The next morning—
Ray woke up with a heavy head.
He reached to the side of the bed, feeling around for his phone.
He picked it up and pressed the power button.
10% battery.
"…Fuck."
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Forgot to turn on sleep mode…"
Ray plugged in a charger, then glanced at the screen as the phone slowly came back to life.
On the video app, the video was still playing.
The title was clearly displayed:
The Downfall of Oiled Man
Ray stared at it for a few seconds.
"This guy… how many videos about him came out just last year?"
He rubbed his face.
"God damn it…"
The narrator's voice continued, explaining the downfall of a famous figure who had an excessive obsession with baby oil and dragged several people into his slippery games.
Ray let out a long sigh.
Patience tested first thing in the morning.
And today—
Still a double shift.
Ray went into the bathroom.
Flicked the light on. Turned the faucet.
He splashed water on his face, patting his cheeks a few times until the heaviness in his head eased up a bit. Cold water dripped off his chin.
He looked up at the mirror.
His body looked solid. Broad shoulders, defined arms. Not jacked like a bodybuilder, but clearly in shape.
He turned a little, checking himself from the side.
"…This body…" he muttered.
"…I only have it 'cause of this job."
Gym office boy life. Carrying plates. Cleaning equipment. Running up and down stairs. Forced workouts every damn day, for free.
Without thinking, Ray struck a quick pose in front of the mirror. Flexed his arm. Tightened his shoulder.
Two seconds of silence.
"…But damn," he said quietly.
"I look cool as fuck."
He clicked his tongue, shut off the water, and walked out of the bathroom.
—
In his tiny apartment kitchen, Ray threw together a simple breakfast.
He grabbed a shaker, poured in some water, then dumped in whey protein.
"Boss gave this as a bonus last month," he muttered.
He shook it fast and drank it right away.
Glug.
Glug.
As he lowered the shaker, Ray froze.
His eyes locked onto the air in front of his chest.
The fingerprint icon was still there.
Floating. Silent. Like it was waiting for him.
Ray swallowed.
"…Still there, huh."
He stared at it for a few seconds, jaw tightening.
"…If this shit's actually real…"
Hesitating, he raised his hand.
"…fuck it."
Ray pressed the icon.
Tap.
---
[Ding!]
The transparent panel popped back up right in front of his eyes.
Same message as before.
Ray let out a slow breath.
"…Okay," he muttered.
"So I'm not dreaming."
---
Ray finally tapped the brain icon on the panel.
[Ding!]
The interface shifted. A new screen popped up—longer, heavier, more serious.
---
[Common Sense Altering System]
Main Function: Altering Human Common Sense
Description:
This system allows the Host to modify, twist, or rewrite people's common sense, either individually or in groups, based on feature parameters.
Ray frowned.
"…People's common sense?"
The panel kept scrolling on its own.
---
You may choose 1 (one) Mission per day.
Available Mission Tiers:
* Simple
* Medium
* Hardcore
Ray let out a quiet breath.
"…Yeah, that sounds unhealthy as hell."
His eyes dropped lower.
A new button appeared.
[CONTINUE]
"…Alright."
He tapped it.
---
[Ding!]
---
Initial Bonus Granted.
+100 Alter Points
Alter Points can be used to:
* Complete Missions
* Upgrade active feature duration
Ray raised an eyebrow.
"…Points. Of course."
The panel shifted again.
---
Available Features:
* Global Alter — 10 minutes (Active)
* ??? (Locked)
* ??? (Locked)
Ray squinted.
"…Why are those censored?"
Right on cue, new text appeared.
---
Additional features will unlock when the Host reaches a certain level.
Current Host Level: 0
Available feature at current level:
* Global Alter
Ray swallowed.
"…This is straight-up a game."
A second later—
---
Would you like to view Host Status & Stats?[YES] / [NO]
Ray hesitated for half a second.
"…Might as well."
He hit YES.
---
[Ding!]
The panel changed instantly.
---
[HOST STATUS]
Name: Ray
Age: 24
Job: Gym Janitor
Physical Condition: Fit
Mental State: Chronic Stress (Low Awareness)
Level: 0
EXP: 0/100
Alter Point: 100
Last Sleep Aid:Medieval History Video
Last Source of Pure Happiness: An adult woman video counting down from ten to one, complete with moaning sounds and splashing water.
---
Ray froze.
"…Yo! Why the hell did you scan THAT too?!"
No response.
Ray covered his face with one hand.
"…Okay," he muttered.
"This shit has zero ethics."
He dropped his hand, staring at the panel again, expression sharpening.
"…But if this thing can really mess with people's common sense…"
Ray took a deep breath.
"…That's actually interesting… heh… heheh."