PLAYLIST SYSTEM INITIALIZING…
DING!
> [NEW USER DETECTED…]
[SCANNING HOST MEMORY…]
[DETECTED: EXTENSIVE MUSIC LIBRARY FROM ALTERNATE EARTH NO. 1356]
[SYSTEM LINK ESTABLISHED]
[WELCOME HOST, HENRY STORM]
[THE PLAYLIST SYSTEM IS NOW ONLINE]
Henry froze for a split second, his heart stopped. His head snapped up, eyes darting around the dim apartment as if someone had just whispered straight into his soul. For one long, suspended heartbeat, he wondered if he was losing his mind.
Floating in midair, like something torn straight out of a sci-fi movie, shimmered a golden interface — translucent, radiant, and humming softly with life. Its polished edges gleamed with data streams flowing like liquid light. It looked futuristic, impossibly sleek, the kind of UI that would make tech companies feel proud.
Henry's jaw went slack.
"This...is what I think it is,no way!!" he whispered, his voice trembling."He couldn't belive that today his luck had hit the golden button.
A laugh nearly broke out of him — half disbelief, half relief.
After transmigrating into this strange new world, he had forced himself to adapt. But deep inside, there was always that lingering fear — that this world would be as dull and unforgiving as the last earth. That he'd be another npc in someone else's story.
Now, staring at the glowing system window, he felt his heart lift for the first time since his death.
> "System… introduce yourself," he said cautiously, swallowing hard. He had read enough novels to know that not all systems were friendly. If this thing turned out to be a Killer System or Debt Collector System, he'd probably just walk out the window and end it early.
DING!
> [This system is called the Playlist System. It contains various songs from Earth and skills that can be purchased through Popularity Points, assisting the Host in becoming the greatest superstar of all time.]
---
For a moment, Henry didn't move.
Then his lips slowly curved into a shaky smile.
A wave of relief washed over him, loosening his chest like a long, held breath finally released. "Hah… thank God," he murmured. "It's not a murder system. It's not a slave system. It's— it's music."
The corners of his mouth lifted further. For the first time since waking in this body, he let out a genuine laugh.
He had always dreamed of standing beneath the lights — microphone in hand, thousands of fans chanting his name. That dream used to burn so bright… until life, and one cruel sentence, snuffed it out.
On that painful day. 2018 — the audition room that destroyed him.
The glare of spotlights. The chill of failure crawling down his spine.
A gray-haired judge with hollow eyes leaned forward mid-song and cut him off. "You are a failure. You will never make it in the music industry with that voice."
Those words carved deep. He remembered walking home that night under the rain, his guitar case feeling heavier with each step, like it carried a corpse — his own dream's.
He never touched that guitar again.
From then on, he became just another tired soul in an office, breathing recycled air, forgetting what it felt like to hope.
But now — now he had been given another chance.
A real one.
Henry clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked. "Heh… being average isn't bad," he said quietly, "but I'm tired of it. So damn tired. This time, I'll aim for something different."
---
DING!
> [Host, you have an unopened Novice Gift Pack.]
[Would you like to open it?]
Henry blinked, eyes widening. "A… gift pack?"
His voice trembled with nervous excitement.
He sat up straight, elbows on his knees, hands clasped like a man about to draw the winning lottery. He exhaled deeply, grinning. "Alright… here goes nothing."
DING!
> [Congratulations on obtaining—]
[Singing Skill upgraded by +2 levels.]
[Congratulations! Singing skill advanced to Silver tier.]
[Silver Tier: vocal skills.
Special skill:you have a 20% chance to trigger the ability to mesmerize and captivate audiences with powerful performances.]
Tiers[iron,copper,bronze,silver,Gold and diamond]
---
For two seconds, Henry could only stare. Then—
"HAHAHAHA!"
He burst into laughter, throwing his head back as tears pricked the corners of his eyes.Today his luck was so damn good.
His laughter echoed through the small room, shaking the dust off its walls. Somewhere, a rat probably cursed him in squeaks.
Silver Tier singing. He couldn't even begin to imagine how his voice sounded now.To be honest, Peter wasn't wrong when he told Henry to quit the music industry. With his original Iron-Tier singing talent showing no signs of improvement, the guy probably sounded like most of you reading this—putting on a Grammy-worthy performance in the shower, convinced you're the next superstar... until someone actually hears you.
But now his voice — the same one that had once betrayed him — had become his greatest weapon.
He could already see it: a packed concert hall, lights flashing, the crowd holding up glowing phones as he sang.
This… this was the start of his legendary journey.He could dream again.
---
DING!
> [New Mission: How Dare They]
[Description: As a future superstar, how dare they terminate your contract? Earn back your dignity and continue participating in Rookie of the Century.]
[Reward: Unlock a Diamond Tier Song upon signing in at the venue.]
[Song ranking:Bronze: 1M–9.9M views | Silver: 10M–99.9M | Gold: 100M–499M | Platinum: 500M–999M | Diamond: 1B+ views]
Henry's eyebrows shot up. "Wait… a Diamond Tier song?"
A grin spread across his face. "With a billion views, that's guaranteed to be a global hit! If I perform that on stage, I could skyrocket instantly!"
Then a horrible thought crossed his mind.
"…Wait. It's not Baby Shark, right? Please tell me it's not Baby Shark."
He muttered a prayer under his breath, laughing nervously. "If I have to sing doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo in front of a live audience, I will die of embarasment for sure."
Still, his chest burned with excitement. Anyway, if he somehow got "Baby Shark," he'd just grow a thick skin and perform it. No one says no to a song with billions of views. He could simply lie back and count the money, even if his music career ended that very day.
"This is it," he said quietly. "The road to the top."
---
Curiosity bubbled. He tapped the floating interface, and the screen shifted to a lottery menu.
> [Bronze Draw – 1,000 points | Silver – 10,000 | Gold – 100,000 | Diamond – 1,000,000]
Rows upon rows of glowing song titles filled the air before him:
> "Someone Like You" – Adele [1,000,000]
"Bohemian Rhapsody" – Queen [1,000,000]
"Blinding Lights" – The Weeknd [1,000,000]
"Uptown Funk" – Bruno Mars [1,000,000]
"Billie Jean" – Michael Jackson [1,000,000]
"Baby Shark" – Pinkfong [1,000,000]
...
He squinted at the last one. "...Really? Baby Shark? Diamond? Well… to be fair, it did traumatize half the planet."
The next list caught his eye — Diamond Skills:
> Stage Presence Mastery [1,000,000]
Perfect Pitch [1,000,000]
Songwriting Genius [1,000,000]
Multi-Instrument Prodigy [1,000,000]
...
"This isn't just a system," he whispered. "It's a goldmine."
But then his eyes fell on the bottom corner.
> [Popularity Points: 0]
And below it:
> [Popularity Points can be earned through performances, audience reactions, and emotional impact. The greater the response, the more points earned.]
Henry leaned back, grinning faintly. "So my currency is applause… emotion… the hearts of people, huh?"
He cracked a smile. "Then it's time to start farming from my cash cows— I mean, my future fans."
---
The exhaustion from the day finally caught up to him. He yawned, stretched his arms, and headed toward the bedroom.
"Tomorrow," he muttered, eyes half-closed, "tomorrow's the beginning."
He paused at the door and looked back at the glowing interface. "I hope when I wake up, this isn't a dream."
Then he turned off the light. Sleep swallowed him whole.
---
The next morning
BANG! BANG!
Henry jolted awake, his heart pounding. The sharp, rhythmic knocking echoed like gunshots in the cramped apartment.
"Who the hell—" he groaned, rolling off the bed. The digital clock blinked 6:00 a.m.
Hair a mess, eyes half-shut, he stumbled toward the door.
BANG! BANG!
"I swear, if you don't stop—" he yanked the door open and froze.
Standing there was Mr. Thompson.
The landlord.
A mountain of a man with a wrestler's frame and a face that looked carved from stone. His tiny mustache twitched as his beady eyes glared daggers at Henry.
"Boy," he growled, voice gravelly. "You've been avoiding me."
Henry's lips twitched into an awkward grin. "Ah… n-no, Mr. Thompson. How could I dare? Good morning, sir!"
Rumor had it the man used to work for the red-light district gangs. Looking at him now, Henry fully believed it.
"You're behind," Thompson said flatly. "Over a month late. My patience ain't endless."
Henry's stomach twisted. The old Henry had blown all his money chasing Jessica — simping himself into homelessness. Henry could almost scream at his predecessor's stupidity.
"I understand," he said carefully. "Please give me one more week. I'll pay both months by Friday."
Thompson arched an eyebrow. "You expect me to believe you'll just magically find two months' rent in seven days?"
"Yes," Henry said, tone steady.
A long pause. Then Thompson snorted. "Fine. One week. Not a day more. Otherwise… we'll have a little chat. Understood?"
Henry swallowed. "Crystal clear, sir."
The landlord grunted, muttered something about "watering his damn flowers," and stomped off.
Henry exhaled, wiping sweat off his brow. "Seven days…" he whispered. "Seven days to make money."
---
Ideas spun through his head. Open mics? Street performing? Too slow.
Then it hit him — Rookie of the Century. If he passed the first round, the appearance fee alone was ten grand. Enough to pay the rent and then some.
"That's it," he muttered, determination flashing in his eyes. "That'll be my first step to the top."
Just then, his phone buzzed.
"You have five thousand dollars," a robotic female voice announced flatly.
Henry blinked. "Wait… what? Five thousand?!" He grinned. "Finally, some hope!man ever sing transmigrating my luck skyrocketed."
But then the female robotic voice continued.
"You have three thousand dollars… in debt. Please pay before—"
"FUUUUCK!never mind" Henry cursed, tossing the phone onto the bed.
He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Debt and rent? Seriously?"
He muttered curses under his breath, opened the settings, and immediately turned off the voice reading function. " what kind of idiot sets this type of message alert ?."
He sighed, glancing at the time. "Well, whatever. Tomorrow is the audition gotta prepare myself."
Henry stretched, walked toward the bathroom, and looked at his reflection in the mirror. A faint grin tugged at his lips as he confidence returned as he remembered he had a system.
"Alright… showtime."