Lin Yuer collapsed on his terrible mattress, his entire body aching.
The original Lin Yuer's apartment was depressing—a tiny studio in a bad part of town, barely heated, with a leaking ceiling and suspicious stains on the walls.
He stared at the ceiling and sighed.
Is this really what I wished for?
To be powerless?
To be nothing?
[HOST! Don't be sad! (´;ω;`)]
[You gained Beauty Points today!]
[Would you like to see your progress?]
"...Sure. Why not."
A translucent screen appeared:
[BEAUTY RESTORATION PROGRESS]
[Current Level: 7/100]
[Physical Changes Unlocked:]
Skin texture: +2% improvement
Hair shine: +1% improvement
Overall aura: +0.5% improvement
[Next Milestone: Level 10]
[Reward: Minor facial feature enhancement]
"So basically," Lin Yuer said flatly, "I'm still ugly."
[CORRECT! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و]
[But less ugly than before!]
"Your motivational skills need work."
[I'm a system, not a therapist! ¯_(ツ)_/¯]
Lin Yuer almost smiled despite everything.
Then his assassin instincts suddenly flared.
Someone's watching me.
He didn't move. Didn't change his breathing pattern. Just slowly became aware of the presence outside his window.
Fourth floor. Fire escape. One person. Male. Experienced—his breathing is controlled. Armed? Possibly.
A normal person wouldn't notice.
The presence stayed for exactly three minutes. Then disappeared as silently as it had come.
Lin Yuer stared at the window.
Who was that?
Someone from the organization?
Did they track me somehow?
But how? I'm in a completely different body!
[HOST? Is something wrong? (・・;)]
"...No," Lin Yuer lied. "Nothing."
But as he finally drifted off to sleep, bruised and exhausted, one thought kept circling his mind:
I'm not the only one hunting in the shadows.
Someone is hunting me.
[Meanwhile, Across the City...]
In a luxury penthouse overlooking Shanghai's skyline, Xie Yunlan stood by the window, a glass of whiskey in his hand.
He hadn't slept properly in three years.
Not since that night.
Not since he'd held Phantom's dying body in his arms.
His phone buzzed. A message from his private investigator:
"Sir, we found something. The boy in the viral video from last month—the one who defeated those animals? I tracked him down. He's a student at St. Amadeus Academy. Name: Lin Yuer. Age 16. Orphan. Scholarship student."
Attached was a photo.
A chubby boy with thick glasses and a plain face, looking down at the ground.
Xie Yunlan stared at the photo.
It looked nothing like Phantom.
But something in his chest clenched anyway.
No. It can't be.
Phantom is dead.
I saw him die.
But then why did this boy move the same way? Use the same techniques?
He pulled up another screen. Security footage from outside a shabby apartment building.
The same boy entering the building, limping, covered in bruises.
Xie Yunlan's expression darkened.
He'd sent someone to observe tonight. Just to check. Just to be sure.
And what he'd seen had confirmed his suspicions.
That boy's situational awareness was too good. His micro-movements too trained.
Either he's received professional training...
Or he's someone pretending to be weak.
Xie Yunlan set down his glass and picked up his phone.
He made three calls.
First, to his assistant: "Prepare a transfer. I want complete files on every student at St. Amadeus Academy."
Second, to his legal team: "What's the process for becoming a school sponsor?"
Third, to a number he hadn't called in three years. It rang twice before a deep, military-crisp voice answered:
"Yunlan? It's been a while."
"Kai Zhen," Xie Yunlan said quietly. "Remember what I told you I'd do if I ever found a lead on Phantom?"
"...You found something?"
"Maybe. I need you to run a background check. Name: Lin Yuer. Age 16. Shanghai resident."
"On it. Give me four hours."
"Three."
"...Fine. Three."
The call ended.
Xie Yunlan looked back at the photo of Lin Yuer.
It's impossible, he told himself.
Reincarnation isn't real.
Phantom is gone.
But his heart—that traitorous, hopeful thing—whispered:
What if?
He'd promised to find Phantom, even in another life.
And Xie Yunlan never broke his promises.
___
Next morning
Lin Yuer woke up to his alarm and immediately regretted being alive.
Wait. I'm already dead and reincarnated. Can I regret being alive twice?
Every muscle in his body ached from yesterday's "lesson." His arm was a spectacular shade of purple-black where Zhang Hao's bat had connected.
In his previous life, he would've just injected himself with a military-grade painkiller and kept moving.
Now? He had to suffer through it like a normal teenager.
This is bullshit.
[GOOD MORNING, HOST! ☀(ゝω・)v]
[You have (3) New Missions!]
"Can the missions wait?" Lin Yuer groaned, rolling out of bed and immediately regretting that decision too.
[Missions don't wait for anyone! (｀・ω・´)ゞ]
[That's why they're called missions and not suggestions!]
"I hate you."
[You say that, but your Beauty Points say otherwise! ♡]
[Speaking of which - you gained +2 passive points overnight!]
[CURRENT BEAUTY LEVEL: 9/100]
Lin Yuer dragged himself to the bathroom mirror and stared at his reflection.
He... actually did look slightly different?
The acne on his forehead had cleared up a bit. His skin looked less dull. His eyes seemed marginally less small behind the glasses (which he'd had to tape together after Zhang Hao's attack).
"Huh," he muttered. "Still ugly though."
[Rome wasn't built in a day! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧]
[Now! Let's see your missions!]
The translucent screen appeared:
[DAILY MISSIONS - DAY 2]
Mission 1: Smile at Zhang Hao
Reward: +3 Beauty Points
Penalty: None (but your pride will hurt)
Mission 2: Compliment Someone Genuinely
Reward: +5 Beauty Points
Penalty: -2 Beauty Points if you fail
Mission 3: Help a Stranger
Reward: +10 Beauty Points
Penalty: None
[TIME LIMIT: Before midnight tonight!]
[GOOD LUCK! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ:・゚✧]*
Lin Yuer stared at the missions.
Then stared some more.
"You want me," he said slowly, "to smile at the guy who beat me with a baseball bat yesterday?"
[Correct! (⌒▽⌒)☆]
"And compliment someone?"
[Yes! Genuine compliments increase your charm stat!]
"I'm an assassin. I don't do compliments. I do threats and intimidation."
[Well, now you do compliments! Character growth! ✧.]*
Lin Yuer wanted to argue, but his stomach growled loudly, interrupting him.
Right. Food.
He checked his wallet: ¥47 left.
Original Lin Yuer had been barely surviving on a part-time job at a convenience store (which he'd been fired from last week for "looking unpleasant") and the minimal scholarship stipend.
I've had mission budgets bigger than my entire life savings now.
He grabbed a piece of stale bread, forced it down with tap water, and headed out.
If Lin Yuer thought yesterday was bad, today proved that hell had multiple levels.
The moment he walked through the gates, whispers erupted.
"Oh my god, look at his face—"
"Is that a bruise?"
"Zhang Hao really got him good."
"Serves him right for being here."
Lin Yuer kept his head down and kept walking.
—
"Well, well. Look who's still alive."
Of course.
Zhang Hao leaned against the locker next to his, that same insufferable smirk on his face.
"I thought maybe you'd learned your lesson and transferred schools," Zhang Hao continued. "But I guess you're too stupid even for that."
Lin Yuer's hand tightened on his locker door.
I could slam this into his face. Break his nose. Three of his teeth would definitely come out. He'd need reconstructive surgery.
[HOST! MISSION! (ﾉﾟ0ﾟ)ﾉ~]
[You need to SMILE at him!]
Are you INSANE?!
[Those are the rules! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]
I'm going to delete you. I don't know how, but I will find a way.
So Lin Yuer took a deep breath, turned to Zhang Hao, and forced his face into what he hoped was a smile.
It probably looked more like a grimace.
"G-good morning, Zhang Hao," he managed.
Zhang Hao's smirk faltered.
"What the hell?" Zhang Hao said. "Did I hit you too hard? Are you brain damaged now?"
"I just... wanted to say good morning," Lin Yuer said through gritted teeth that were trying to pass as a smile.
This was worse than that time he'd had to seduce a target at a gala. At least then, he'd been able to poison them afterward.
Zhang Hao stared at him like he'd grown a second head.
"You're so weird," he finally said, and walked away,while muttering about "freaks" and "scholarship weirdos."
The moment they were gone, Lin Yuer's face fell back into his natural expression: mild homicidal intent.
[DING! ✧.]*
[MISSION 1 COMPLETE!]
[REWARD: +3 Beauty Points!]
[CURRENT BEAUTY LEVEL: 12/100]
[Congratulations! You've reached Level 10!]
[MILESTONE REWARD UNLOCKED: Minor Facial Feature Enhancement!]
[Processing... Please wait...]
Lin Yuer felt a strange tingling sensation across his face.
He rushed to the nearest bathroom and looked in the mirror.
His face was... less round?
The pudgy cheeks had slimmed down slightly. His jawline was a tiny bit more defined. His eyes were marginally larger, the double eyelids more pronounced.
He still wasn't handsome. Not even close.
But he was less... potato-like.
[SEE?! Progress! (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ]
[Keep completing missions and you'll be beautiful in no time!]
"I'm starting to think your definition of 'no time' is very different from mine," Lin Yuer muttered.
But he had to admit—even this small change felt significant.
A group of girls walked past, chatting. One of them glanced at him, then did a double-take.
"Wait," she whispered to her friend. "Is that Lin Yuer? Did he... do something different?"
"Maybe he washed his face for once?" her friend replied, and they giggled as they walked away.
Second Period: Literature Class
Lin Yuer was trying to stay awake during a lecture about classical poetry (he'd memorized poetry in seventeen languages for undercover work—this was painfully basic) when someone tapped his shoulder.
He turned to find Wei Feng, his chubby friend, looking concerned.
"Yuer," Wei Feng whispered, "are you okay? I heard about yesterday..."
Mission 2: Compliment Someone Genuinely
Lin Yuer looked at Wei Feng—the only person in this entire school who'd shown him kindness. The original Lin Yuer's only friend.
"I'm fine," Lin Yuer whispered back. Then, forcing himself to be genuine: "Thank you for caring, Wei Feng. You're... a really good person. Better than I deserve."
It wasn't a lie. Wei Feng was kind. In a world where everyone else had turned their backs on the original Lin Yuer, Wei Feng had offered napkins and shared lunches.
Wei Feng's face turned red. "I—well—that's—you deserve good friends too, Yuer! Don't say that!"
[DING! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ:・゚✧]*
[MISSION 2 COMPLETE!]
[REWARD: +5 Beauty Points!]
[CURRENT BEAUTY LEVEL: 17/100]
[Bonus Reward: +1 Charm Stat!]
[Wei Feng's Affection: +10!]
Wait, there are affection stats?
[Of course! (◕‿◕)♡]
[You can build relationships with people!]
[Higher affection = More help in the future!]
This really is like a game...
"Mr. Lin! Mr. Wei!"
Both of them jumped. The literature teacher, Mrs. Wang, was glaring at them.
"Since you both seem more interested in chatting than my lesson, perhaps you'd like to recite the poem on page 47?"
Wei Feng paled. Lin Yuer glanced at the page.
It was a classical Chinese poem. Eight stanzas. Complex characters.
Original Lin Yuer had been terrible at literature.
But Phantom had memorized entire encrypted codebooks.
Don't be too good. Blend in. Be average.
"I... I don't remember it all, teacher," Lin Yuer said, standing up. Then he recited the first two stanzas perfectly before pretending to stumble on the third.
Mrs. Wang looked surprised. "Adequate. Sit down."
Wei Feng stared at him. "Since when can you memorize poetry?"
"I... studied last night?" Lin Yuer lied.
"But you're usually terrible at—" Wei Feng stopped himself, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't mean—"
"It's fine. I know I'm not good at school stuff."
Lying is so much easier than missions.
Lin Yuer had successfully avoided Zhang Hao all morning and was heading to his usual spot (near the trash cans, away from everyone) when he heard crying.
Not my problem, he thought immediately.
Phantom never got involved unless it was mission-relevant.
But then the system chimed:
[MISSION 3: Help a Stranger]
[Potential mission target detected nearby! (｀・ω・´)]
Of course.
Lin Yuer followed the sound to behind the gym building. There, he found a small first-year student—couldn't be more than fourteen—curled up on the ground, his lunch scattered around him, his glasses broken.
Three older students stood over him, laughing.
"Maybe next time you'll watch where you're going, freshman."
"Yeah, running into Zhang-ge like that? Who do you think you are?"
Zhang-ge? So these are Zhang Hao's underlings.
The first-year boy was crying silently, trying to gather his ruined lunch with shaking hands.
Lin Yuer's jaw clenched.
The original Lin Yuer suffered this for two years.
And no one helped.
[Will you help him, Host? (・・;)]
Lin Yuer thought about walking away. Keeping his head down.
That's what the original Lin Yuer would do.
But—
Fuck it.
He stepped forward.
"Hey," he called out.
The three bullies turned. Their expressions went from surprise to amusement when they saw who it was.
"Oh look, it's Lin Yuer," one of them sneered. "What, you want some too?"
"Leave him alone," Lin Yuer said quietly.
What am I doing?
The bullies laughed. "Or what? You'll cry at us? Zhang-ge already taught you your place yesterday."
Lin Yuer walked forward until he was standing between them and the crying first-year.
His body language was submissive—shoulders hunched, head slightly bowed.
"I said," Lin Yuer repeated, his voice dropping to a tone he hadn't used since his previous life, "leave him alone."
The lead bully actually took a step back.
"Wh-whatever, freak," the bully muttered. "He's not worth it anyway. Come on, guys."
They left, walking quickly, glancing back nervously.
Lin Yuer's posture immediately relaxed back to normal. He turned to the first-year boy and offered his hand.
"You okay?"
The boy looked up with tear-filled eyes and took his hand. "Th-thank you! I'm so sorry, I should've been more careful, I didn't mean to bump into that senior, I—"
"It's not your fault," Lin Yuer said firmly. "Bullies don't need reasons. They're just assholes."
The boy hiccupped a laugh through his tears. "My name is Chen Ming. I'm in Class 1-A."
"Lin Yuer. Class 2-C."
"I know who you are," Chen Ming said shyly. "Everyone says... well..."
"That I'm the school's punching bag?"
"...Yeah."
"They're not wrong." Lin Yuer helped him pick up the scattered lunch. Most of it was ruined, but he salvaged a few items. "Here."
"Thank you, Lin-ge!"
-ge? Am I a big brother now?
[DING! ✧.(ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ:・゚✧]**
[MISSION 3 COMPLETE!]
[REWARD: +10 Beauty Points!]
[CURRENT BEAUTY LEVEL: 27/100]
[BONUS: Chen Ming's Affection +30!]
[SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: "First Act of Kindness"]
[ADDITIONAL REWARD: +5 Beauty Points!]
[CURRENT BEAUTY LEVEL: 32/100!]
Lin Yuer felt that tingling sensation again, stronger this time.
Chen Ming was staring at him. "Lin-ge... your face..."
"What about it?"
"It's... different? You look... nice?"
Nice. I've gone from 'ugly potato' to 'nice.' What an upgrade.
But when Lin Yuer checked his reflection in a window later, he was shocked.
His face had transformed significantly. The chubbiness was almost gone. His features were more balanced. His skin clearer. His eyes larger and brighter.
He wasn't handsome yet.
But he was... passable. Maybe even slightly cute in a boy-next-door way.
[SEE?! (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ]
[Kindness makes you beautiful!]
[That's the secret of the system!]
"That's... actually pretty wholesome," Lin Yuer admitted.
[RIGHT?! (◕‿◕)♡]
[Now imagine how beautiful you'll be when you reach 100!]