Character Creator

A flash of light brought them to a world filled with twinkling starlights. Gemstones floated in the air…

A feint sound of music existed in the background.

…Why did this world feel like a title screen?

For some odd reason, it was exactly like the MMORPG their company had been managing.

His eyes glanced next to him to see Julie was surprised too. After all, it was too unfathomable.

Fortunately, she was getting used to being shocked. It wasn't like rejecting reality helped.

She quickly turned her head to ask:

"So you're REALLY responsible for this…!" Even though there was no floor beneath us, she stepped forward towards me. Her eyes were reddened once the inferno in her heart was finally pointed at him.

She'd forgotten everything that had happened between them, and the trust she'd planed in him.

What about the words she once spoke to him…?

["It's not like fantasising will change the world."]

They were supposed to be a harmless piece of advice, but it was because of those words…!

…It was because she said that, he messed it all up!

How could she NOT blame him for this?!

Ben's white shirt wrinkled when being held by the collar, and his skills started to be broken down.

'I… I…' His mind hadn't come up with a good excuse yet, so he couldn't trick her with lies.

He shouldn't have told her anything from the beginning. If only he'd kept his mouth shut…!

Such thoughts were filling his head slowly…

Even he didn't think his delusion would turn into reality, and when it did, he thought he was special.

He wanted to share this news and be admired…

But obviously, this had just been his delusion.

Would the former highly ranked secretary of Micron Entertainment thank him what happened?

That he ruined her life with others?

"D-don't look at me like that!" Her words and actions were slowly making him spiral down.

[Mental shock has offset 'False Bravado'.]

[Your chain linked skills are deactivated.]

He got a wake up call from reality. Once someone brought it up, it was hard to ignore his guilt.

Despair started gnawing at his mind.

He was reaching his limit…!

Just before something bad happened, an unfamiliar hand pattern gently on her shoulder.

When she turned her head, she was stunned by the handsome gentleman patently standing there.

"You might want to let go of him."

"And who are you..?!" Her eyes were cold.

"The spirit that was supposed to possess him." It was at that point she remembered Ben's 'novel'.

The story he talked about in the tram.

["A badass womaniser possessed me and made a harem after the world went into a post apocalypse."]

["I based the story off our company's game. So you can likely guess what kind of 'apocalypse' I mean."]

She wasn't sure how much of the game he'd changed, nor about where this place really was.

The only thing she knew for sure were the intentions he had while writing this 'Webnovel'.

["Then why are you writing?"]

["Because I need a place to express my 'edge'…!"]

She wasn't sure about why they were in the online game's title screen, but one thing was for sure.

Ben wasn't capable enough to do this alone.

When she acknowledged this, so did the system embedded into them. The world gave judgement.

[Your achievements have been recognised.]

[You have gained the Title: Hell Bringer.]

Seeing that Ben was still trying to regain his composure without crying, the butler spoke first:

"I can tell you whatever you're curious about." After reading Ben's memories, he knew what transpired.

"…Fine. Is there a way to go home?" Even though she knew his disposition, she still asked this.

Being a womaniser didn't mean he was a liar.

"That guy created a Miracle. You can't undo it."

It was an answer she'd already expected, but the response made hard for her to gather her will.

She wondered what was the point of it all.

After struggling hard to go higher on Earth, she was dropped down to nothing in mere hours.

No home, no wealth, no power… What was the point of living if that Chuuni was chasing her?

"Don't be too disheartened. You've found yourself a lucky ticket to success." The man smiled at her.

Without realising it herself, she'd been taken into his pace. Ben too… felt an ominous feeling.

If he'd asserted himself and acted on this instinct when he had the chance, he wouldn't be tricked.

It was unfortunate that the creator of this world wasn't in the right state of mind to do such a thing.

He'd made Sidmund too adept of a socialite…

You could write a thousand words about a man's slick tongue and cunning, but that didn't make a writer any better than average at the game of words. At least, Ben was a shining example of this.

He couldn't tell where this conversation was going.

"…If it's about helping her, then-"

"You'll do all you can for her." Sidmund affirmed.

"Right."

"Even though you ruined everything."

"I didn't know if it was a hallucination or not."

"So you regret making that decision?"

"Yea-" Just as he was about to lie, he could see his protagonist was gently waving his finger at him.

"You're lies will 'hurt her'."

['BEAST MODE' is still in effect. Your desire to protect individual 'Julie Siren' rejects dishonesty.]

Ben felt a lump in his throat, he felt like his face was burning when he was forced to answer:

"I'm glad it worked."

"…You're glad?" Her eyes became redder. Enough for her to cry tears of blood from what he'd said.

This skinny bastard was glad about this?

"I… I mean… This world is more fair than our old one." He tried to persuade her and his character.

This was what he'd truly believed!

"How do?" Sidmund's smile didn't fade.

"T-that's… Anyone can gain talent in this world."

"Meaning anyone dumb can become smart?"

"Right!"

"That sounds unfair to me."

"Huh?" The writer felt confused, but his character didn't look like he was joking when he'd said this.

"If everyone can just 'attain' talent, then there would be no one gifted at anything in this world."

"T-that's not… I mean-"

"Also: Who are you to look down on the talented people of your former world? Did you even think?"

"I did! I'd tried so hard in our old world, but I was never rewarded! This world… reward effort!"

"You think you're the only one who made an effort?" Sidmund grabbed Julie's hand…

…then he brought it in front of his creator.

"Look at the calluses on these hands. Do you think you were the only one having it hard on Earth?"

"…T-then she should understand what I mean."

"Oh, and why should she?"

"Julie… That world was imperfect. You know that as well, right?" Ben held her rough hand and begged.

He wanted her to affirm that he was right.

Maybe from the beginning, it was a selfish desire on his part… but he wanted to change everything.

['Possessive Stalker' has been activated.]

[Your mental strength is bolstered.]

[Your capacity for thought has heightened.]

That way, he could prove this world was amazing.

There was fantasy creatures and magic. Miracles existed here that didn't exist in the 'real world'.

The former secretary finally responded:

"There were times I thought it was unfair…" The first words she spoke made him smile, but then:

"…but I'd earned so much over the years. You took that all away from me!" Her face became dark.

Even her 'Peerless Mentality' couldn't hold her back. It couldn't effect the choices of individuals.

She couldn't help hating him…

It was her own perspective, but that different view was something Ben hadn't even accounted for.

In fact, when had he TRULY cared of her feelings?

"In short: You're just a dumb hypocrite." These words said by Sidmund provoked some anger.

"How am I a hypocrite?"

"For someone talking about 'fairness'. You have a skewed way of looking this situation right now."

Sidmund opened his arms and continued:

"This world around you is the 'waiting room' before you're sent to the God that sponsored you." There was no way Ben wouldn't know where he was going with this, and Sid knew he would agree.

"You exchanged your Gift for a Miracle, and that Miracle is 'Character Creator'. It's the ability to freely change your race, gender, looks… almost everything about yourself. Perfect, isn't it?"

[Error!]

[Knowledge had been accessed without permission. Your Miracle is forcibly displayed.]

Despite having done nothing, Ben felt his soul shaking after this information was thrown out.

[Bestowed Miracle: Character Creator]

After putting himself together, Ben somewhat realised that the ghost was being too assertive.

In fact, wasn't this ability exactly what he wanted?

If it worked like in PlainsWalker, then maybe he'd be able to change his face to be charming to look at.

Why would he give it up just from a provocation?

"Yeah, so…? Isn't it MY ability?" He saw no reason to reject such benefits, but then the man chuckled.

From the prior conversations they had before, and memories he'd scoured… Sidmund knew one thing:

'He is too individualistic.' He wasn't able to see what sort of trauma shaped Ben's personality, but he knew exactly how to nudge him in the wrong direction. That's why he framed it differently.

"This is your 'talent', right?"

"Ah!" The two words that were spoken poked at his insecurities. The gentleman knew how he'd reply.

"…" Silence. That was all his creator could give when a mere 'character' hit the nail on the head.

Sidmund knew his creator wouldn't be able to accept rising up in this world with 'assistance'.

Because if he did so, what would've been the point of reinforcing his resolve to change who he was?

Wouldn't everything be all talk?

The traitorous servant knew that Ben was too delusional to think properly on this matter.

He was sure his creator wouldn't choose the realistic option. What? Would he look at 'reality'?

Sidmund was quite tall, so it was easy for him to look down intimidatingly after approaching him.

"You're not going to deny it, right?"

"…No."

"You yourself have a God on your side. While the others all around the world have been forsaken.

Is this what you call 'fair'?"

"…" He had no words to say to this. The more the gentleman talked, the more he felt convinced.

"Then I won't use it." He didn't want to 'cheat', it wouldn't prove his worth if he took shortcuts.

He'd be a side character in his own story…

"Then give it to her." Ben's heart thumped when the now corporeal figure gestured to Julie.

The silent woman turned to turned her head.

"…What?"

"Don't pretend. You heard me right. Why waste such a good thing? Shouldn't you give it to someone who'd make good use of it?" Sidmund put on a formal smile while saying these words.

He looked harmless to them.

"Why…?!"

"Wouldn't it 'protect' her?" Ben felt like he was being tempted into something he shouldn't do.

His skill was pushing him on one direction, and his reason was barely holding on from the stress.

"Still… Shouldn't I at least MEET the God that caused all of this?" The former writer didn't notice that he was now taking advice from someone he shouldn't trust. He was too used to being reliant.

"You won't be able to."

"Didn't you say this was a 'Waiting Room'?"

"Have you already forgotten? It's ME who was favoured by a Goddess. You're God doesn't exist."

['Lie Detection' determined statement as true.]

Julie knew what Ben's expression meant, and she slowly affirmed that Sidmund was telling the truth.

Oddly enough…

"What you said doesn't make sense…"

"Have you ever written about your 'God'?"

"No, but…"

"Then what makes you think he exists?"

"B-but… He existed in my reality-" It was then a terrifying speculation finally occurred to him.

What if his 'God' was left there…?

"Exactly what you're thinking. So… What will you choose? Either be a hypocrite, or an irrational fool.

The choice is yours~" These words hurt his pride a lot, but was it was falling for such a provocation.

It depended on how willing he was to die.