"Halfsie. Shouldn't you start selling your system now?"
She glanced at the goofball, whose scarlet eyes were squinted. The conniving look plastered on its face made her sneer.
[You're pure, alright. Purely pretentious.]
She shook her head in criticism. Anyway, she didn't mind its sly personality because she found it entertaining.
"Host, why should I sell the main system?" it asked in confusion, clearly having no idea what its host was talking about.
"I mean, tell me everything I need to know about the system and the mission."
She stood up and stretched her limbs while examining the place they were currently in. Nothing was in sight, just an endless white space. She couldn't even begin to estimate the size of the area.
"What is this place, anyway?"
She lay back down on her side and cupped her chin.
The furry ball bounced toward her, finding a better spot from which to explain.
"This is our system space, Host. It's the personal space the main system gave us. Only the two of us can enter."
Glancing at her host, who lacked any enthusiasm, it continued.
"Host, this is an area outside the planes. It's a domain not governed by the Heavenly Laws."
Still not getting the positive reaction it had anticipated, it continued.
"To put it simply, this is our very own unrestricted world, Host."
Every word was uttered almost through gritted teeth.
[Host, come on! Our private domain, outside the planes and unaffected by the Laws of Heaven?! Nothing? No reaction at all?]
It wanted to vigorously shake its host, who was so difficult to please.
Nonetheless, the apathetic girl remained languid. She merely curled the tip of her hair around her finger and hummed.
Well, you really couldn't blame her. The hell did she care if it was beyond some law or another? The only thing that mattered to her was the fact that this world was so austere. Nothing existed. Not even a bed or sofa to recline on. Ascetic monks might still appreciate this place, but not her. After all, she was someone who indulged in the pleasures of worldly things.
Seeing her puffy ball almost pull out its own fur in frustration, she asked,
"Can we have things here?"
Finally recalling the other wondrous things it could entice its host with, the system perked up.
"Of course, Host! You can keep the loot you've acquired in other worlds or the things you've purchased from the System Store," it said excitedly.
[Loot, huh?]
Then, looking at the endless space around her, she smiled meaningfully.
"What does the store sell? What currency do we need?"
She focused on the other interesting information she had heard.
"Host, you exchange the points you earn from completing missions for items."
"As for what the store sells, I'm not quite sure. It appears you can only access it once you have points."
She nodded and spoke.
"Okay, continue with the mission."
She yawned and shut her eyes. She believed this was going to be a long discussion.
Halfsie could finally talk about the subject matter. However, looking at its host, she appeared rather unenthusiastic. It hoped she wouldn't fall asleep halfway through and make it repeat everything. It was rather taxing to talk so much, it thought.
If she knew what the blabbermouth was brooding over, she might roll her eyes again.
"Host, as you know, I am System 333, the guide for the 'Corrupt the Heavenly Being System.' The main task is to convert that person's 'good traits' into 'evil traits.' A mission is considered successful once you've managed to turn that person 100% evil."
Observing that its boss was listening and not sleeping, Halfsie continued.
"The points you earn depend on the difficulty of the task or the world's setting. The lowest is Class D, worth 200 points; Class C is worth 300 points; Class B, 400 points; Class A, 500 points; and S-Class, the highest difficulty, is worth 1,000 points. You'll also receive consolation points if you fail. The system will give you 100 points."
[Consolation points? How benevolent.]
She hadn't expected this evil-seeding machine of a system to be so generous.
"How much are the items in the store?"
She was thinking of buying a cozy bed and wondered how much she would have to pay. Being broke felt bad, she mused.
[Better yet, I'll get the coziest bed from the next world.]
Then, recalling the vastness of their world, she thought,
[Or hoard everything I want.]
She grinned, utterly delighted by the possibility.
"Host, I don't know. The manual doesn't specify the price range of the items or what will be sold."
The furball inwardly felt dissatisfied. It was stocked with almost all the information about everything, yet it didn't even know what was available in its own store. It wanted to file a complaint against the main system.
"Go on."
She gestured for the fluffy creature to continue with the orientation. However, the furball remained silent. She then opened her eyes and peered at it.
"Well, Host, that's all there is to it."
Its voice was rather joyous, since its host had listened through the entire explanation.
Hearing what the little guy had just said, she unconsciously sat up. Perhaps she had just experienced an auditory hallucination.
"Nothing to add?" she inquired.
She thought the system must be fooling her. It hadn't even mentioned the do's and don'ts or the other things she needed to know.
"Oh! There's one more thing. After completing your task, you can choose to stay and live until the host body's lifespan is exhausted, or leave immediately."
"Host body? Who is that?"
She caught an important detail.
"The person in that world who will lend you their body to achieve the goal. They could be someone close to the Heavenly Being or a complete stranger. Regardless, all host bodies are selected because they have the most suitable circumstances to accommodate your soul, Host."
The idea surprised her. She had assumed she would materialize a body of her own once she entered the mission world. At any rate, it seemed she would live up to her status as a ghost.
Then, mulling over what Halfsie had just said, she asked,
"Will your system kill them just to let me possess their bodies?"
Her tone was nonchalant, but the atmosphere around her suddenly grew tense.
She didn't care about those people's lives or deaths. Still, the idea of robbing someone, possessing their belongings, and acting unapologetically about it irked her. It annoyed her quite a bit.
Feeling warning signals flashing in its mind nonstop, the furry ball hurriedly explained.
"Host, it's not like that. Originally, these people were destined for tragic endings. Their miserable fates were affected, one way or another, by the Heavenly Being. They were given a choice: to be reborn with their previous memories and the same body, or to be reincarnated into a completely new life. They chose reincarnation. Even so, their grievances are too heavy, leaving them waiting indefinitely. When you take over their bodies, you continue their lives. Then, if you manage to live beyond their original deaths or fulfill their lifelong regrets, their grievances should lessen, allowing them to enter the cycle."
It scanned its host, who was sitting cross-legged and fiddling with her nails. Halfsie hoped she wouldn't flip out and start being atrocious again.
"Why wouldn't they choose rebirth? They're already aware of how fate will unfold. They can fight back."
She said it casually. They already had the upper hand of knowing what would happen in the future, so why choose not to fight? They would rather forgo such an opportunity and gamble on the uncertainties of their next life. They might be reincarnated as grass, a flower, or even an animal. So why give up the chance to be human again?
On top of that, the person who had made them miserable was still living in that world. Why not go back and take revenge?
If it were her, she would return by all means and confront that person once and for all.
"Because no matter what they do, they will never win against the Heavenly Being."
The furball stated the conclusion it had reached based on the information stored in its database.
"Never win? Why?"
She unknowingly rested her hands on her lap, sat up straight, and focused all her attention on what the system was about to say.
"The targets are the darlings of Heaven, Host. That means that whatever they do, fate will always find a way to help them conquer life. Whatever they desire, be it success, love, or wealth, they will have it. They are destined to live the best of the best."
The furball didn't notice its host's peculiar actions. She sat there with her head lowered, concealing the growing turmoil in her eyes.
[Whatever they desire, be it success, love, or wealth, they will have?]
She sneered. Her usually bright eyes seemed to be covered in frost.
[Destined to live the best of the best?]
All of a sudden, memories of her previous life played back in her mind. She stood at a distance, watching everything unfold before her. From the moment they were switched at birth to the day her sister caught her just before she crossed that damned road.
She could vividly recall the moment she had tried to free herself from her sister's grip, only to end up being pushed into the middle of the road. She even remembered the astonished look in her sister's eyes, followed by the excitement that flashed across her face when the traffic light turned green.
[Sister, it seems you're a Heavenly Being?]
She smiled drearily.
Unexpectedly, Halfsie's voice rang out again.
"As a matter of fact, spoiling a Heavenly Being's virtue will cause them to be stripped of their noble status. After that, they will continue living as ordinary beings."
The tight fist she had unconsciously formed immediately loosened. She raised her head, revealing a pair of sparkling eyes and a bewitching smile.
[My dearest sister, you better pray we never meet again.]
[Because if we do, that destiny that favors you so much... I'll steal it for myself.]