“Go on, get out!
If you can’t even lift a five-hundred-pound rock, you’ve got no business trying to join a Familia.
Go kick rocks!” This was the seventh time Kai had been unceremoniously thrown out the front gates.
From the crushing disappointment of his first rejection to the numb indifference he felt now, he had grown accustomed to being turned away.
Coming from a small, remote village to the absolute center of the world, Kai was just like every other wide-eyed youth who flocked to Orario—slowly realizing his own insignificance in the face of brutal reality.
Kai Constantine hailed from a quiet rural town far from the bustling heart of Orario.
Like the countless others who yearned for adventure, the young man wanted to carve his name into this city and become a legendary adventurer.
But after a grueling week of constant rejection, he was currently relying on backbreaking labor at a construction site just to keep from starving to death.
“Grandma… Orario isn’t anything like you said it’d be.
I would’ve been better off staying in the countryside to farm.” With another Familia rejection under his belt, Kai returned to the construction site.
It was the future headquarters of the Loki Familia.
The laborers here worked with a desperate frenzy, likely hoping their raw strength and stamina would catch the eye of the Loki Familia executives and earn them a spot in their ranks.
Kai knew for a fact that the hardest worker on the site was a mercenary who had already built a decent reputation outside the city.
Yet, even he hadn’t managed to secure an invitation to the Loki Familia.
At first, Kai had planned to push himself to the limit to get noticed, too.
But after two days of bone-aching labor, he realized that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t compete with the absolute madmen who looked ready to haul bricks twenty-four hours a day.
So, he put his head down, did his share of the work, and stopped trying to show off.
[Hero Cloud-Raising System has detected a target: Kai Constantine.
Binding in progress—] [Binding complete!
Please work hard to become a hero admired by all~!] …Huh?
When the mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind, Kai froze in bewilderment.
His first thought was that he had somehow become the plaything of a bored god.
For a moment, he didn’t know whether to be thrilled or terrified.
If a deity really had taken an interest in him, was this a blessing?
But becoming a mere toy for someone else’s amusement… was that really worth it?
Regardless, Kai had no power to resist.
And honestly, rather than worrying about this inexplicable voice in his head, he was much more concerned about where his next meal was coming from.
The Loki Familia construction crew certainly didn’t provide free meals.
Tossing the so-called “System” to the back of his mind, Kai focused on moving his bricks.
The world was vast, but a full stomach took priority over everything else.
….
Meanwhile, aboard a transport ship currently returning from a mission, Murata Himeko pulled out her phone.
She was thoroughly exhausted and just wanted to relax by scrolling through videos of handsome guys, only to find a strange, unfamiliar app sitting on her home screen.
Murata Himeko Image “Ai-chan, did you download another weird app on my phone again?” “I did not,” the cabbage-headed AI replied promptly.
“Really?” “Really, really!” Himeko knew perfectly well that as an artificial intelligence, Ai-chan wouldn’t lie to a Schicksal captain.
But the sudden appearance of a mysterious app on her military-encrypted phone was incredibly hard to swallow.
Was this some new cyber-attack from Anti-Entropy?
“Ai-chan, run a full virus scan on my phone!” “Understood.” ….
Half an hour later, Ai-chan had scanned Himeko’s phone five times and found absolutely nothing.
Furthermore, Himeko realized that she seemed to be the only person who could even see the app on her screen.
There was no way Anti-Entropy possessed this level of technology.
Himeko could only conclude that a washed-up older woman like her had somehow stumbled upon an unimaginable opportunity.
“Alright, let’s see exactly what you can do.” [Welcome to the Hero Raising Game.
The stronger the hero you cultivate, the richer the rewards the world will grant you.
This game is essentially a romance-simulation idle game; you cannot directly interfere with the hero’s actions.
Also, a friendly reminder: the higher the hero’s affection for you, the richer the rewards~!] Himeko carefully memorized every single word of the opening animation before speaking up.
“Ai-chan, what does my phone screen look like to you right now?” “Hm?
It’s just your normal home screen.
Is that handsome guy your ideal type, Himeko?
Do you need Ai-chan to pull up his personnel file?” “No need.
Go play, Ai-chan.
And don’t steal the ship’s electricity while you’re at it.” That confirmed it.
Her golden opportunity really had arrived.
Himeko had read her fair share of web novels during her downtime, but she never imagined a literal “cheat code” would drop into her lap.
Don’t tell me that forum post I replied to yesterday about ‘giving away free Systems’ was actually real?
Himeko shook her head, tossing the ridiculous thought aside.
Filled with a mix of anticipation and awe, she tapped the screen to start the game.
The display immediately shifted to a high-definition live feed of an incredibly handsome young man moving heavy bricks at a construction site.
[This is your hero.
He is currently residing in a massive metropolis governed by the gods.
Unfortunately, the weak and powerless youth has yet to draw the gaze of the divine.
In order to survive, he has been forced to take on grueling manual labor—] The subtitles updated in real-time alongside the video feed, giving Himeko the surreal illusion that she was binge-watching a drama series.
And honestly, the boy on the screen perfectly hit all of her preferences.
He was undeniably gorgeous.
With sweat dampening his slightly long black hair and sticking it to his face, Himeko’s first thought was that she was looking at the tragic second male lead of a shoujo manga.
It was a damn shame that a noble young master who looked like he should be sipping coffee under a parasol was currently slaving away like a pack mule.
The stark contrast made the older woman’s heart ache in sympathy.
[By the way, Miss Himeko, you can communicate with me directly using your thoughts.
There’s no need to speak out loud.
After all, a grown woman talking to her phone screen is a great way to look completely unhinged.] …You’re pretty sassy for an app.
Forget it.
What’s this boy’s name?
And what exactly can I do to help him?
[He is your hero, Kai Constantine, a child blessed by the world.
As for what this System does… simply put: pay-to-win, and idle grinding.] That’s it?
[That’s it!] Can I uninstall you?
[Ahem!
Your hero is a living, breathing person; you can’t expect to control his every move!
But don’t worry, every microtransaction yields a return.
Every time the hero grows stronger, a portion of that power feeds back to you, Miss Himeko.
According to my calculations, a single feedback loop will completely cure all the underlying issues in your body.
The second feedback loop will elevate you into a genuine S-rank Valkyrie!] You paint a very pretty picture.
Alright, let me see this pay-to-win shop of yours!
[Right away!
Right this way, valued customer!]