Prologue: Character Creation
I died.
After death, what I'm seeing is neither heaven nor hell.
No fire. No clouds. Just a white room—blank, sterile, and unnaturally quiet. And in the middle of it, floating in front of me like a game interface, is a character creation screen.
It takes a second for my mind to catch up. Then, like someone dumping files into my head, a flood of knowledge downloads into my brain.
I'm going to another world.
A different world. A dangerous one.
A world where people die easily. A place where pain is real and permanent. And this screen?
This is how I build the new body I'll be inhabiting.
It takes a while to read through the instructions, but eventually I get the gist of it.
It's a point-based character creation system. I have 20 points to spend on traits. Some traits cost points—these are the "positive" traits. Others are considered "negative" and actually give me points if I select them.
There are also blessings and curses. Each blessing must be balanced with a curse. Maximum of three blessings, maximum of three curses.
Seems simple enough.
Let's start with positive traits. I scroll through the list and quickly lock in a few that look essential for survival:
Tough Body (–5 points)
Superimmune (–5 points)
Beautiful (–5 points)
Smart (–5 points)
And just like that, I've spent all 20 of my points.
But I'm not done. Not even close.
This world is dangerous. I need more than just beauty and brains. I need advantages, even if it means sacrificing comfort, morality, or normalcy.
So I dive into the negative traits.
One thing catches my eye immediately.
"Sexual Orientation: Gay" – +5 points.
…Wait, what?
Choosing to be gay gives you bonus points?
Is that how things worked on Earth too? People gaming the system just to stack the odds in their favor? Is this why 2025 had so many people proudly announcing their preferences—were they just trying to optimize?
Well, I was a man before I died. The thought of kissing another man? I couldn't even consider it without cringing. But if I choose to be female in this new world… suddenly it's no problem.
Simple workaround.
Next:
Psychopath (Cold-blooded) – +5 points
That one feels more serious.
Apparently, the system lets you choose one type of psychopathy. I thought maybe stacking two types would give me even more points. Nope. Doesn't work that way.
But still—cold-blooded means no emotional baggage. No hesitation. No fear.
In a deadly world, that's not a flaw. That's an asset.
So I take it.
Then I come across these:
Infertile (+5 points)
Sterile (+10 points)
They're separate. One means you can't conceive. The other means you don't produce anything to begin with.
If I pick both, I get +15 points.
Honestly? Not a problem. Kids were never on my to-do list. Earth was already overflowing with broken homes and social scams. No thanks.
And if I go with "Lesbian" as a sexuality, that's another +5 points.
Add it all up, and I just earned +25 points for choices that don't hurt me at all.
Is this the Lesbian Loophole Build? Because if it is, I just cracked it wide open.
I keep reading.
Some traits the system calls "negative" are things I actually like. Take this one:
Taciturn – Only speaks when absolutely necessary. +5 points
That's a problem? I call it being efficient.
More "negative" traits follow, and I start stacking them like candy:
Stoic – Unshaken by pain, loss, or fear (+5)
Manipulative – Uses others to reach goals (+5)
Amoral – Doesn't follow normal moral codes; outcome-driven (+5)
Blunt – Speaks plainly, no sugar-coating (+5)
Unempathetic – Emotionally unaffected by others' pain (+5)
Selfish – Prioritizes personal survival (+5)
Merciless – Doesn't hesitate to eliminate threats (+5)
Each one gives me +5 points, and none of them bother me.
In fact, they describe me better than I'd like to admit.
With these added, I've stacked a whopping +65 points.
Back to the positives.
I come across a curious pair:
Psychic Sensitive (–10 points)
Psychic Deaf (–10 points)
Both are high-cost traits. But I can only choose one.
"Sensitive" means I can tap into the world's psychic system—but it comes with risks. Possessions, psychic backlash, headaches, and so on.
"Deaf" means I'm completely immune. I won't sense it, and it won't sense me. No powers, but no threats either.
Still… power is power.
I'll take Psychic Sensitive.
Then I see something wild:
Extra Heart (–50 points)
It's not a metaphor. It literally gives me an additional heart inside my chest.
I stare at it for a long moment.
Fifty points is half my budget. But having a redundant organ—especially a vital one—is a huge survival buff.
I take it.
Then:
Iron Stomach (–5 points)
Digest anything. Spoiled food, poison, raw meat. That one's easy.
That's it. The system warns me: Too many traits may affect mental stability.
Screw that. I'm not here to be stable. I'm here to live.
Now it's time for curses and blessings.
You're allowed three blessings, but for each one, you must choose a curse.
Fair enough.
I open the curse list first. And immediately, one of them jumps out:
Curse: Cannot have children
…Seriously? That's a curse?
That's a feature.
Marriage scams, forced heirs, emotional liabilities—yeah, I'll take this "curse" any day.
Next:
Curse: Easily loved by same sex
As a man? That would've been hell.
As a tall, silver-haired woman? It's called a buff.
Third:
Curse: Must kill loving/loved one (opposite sex) in a horrible way
Brutal. Disturbing. But irrelevant.
I don't plan to love any man. Ever.
Done.
Three curses chosen, none of which will touch me.
Now for blessings.
Most are boring. Things like:
"Talent for Sword"
"Talent for Singing"
"Talent for Farming"
Useful, sure. But not what I need.
The ones I choose instead are:
Blessing: You are extremely lucky
Blessing: You have high growth potential
Blessing: You possess encyclopedia-level knowledge of the world
Now that's a powerful combo.
Luck. Growth. Knowledge.
The rest? I'll figure out as I go.
Last step: Body Creation.
It opens with a list of fantasy races: beastkin, dragons, abominations, eldritch horrors. All locked.
Only human is selectable.
Fine.
I tweak the sliders:
Height: 6'5"
Build: Tall, strong, athletic but still beauty.
Hair: Silver-white
Eyes: Gold
Chest/Butt: Average. I don't need exaggerated curves getting in the way.
I hit confirm.
Then I realize something…
No starting gear?
Wait—what?
I'm going into this new world completely nude?!
Wait, wait, I'm not—f—