Chapter 84: Constellation
Stars. Or rather, constellations.
Each character starts as a single star, and the maximum is six. These stars aren't just for show. They hold the key to unlocking a character's true potential.
At one star, a character already possesses all the abilities they've accumulated throughout their life.
For example, before I chose to play BB, my understanding of binary systems was superficial at best. I knew what 1s and 0s were, but only in a basic sense. It's like when watching a landscape painting. You only saw the beauty in the frame. If you are not a person who has a good imagination, you just think it's good.
However, after playing BB, it felt as though an ocean of knowledge about binary systems had been poured into my brain. It wasn't just understanding; it was mastery. It's no longer watching a landscape painting in the frame. You will experience it by yourself. You can hear the sound, feel the gentle blow of the wind, absorb positive energy.
Another example is Furina. When I played her, I was suddenly fluent in music, film, and art - an entire symphony of creativity surged through me, as if those skills had been mine from birth.
But here's the thing. I've hit a wall. No character in my collection has managed to reach two stars.
The problem? Promotion. Unlocking their full potential at higher stars requires an immense amount of effort.
Promotion requires two things: EXP and materials. The latter isn't much of an issue - I can always contact transmigrating merchants, retired transmigrators who sell rare items I need. Materials are easy enough to acquire if you know where to look.
EXP, however, is another story entirely.
It's frustratingly hard to come by. Killing monsters, beasts, or bandits? Worthless. EXP doesn't drop from combat or killing. It only comes from two sources: commissions and Gacha.
Commissions issued by people are straightforward enough to find and complete. They're everywhere: on the internet, pinned on boards, or issued directly by sentient beings, mechanical lifeforms, or even animals. The downside? They rarely yield more than double-digit EXP. Triple-digit commissions are a rare gem.
On the other hand, commissions from entities outside this world are on another level. They're incredibly hard to find and even harder to complete. They promise massive rewards - at least seven-digit EXP - but their difficulty is absurd. Hell-level is not enough to describe it. Attempting one would likely end in my death.
The other source is Gacha. Besides dropping a character or weapon, it also drops EXP packs, but they're random. Alternatively, Gacha tickets can be redeemed for fixed EXP—5,000 points per ticket.
All methods are bad in their own way.
To reach two stars, I need 100,000,000 EXP points. It's a laughably steep requirement.
Fortunately, I've discovered a more efficient way: achievement points.
Each achievement point converts into 10,000 EXP. Characters come with their own achievement challenges, and the rewards can be exchanged for personal weapons, skills, or EXP. After careful calculation, I realized the achievement store offers more than enough EXP to reach two stars.
Currently, I have 2,560 achievement points saved up. To gather the remaining 10,000 points I need, I've started working on specific challenges.
One particular achievement stood out:
[Achievement: Taming monster girl (1,000 points)]
"So… does she count as a monster girl?" I mused aloud, my gaze fixed on Rize Kamishiro.
She was locked in a reinforced cell at the far end of my underground facility. Her behavior was feral—completely unlike the cute monster girls I had imagined.
Rize licked the metal door obsessively, despite the scent she was following having faded long ago.
"She should be counted," I muttered.
A robot approached her cell, sliding a tray of raw meat through a secure slot. At the scent of food, Rize lunged like a starved beast. She ripped into the meat with a ravenous fury, tearing it apart before stuffing it into her mouth, chewing with zero regard for decency.
I watched her, torn between disgust and determination.
"No, she must be counted as a monster girl," I said, trying to convince myself.
Even if she doesn't fit the image now, I'll educate her. I'll shape her into something better.
"She'll become a fine lady," I declared, my eyes blazing with resolve.
"Now. Let's see this character's achievement." An interface appeared in front of me.
[ AI, the World Terror (250 points)
Description: Everyone is afraid of you, the AI ]
"This one is feasible" I rubbed my chin, "Since I have complete control of the internet. I only need to exasperate my danger then people will believe so."
[ The start of Judgment Day (1 000 points)
Description: Launching worldwide nuclear bombs ]
"This one is different. This achievement must be an eater eggs of the Terminator movie. If it's so then I must be the one who launches nuclear bombs all around the world to all countries. Just like Skynet does in the movie." I shook my head in disappointment.
Launching one doesn't count as complete. So this achievement is crossed from the list.
[ AI is the supreme leader (1 000 points)
Description: Becoming the world management ]
"This one is better than the previous one. At least, I don't have to start a worldwide destruction. But the difficulty is similar."
"Just like launching one nuclear bomb is enough. I have to become this planet manager. Not in one country or one city. However, I have a feasible way to achieve it."
[ 3D into 2D (100 points)
Description: Dragging any object into the digital world ]
"Oh. This one is easy. Just use BB's Noble Phantasm then it's complete."
Scrolling down, I saw many achievements waiting for me.
3rd POV
Somewhere on Earth, a boy stared at his reflection in the mirror, his expression brimming with disbelief and excitement.
"Holy shit. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be reincarnated into an anime world," he said, running his fingers through his unfamiliar but undeniably handsome features.
"This body is pretty good," he mused. "Just needs a bit of exercise."
Then, as if recalling something, a sly smile crept onto his face.
"Since I'm a reincarnator, I must have a golden finger, right? That's how this always works!"
He looked around eagerly. "System!" he shouted into the air. Silence.
"Status!" he tried again.
Still nothing.
A worried expression clouded his face. "Don't tell me… I don't have a system?"
As uncertainty gnawed at him, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[ Loading system … Please wait a moment. ]
His eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but jump with joy. "Yes! I knew it! My golden finger is here!"
"What kind of system do I get? Oh, I can't wait to dominate the world!" His excitement was palpable as he anticipated the possibilities.
[ Loading complete. Welcome, Host. System name: Dating Simulation. At your service. ]
His grin stretched ear to ear. "Dating Simulation? You know my dreams, bro!"
[ How to use: Select your desired target. Once selected, the target becomes your conquest goal. Build the bond to 100%, and you will receive rewards and acquire the target's skills. ]
"Awesome! Can I get items to help me?"
[ Items are obtainable during the conquest process or through purchase in the shop. ]
"Open the shop. Let me see what you've got."
[ Insufficient authority. Please level up by starting the simulation. ]
"Fine, fine. I'll start tomorrow. First, I need to prepare for my debut!"
The next day, the boy arrived at school early, brimming with excitement. As he stood near the gate, he scanned the faces of students entering one by one.
"She's not good enough."
He dismissed them all with a wave of his system's beauty evaluation. None had a score beyond an A.
"If there's no other choice, I'll settle for her," he sighed.
Still dissatisfied, he shifted his focus to the faculty. Rumors about the school nurse's unparalleled beauty had piqued his interest.
"I need to see for myself."
He made his way to the nurse's office, peeking through the window. The room was empty. Disappointed, he turned to leave—only to freeze in place.
Standing before him was a vision.
Her long, flowing white hair gleamed in the morning light, so pristine it seemed otherworldly. Her gem-like eyes shimmered with depth as if holding the secrets of the ocean. Her skin was smooth and flawless, reminiscent of fine porcelain. And her figure—perfect proportions of grace and allure.
She wasn't a woman. She was a goddess.
[ Overall beauty: SSS+ ]
[ Host receives 100,000,000 points for identifying a beauty above SSS. ]
[ Do you wish to register her as a target? ]
"Yes!" he whispered, barely containing his excitement.
[ Registering target... ]
The system faltered.
[ Loading … ]
[ Fail ]
[ Retry… ]
[ Fail ]
[ Registration failed. Switching to manual procedure. Please touch the target's hand to register. ]
"Alright, it depends on me now."
The boy's mind raced. He straightened his back and confidently approached her. "Sensei, may I hold your hand?"
The nurse tilted her head, her expression puzzled. "Why do you want to hold my hand?"
"Because you're beautiful, Sensei," he replied earnestly.
Her lips curved into a warm smile. "That's a sweet reason. But have you decided on our agreement?"
"Agreement?" he asked slowly, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
'What agreement? I don't know what the owner of this body did before.'
"Yes. You asked me yesterday about becoming my assistant for drug development. Did you forget?" she reminded him.
"Oh, yes! How forgetful of me! Please forgive me, Sensei." He chuckled nervously as she handed him a stack of papers.
"Here's the contract. Sign it, and we'll be official partners."
Without hesitation - and without reading - he signed the document.
"Shall we shake hands to celebrate our partnership?" she asked.
"With pleasure, Sensei." He reached out, grasping her hand firmly.
[ Attempting registration... Please wait. ]
[ 1 … ]
[ 20 … ]
[ 95 … ]
His heart raced, his cheeks flushed, and his breath quickened.
[ 100 … ]
[ Registration successful. ]
[ Target added. Do you wish to simulate now? ]
When the system said this, his heart exploded with joy.
"Not yet. I'll save it for tonight," he thought to himself, releasing her hand reluctantly.
"Thank you, Sensei. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
"So am I, my cute assistant," she replied with a radiant smile.