Hard Mode Idol

“Huh!” 

He looked very disappointed. I like Gacha, but not now. Honestly, I’m scared. How can I believe everything God says? Wouldn’t it be possible to have at least one S stat as insurance? 

“Then will you do it if I give you the S stat ticket?”

Huh? I thought you wouldn’t give it to me?

“Are you going to give it to me?”

“Are you going to do it if I give it to you?”

If he gives me one S stat, it’s worth taking a risk. So I asked the last question to God, who showed a sign of nervousness.

“If one more question is solved, I’ll consider it positively.” 

“Oh, you are really rude. What is it?”

“It’s not a big deal. Are you watching me when I participate in the game? I think it’s going to bother me if I think someone’s watching—” 

“I won’t.” 

“Then what are you looking at when I playing?” 

God put a window in the air. There were fluctuating golden and black bar graphs.

“It’s an old game board, and we look at that. I’m not curious about your every move. The first God to reach the end of that golden bar wins.” 

“What is the black one?” 

“It’s secret.” 

Mhmm. It’s a bummer. 

“Then what are you playing for fun?” 

“Then what’s the fun of playing games?”

“It’s fun to cheer. It’s fun to take a pictures of everything and cheer for them. Isn’t it fun to cheer?”

Is that fun? I don’t know, but well, as long as he’s having fun. Because it was S an stat. Do you want me to try something new or not?

“Oh right. There is one important thing.”

I stared at him with my eyes narrowed. Is he cheating like this?  You have to tell me what’s important first! God continues in a hurry.

“I couldn’t tell you because you asked me this and that, you know? You should’ve asked a lot of questions! Listen to me first. This is a different dimension than where you lived.”

“A different dimension?”

“Yeah. A person who has been reborn can’t be reincarnated in the same dimension because he can’t change the past.”

Another dimension? Is it like a parallel universe? There are countless me in another universe. Something like that? 

“Similar but different. There are people who are born with a flow similar to yours. The fate of such people is largely the same. Names, faces, and family relationships may be similar. But the soul is unique. There is only one Jin Haon of the absolutely worthless soul in all dimensions.” (t/n: 폐급 meaning is an absolutely worthless person)

It’s hard. I think I know, but I don’t know. But, first, the important thing is that I am the only one with an absolutely worthless soul.

“Then, is there Jin Haon who looks just like me? I think it will feel very strange when we meet—”

“No. This is the place where ‘Jin Haon’ was not born. It’s hard to see each other, right? I take that into consideration.”

The board is set up and ready to go as soon as I say so. Does he really want me to do that? This game.

“Of course! By any chance, do you hate the other dimension?”

It doesn’t matter. There is no one I miss, and all those who remember me are those who hate me. I don’t know what to say or do if we meet, and it would be even worse if they changed how they treated me. 

Instead, I felt relieved. I liked that I could start a new life in a completely new place.

“Then are you doing it?”

“Do you mean about the game?” 

“Yeah.” 

As soon as I asked the question, the answer came back. I felt a sense of desperation from the mournful look at me. But he’s honest and a little cute.

More than anything else, it was the first time I heard that someone was cheering for me. So I wanted to listen to this desperate wish, even if it was a sweet trap.

“I’ll do it.”

“Good thought!”

God gave me a big smile and walked right up to me with his arms open. Then, when I took a step back, he grabbed me and held me in his arms. It was the first time someone had hugged me, and I was embarrassed and stuttering. 

“God bless Jin Haon.”

I got a warm feeling all over my body. I wanted to experience more unfamiliar feelings, so I hugged God without realizing it. 

Suddenly, God stroked my hair. I’m filled with an unexplainable sense of comfort. 

I didn’t believe in God until now, but strangely, I could feel that Deus was a God at this moment.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t be this warm. 

“There will be happy and hard times, but I will be cheering for you to make it to the end.”

The image of God gradually became transparent and disappeared. I was left alone in an empty room. The translucent body had regained its color before I knew it. 

I don’t know how I’ll see him the next time, but my stats were what mattered right now. So what can be raised, and what is the current stat situation? 

At the same time, a window appeared in front of me.

<Please select an initial mode!>

– Easy Mode: Growth rate x 0.5, Stamina 600

– Normal Mode: Growth speed x 1.0, Stamina 400

– Hard Mode: Growth speed x 2.0, Stamina 100

Is this all the information I need? The difficulty level is expected when looking at the hard mode’s stamina level. I wondered how it worked, but there was no further explanation. This is not a game. This is my second life. A very important thing that determines my life—.

<You have selected hard mode!> 

But I am Korean. Is there anyone among Koreans who can tolerate doubling the growth rate? Is the growth rate doubled? 200%? At least I can’t stand it. It was an unavoidable challenge even as a gamer. 

<System: Hard mode characteristics have been opened.>

<The required points for stat and skill level have been reduced by 50%.>

<The increase rate of stat experience through learning has increased by 50%.>

Huh. Isn’t it just double? It was more than four times the size of the mask. There must have been a reason why the basic stamina was so low. Okay. I will quickly reach the stat max and become an idol who will tear up the entertainment industry! 

In that sense, I would like to see some of my information now. At the same time as I thought, the window popped out.

[F-Class Jin Haon (18) – Ordinary person]

Stamina: 100

Charm: F-

Singing: F-

Dancing: F-

Acting: F-

Songwriting: F-

Composition: F-

Points Remaining: 0

Each stat grows slowly as I learn it.

I can also invest points for rapid growth.

The same name as mine, and the number 18 next to it, caught my eyes. I checked, and it’s my age. 18 years old. Someone who had only lived for 18 years and then died broke my heart.

Without realizing it, I looked at my left wrist. The clear marks left behind were gone. But I could see the deep, painful scar right in front of my eyes as if it were engraved on my retina. 

After shaking my head to shake off my bitter feelings, I continued to acquire information. 

When I pressed each stat, it displayed the current experience and required experience. All were (0/1). Can’t I see what each grade requires? 

<System: You can check the required points for each grade. Do you want to check?>

That’s kind. Yes! Then there was another pop-up window. The necessary points from F to S+ were clearly written.

Let’s see. 

It takes a total of 20 points to make C+ and 400 to make B-. 1,500 points raised to an A-?  There’s a big gap to S. When I look at the required point, it looks like I can hear “good job” coming from B-. 

The S stat I got for free needed 19,552 points if it went up from F.  It was worth a lot more than the 10,000 points he had offered at first. Of course, it would have been possible to distribute 10,000 points here and there. 

I will become an idol. Of course, it’s all about visuals. As long as there is a setting called stats, it is possible to raise singing or dancing.

Even if I get better, I could be at the center of a controversy about plastic surgery if a picture of me before my debut and after my debut shows a big difference. So in many ways, it is right to raise my appearance first.

Sure enough, when I read the description of the “charm” stats, it said I could raise my stat experience whenever I put on makeup or stood in front of the camera. 

If my visual is F-class, I could be kicked out of the agency as soon as I walk in, and I wouldn’t even be a trainee.

If my appearance is F-class, I won’t even have a chance to become a trainee before I’m kicked out of the agency immediately after entering.

I looked at myself in the mirror to watch the magical transformation of the charm from an F-class to an S-class level. There was nothing in the room, so I went to the bathroom. 

In the mirror stood a pale-skinned boy. He was skinny and seemed so weak that he might fall over if someone hit him. Still, if I pay close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth, they are so beautiful that I can call them “smiley boys”—.

It was me as a teenager.

Was I F-? I thought the face was fine but was I mistaken? Even though I was a failed idol in a new company that was struggling financially, I was still a visual member—. No, I will still have eyes to see it regardless of what it is. It is not an F-.

Let’s just use the stat ticket quickly. I want to use the stat ticket! Is that how I use it?

<System: Would you like to upgrade one stat to ‘S’?> 

Oh! Yes yes!

<System: Please select a stat to be upgraded>

As soon as ‘charm’ was selected, the charm stat changed from F- to S. 

<System: Please select a stat to be upgraded>

As soon as ‘charm’ was selected, the charm stat changed from F- to S. 

<System: Charm grade has been changed to S! Congratulations!>

I kept looking in the mirror, but nothing had changed. Is this a joke? Isn’t that a bug? However, information clearly showed that the charm had changed to ‘S’. What? Why? What’s wrong? Did I miss anything?

I looked at the additional information about “Charm” once more. 

I skipped the way to raise the stats, and when I lowered it, there was more content. After reading it carefully, I found out why. 

The charm stat had nothing to do with changing one’s appearance. It showed how attractive I am to other people. Simply put, they are attracted to me even if they don’t like someone who looks like me. So it’s like a bonus stat—.

Of course, I thought charm was about appearance. I was frustrated for a while, but I quickly got rid of it.  Anyway, there was no sense of incompatibility because both the face and the name were mine, and being able to attract people who don’t like my appearance is a huge advantage as an idol.

It is the most difficult to raise with this kind of item, but it is correct to raise the necessary stats. That’s the basics of the game. If that’s the case, it’s right to increase the charm.

How long can I raise the “Charm” experience just by getting in front of the camera and putting on makeup?

Now, next. 

I looked at the flashing window, which seemed to be calling to me from one side of my field of view.