changed, showing a faint wireframe of my body. Thin. Weak shoulders. Flat chest. No definition. It looked exactly like me—pathetic.
Below the figure, text appeared:
Each body part requires minimum 1 coin to modify. Strength and durability will scale with changes.
My throat felt dry. Ten coins. Just ten. I needed to think carefully.
(HAHAHA. THINK CAREFULLY? AS IF YOUR EMPTY HEAD HAS EVER DONE THAT. START WITH YOUR ARMS, LOSER. OR NO, YOUR CHEST. OR… WAIT. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'LL TOUCH FIRST. HAHAHAHA.)
I ignored the laughter, scrolling through the options.
First, I tapped on Abs. The wireframe rippled, and suddenly six sharp ridges appeared across its stomach. My finger hovered over "Confirm." One coin.
"...Confirm."
[Abs upgraded.]
The figure flexed. For the first time, it looked strong.
Second, I tapped Shoulders. They broadened instantly, looking wider, more solid, the kind of build that could carry weight instead of collapsing under it.
[Shoulders upgraded.]
My heart thudded faster. I looked better already.
Finally, I hesitated before tapping lower—Genitals. The description was blunt, almost mocking.
[Size/Shape/Performance: 1 Coin Minimum.]
My ears burned. "...Confirm."
[Genitals upgraded.] Length increased by 1 inch .
The wireframe smirked at me, as though it knew exactly why I'd chosen it.
(HAHAHAHA. I KNEW IT! ABS, SHOULDERS, AND DICK. WHAT A PRIORITY LIST! YOU REALLY ARE A LOSER. BUT FINE—AT LEAST NOW YOU WON'T BE LAUGHED AT IN THE LOCKER ROOM. OH WAIT, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE FRIENDS TO SHOWER WITH. HAHAHAHA.)
"Shut up," I muttered, but my lips twitched despite myself.
The system wasn't finished.
Remaining Coins: 7.
Would you like to convert coins to currency?
"Yes."
The screen blinked.
[Conversion Rate: 1 Coin = ¥14,700.]
Debiting 10 Coins… Crediting ¥147,000 into bank account.]
A soft chime sounded. I grabbed my phone, checking my bank app—and there it was. 147,000 yen. Real money. Sitting there in my account.
My jaw slackened. My hands shook.
This… this wasn't a game. This wasn't just some illusion.
This was real.
I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, the glow of the blue screen fading slowly into nothing. My body was already tingling with change, my bank balance overflowing compared to the broke loser I was yesterday.
For the first time in years, I didn't feel like the world was laughing at me.
Maybe… maybe this system was my second chance.
(SECOND CHANCE? DON'T KID YOURSELF. YOU'RE STILL A LOSER. BUT HEY, AT LEAST NOW YOU'RE A LOSER WITH ABS AND SOME CASH. HAHAHAHA.)
I closed my eyes, letting the insults wash over me, but this time, they didn't sting as much.
Because for once… I actually had something to hold on to.
As I was thinking suddenly THUDDDDDDDD
AAAAAAAA My stomach hurtsssssss aaaaaaa
My shoulders even my dickk stopp aaaaa
(HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH)