Promotion to 10th Class Protagonist

“All done!!”

I looked up from my phone and let out a cheer as I sprang up from the bed. I had spent over two full hours customizing the avatar. The result was two complete transformation presets.

Let’s take a look at that skill.

“Nice. Very nice~.”

The Transformation skill could currently store two forms. I named them ‘Charm Mode’ and ‘Threat Mode’ and saved them. I had considered cooler names, but nothing good came to mind, so I went with the straightforward and simple option.

For Charm Mode, I created an impossibly handsome man. From face to body, the avatar was the kind of stunning beauty that would make any celebrity jealous. Flawless skin, sharp, perfect features. Having designed countless game characters before, I was confident in my work.

Threat Mode, on the other hand, was built purely for intimidation. I ignored attractiveness entirely. The result was a towering figure nearly two meters tall with muscles that looked ready to explode. It was the kind of body that belonged on a bodybuilding stage. I added numerous small scars across the skin to heighten the menace, and a vicious scowl was the finishing touch. The sharp facial structure and slightly tanned complexion even gave off the air of a foreign mafia enforcer.

I decided to test the skill right away.

Threat Mode has far more physical changes. If it works properly, Charm Mode should be fine too, right?

Before transforming, I stripped off every piece of clothing. The current outfit would never fit the new body. With the decision made, I shouted into empty air.

“Transform!”

This time, no message appeared asking me to set an appearance. Instead, two forms rose clearly in my mind—Charm Mode and Threat Mode.

I spoke again. “Threat Mode.”

Crack. Crunch.

The moment the words left my mouth, the sound of flesh and bone twisting and reforming echoed through my body. My skeleton rearranged itself, muscles and tissue swelling outward. My frame began to grow.

“Ooh…”

The transformation finished in an instant. I had worried about pain, but strangely there was none at all. I stared at my new body in awe.

First, my field of vision had expanded dramatically. My original height had never been short, but standing at nearly two meters completely changed the way the world looked. Haha. It felt like I was standing in the sky. Extremely satisfying.

“Ahem. Ahem.”

My voice had become a deep, resonant baritone that no one would ever associate with my normal self. I had set it to a low register during avatar creation, and it matched the transformed body perfectly.

I turned to the full-length mirror. A giant I had never seen before stood there. The pressure radiating from those threatening muscles, massive bulk, and towering height was on an entirely different level from ordinary people.

One more thing immediately caught my eye.

Swaying.

Since I was wearing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nothing, the heavy piece of equipment between my legs dangled prominently in the reflection.

“Wow.”

It was definitely bigger. I had never been particularly self-conscious about the size before, but in this form it only made sense to scale it up. Since I could adjust that detail too, I had increased both girth and length slightly beyond my original measurements.

“Good call going bald.”

I looked away from my lower body and examined my upper half with a satisfied grin. I had deliberately set the head to be completely hairless. Add a pair of sunglasses and I would look exactly like a foreign mafia boss.

I hope my hair doesn’t actually fall out when the transformation ends…?

A sudden wave of anxiety hit me, but I shook it off. That couldn’t possibly happen. Surely not.

“For now, I’m satisfied.”

I struck various poses in front of the mirror, smiling at the transformed body. When I flexed, the muscles hardened and swelled, thick veins standing out everywhere. Anyone who saw it would instinctively shrink back. This wasn’t an illusion—my actual body had changed. In this state, I felt like I could lift the bed beside me without much effort.

I gave it a try, grabbing the mattress and heaving upward.

“Yeah… that’s not happening.”

The king-sized bed didn’t budge an inch. I let out a small laugh. It seemed only the outward appearance changed. Just as the skill description said, my actual stats remained the same.

Clicking my tongue, I turned back to my phone. One skill still remained unchecked. It was finally time for the last one—Summon.

I tapped the ‘+’ button beside it.

“Whoa…”

I could summon a designated target right in front of me? Like actual magic?

“Time to test it.”

I spoke the option name aloud. “Designate Summon Target.”

I waited roughly three minutes. Unlike when registering heroines, this took quite a while.

An enormous list of names appeared. I scrolled slowly. The scroll bar was so tiny it was almost invisible.

“Looks like there’s no Fated Connection restriction ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this time.”

There was even a search bar at the top. It probably included every person on the planet.

I thought for a moment.

Hmm. Since this is just an experiment, I’ll leave out Kang Sujeong. Better to avoid anyone too close to me as well.

Then who would be good for testing? I wanted immediate confirmation of the results…

“Ah.”

Suddenly a convenience store five minutes from my house came to mind. It was the place I always stopped at for snacks, and the same employee had been working there for months.

At this hour… he should be on shift.

I was pretty sure I had seen him there on weekend afternoons too.

“His name was definitely…”

I recalled the name tag on his chest.

“Kim Geunseong?”

The name was unusual enough that it had stuck with me. Normally I wouldn’t remember a part-timer’s name, but after witnessing him argue with an old man the last time I visited the store, it had been burned into my memory.

The old man’s voice seemed to echo across space and time, ringing in my ears.

Let’s see.

I typed ‘Kim Geunseong’ into the search bar.

“Wow… twenty-three results?”

Of course, only one of them was a man in his twenties working part-time at a convenience store. I selected him.

Yes.

Should I call him right now?

First, I needed to put on some clothes. I grabbed the outfit from my original body, stepped through the portal, and returned to my studio.

“Nothing fits…”

There were no clothes that would accommodate this massive frame. With no other choice, I returned wearing only a single pair of stretchy underwear. The front bulged obscenely and my entire upper body was exposed, but so what? This was a transformed body. There was nothing to be embarrassed about.

“Summon, Kim Geunseong.”

Poof!

The moment I shouted the command, a message confirming the coin deduction appeared and a man materialized right in front of me.

“Thank you… Huh? What!? Where am I…? Gasp!!”

The summoned man named Kim Geunseong had been in the middle of a polite greeting when he suddenly looked around in confusion. The moment his eyes landed on me, he stumbled backward in shock.

I took one heavy step toward him.

“You’re Kim Geunseong, correct?”

His age was listed as twenty-five, but I didn’t bother with polite speech. I was in transformed form right now. I needed to act like it.

“Gasp! Y-yes… that’s me, but—who are you, exactly? And where is this place?”

“You don’t need to know that. Answer only the questions I ask.”

Confusion flooded his face, but after taking in my massive body and menacing features, he swallowed hard, too terrified to speak. He simply nodded.

“…Yessir!”

His entire posture had shrunk in on itself. He was clearly trying to look calm, but every muscle in his body was rigid with fear. I couldn’t blame him. He had opened his eyes to find himself in an unknown location with a vicious-looking mountain of muscle standing in front of him. On top of that, he was on the scrawny side. The height difference between us had to be at least twenty-five centimeters.

I continued my questions.

“Name and age. Current ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠occupation?”

“…Kim Geunseong, twenty-five. I work part-time at a convenience store.”

“Any other jobs? Where is the store located?”

“N-no other jobs… The store is in Wolgok-dong.”

I nodded. The information matched what I already knew.

“Understood.”

With that, I tossed him the single coin I had been holding—a 500-won piece.

“? What’s this…?”

He caught it reflexively, staring at it in bewilderment.

“It’s a coin. I’ll send you back soon. Keep it with you. The moment you return, throw that coin as hard as you can outside the convenience store.”

“Th-throw the coin, sir?”

“That’s right. Are you not on shift right now?”

“N-no, I am. I’m at the store right now.”

“Good. Then do exactly as I said.”

Without another word, I stepped through the portal.

“W-wait…!”

A desperate voice called after me, but I ignored it and closed the portal immediately.

“Black Room.”

At my command, the portal vanished without a trace. Kim Geunseong was now trapped alone inside that pocket dimension.

“Right. I need to move quickly. Transformation release.”

Crack. Crunch.

My body returned to normal. I quickly dressed and left the apartment.

“Whew.”

It was summer, so the evening heat didn’t feel too bad, but the clock on my phone already read six o’clock.

I was worried about the time difference inside the subspace, but it looks like time flows normally inside the Black Room too.

I ran the whole way to the convenience store where Kim Geunseong worked.

“Ugh. I’m out of shape.”

It only took three minutes.

Peeking through the glass, I saw two men and one woman standing near the counter, each holding items and wearing troubled expressions as they looked around. Naturally—they were waiting for a cashier who wasn’t there.

I waited outside for another two minutes. Still no one appeared behind the counter.

Keeping my eyes on the interior, I waited for the exact moment when all three customers were distracted, then whispered softly.

“Summon release, Kim Geunseong.”

Swoosh.

A person suddenly appeared behind the counter. It was Kim Geunseong.

“Oh…”

Watching it happen in real time was fascinating. It seemed Summon Release worked no matter where I was standing.

The two men who had been grumbling in front of the counter whipped their heads around in shock. The woman was so startled she dropped one of her items. Kim Geunseong blinked blankly for a second, then snapped back to reality and began ringing up the customers.

Ding-ding.

After paying, the two men left the store, still chatting. The woman finished her transaction and followed them out.

Once the store was empty, Kim Geunseong slipped out from behind the counter.

Ding-ding.

“……”

He opened the door and stood there with a dazed expression, scanning the street. I stayed hidden, so he never noticed me.

“Whew…”

He let out a long sigh, clenching and unclenching his fist as though wrestling with a decision. Eventually he shook his head, hurled something outside with all his strength, and hurried back into the store.

“Oh. Nice shot.”

The object flew straight toward me. I darted forward and picked up the 500-won coin he had thrown.

“A 2001 coin. Perfect match.”

I smiled as I examined it.

The Summon skill was real. It activated without issue, and the person summoned had been a genuine human from reality. When I called him, he had vanished from the counter. The moment I released the summon, he reappeared. Even the 500-won coin I had given him had returned safely to my hand.

“Black Room, Transformation, Summon…”

Thinking of the three skills, a dark smile spread across my face.

“Now I understand why the capture style is called ‘Villain of the Flip Side.’”

I finally had a clear picture of exactly what I should do with these abilities.