Hard Mode Idol

“Ugh!”

He looked very disappointed. I usually like gacha, but not right now. Honestly, I’m scared, too. How can I fully trust this self-proclaimed god? At the very least, if I had one S-grade stat as insurance.

“Then will you do it if I give you an S-grade stat voucher?”

Huh? I thought he wouldn’t give one?

“You’ll give me one?”

“Will you do it if I give you one?”

If he gives me one S-grade stat, it might be worth taking the risk. I asked the god, who was showing signs of impatience, a final question.

“If one more thing I’m curious about gets resolved, I’ll consider it positively.”

“Ah, you’re really shrewd. What is it?”

“It’s nothing much, but if I participate in the game, will you be watching me? I feel like I’d be really conscious of it if I think someone is watching…”

“I won’t watch.”

“Then what do you watch and play with?”

The god brought up a window in mid-air. It displayed a fluctuating bar graph with golden and black bars lined up.

“This is the previous game board. We look at that. We’re not interested in your every action. The god whose golden bar reaches the end first wins.”

“What’s the black one then?”

“It’s a secret.”

Hmm. A bummer.

“Then what’s the fun in playing the game?”

“The fun of cheering. It’s fun to pick something and cheer them on by saying ‘Do well, do well’, right?”

Is that fun? I don’t really get it, but if he finds it fun, then whatever. An S-grade stat. Should I take the risk or not?

“Ah, right. There’s one important thing.”

I glared at him with narrowed eyes. Is he trying to scam me like this? He should tell me the important things first! The god hastily continued.

“I couldn’t tell you because you kept asking this and that. You asked too many questions! Anyway, listen. This is a different dimension from where you used to live.”

“A different dimension?”

“Yes. Those who reincarnate can’t be reborn in the same dimension since time isn’t turned back.”

A different dimension? Something like parallel universes? Where there are countless other mes in other universes?

“Similar but different. There are those who follow a flow similar to you. The fates of such individuals are mostly alike. Names, faces, and family relations can be similar too. But souls are unique. In all dimensions, there is only one you, Jin Haon, as a discarded soul.”

It seems difficult. I feel like I get it, but I don’t. Anyway, the important thing is there’s only one discarded soul of me…

“Then is there a Jin Haon resembling me here too? I feel like it would be really weird to run into them…”

“No. This is a place where Jin Haon wasn’t born. It would be troublesome if you ran into each other, right? I considered that much, at least.”

He set everything up and is ready to start as soon as I give permission. Does he want it that badly? This game thing.

“Of course! Do you dislike other dimensions by any chance?”

That doesn’t matter. It’s not like there’s anyone I miss, and the only people who remember me are those who hate me. I wouldn’t know what face to make if I ran into them, and it would feel more bitter if their attitude towards me changed.

Rather, I felt a sense of liberation. I liked that I could start a completely new life in a brand new place.

“Then are you doing it?”

“Do you want me to play the game?”

“Yeah.”

As soon as I threw the question, the answer came back. I felt his earnestness in the gaze that looked at me ardently. He’s honest. It’s a bit cute too.

Above all, it was the first time I heard someone say they’d cheer for me. So, I also wanted to grant this one earnest wish, even if it turned out to be a sweet trap.

“I’ll do it.”

“You made the right choice!”

The god smiled brightly and suddenly approached me, spreading his arms. Startled, I backed away but he pulled me in and embraced me. It was the first time being held by another so I stammered in confusion.

“God’s blessing to Jin Haon.”

A warm energy spread throughout my body. Wanting to feel more of this strange sensation, I unconsciously hugged the god back. So this is what a hug feels like. It feels really nice.

Suddenly, the god patted my head. An inexplicable feeling of comfort and solace welled up. I hadn’t really believed he was a god so far, but strangely, in this moment, I could feel that Deus was a god. Otherwise, there’s no way he could be this warm.

“There will be joyful times and difficult times, but I’ll be cheering for you to reach the end. See you next time.”

The god’s figure gradually turned transparent and disappeared. I was left alone in the empty room. My previously translucent body had regained its color at some point.

I’m not sure how we can see each other next time, but for now, what’s important are my stats. What I can raise, and what my current stat situation is like.

At the same time, a window popped up before my eyes.

Easy Mode: Growth Rate x 0.5 Health 600
Normal Mode: Growth Rate x 1.0, Health 400
Hard Mode: Growth Rate x 2.0, Health 100

Is this the only information? I can roughly estimate the difficulty from the health level in hard mode. I was curious about how it worked, but there was no further explanation. This isn’t a game. It’s my second life. A very important thing that determines my life…

But I’m Korean. Is there any Korean who can ignore double the growth rate? The growth rate is a whopping two times? 200%? At least I can’t endure that. As a gamer, it was a challenge I couldn’t avoid.

Whoa. It’s not simply double, is it? It was quadruple in the guise of double. There was a reason the base health was particularly low. Good. I’ll quickly max out my stats and become an idol who will tear apart the entertainment industry!

In that sense, I’d like to see my information now. A window popped up as soon as I thought that.

[F-grade Jin Haon(18) – Ordinary Person]

Health: 100

Charm: F-

Singing: F-

Dance: F-

Acting: F-

Lyric Writing: F-

Composing: F-

Remaining Points: 0

Each stat will slowly grow according to learning.

Also, you can invest points for rapid growth.

The same name as me, and the number 18 written next to it caught my eye. Checking it, it was age. 18 years old. Someone who died after living only 18 years unsettled my mind.

I unconsciously looked at my left wrist. The clear scar had disappeared. However, the intensely deep scar lingered before my eyes as if imprinted on my retina.

Shaking my head to rid myself of the bitter feeling, I continued acquiring information.

Pressing each stat showed the current experience and required experience. They were all (0/1). Can’t I see the required points for each grade?

How kind of you. Yes, yes!

Another popup window appeared. The points needed from F to S+ were precisely written.

Let’s see.

It takes a total of 20 to make C+, but 400 to make B-. From the next level, it jumps by units of 100. To raise it to A-, 1,500 points? S is out of the question. Looking at the required points, it seems you can be told, “You’re good,” starting from B-.

The S-grade stat I got for free, assuming it goes up from F, needed a whopping 19,552 points. It was much more profitable than the 10,000 he initially offered. Of course, I could have also distributed and divided the 10,000 points here and there.

I’m going to become an idol. Of course, I’m going all-in on appearance unconditionally. As long as there’s a setting called stats, singing, and dancing can be raised through grinding. But not appearance.

Even if it improves due to a stat boost, I could later be embroiled in plastic surgery controversies with comparison photos from my debut and after. In many ways, it’s right to raise appearance first and see.

Sure enough, the description of the ‘charm’ stat said you can raise experience whenever you receive makeup or stand in front of the camera. If appearance is F-, forget the threshold for trainees, I might get kicked out as soon as I set foot in an agency.

To witness with my own eyes the miraculous moment charm changes from F- to S, I looked for a mirror. There was nothing in the room, so I went into the bathroom.

In the mirror stood a pale-faced boy. A frail-looking, gaunt body that seemed like it would collapse with a single hit. Still, if you carefully examine the eyes, nose, and mouth, he’s so prettily delicate that you could call him a pretty boy…

It was me in my teens.

I was F-? I thought my face was decent, at least. Was that a misconception? I may be a failed member from a small startup struggling with financial difficulties, but I was still the visual…   No, no matter what, I have an eye for these things. It’s not F-.

Let’s just quickly use the stat voucher. I want to use the stat voucher! How do I use it?

Oh! Yes, yes!

As soon as I selected charm, the charm stat changed from F- to S.

I kept staring at the mirror, but nothing had changed. Is this a prank? Is it a bug? But the information definitely showed charm had changed to ‘S’. What the, why? Why, you ask? Did I miss something?

I checked the additional information for charm again. I roughly skimmed over how to raise stats and scrolled down just in case, and there was more content. After reading it carefully, I understood the reason.

The charm stat didn’t change appearance. It was a measure of appeal for how charming I seem to others. Simply put, even if someone doesn’t prefer looks like mine, they feel charm from me. So it’s like a bonus stat…

Of course, I thought charm equaled appearance. I felt dejected for a moment but quickly shook it off. Anyway, both the face and name are mine so there was no sense of discomfort, and being able to appeal to people whose tastes don’t match my appearance is definitely a plus as an idol.

With this specification, it’s right to raise the stat that’s hardest to raise but necessary. That’s the basics of the game. By that logic, raising charm is correct. When will I accumulate experience by massaging cameras and getting makeup done?

Now then, next.

I checked the window that had been blinking from one side of my vision, as if calling me, for a while now.