005 Deus Ex Machina System
Inside the academy's infirmary, the pristine white room hummed with various machines connected to my body. A faint ache lingered, but true to its reputation as Korea's top hunter academy, the medical staff had done their job thoroughly. No lingering aftereffects seemed likely.
What might have been just a few short minutes for anyone else felt eternal to me. The memory of my body being sliced apart, those brief moments with Minji—they were still vivid. It had seemed impossible, but it was finally over.
"Kinda lonely in here."
After being constantly with Minji, being separated now left an odd emptiness.
"As long as I survived, that's what matters... Tutorial's done, right?"
You can't repeat that hell forever. After all those loops, an end had come. Honestly, I'd blacked out midway, so my head was still foggy, judgment unclear.
Would you like to check notifications?
"Notifications?"
Welcome. User Kim Siu, you have cleared the tutorial.
Minji must have dragged me out somehow. At least trying to take down that Skeleton Knight hadn't been for nothing.
"Minji's alive, right?"
Kang Minji dragged Kim Siu out.
"Why's your voice like that?"
The stiff tone from inside had shifted to something soft, alluring, seductive.
This voice reflects the user's preferences. Is it not to your liking?
"Nah, it's not that."
The change in voice made it feel entirely different—like chatting with a pretty older sister? If they were changing the voice, why not tweak the speech pattern too?
"Speech pattern's a bit off, though."
I will try harder.
"Whatever, not a big deal."
Quest: Survive and Escape
Completed. Would you like to claim your reward?
Time to claim the reward for all that suffering. How many times had I died in that dungeon?
"Gimme everything!"
Inventory function unlocked.
Gacha function unlocked.
Daily quests unlocked.
Shop unlocked.
Customizing function activated.
Watching the windows pop up nonstop, I realized all that hardship hadn't been in vain.
"This is chaotic."
Fate Points: 165p
More Fate Points than expected. I manipulated the status window for details.
Points earned by twisting or altering fate.
Survived: 10p
Twisted your own fate: 10p
Twisted Kang Minji's fate: 110p
Kang Minji's relationship level changed: 35p
"...Why these numbers?"
Rewards vary by fate rank.
Twisting Minji's fate gave 110p, but mine only 10p? Did that mean her life was worth 11 times mine?
As I pondered, a dagger plunged into my chest.
Correct.
"..."
The world is not fair. Everyone has a different fate rank.
"What's mine?"
F-rank.
"And Minji?"
A-rank.
Changing an F-rank life like mine yielded next to nothing.
"Can importance change?"
Normally, no. But you might be able to change fate.
"..."
How was importance determined? Set at birth?
'Was I F-rank from the start?'
Yes.
Simply raising Kang Minji's favorability had netted points. So grinding away myself was less efficient than romancing higher-rank girls?
That's one way. Quests also grant points.
Plenty of options. After time-looping, I knew this system wielded absurd power.
A natural question followed.
"Machina System... what are you? What's your goal?"
I cannot provide details. Our goal is to alter fate.
"What fate?"
Changing a future of destruction.
"Destruction? This world's doomed?"
Yes.
Could it say that so casually? My brain nearly froze, but I'd died countless times already. Death or apocalypse—what's the difference?
"Still time left, right? You won't give details anyway?"
Yes.
To sum up: Collect Fate Points, save the world. Guess I'd have to charm more girls.
If it prevents destruction, the method doesn't matter.
This Machina System had insane power. My abilities came from it, so couldn't it save the world without me?
We lack authority for direct intervention.
'Raising Kang Minji's favorability—that wasn't direct?'
Results from user actions are fine.
Further questions got no replies.
'Nothing bad about this anyway.'
I was doomed to die regardless. Without awakening the Deus Ex Machina System, my life ended in that dungeon. Even top hunters die on mistakes—that's hunter reality.
'OP tutorial reward skill.'
Save Load: LV1
Designate and load a save point to return to that moment. On death, loads the last save.
• Max save points: 1
• Refresh after designation: 1 week. Load resets cooldown.
• Time until refresh: 00:00:00
With this broken skill, no more fearing death. But caution was key—mis-set a save, and it could loop eternal hell like the cave.
"Got answers to the basics anyway."
Time to check tutorial rewards. Customizing caught my eye first.
"Stats first?"
No more dungeon dives yet. I set this moment as my save point.
Fumbling the interface, I opened my stats.
As expected, abysmal stats. Surprisingly, stamina was highest.
"Hmm... cost to max all at 20?"
165p wasn't bad, but spend wisely.
"84p? Alright, let's boost."
I pumped them all to 20.
"Body feels different for sure."
Couldn't check fully in the hospital, but power surged—I felt stronger. Real test in combat, though.
'Spar with Kang Minji later.'
Next, customizing: a naked avatar of me spun around. Game-like, but customizable?
Yes.
"Everything?"
Do not recommend drastic changes from current appearance.
Sudden shifts carried risks. Besides weird looks from others, maybe pain from body mods?
Test small: height from 175cm to 176cm. Tweaked features subtly—enough to handsome-up gradually.
'Boost pride too?'
Lengthened pride 1cm to 15cm.
Total: 21p. Apply changes?
"Apply."
Tempted more tweaks—appearance tied to pride, right?
'20p more, leaves 40p...'
Artisan tweaks: subtle, but satisfying.
"Lookin' handsome."
A shiny icon in the corner—I'd been eyeing it. Tapped.
Beginner Free Gacha: 5 Free Pulls
Familiar gacha UI. First pulls: Special Semen and Pain Resistance—basically duds.
'Still, free is free.'
Five boxes. "Might as well open 'em all at once."
The boxes began to glow.