Chapter 3

"Wow, this guy is very handsome. No wonder Christina didn't want to break up," Alex muttered, stunned by his own reflection.

Back on Earth, he had looked ordinary, the kind of face that never stood out in a crowd. Now, however, he was striking. Even so, he appeared a little unkempt. The previous Alex had never cared much about his appearance.

His hair was overgrown and clearly needed styling. His skin showed signs of neglect, as if it had been a long time since he last used any skincare products. Despite the disarray, his good looks were impossible to ignore.

His eyelids drooped heavily. He was exhausted and could no longer think about the system or reincarnation. Dragging himself to the bed, he collapsed onto it. The moment his body touched the mattress, he fell asleep.

Alex woke up early for work as usual. He had always risen early to pick up Annie from school. Blinking groggily, he realized he was in an unfamiliar room. Shock flickered through him before yesterday's events rushed back into his mind.

He let out a sigh. Normally, the Alex of this world should have been getting ready for school, but there was no way he could attend class with all these bruises, at least not for the next three days.

He lay back on the bed, sighed once more, and called out to the mysterious system. It had only spoken a single sentence yesterday, and he still had no idea how it was supposed to help him.

"System, hello? System, are you there?"

(Ding! The Superstar System is at your service.)

"Yes," he said, delighted. Just like the protagonists in those popular novels, he had his own cheat. Another notification sounded.

(System scanning host... Scan complete.)

Host level:

Entertainment skills:

Star points: 0

Singing: level 4

Dancing: level 3

Composing and songwriting: level 5

Acting: level 3

Music production: level 5

Instruments:

Guitar: level 7

Charisma: 6

Special skills: none

Intelligence: 9

Handsomeness: 8

Physical points: 7 (This includes all physical stats like speed and strength. An average grown man has 10 points.)

Fighting skills: none

Weapon skills: none

Special technique: none

Other skills: none

A translucent panel appeared before him, clearly displaying all his stats.

"Wow, are these really all my stats? They're pretty poor, I must say."

(System notice: Host physical stats are weak. A superstar must be fit. The host has been issued daily missions.)

Daily Mission One: Do 100 push-ups every day for one week.

Reward: Random increase in physical points.

Punishment for failure: One of the host's stats will randomly decrease by one point.

Duration: One week.

Daily Mission Two: Two hours of singing and an additional two hours of composing every day.

Reward: Random level increases in singing and composing. Rewards will be given after one week.

Punishment: Random stat deduction.

Duration: One week.

The system quickly issued its first set of missions.

"What the hell! Why don't you just tell me to go die, system? Can't you see how injured I am?" Alex nearly cursed at the floating display.

(As a first-time gift, the system will give the host a high-grade healing potion. Do you want me to use it on you now?)

"Yes," he replied without hesitation.

Immediately, a warm energy surged through his body. It was gentle and soothing. He closed his eyes as a satisfied smile formed on his lips. About a minute later, the sensation faded. When he looked down at himself, his eyes widened in shock. Every bruise had vanished.

"First, it's time to complete my first mission." He dropped into a push-up position and began. He finished all one hundred before collapsing, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

(First daily mission completed. Reward: +1 physical point.)

As he focused on his body, he could clearly feel that he was stronger than before.

He went to the bathroom and took a shower. He decided not to go to school, as the change would have been too abrupt. After bathing, he cooked a pack of noodles and ate before attempting his second mission.

For the next week, Alex lived the same routine. Every morning, he did one hundred push-ups. He then spent four hours composing and singing. In the evenings, he went to the eatery where he worked part-time.

Contrary to his expectations, the daily stat increases ranged from only 0.1 to 0.5 points instead of a full point like on the first day. Even so, over the past few days, he managed to raise his physical stat to 9.

Finally, it was time to receive the increases for his composing and singing levels.

(Mission complete. Reward: Singing level 5; Composing and songwriting level 7.)

"System, can you be any less reliable? Composing and songwriting went up two levels, but singing only increased by one?" He felt like crying, but no tears came. His first screening for Superstars of Tomorrow was the next day, and a larger boost to singing would have greatly improved his chances.

(Ding! New mission: Compose a song now, then go to a public place and perform it.

Reward: Special skill - Resonance.

Resonance enhances the emotional impact of the host's voice, making his tone naturally draw attention on a deeper level and subtly influence the audience's mood. Effect depends on level.

Mission duration: Seven hours.)

"Seven hours? I'm supposed to be at the eatery in an hour. It'll take me two or three hours just to compose a decent song. Shit, I'll have to skip work today. Hopefully Madam Eudora won't be angry. This is already my second time this month." He sighed helplessly.

The first time had been on the day he was reincarnated, when the previous Alex had left work without notice after receiving that text.

Alex made his decision quickly and wasted no time. He immediately began working on the song. At the same time, he felt a surge of excitement at the promise of a special skill. He had not gained any special skills yet, and this one sounded particularly useful.

It took him four hours to finish the song. Completely exhausted, he went to the washroom and poured himself a glass of water.

When he came out, he reached for the guitar hanging on the wall beside his small bed. The previous Alex had loved the guitar, and his skill with it was above average.

He had bought it for 500 credits (one credit equal to one US dollar.)

It was a high-quality acoustic guitar. He played for forty minutes before finally stopping.

Putting on a black coat, he slung the guitar over his back and left his apartment.