3 Tutorial Quest (1)
Edit: Change 3rd POV into 1st POV
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After speaking his last word, the mysterious man suddenly vanished into thin air.
I hurriedly clutched my throbbing head as my vision blurred and disorientated for a brief moment before clearing up. A translucent panel that usually could be found in a game floated right before my eyes, the words on it flashing like a light bulb as if showing off its existence to its owner.
Rubbing my eyes several times, I still couldn't cast away the doubt in my eyes.
"...what else is this?"
I grabbed my numb head and tried to organize my mind, but fragmentary memories suddenly wrapped around my head. The masked man who came to visit him earlier, parallel world, and...
That's right.
I recalled the content of conversation with the suspicious man earlier that I was appointed as a "Player." I still had no idea what exactly that meant, but what was certain that if I completed the mission like what the man said, I would be able to be with Ji-yeon once more.
Taking into account that I didn't have hallucination or mental disease like schizophrenia, the existence of this game-like panel was the proof that I wasn't dreaming and that my wish might be fulfilled.
My heart pounded like crazy filled with anticipation.
Having sorted it out, I regained my focus and checked the notification windows in front of my eyes once again. There were a total of 8 notification windows of the same size.
[Capture Target]
[Attributes]
[Store]
[Inventory]
[Quests]
[Achievements]
[Skills]
[Current point: 0p]
I clicked on these unknown notification windows, but there was no response.
I wondered if I might've turned crazy already and let out a self-deprecation sigh. How could a sinner like me blessed with such miracle?
When I fell into self-deprecation, a window with black letters on a white background appeared right in front of me. Unlike the earlier notification windows with white letters on a black background.
I was so startled that he stumbled backwards and fell, but the damn white notification window kindly moved along into my line of sight.
[Are you having fun, Siwoon?]
Suddenly, playful giggles reverberated in my head. It was exactly the voice of the grotesque masked man I had met earlier.
'Damn it, I don't need this kind of voice support.'
Ignoring my inner complaint, the voice continued his explanation.
[According to our contract, I will give you one power as a player.]
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Power: The hand of Eros has been granted.
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Skill Name: Hand of Eros (Lv1) (Passive)
Effect: Increases the favorability of the opposite sex by 10%. Arousal increased by 10%.
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The effect is doubled by direct empowerment from God.
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[How about it, isn't it useful in its own way? It's the first time I've given my authority to a player, so I'm a little bit embarrassed.]
I stood in awestruck silence when I saw the notification window, and I was even more stunned by this man who said it with such a shy tone. Above all, the skill name couldn't be more obvious!
[I can roughly guess what you're thinking, but this skill will be of great help to your play, so keep that in mind. So, let's start the tutorial in earnest. First of all, could you check yourself in the mirror?]
At the man's words, I grumbled and walked to the bathroom with wobbly legs and stared at my reflection in the mirror.
And oh boy, I couldn't be more surprised.
My figure in the mirror resembled exactly what I would look like on "that day" before Ji-yeon died and I became a ruined man. A man full of splendour and vigour, brimming with confidence.
[You can think of it as my little gift. How about it, don't you think you look pretty much the same as the Siwoon's of 'That Day'? Do you like it?]
"...Ridiculous."
Despite of my harsh word, I nodded my head slightly.
To be honest, I really liked my current appearance. It wasn't exactly a handsome face per se, no I had never been a looker as far as I remembered it, but anyway, it much better than the haggard and lifeless look I sported before the transformation.
My face was rosy, and my pupils were brimming with life. It was a face that was so ordinary that could be seen everywhere, but I was satisfied enough with this appearance.
[Then, let's start the tutorial.]
The notification window announcing the start of the tutorial disappeared, and in its place, 8 notification windows just popped up, and the number 1 appeared on the notification window with 'Quest' written on it, and the notification window flashed.
The moment I clicked the notification window, other notification windows disappeared, and only one notification window came to mind.
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Tutorial Quest (1): Fill up your belly.
Description: You can't pick up girls with empty stomach. Let's fill up your stomach first!
Condition: A light meal. Anything you can eat doesn't matter. However, water is excluded.
Reward: 1000p, 1 free stat point
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"Eat."
Suddenly, my stomach grumbled in protest. A long forgotten sensation of famish ran through my body. It was a very unfamiliar desire for me, who ate only simple instant food just to barely keep me living on.
I took out the cup noodles from the box in the corner, poured in the seasonings, and boiled water in the coffee pot. When the water boiled, I poured water in the cup noodles and wait like I had always done. However, I felt something different from the routine I had done a thousand, or maybe, ten thousand time before.
A pleasant fragrant wafted through his nose, something that I would never feel when my senses had been dulled by my weariness. The irritating and appetizing smell tickled my nose, and in the end, I ate the undercooked cup noodle without waiting for the 3 minutes passed. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this much appetite.
This was the first time I felt that one cup wasn't enough, where usually I just did it like it was a chore, just enough to make sure that I wouldn't die from starvation. This ravenous appetite reminded me of the old time when I still had everything. It's strangely comforting though to realize that the desire that making me a human was still there.
I ravished the cup noodles with gusto, without even sparing the soup, not even a drop left when I heard the dinging sound of notification in my mind.
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Tutorial quest (1) complete!
1000p and 1 free stat point could be collected.
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Without giving him a time to digest, another notification rang in his head.
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Tutorial Quest (2): Improving Human Relations
Description: It's fine whether it's a man or a woman, so let's talk. A part-time job at a convenience store doesn't matter, and a college senior doesn't matter.
Condition: However, restart if the opponent shows hostility.
Reward: 1500p, 2 free stat points
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[That's the gist of it. Keep in mind that these windows can be turned on/off at will. Well then, I shall bid my farewell now.]
"Huh? You won't be with me all the time?"
[Whooph. I don't know that our Siwoon has that kind of taste. Well, if you feel more excited when someone watch you done the deed, I'm not the one to pass the offer, but…]
"Stop! I got it! Enough!"
Watching me losing my composure, the man cackled like a villain.
What a fucking God!
[To be honest, I'm interested in your play, but I'm not free enough to keep watching. Of course, I'll give advice or watch the game from time to time... but please, I hope you clear it safely.]
"Yeah, thank you very much."
So, he disappeared without speaking any more. I murmured after taking a deep breath.
"Whoa, then... Let's start."
First, I took a shower and trimmed my wildly grown beard and unkempt hair.
I wore a jeans shirt I wore in the past that I wouldn't normally have taken out. I put on perfume I couldn't even remember the last time I used it. Maybe it was because I wanted to erase the smell of "abandonment" that was ingrained in this body.
I thought that it was over the top, but after changing, I didn't feel that bad. I felt refreshed and oddly lightened.
The moment I stood in front of the mirror, I had no choice but to admit it.
'This is the turning point of my life.'
The 'Siwoon' in front of the mirror bore a striking similarity to the old me. But it wasn't exactly similar.
I was a little bit taller than before. My body was fitter than ever before, ripped and toned like someone who diligently went to the gym to exercise. There was no way someone who was basically living like recluse like me could have this kind of striking figure, the only answer was the God had tampered my physique at some certain degree.
The me of now was different from the me of the past. Only the perfect present existed here.
So after checking on myself once more, I inhaled deeply, opened the front door and took one step forward, leaving the dark, gloomy room behind.
