Welcome back, dear user.
The voice drifted into my mind as I slowly opened my eyes.
Above me was the familiar ceiling the same ornate design carved into polished ivory stone, the same faint shimmer of magic veins running through it like threads of light. I had seen it countless times before. Every regression. Every death. Every failure.
I pushed myself upright, feeling the plush sheets slide off my body. The bed beneath me was just as I remembered far too large, far too soft, drowning me in comfort I could no longer appreciate. A bed for nobles, for someone living a life of luxury.
Not someone trapped in an endless loop.
A quiet sigh escaped me.
Tell me what changed, system.
A brief pause. Long enough to feel intentional.
Then the screen flickered to life again.
Oh! Here's the quest.
[Task: Prevent the World From Destruction]
[Reward: Return to the Original World, 1 Wish]
I stared at it for a moment, dumbfounded.
Hey! Isn't this basically the protagonist's purpose?
You just slapped it on me and changed the name of the quest!
Well, at least you'll be doing it yourself, dear user.
Heck, this might be easy for you.
I let out a dry laugh.
You… actually have a point.
The system hummed, pleased with itself—if that emotion even applied.
I stood up and glanced at the calendar hanging beside my drawer.
July 12, 2XXX.
Seven days until the entrance exam for the academy.
Still the same day I always returned to.
Still the same starting point carved into my memory like a brand.
As expected.
Oh, right.
Check something in your inventory. There's something inside… though even I don't know what it is.
The system's voice carried a strange tone—almost curious.
That alone was unusual enough to make my brows furrow.
Curious, I opened my hand.
A faint chime rang out as a blue translucent window materialized before me.
Inventory accessed.
A small icon pulsed softly.
A sealed package, wrapped in shimmering magic and tied with a red ribbon.
A package full of goodies.
Open it?
Yes / No
Like always, hesitation wasn't even part of the equation.
Yes.
The ribbon unraveled.
The package burst into motes of light and scattered, revealing text one after another.
Congratulations! You have acquired the following traits:
Identities
Clothes Makes the Man
Anomaly
1 Gacha Upgrade Ticket
10-Pull Gacha Ticket
200 memory shard
I blinked.
Huh…?
What… is this?
The system coughed—if digital constructs could even do that.
Ahem. It seems the "???" replacement skill generated a starter package, dear user.
I have… no records of these traits.
That was new.
The system admitting ignorance was extremely new.
I tapped on the first trait.
…
The screen shimmered, and the first description unfolded before me.
Identities
In another world… beyond the boundaries of this reality… countless versions of you exist.
The you who succeeded.
The you who failed.
The you who lived a different life entirely.
Every you you've known—
and every you you never realized had ever been born.
[Gain access to every version of yourself that has ever existed.]
[To use these identities, dear user, you must draw them through the Gacha.]
A chill ran down my spine.
Access to every me?
Every loop? Every life? Every possibility?
The system didn't just remember my regressions—
it preserved them.
It preserved me.
And every version of me I never knew.
Before I could process that, the second trait blinked into view.
Clothes Makes the Man
A single perfect outfit can elevate the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Appearances hold power—especially in a world of nobles, heroes, and fate.
[Charm +3]
[Aesthetic +2]
Anomaly
A distortion in the narrative—an existence that defies the world's intended design.
You are a variable that should never have appeared, a disruption to the story's natural flow.
Every action you take has its weight doubled,
capable of steering fate toward unimaginable fortune…
or plunging everything into irreversible ruin.
I exhaled slowly.
These weren't ordinary perks.
They weren't minor buffs handed out by a generous system.
Setting aside the trait "Anomaly," which radiated an ominous aura for reasons I couldn't yet grasp…
There was something else—
something far more important—
that stirred within me.
If I clear this task…
If I survive this final run…
I might be able to return to my hometown.
No.
Not might.
I will return.
My chest tightened with a warmth I hadn't felt in countless loops.
Get ready, fried chicken and Dr. Pe****.
I'm coming back for you!
and when I do, I'm going to savor every last bite, every last drop, like it's the first time all over again.
I clenched my fist, feeling my resolve solidify.
"Show me my status window."
A soft chime answered, and a translucent blue panel unfolded before me.
Status Window — Open
Name: Damian Blackthorne Varrick
Race: Human
Title: Anomaly
Traits:
• Identities — Access to every alternate self across countless worlds.
• Clothes Makes the Man — The right attire reshapes presence itself. (Charm +3, Aesthetic +2)
Attributes:
• Strength: 7
• Endurance: 5
• Agility: 8
• Mana: 9
• Willpower: 20
• Perception: 12
• Charm: 17 (+3)
Still the same miserable stats I've had to stare at every single time.
Sigh.
Figures.
Nothing's changed.
Strength seven. Endurance five. Charm seventeen… (+3). Big whoop.
The only thing I can actually brag about… is my charm and my high willpower.
What?
You think I'd go around seducing demons or some nonsense like that?
Please.
I may be stuck with these stats, but at least i have something.
Sigh
Seven days.
That's all the time I've got. Seven days to find something that actually matters.
Something that can be easily acquired and useful at the same time...
…
Of course. I know exactly what to go for.
The Clear Crystal of Calm Water
Something I can realistically snatch up in a single week.
I straightened my posture, fists clenched, eyes sharp.
No distractions. No excuses.
Time to move.
Let's begin.