(Oh, Host… calmer than I expected. This will be easier.)
"It's not that I'm calm—I've just accepted my fate. And you're the only one I can talk to, so I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"
(Good mindset, Host.)
(First, let me introduce you to your new body. Hayashi—same surname as yours. College dropout. Not popular. You probably figured out why already.)
"I would be more shocked if you said he was a womanizer."
(You really are funny. No wonder they've voted you the most charming idol five years in a row.)
"Uh… how is that even relevant?"
(More than you think. This body might look ordinary, but it holds one of the most powerful abilities in this world—powerful enough to prevent its destruction. Your job is to awaken it.)
"Again? How is that even relevant to me being an idol?"
(Don't be impatient. The way to fully awaken his power is very simple for you—make 100 women fall in love with you. That's where you come in. Use your charm and make it happen.)
Charm 100 women with this face? That's like playing a dating sim on Impossible Mode, where the developer didn't even bother making a route for players to succeed.
"I think you've got the wrong person. You should have gotten one of those pick-up artists who claim they can get any woman, no matter what. Not me—I'm only good at dancing and singing."
(That's not true, Host. My research shows you hold the record for most women falling in love with you simultaneously.)
"Those were my fans! Sure, they adored me, but it's a completely different kind of love!"
(Are you sure? Because it says here that you've been voted for three consecutive years as the man wanted most by women. Comments on social media also claim that there are millions of females wanting to sleep with you… and have your baby.)
"What? You got your data from social media? Don't you know how fuck up and unreliable those are? And those titles and votes are just made up to hype my name!"
Total silence. She probably just realized her mistake.
"Hey, Null… are you still there? You picked the wrong one, so how about giving me another body?"
"I'm not good with girls. I get awkward around them. There's a reason I'm still a virgin, even with my good looks."
Still no response.
Don't tell me she's having an existential crisis right now.
(Host, I… I don't think I made a mistake, so stop protesting—or else...)
"So you're turning to blackmail now?"
(I'm not your host. And I can't give you a replacement. So we're stuck together. If you fail the mission, we both cease to exist.)
"That's not so bad, I mean I died already."
(No host. Your karma is insanely high, so you were bound to be reincarnated as a prince—the heir to a vast empire—and live a life of comfort… before I snatch your soul away. If we get erased, that's it. No more chances at reincarnation.)
This time, I was the one left speechless.
"Are you kidding me? Why did you even drag me into this mess?"
I clutched my chest. Not from frustration, but from the pounding pain of oxygen deprivation.
Little by little, I calmed myself. Arguing with her wouldn't help. I could do this. I was the one who started as a social outcast and, through effort and dedication, became a global superstar.
"Are you sure this is about falling in love and not just… sleeping with them? Because honestly, I could probably manage that if I had enough money to throw."
(No, that's not allowed. You need their genuine emotions to awaken and cultivate the power within you.)
"Are you serious? You do see my face, right?" My finger jabbed toward the mirror, as if that would make her understand.
(It's… hideous.)
"Exactly! So how the hell do you expect me to make that many girls fall for me? I might manage two… if I found a girl with a really weird fetish, but 100? That's straight-up impossible!"
(Don't worry Host, I am here to help you.)
(Behold! The Ugly Bastard System!)
"The… Ugly Bastard System?" My face dropped into my sweaty hands with a groan.
(If that's too much, we can just call it the Ugly System.)
"Wait… why'd you remove Bastard instead of the Ugly?"
(Bastard System?)
"That's not helping me one bit."
"Can you at least give me the original name? I know you're pulling my leg here."
A giggle echoed in my ear. Great. Just what I needed. An immature, childish assistant.
(It's called the Leveling Charm System.)
Still a weird name, but way better than the alternative.
"Tell me what it does—and, more importantly, what I actually get out of this whole 'save the world' thing."
(Host, once you earn enough points, you can even change your face back to your original one by using the System Store.)
"For real?!" My feet twitched off the ground before I could stop them.
My face. I missed it more than anything. Knowing I could get it back was more than enough to get my blood pumping.
(That's the spirit, Host! But before we start, let's go through your status.)
=====
Name: Sora Hayashi
Level : 1
Class : N/A
Strength : F-
Agility : F-
Stamina: F-
Charisma: F--
Power: F-
Intelligence :C+
Points : 1000
=====
"I think there's a graphic glitch. I'm seeing a double negative sign on the charisma part."
(No host, that's an accurate representation. Your current body has a naturally repulsive aura. Even if you hide your face, people will still find you far less attractive than others.)
(This is the result of your body's hidden power. It practically drained all your other stats just to grow itself.)
Damn it. No wonder I was so judgmental. I wasn't normally this harsh about looks. It was my own body's repulsiveness affecting me.
Just thinking about how I could land my first girl gave me a headache. This wasn't just about looks anymore.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Focus.
"By the way, Null… why don't I have any memories of this body?"
(Injecting Memories now)
"AHHHHH!"
Scenes shot through my mind like thousands of needles stabbing all at once, leaving me reeling and gasping for breath.
The visions came in fragments. Classmates laughing, shoving him into lockers, spreading rumors. Worse still were the people who should have cared—his stepmother's smile always fake, her daughters laughing at every mistake he made.
Depression sank its claws in deep. He ate more than he should, lived an unhealthy lifestyle, became more undesirable with each passing day.
The final act came today. An overdose of medicine, leaving behind nothing but painful memories.
"So that's what happened…"
(Yes, Host. The Hayashi of this world was not supposed to die. He was destined to be its savior, but something intervened and messed up everything.)
"Why didn't you save him?"
(Host, I only became aware of this when he died, so I don't know the full details either. All I know is that without Hayashi, this world was bound to be destroyed in the near future.)
"I get it now." I sighed.