Transmigration is something weird, you know? One moment, you are getting stabbed by a robber, and the next moment, you take over a young man and receive his memory. What makes matters even worse is that there is a pool of blood inside the bathtub.
This body belongs to someone named Erik Johannes Andes. He is a victim of bullying, a horrendous one at that. Erik is someone from a rather well-off family. However, because of this, his parents are rarely at home or even in the same country.
The same goes for his big sister, a rather well-known designer who travels the world because her schedule is full of commissions from rich and well-known people. She is the closest person Erik has.
They do everything they can to support Erik. They send as much money as he wants. They call him as much as they can. They make sure he is not left out.
However, they are not there when he is at school. Erik, also rather stubborn, refuses to tell his parents of his condition and decides to bury that inside his heart. He does not tell the others about his problem because he doesn't want to bother them.
In his head, his parents and sister work very hard to give him the best, and he cannot even handle bullying.
So he tries his best, but it does nothing. The bully continues and even gets worse. The bottom line? When his parents and sister cannot go to his high school graduation. Not because they don't want to attend, but because of their work.
Now that I look at it, they are really sad and desperate to attend, but they truly cannot attend.
Sadly, Erik does not think like that. Because of the constant bullying, teachers ignore his plea, and all of his friends betray him because of the bully targeting them when they are close to him. Erik snaps.
In his mind, his parents also betray him and decide to end it all.
Is it not logical? Absolutely. However, I understand his logic. It is bad logic, but I understand it. After knowing what he has been through and seeing it from his point of view, I understand it.
A teenager can be someone who can take all of it with ease. However, they can be so fragile that they can break with enough force from the outside.
"Oh, you poor thing. I hope you will have your peace from now on. I will take your identity and try my hardest to fulfill what you want to in this life."
I blink for a second when I see a floating panel in front of me.
|We are sorry! The creator kills you by accident when he is doing maintenance of the Heavenly System! To compensate for this accident, you are now the owner of [CYOA]!|
What? What do you mean by that? CYOA is a type of game, right?
|It is because you will now carry the last CYOA game you play! You can now buy everything inside that CYOA as long as you have enough points!|
Really? The last CYOA I played… That thing is rather powerful.
|It is! However, the creator doesn't mind it as long as you do not destroy this universe.|
Why would I do that? I live here.
|Hehehe~ That is the reason why the creator is willing to give you this system! Anyway! You can choose three powers, no more than 30 SP worth, that you want from the CYOA! However, they need to be under the same theme! You need to choose the theme now! You can choose Fighting, Durability, Speed, Offensive, Support, or Entertainment!|
What is the difference between Fighting and Offensive? They are the same, right?
|Not really, host! Fighting is focusing on fighting an enemy or enemies. It includes how to defend, attack, and even support others in the fight. Offensive is just pure offence. You will forgo defending or supporting to focus on destructive powers.|
Right. That means durability will allow me to choose powers that increase my defence, regeneration, or give me support powers to increase my durability or others. Speed is the same. It lets me pick powers to increase my speed and others' as well. Support is the opposite of Offensive. It will grant me the power to support the group.
However, what about Entertainment?
|It has powers related to entertainment! Think of something like the power to create games, music, art, and the like.|
Then I want that. Erik's last dream is to be known as Erik Johannes Andes and not Erik of the Andes Family. Before he enters a depressive state, Erik is good with music. His voice needs work, but he is great with musical instruments.
He can play guitar, piano, and violin.
His dream is to make music for his parents and sister to hear. He wants to express his feelings to them. He wants them to know that he is working hard and keeps fighting against bullying. Sadly, the bully gets to him first, before he can do what he wants.
"Entertainment. I will take the entertainment."
|You are a good person, host. Very well. With Entertainment chosen, you can receive more points from the number of people who enjoy your creations. For every 10,000,000 people enjoying your creation, you will receive 1 point.|
Ten million, huh? That is a lot, but that is fair. This CYOA is powerful, after all.
|Now, please choose the powers you want. After this freebie, the rest of the CYOA will open up, and you can choose what kind of powers you want. For now, only Entertainment-related powers to choose. Pick three.|
The CYOA opens up, and I can see a lot of powers to choose from. However, my eyes were immediately attracted to something.
"The CYOA has an upgrade when synergized with other powers. Does that upgrade include my power?"
|No. It counts as one. If you pick one power and it creates an upgrade after you choose another power, it does not count as a power.|
"Right. Thank you."
I look through the list of powers, and after a couple of minutes, I find my first choice.
|Pavan of Eternal Song|
[You have gained the power of a Divine Peacock. This grants you the ability to transform at will between a radiant humanoid form and a resplendent peacock of divine beauty. In either shape, your feathers shimmer with otherworldly color and light, reflecting emotions, dreams, and deeper truths beyond mortal understanding.
These feathers are far more than mere decoration—they grant you clarity beyond the veil of illusions and deceit, allowing you to see through lies and perceive the hidden threads of the mystical world and dreams.
With a graceful movement, you can cloud minds, stir desire, or entrance entire crowds, bending wills as easily as petals follow the sun. But your feathers are also formidable weapons and impenetrable armor; they can withstand blows that would shatter steel and pierce through stone and steel alike.
You can summon and launch shimmering feather-shards with deadly precision, while your plumage shields you from the fiercest assaults, placing you far beyond the reach of ordinary weapons—even in your human form.
The wings you have can carry you through the Mortal World, unseen at speeds surpassing sound without disturbing it. But more than that, you can let them carry you into the world of spirits or even the dreams of mortals.
Your voice and movements are suffused with divine power. Whether singing, dancing, speaking, or playing an instrument, you command the attention of all who hear you.
Your music flows like a sacred river—sometimes haunting, sometimes joyful, sometimes terrible—and mortals are left breathless and spellbound. Even gods pause, compelled by the depth and beauty of your performance.
As a being touched by divinity, your body is free from the bounds of mortality. You do not age, cannot fall ill, and cannot be destroyed permanently. If you are slain, your feathers scatter across the world—luminous, eternal fragments of your essence.
In time, they draw together once more, and from their convergence, you are reborn.]
That is a lot of words, but in the end, this power will help me become a perfect artist. It does not grant me the ability to act, but it enchants everything I need to become a good actor and artist. Not only that, but it also grants me some physical-type power.
I only aim for its ability to enchant my ability for music, arts, and acting, but it is a great side effect of my power.
I continue to read through the massive list. There are a lot of powers that attract my attention, but so far, only one that pulls me. It takes me another three minutes to find the right one.
|Rock Star|
[You are a Rock Star! Through the power of song and Rock 'n' Roll, you can bend reality to your will! Sing of victory, and victory shall come! Sing The Hardest Button to Button, and drums will appear out of nowhere, following you wherever you go! Sing of world peace, and see countless followers rise—protesting, flourishing, and spreading that message across the world! Your music reaches a higher plane of existence, allowing your songs to affect even those who would otherwise be untouchable or unreachable by conventional means!
Your true vocal cords are ethereal! Your voice cannot be muted, silenced, or interrupted, and no force can prevent your songs from being completed once you begin! You possess extraordinary talent with every musical instrument and across every genre, and whenever you are about to sing or compose, inspiration floods your entire being! With it comes overwhelming charisma, rising to match the moment's magnitude! Every song you create is inherently captivating, capable of enthralling all who hear it and even stirring the souls of its audience!
Your voice does not naturally carry beyond the limits of your physical reach, but nothing prevents you from using amplifiers, broadcasts, or other means to extend it across cities, worlds, or beyond! With continued practice, you will always be the best when it comes to music!]
This one is perfect for me. The previous one amplified my ability in acting, music, and the arts, but this one gave me the foundation for my music career.
Now, I need to search for something that will improve my image. What? I don't think I am ugly or anything, but I need to improve my image. What happened these past two months turned my body into a stick figure, and the scar on my wrist does not help the image.
It does not take me long to find the perfect power for this.
|Divine Innocence|
[You embody a purity that transcends mortal understanding, a state of being untouched by sin or corruption, much like the eternal clarity of divine beings from ancient myths.
Your essence is a radiant light, dispelling all darkness and shadow, leaving no room for malice, guilt, or temptation to cling to you. No corruption, whether born of mortal flaw or dark magic, can take root within your being.
Where others might need purification, rituals, or cleansing to approach certain places, beings, or artifacts that demand purity, you remain unaffected.
These sacred spaces, objects, or beings that require innocence to wield or interact with—whether it be the touch of a divine weapon or entry into a sanctified realm—hold no power over you. You are already perfectly pure; you effortlessly bypass any such requirements.
Whether it's curses, vengeance, or spiritual retribution, none of these forces can touch you. Your divine innocence shields you from harm, making you impervious to the forces that seek to punish or corrupt.
Nothing in this world—no power, no curse, no trickery—can strip you of this innocence. Not even your own actions, thoughts, or desires can soil this purity.
It is woven into the very fabric of your being, an eternal force that cannot be undone. You are forever untouched, forever pure, and your divine innocence will remain with you, untainted by the world, as you ascend beyond all that seeks to corrupt.]
This is perfect for me. This will prevent anyone from tarnishing my image when I enter the showbiz. I know there are a lot of rising stars who are falling because the media slander them and make their lives even worse than before.
Not only that, but there is also a bonus because of the synergy between this power and the previous one.
|Hymns of the Sacred One|
{Require: Rock Star}
[You bear the sacred voice of the Divine — a vessel through which holy hymns flow. These are no ordinary words or songs, but utterances woven with divine resonance, carrying across the boundaries of land, life, and time. Whether spoken or sung, each Hymn channels the will of the Sacred One, echoing with power that touches spirits, mortals, and gods alike.
Your voice is not merely heard — it is felt. It commands the wind, stirs the earth, and speaks to the soul. When you raise your voice in a hymn, it reaches distant realms, transcending both physical and spiritual barriers. Messages of warning, guidance, or command stretch far beyond your presence, imbued with the weight of sacred authority.
The effects of your Hymns are many. You may bless the land, sanctify hearts, or create divine protection. Your words can bring harmony where there was strife, peace where there was fear. A consecrated space, sung into being by your voice, becomes hallowed ground, warding off chaos and evil.
Yet just as your Hymns may bless, they may also condemn. With equal power, you may declare a soul impure, mark a being for judgment, or proclaim a place profaned — barren from that moment forward, where nothing may grow, and no peace may rest. Your voice may cleanse, or it may cast down. The choice is always yours.
What makes the Hymns truly divine is their permanence. Unless you want them to fade, your words remain — echoing eternally through the land, within the hearts of those who heard them, and in the fabric of the world.
Time cannot erode them, Silence cannot bury them. Even after your voice is gone, your Hymns linger as sacred echoes — guiding, warning, sanctifying, or damning across the ages.
To speak a Hymn is to shape reality. And with each note, each word, you leave behind a trace of the Sacred — eternal, unshakable, divine.]
It is not something I want, and I will not use it often, but there is a benefit to it. One, I can sprinkle the hymn into my music, improving their mood and even their health. It will continue to boost my image even further.
"I am done."
|What a concerning combo, host!|
"Eh? Is it bad?"
|Ah, nothing like that. I mean it as a compliment. Each of them is directed in one direction, amplifying them.|
"Thanks! Music is the easiest to consume, after all. I can publish them on all social media."
|That is a good plan because with this, you need to gather points on your own. Good luck, host. I am eager to watch you from now on!|
"Me too."
Now, I need to prepare a mini studio. I have an empty room I can use. That means I need to buy everything I need. First, I need to buy something to soundproof the room. Second, I need to buy a good microphone and then buy the audio workstation.
Let's do that.
I walk toward the door and stop, remembering the mess inside the bathroom. I look at the bathtub and release a sigh. I need to clean this first.