New Eridu.
Sixth Street.
“Random Play” Video Store.
“En-neh, neh… (Welcome…)”
Standing behind the front counter was a squishy, cute little fellow—a Bangboo designated as 18. Its daily duty was to greet every customer who walked through the doors of the video store.
The latest person to step inside was a young girl wearing twin tails and a short, vibrant dress printed with a pattern as crimson as fresh blooms. A clear glass bead was tied at her waist, red cords adorned her fair, slender legs, and her wooden low-heeled shoes showcased her surprisingly captivating feet to full advantage.
“Hey there, scarf-boy! Pick out a comedy tape for me—any title will do,” Su Lin said with a giggling, curved-eye smile to the little Bangboo in front of her.
As she spoke, her gaze drifted casually toward the adjacent room. If her guess was correct, this humble video store was none other than the secret hideout of the legendary Proxy duo, “Phaethon.”
Three days ago, Su Lin had been playing a game called Honkai: Star Rail. Just as he hit the pull button to summon a character named Sparkle, a golden light flashed—and the Astral Express seemed to crash right through the screen.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on a ruined, desolate street.
A Hollow.
He only learned where he had landed after speaking to an Official Investigator guarding the perimeter. Strange as it was, a computerized voice had suddenly echoed inside Su Lin’s head the moment he crossed over into this world.
That’s right—the indispensable perk of every transmigrator: a cheat system.
[Host successfully arrived in the world of “Zenless Zone Zero.” Current Location: New Eridu, Seventeenth Street.]
[Character Template Acquired: The “Fools” Masked Fool — Sparkle.]
As a dedicated Sparkle fan, Su Lin quickly grasped his current situation. He had gained Sparkle’s template, transforming his appearance to match hers completely: a face that combined adorable charm with a hint of playful mischief, a slender, striking figure, and fair, delicate limbs.
Crucially… his “dragon” had been stolen!
According to the system prompts, as long as Su Lin sought out “fun” in this world under the identity of Sparkle, her sync rate would increase, unlocking more of her power over time.
‘To think the legendary Phaethon runs a video store on a small street like this… How utterly bizarre…’
Su Lin pretended to browse the video racks while secretly checking her character panel.
[Host: Su Lin]
[Roleplay Character: Sparkle]
[Current Sync Rate: 1%]
[Unlocked Abilities: Thousand Faces, Monologue]
After transforming into Sparkle, she had obtained two signature abilities:
Beyond these powerful traits, combat techniques and instincts belonging to Sparkle had flooded Su Lin’s mind upon her transformation. Armed with these skills, she was already capable of walking tall anywhere she pleased.
“Eh-neh, eh-neh! (Customer, here is the video tape you requested!)”
Bangboo 18 bounced up to Su Lin holding a cassette, hopping on its toes before handing it over.
Su Lin held it up to look. The title read Coffee Companion.
“Good job, scarf-boy,” Su Lin approved with a warm nod.
She didn’t know much about the world of Zenless Zone Zero. She hadn’t participated in the closed beta, and the game had not yet officially launched when she transmigrated. Over the past three days, she had explored step by step, only learning about “Phaethon” after crossing paths with Nicole from the Cunning Hares.
Rumor had it that Phaethon was exceptionally knowledgeable and possessed a vast, complex network of connections…
If she could get on good terms with “Phaethon,” Su Lin could leverage their connections to meet even more people. And the more people she met, the easier it would be to find a little chaotic fun.
“Big brother, Fairy eats up so much electricity every single day! If we don’t take on more commissions, we won’t even have enough money to pay the power bill in a few days!”
An energetic, blue-haired girl emerged from the back room. She wore a black-and-white jacket patterned with three stylized characters on the front.
It was Belle!
Catching sight of Su Lin browsing the video shelves, Belle offered a lively smile and stepped forward to greet her.
“Welcome! Looking for anything in particular? We have tapes of every genre here, so I’m sure you’ll find something you like,” Belle introduced with practiced ease.
Su Lin gave Belle a brief once-over. When Belle had walked out just a moment ago, Su Lin had caught a glimpse of a tall young man inside the room. Based on what Belle had just said, that person was almost certainly her older brother.
‘So which one of them is Phaethon? Or could they both be Phaethon?’
While Su Lin was pondering the possibilities, the gentle chime above the door announced four more girls stepping inside, bringing a lively wave of youthful energy with them.
“I heard there was a really great video store on Sixth Street—so this is the place!”
“I remember there was a super cute video about Bangboos, called The Carl Family, I think!”
“Little Shark, come here quick! Look at this one!”
The four girls buzzed with excitement as if discovering a hidden treasure trove. Among them, one girl immediately drew Su Lin’s attention.
She had pitch-black hair, crimson eyes, distinct pointed teeth, and a thick, agile shark tail that she had tucked carefully behind her back so as not to block the narrow aisles.
‘Ellen?’
Seeing the black-haired girl, Belle greeted her warmly. “How do you have time to drop by today?”
Ellen let out a helpless smile. “My friends heard there was a popular video store on Sixth Street and insisted on checking it out.”
Ellen hadn’t really wanted to come, but her three close friends had practically dragged her along, leaving her with little choice.
“Little Shark, you know the store owner?!”
“Heheh, since you’re acquainted, manager, could you give us a little discount?”
“Yeah, we’ll definitely become regulars!”
The three girls crowded excitedly around Belle.
“Of course, no problem at all! We just got a lot of new arrivals, so feel free to browse,” Belle agreed generously with a nod.
“Thank you,” Ellen murmured softly, surprised by Belle’s willingness to oblige.
Suddenly, Ellen felt a strange tickle. Her delicate face flushed a bright crimson in an instant.
She reflexively pulled her shark tail into her arms and whipped her head around, only to find a cute girl wearing a red-and-white fox mask perched on top of her head.
“Fascinating… It actually moves! I thought it was just a prop tail,” Su Lin couldn’t help marveling aloud.
She had just given it a gentle stroke—the texture was remarkably smooth and surprisingly satisfying to touch.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Ellen’s expression turned icy cold the moment she realized a complete stranger had just touched her tail.
“Oh my, don’t misunderstand~ I just saw such a pretty shark tail and couldn’t resist giving it a touch,” Su Lin giggled playfully, stealthily closing the distance between them without making a sound.
Practically in a blink—
A flash of genuine shock crossed Ellen’s eyes.
A fraction of a second ago, the girl had been standing half a meter away. The next moment, their faces were practically touching, separated by less than five centimeters!
The corners of Su Lin’s mouth curled into a faint smile. At such close range, she could feel the warm puff of Ellen’s breath against her cheek.
A kaleidoscope of subtle light flashed quietly in Su Lin’s eyes. Influenced by the sudden trick, Ellen felt a strange, fleeting sensation wash over her—an instinctive, inexplicable pull toward the girl in front of her.
Naturally, the feeling vanished as quickly as it had arrived.
Before Ellen could fully process what had happened, Su Lin reached out and gently cupped Ellen’s dainty chin. Mischief gleamed briefly in her eyes as her lips curved into an enigmatic smile.
“Little Shark… you really are quite adorable~”