My Superstar System: Rise To Stardom

"Please, Christina, don't do this to me! How could you cheat on me with my best friend after everything I've done for you?"

A young man knelt on the ground, clutching the hands of a beautiful girl whose heavy makeup only emphasized her cold expression. She looked aloof, completely unmoved by his words.

"Hehehe, have you even looked at yourself in the mirror?" a burly young man standing beside her sneered. "How can a poor thing like you deserve such a gorgeous beauty? Can you give her the life that I provide?"

He laughed mockingly and kicked the kneeling man.

"And don't you dare touch her with those filthy hands of yours again!"

"It's okay, Billy. I'll talk to him." Christina stopped him and turned toward the young man, who was struggling to get back up after the kick.

"I'm sorry, Alex, but it can't work between us. At first, I accepted your advances because you were one of the most handsome guys in school and matched my aesthetics back then. But now I've realized that a pretty face can't do much for me.

"It can't pay my bills, and it certainly can't be eaten. The only reason I didn't break up with you sooner was because I didn't want to hurt you. I'm sorry you had to find out like this, but it's over now."

Her tone was firm and final.

Alex stared at her, clearly seeing the seriousness in her eyes.

"Such a fool... I've been such a fool all this time. No wonder you stopped going on dates with me and always made excuses whenever I asked you out.

"I thought you were busy with your family problems, just like you always claimed. I even contributed what little I could to help you. Because of you, I neglected my studies and worked myself to exhaustion just to earn enough money to give you. And now, I finally see how foolish I've been."

He laughed bitterly and looked up at the sky.

"Thinking about it now, I really was a fool. Perhaps, like they say, love truly is blind. But I've learned my lesson."

With a hollow chuckle, he pushed himself to his feet. He could not bear to stay there any longer.

Billy watched him leave, the corners of his lips curling into a smug smile. Alex had always been an eyesore to him. Even though he had finally managed to win Christina over after countless attempts, he still hated the fact that she hadn't broken up with Alex sooner.

He did not even care that Alex had been his best friend. He had only used him as a stepping stone to secretly get close to Christina.

Today's scene was no accident.

Billy had discreetly used Christina's phone to send Alex a message, luring him to this spot. Afterward, he deleted the message so she would not notice.

Poor Alex. The moment he saw the message, he dropped everything and rushed over, even stopping by a boutique to buy something nice on the way. He had been so excited, convinced that they would finally spend time together after so long.

"Come on, let's go," Christina said softly, tugging at Billy's arm and pulling him from his thoughts.

"It's okay, honey. You go ahead. I just need to use the restroom. I'll be right back," Billy replied smoothly.

As she walked away, he pulled out his phone and made a quick call. After hanging up, a sinister smile spread across his face.

"Let's see if he dares come near my woman again after I'm done dealing with him," he said, laughing coldly.

****

Alex wandered aimlessly through the mostly deserted streets, his heart heavy as memories of his time with Christina resurfaced. It was nearing midnight, and only a handful of people were scattered about.

Unbeknownst to him, he was being followed.

The moment he stepped into a dark alley, he sensed movement behind him. Before he could react, a sharp kick struck the back of his legs, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Wh... what is this? Who are you? What do you want?" Alex stammered in panic. "Money? I only have a hundred credits on me. Take it, just... just don't hurt me!"

"Who wants your stupid money?" one of them scoffed. "We're here to deliver a farewell gift from Billy. He wants us to give you a beating to remind you of your place, so you'll never dare come near his girl again."

"But-"

Before Alex could finish, they descended on him, fists and feet raining down from every direction. He curled into a ball, whimpering pitifully as the assault continued.

"Wait... something's wrong," the leader suddenly said, raising a hand to stop the others.

They froze as he knelt beside Alex and checked his pulse. His expression twisted in horror.

"He's dead?"

"No, he just fainted. It's normal after all the beating." One of them said.

"Alright, let's get out of here then before anyone sees us."

****

Another World

Alex Parker pressed down on the accelerator. He was running late.

As a taxi driver, punctuality was a habit he could not afford to break. Earlier that day, he had gone to the old people's home to visit Adolf Weissman, the old man who had adopted him.

Today was Adolf's birthday, and Alex would not have missed it for anything. He had planned to finish up by three o'clock so he could pick up the little girl he usually drove to and from school. Her parents had entrusted her to him, and they were generous, often giving him extra tips because of his reliability.

However, Adolf had kept him longer than expected, talking at length about his past journeys as an archaeologist. Before Alex left, the old man handed him a strange, ancient-looking necklace.

It held a blood-red stone tied with an ordinary-looking rope, forming a simple pendant. Adolf emphasized how difficult it had been to obtain the stone. Because of the dangers involved, he had refused to give it to anyone else, studying it in secret for years. Yet despite all his efforts, he had never managed to uncover its origins or purpose.

Now, it had been entrusted to Alex for safekeeping.

"Son, I know I ruined your dreams of becoming a superstar and joining Hollywood. I can't do anything to make up for it. I just hope you don't hate me forever," Adolf had said, his voice heavy with guilt.

Alex had laughed softly.

"I never regretted leaving the music industry and Hollywood to take care of your health. If I hadn't become a taxi driver, I wouldn't have been able to afford your hospital bills back then, and you might have died.

I could never have lived with myself if that had happened. Besides," he added with a chuckle, "it's not like I had already made it into the industry. I was just trying. There was no guarantee I would have succeeded anyway. I'm not even that talented, just average."

Alex smiled faintly at the memory as he drove. He absentmindedly twirled the necklace hanging from his neck, steering with his other hand. The road was mostly clear, and for a seasoned driver like him, the motion was second nature.

When he looked up again, his heart nearly stopped.

An old man stood motionless in the middle of the road. Alex was certain the road had been empty only seconds ago. It was as if the man had appeared out of thin air.

Panic surged through him. Alex swerved sharply into the other lane to avoid hitting the man.

That was when he realized his fatal mistake.

A speeding truck was barreling straight toward him.

Alex Packer woke with a throbbing headache. The last thing he remembered was taking his final breath as the stone necklace burst into a red, flaming light and wrapped around him. After that, he had lost consciousness.

"What's happening? Am I dead? Is this the soul realm?"

His eyes were unfocused as he tried to take in his surroundings. After a moment, his vision gradually cleared. He found himself lying in a deserted, dark alley.

"I'm not dead? Then why wasn't I sent to a hospital? Who left me in this strange alley?" None of it made sense. His entire body ached, and bruises covered his skin. Yet there was no way a direct hit from a truck would leave him with only these relatively minor injuries.

In the best-case scenario, surviving such an accident would have meant spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Something was clearly wrong.

Without warning, his headache intensified. He clutched his head as his body twitched violently. He remained like that for several minutes until the pain finally subsided. When he lifted his head again, his expression was no longer the same.

He understood what had happened.

He had reincarnated.

Just moments ago, he had received the memories of this body's previous owner, right up to the instant of death.

A surge of rage and regret burned through him. The intensity of it startled him, because those emotions were not entirely his own. They had to be remnants of the previous owner's consciousness. That owner had also been named Alex and, like him, had been an orphan. The difference was that this Alex had never been adopted. Once he turned sixteen, he had been forced to fend for himself.

It felt as though that lingering consciousness had not fully dissipated and had instead merged with his soul. He could not explain how, but he could sense it with unsettling clarity.

"So I died and was reincarnated into another world similar to Earth?" he murmured. "Well, that's still better than ceasing to exist. Even if I had lived, there was no way I would have survived that truck."

He sighed softly and accepted his fate.

His only regret was that he would not be with Adolf for his next birthday. He would never see him again. Back on Earth, he had only a handful of friends, most of whom were regular customers. He had spent most of his life driving his taxi and taking care of Adolf, until Adolf had been moved to an old people's home the year before.

"This kid died in such a pitiful way," he muttered. "He did nothing wrong. He just fell in love like any other youth. Those bastards beat him to death. And his girlfriend could have simply broken up with him instead of cheating behind his back with his so-called best friend."

He paused, then let out a short, humorless laugh.

"The funny thing is, he had the same dream I did when I was younger."

The deceased Alex had wanted to become a superstar as well. He had been passionate about it and had even registered for a hugely popular reality competition show, Super Stars of Tomorrow.

But just like him, his talent had only been average.

"I promise I'll take revenge for you," he said quietly. "And I'll chase the dream we both shared, the dream I thought I'd already lost my chance to pursue."

His eyes stung as he spoke.

What he could not achieve in his past life, he would achieve in this one. Even if his talent was only average, he would work harder than anyone else and make it real.

(Ding! The Wish Stone has scanned your memory and determined your path based on your deepest wish. Based on the result, you have been awarded the Superstar System!)

A robotic voice rang out in his mind, startling him badly.

"System? Wish Stone?" He froze as the pieces began to click into place.

The red stone.

He had been so absorbed in the memory transfer that he had temporarily forgotten about it. How had he arrived in this world in the first place? His soul must have been carried here by that mysterious red stone his adoptive father had given him.

He remembered the stone bursting into red light at the final moment. It had to be the last Wish Stone. What was the true story behind it? Did his adoptive father know about its power? Was it really just a coincidence that he had given Alex the stone on the very day he died?

Sadly, those questions would never be answered.

He was in another world now.

"First, I need to get out of this alley." As much as he wanted to rest longer, he could not afford to. The place was dark and deserted, and he could easily be attacked by robbers. He had no intention of dying a second time.

He pushed himself to his feet and winced, almost forgetting how badly he had been beaten. Step by step, he made his way home.

After ten minutes of walking, he reached his apartment. He rented a single room in an old, three-story building.

The landlady was outside, smoking. She paused when she noticed him limping toward her.

"What is this? Why are you walking like that? Wait, why are there bruises all over your body?" Her eyes widened in shock.

"It's nothing serious," he said, trying to reassure her. "I got into a small fight. I'm fine now. I just need a good rest."

He lied without hesitation.

He did not want to explain what had happened. She nodded and said nothing more, though worry still lingered in her expression.

Alex took a proper look at her, since this was the first time he had seen her with his own eyes rather than through the memories of the other Alex.

She was stunningly beautiful and appeared to be in her late twenties. She had a sharp tongue, but all her tenants knew she was a good person at heart. He had owed her money many times in the past, and she had always allowed him to pay at his own pace. Of course, she never failed to give a firm lecture afterward.

He sighed and dragged himself into his small room.

The place was a mess. The previous Alex had never been a tidy person. He would have cleaned it up, but he had no strength left.

More than anything, he wanted to sleep. Still, before that, he needed to see the face of the body he now inhabited.

He stepped in front of the mirror...

"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.