I lay on my back, staring at the pink stars on the ceiling.
My heart was finally returning to its normal pace, but my mind was still trying to process everything that had happened a few minutes ago.
One hundred and seventy-six viewers, the endless stream of messages, Apophion finally collapsing, and the enormous dragon that had turned the entire screen gold...
Golden Dragon.
Someone called Caramel had really sent me such an expensive-looking gift in the middle of the stream. Instead of thanking them properly, I had stammered out two words and ended the stream.
I covered my face with both hands.
"Oh, fuck..."
I might die of embarrassment when I watched the recording tomorrow. Then again, considering everything that had happened to this body, I wasn’t sure even death would be enough to save me.
After staring at the ceiling for a while longer, I remembered something far more important. I sat up on the bed and called out.
"Oiiiiiii, system! Show me my points."
Familiar bluish lights gathered in front of my eyes.
[Current Eclipsie Points: 6]
I stared at the text for several seconds before frowning.
"Don’t I get any bonus rewards?"
[The quest reward has been delivered in full.]
"You asked for one hundred viewers, but I reached one hundred and seventy-six. On top of that, I gained followers, received a gift, and killed that damn snake. Don’t I deserve something extra?"
[Although the Chosen One’s achievement is commendable, quest rewards are fixed.]
My eye twitched.
"How wonderful. Stingy son of a bitch."
The system didn’t respond, but I could have sworn its silence was judging me.
I took a deep breath. I shouldn’t get angry because I wasn’t allowed to break anything else in the room.
That quest had already failed, but I would still have to pay for everything I broke. The stubborn pain lingering inside my head also reminded me that arguing with the system probably wasn’t very smart.
"Fine," I said through clenched teeth. "Do you have any recommendations?"
[At present, it is not recommended that you use Eclipsie Points to increase your base stats.]
[You may save your points to draw a new card or use them to upgrade your existing ability.]
"Why shouldn’t I increase my stats?"
[At your current physical level, your base stats can be improved through natural methods. Spending Eclipsie Points would yield low returns.]
That actually made sense, and I didn’t like it at all. Hearing something reasonable from the system was about as reassuring as receiving investment advice from a scammer.
Even so, I considered my options. I couldn’t draw a new card with my current points because a three-star card required ten points. I could save them, but upgrading White Snake didn’t sound like a bad idea either.
"What happens if I upgrade White Snake to two stars?"
A new window opened in front of me.
[White Snake ★ → White Snake ★★]
[Regeneration Efficiency: 100% → 200%]
[Upgrade Cost: 5 EP]
"200..."
That didn’t sound bad at all.
Even having the cuts on my hand heal faster would be useful. Considering that this world was filled with Nexus users and monsters, a regeneration ability might save my life in the future.
However, my thoughts had already shifted to another possibility.
"What about regrowing severed body parts?"
[Limited limb regeneration unlocks at four-star level.]
I swallowed without meaning to.
Four stars meant that if I upgraded it enough, I could regrow a severed arm, a leg, or perhaps even more.
The thought was both frightening and exciting. In my old world, something like that only happened in comic books. Here, an annoying window floating in front of my eyes stated it as though it were perfectly ordinary information.
"What happens when it reaches five stars?"
[Information is unavailable at your current ability level.]
"Of course. You can’t resist adding a little mystery."
I rested my head against the pillow and sighed.
Saving the five points would bring me closer to drawing another card, but cards could contain curses, monsters, or even something that reduced my stats. White Snake was already mine, and I knew what it did.
At least it didn’t currently have a side effect that would turn me into a bunny girl.
"All right," I finally said. "Upgrade it to two stars."
[Confirmed.]
[5 Eclipsie Points consumed.]
[White Snake has been upgraded to two-star level.]
[White Snake ★★]
[Type: Passive — Regeneration]
[Regeneration Efficiency: 200%]
[Current Eclipsie Points: 1]
The moment the messages scattered, a gentle warmth passed through my body. It began in my chest before spreading to my shoulders and arms. It felt as though I had spent hours in the cold and finally stepped into a warm room.
When my bandaged hand suddenly began to itch, I brought it closer to my face and examined it carefully.
Nothing was moving beneath the bandage, my flesh wasn’t closing on its own in some horrifying display, and my skin wasn’t glowing. None of that happened.
It simply itched.
"I don’t feel much different."
[The ability has been activated successfully.]
"Yeah, you’ve already written that three times."
Still, something had definitely changed. The fatigue in my body seemed to be fading faster, and the heaviness that had been sitting at the back of my head for hours had eased slightly.
Only the pain caused by the system’s punishment remained just as stubborn as before.
Apparently, that didn’t count as normal damage.
Damn cheater.
"Whatever," I muttered. "At least I’ll need less sleep."
The system didn’t respond to that claim, so I took its silence as confirmation.
I picked up my phone from the nightstand. It wasn’t particularly late, but after everything I had been through that day, some sleep would definitely do me good.
I set the alarm for six hours later and put the phone down again. Then I pulled the blanket over myself and closed my eyes.
I tried not to think about the blue ceiling, the cracked mirror, Rose’s teasing smile, the cards floating in the air, or the gigantic snake.
Strangely enough, I succeeded.
Within a few minutes, my consciousness grew heavy, and I sank into a peaceful darkness.
Ziiiiing.
My hand slipped beneath the pillow, but there was nothing there.
I frowned.
Ziiiiing.
"The phone’s on the nightstand, idiot..."
I opened my eyes halfway, reached to the side, found the phone, and silenced the alarm. Once the room became quiet again, I sat up in bed.
For the first few seconds, I looked around in confusion. The blue ceiling, pink stars, rabbit cushion, and anime figures were all still in their places.
"So I’m still here."
I must have been hoping that everything I had experienced yesterday would turn out to be one long, ridiculous nightmare. Unfortunately, it hadn’t been.
I had woken up in the body of a femboy, arrived in another world, cursed at a talking system, punched a mirror, been kissed on the cheek by a pharmacist, died countless times in an RPG, and won while swearing at a snake in front of hundreds of people.
It had unquestionably been the strangest day of my life.
Hoping today would be a little more normal, I climbed out of bed. Contrary to my expectations, I felt surprisingly refreshed.
I had only slept for six hours, but it felt as though I had enjoyed eight or nine hours of uninterrupted sleep.
"Is this White Snake’s work?"
No answer came.
The system spoke during the most unnecessary moments, but whenever I was genuinely curious about something, it played dead.
When I moved my bandaged hand, I noticed that the throbbing from yesterday had almost completely disappeared. I only felt a faint ache as I opened and closed my fingers.
This time, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
"Not bad."