Chiba City.
Makuhari Seaside Park.
By the lotus pond, a gentle breeze softly blew, sending ripples across the water, carrying the faint scent of salt and something... mystical?
"No way, Officer, the gun was loaded, and you're telling me I transmigrated? Right now?" Victor stared blankly at the tranquil scene, utterly disoriented and deeply, personally offended.
He'd finally escaped the soul-crushing grind, the relentless pursuit of the 3 L's (Loan, Life-partner, Legacy), and lo and behold, his luck with women had skyrocketed.
At an anime convention, of all places, he'd connected with a girl cosplaying Raiden Shogun. That Raiden Shogun. The divine curves, the electrifying figure... it had driven him absolutely wild. They'd clicked faster than a triggered elemental reaction, ditching the con floor chaos for the promise of a much more private exhibition at a nearby hotel. They were just getting to the good part, about to exchange much, much more than pleasantries...
And the universe decides now is the time for a cosmic reboot?
"At least give me half an hour... no, damn it, two hours first! Is that too much to ask?!"
Victor was indignant, rage bubbling in his chest, but what could he do? He was untouchable, unreachable. He was here.
He'd transmigrated, body and soul. His phone was a useless brick, unable to connect or call. The two thousand-plus yen in his wallet had instantly transformed into quaint, historical paper. He was officially a ghost, an unregistered resident in a strange new world.
He tried probing passersby for information, playing the confused tourist card.
He quickly pieced together the bizarre reality: he'd landed in a parallel Japan.
The year was 2012, the year of the infamous Mayan apocalypse prophecy. Great. Just what his life needed, more looming dread.
But the world felt... bigger. More populated.
And security was surprisingly lax, which perhaps explained why people were noticeably more superstitious.
In the short, disoriented walk he'd taken, he'd spotted shrines tucked away in surprising corners.
Some were ancient, their faded talismans fluttering like prayer flags in the breeze. The air around them hung thick with the haze of incense smoke, clear evidence of fervent, frequent worship.
Here, in this very park, he could see clusters of elegantly dressed individuals, unmistakably Onmyoji. Faces wreathed in professional smiles, clutching intricate divination tools, they diligently read fortunes and fielded questions from a steady stream of clients. Business was booming.
Yet, despite their apparent success, every single one of them seemed to eye him with a distinct, palpable hostility. Victor was utterly bewildered, racking his brain but finding no explanation for the animosity.
Using the reflective surface of the pond water, Victor finally saw himself and the glaringly obvious reason.
He was still wearing the ridiculous, luxurious robe woven with threads of gold and silver he'd thrown on as part of his... ahem, costume for the hotel rendezvous.
And... well.
"Tsk~ If I'd had these looks back then, I wouldn't have needed a hotel room or the robe." He squatted by the pond, propping his chin on his hand, a slow smile spreading across his face.
His face hadn't changed features, but his skin quality... oh man. At least three or four levels up. Not exactly "skin like congealed fat" (whatever that meant), but definitely like fine jade.
His already not-bad looks had leaped one, maybe even two full grades. He was now undeniably male-god tier.
Aside from the face, his height seemed to have tacked on a few extra inches too. He'd been above average, but now he was genuinely tall and straight, with that coveted eight-head proportion.
Handsome face, towering figure, eye-watering luxurious robe, and an aura that practically screamed 'protagonist of mysterious origins'.
Yeah, okay. No wonder those street-level fortune-tellers felt threatened. He was literally stealing their aesthetic and their potential clients just by existing.
Suddenly, Victor's expression shifted, his gaze dropping, lost in thought.
A moment later, a subtle, slightly arrogant curve lifted his lips. He strode out of the public restroom he'd ducked into, a triumphant smile now firmly in place.
Good. Good. Looks like a full-scale, all-inclusive upgrade package.
If he were in an eroge manga now, he'd probably have a hundred heroines lining up and still need a sequel to get through them all.
And as they say, good things come in pairs. He'd also discovered his cheat ability.
As long as he silently thought the word [Void], a shimmering, silver ripple would appear in the periphery of his vision.
And tucked away in a corner of that ripple, his detailed information and a curious numerical bar were displayed.
[Creator: Victor]
[Life Level: Mortal Realm (Tier 1)]
[Theoretical Lifespan: Seventy years]
[Divine Authority Gems: 0]
He could feel it distinctly – this ripple was a part of him, an extension of his very being. A sense of absolute 'rightness' emanated from it.
And the [Void] itself possessed only one function, coolly labeled "Fantasy Materialization".
Provided he had enough Divine Authority Gems, the required energy source, he could create anything out of thin air. Doraemon's bamboo copter? Check. Dragon Ball's Android 18? Theoretically, check. The glowing, competition-winning fried rice from Little Chef Chinese Master? Absolutely check.
Anything born from the boundless imagination of human fantasy, he could yank into reality.
A lite version God, essentially. A cheap knock-off deity, ready to assemble.
He also possessed an inexplicable, innate knowledge of how to acquire these Divine Authority Gems.
The mechanism was simple: whenever others developed trust in his words, his fabrications, his very existence.
He would receive feedback in the form of those precious Gems.
The deeper the trust, the wider the circle of believers, the more Divine Authority Gems flowed in.
Moreover, even without spending any Gems, if he focused his gaze on someone, a concise line of general information would pop up hovering above their head.
It was like a free, passive True Sight skill. In a world that seemed ripe with hidden things and potential weirdness, this would be invaluable.
This cheat was simply... outrageously good.
Victor's smile widened, feeling as bright and hopeful as a spring dawn.
Calm down.
Calm down, you idiot.
It's just a cheat ability. Which transmigrator doesn't get one? It's practically the union mandated benefit plan for dimension hoppers.
Besides, this was clearly a development-type cheat. It wasn't going to magically solve his immediate problems. The most pressing issues were undeniably practical: What was he going to eat for lunch? Where was he going to sleep tonight?
He took deep, centering breaths, repeating self-suggestions like a mantra. "Calm. Down. Find. Food. Don't. Get. Arrested."
Suddenly.
"Master, how much do you charge for fortune-telling?"
A voice, lively and undeniably cute, cut through his strategic planning.
Victor looked up in surprise. His eyes landed on the source, and his brain promptly stuttered, then threatened to short-circuit. His head spun.
Ah!
So white.
No.
So ample!
A quick, involuntary sweep of his gaze triggered the passive skill.
[Hoshino Ai]
[Age: 15.333 years old]
[Occupation: Idol Trainee]
[Fate: Celestial Voice (Light Blue), Beautiful Fate, Short Life (Light Red), Many Children, Much Fortune (Light Red).]
[Lifespan: 20 years old]
[Status: Confused (Considering whether or not to fall in love)]
It was a girl with a mischievous, utterly captivating smile, brimming with quirky charm. She was dressed impeccably in obvious brand-name clothes, and her eyes – purple, like six-pointed stars – were impossibly beautiful, drawing the gaze and holding it captive.
"Hoshino Ai..." Victor murmured the name aloud before he could stop himself, the information from the True Sight already integrated into his thoughts.
"Master, you know me?" Hoshino Ai's stunning eyes widened further, filling with genuine surprise.
Victor, regaining his composure, adopted an air of profound wisdom, a small, enigmatic smile playing on his lips. He said nothing more, letting the silence build.
"Playing mystic, are we? Just an old trick – check their social media beforehand!" A small, mustached Onmyoji nearby snorted derisively, attempting to expose Victor's supposed 'fraud'.
But Hoshino Ai completely ignored the interruption, her gaze fixed intently on the mysterious man before her. That Onmyoji didn't know, couldn't possibly know, that she wasn't a local from Chiba City. She was an idol trainee here only for a performance, and coming to Makuhari Seaside Park had been a last-minute, spur-of-the-moment decision. More importantly, she didn't have any identification on her. No public footprint for someone to just look up.
Wait...
Then how did this handsome master know her name?
The more she thought about it, the deeper her surprise and uncertainty grew. She carefully observed the figure standing before her.
He appeared to be around twenty, with refined features, his face smooth as polished jade.
His figure was tall and imposing, clad in a fitted black inner robe. Over it, he wore a wide-sleeved haori of moon-white fabric.
The cuffs and collar of the haori were embroidered with exquisite, lifelike golden phoenixes that seemed poised for flight.
Black, fingerless long gloves covered his forearms. Two satin ribbons, inscribed with dense, black scriptures, hung from his shoulders, trailing down his back.
They possessed an incredibly rich, heavy texture, seemingly defying the light breeze.
In the gentle wind, the scripture ribbons fluttered around him, the indecipherable seal script along their length appearing to shift and move, as if imbued with life.
He exuded grace, depth, mystery, and effortless luxury.
More importantly...
His skin was ridiculously good, sparking a definite wave of professional jealousy in her.
Perhaps... perhaps he truly wasn't entirely normal!
[From Hoshino Ai's trust, Divine Authority Gems +0.01!]