When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a strange place. The first thing I saw was a dark ceiling with a chandelier in the center.
'Huh…?'
I slowly sat up, noticing I was on a huge bed. That confused me even more.
When I looked to the sides, I realized I was in a luxurious room, and apparently it was… mine?
The last thing I remembered was… "The system!" I shouted, but immediately covered my mouth, hoping no one had heard me.
First, I needed to make sure I was somewhere safe.
"That system really sent me inside the novel…" I muttered, not fully believing it, as I slowly got out of bed and walked toward one of the room's windows.
When I looked outside, I was stunned. I was on the second floor and the view was incredible…
There was a plaza in the center, surrounded by trees, students —which I deduced from their clothing— and the enormous academy I had read about hundreds of times in the novel: Strelkavan Magic Academy.
"No, no, no! Am I seriously inside?" I said, completely excited as I turned around to look for a mirror and see my new appearance.
When I saw myself in the reflection, the excitement vanished completely…
It was the same. I hadn't changed at all.
Same face, height, weight, and hair… My hopes of getting a girlfriend vanished completely.
✶ ✶ ✶
Right now I was on the bed hugging my legs while rocking slightly from side to side.
"I'm finished…"
I thought that if I managed to get a powerful woman —I don't know, a heroine or some milf teacher— I would be safe from the events of the novel. As long as I wasn't at a point in the story where everything had already concluded.
That's when I remembered the system, so I quickly got off the bed, putting on the most serious expression I could.
"System!" I ordered out loud, hoping that would summon it.
And it worked. The transparent golden screen appeared in front of me.
[Sorry for the delay… I was doing something.]
'Doing something?' I thought, confused. What was a system supposed to be doing?
[What I do is personal, so don't pry. Anyway…]
[You are in the royal capital, attending the magic academy as a first-year student.]
I ignored the unnecessary comment the system threw at me and focused on the information it had just released.
"Yes, but… at what—"
[Classes started a week ago, so you didn't miss anything.]
"I see…" I muttered, bringing a hand to my chin, thoughtful.
'That's good and bad at the same time… it means the attack on the school, the monsters, and the betrayal haven't happened yet.'
Then I looked at the screen again, with a question that had been circling in my head for quite a while.
"Why do I still have my same body? Aren't you supposed to give me a new one?"
[You were transmigrated into the body of a secondary character who did not appear even once in the novel, so his appearance did not exist. To avoid working too much, we gave him your previous appearance. Is that okay?]
I went blank at the stupidity I had just read. 'To avoid working…?'
"You've got to be kidding me! Don't you see my face? I'll be lucky if I get a woman to talk to me, and most likely she'll run away the moment she sees me."
[…]
"Are you going to stay silent?" I asked irritably, stepping closer to the screen and grabbing it by the sides —which, to my surprise, I didn't pass through—.
'Huh?' I thought that, being transparent, it would be intangible…
But I quickly ignored that and started shaking it from side to side, desperate for an answer.
[First and last warning to let go of me.]
"What's wrong? Don't you like it? WELL I DON'T GIVE A SHIT!" I shouted with a huge grin as I laughed loudly and shook the screen even harder.
[…]
FHASSS
"AHHHHH!" I screamed as I felt myself being electrocuted completely.
My body gave out on its own, I let go of the screen, and fell to the floor with smoke coming off me from everywhere.
✶ ✶ ✶
"Sorry…" I muttered sheepishly, sitting cross-legged on the bed, seeing that the screen wasn't responding to me.
[…]
[Ah… god…]
[Let that be the last time you do something like that.]
[Is that clear?]
"YES!" I replied instantly.
[Good… What do you want to know?]
I got excited at its response and sat up straighter to start with the questions.
"First. Why did you send me to this specific novel?"
[That information is classified… Ask something else.]
"…fine," I muttered. "Uh… why wasn't I transmigrated into the body of some relevant character? Like the protagonist or one of his friends."
That way I would've had more chances to become strong and get a sexy girlfriend.
[Because no.]
[The body you have now is perfect.]
I fell silent at its shitty response. Perfect? My body?
I barely measured 5'8 (1.74 m), and on top of that I wasn't exactly handsome.
"But… I wanted to get a girlfriend…" I muttered more and more quietly.
[And can't you get one with that body?]
"No! Look at me, I'm uglier than kicking a pregnant woman."
[…]
[Loading…]
'Damn it, just what I needed…' I thought irritably, watching as the screen kept loading. Without further ado, I let myself fall back onto the bed, turning my gaze toward the ceiling.
I raised my right arm and clenched my fist tightly. 'At least I'll be able to see them up close… that'll help me imagine them better when I masturbate.'
That thought cheered me up a bit, remembering that the author had described several times that the heroines and villains of that world were hot as hell, with an ass that, god… you'd eat it all week long.
Then the screen appeared out of nowhere in front of my eyes, but with the discouragement weighing on me, I didn't even get startled.
[I have updated my system to better understand the user…]
[Now I can clearly say that you are… horrible.]
At that comment, I could only shut my eyes tightly while laughing at myself.
I had been told that several times in my past life, to the point where I no longer cared.
It was true…
THIIN
I opened my eyes immediately when I heard a bell inside my head. When I focused my gaze on the screen, I couldn't help but get excited.
[Customize your character.]
[Do you wish to do so?]
[Yes / No]
I sat up on the bed again, reading the message several times to make sure, before thinking: YES.
[Good! First, let's go with height.]
[Then we'll move on to the other sections.]
[Warning: once you finish choosing the changes, they can never be undone.]
At that warning, I couldn't help but swallow nervously. I had to choose wisely without screwing it up. 'Only one chance, don't mess it up, Marek…'
[Current height: 5'8 (1.74 m)]
[ – 5'8 (1.74 m) + ]
[You can increase or decrease your height as you wish.]