episode_0042

A galaxy unfolds.

Fading starlight.

And then, ten stars, maintaining their radiant forms, approach me before each begins to emit their own unique colors.

Seven gray stars.

Two red stars.

And finally, one golden star.

One 3-star and two 2-stars.

Considering the odds, I did pretty well.

-I wanna quit my job…

-Office Worker, Park Junghyun. × 3

-…Gasp! I fell asleep!

-Student, Park Junghyun. × 3

-I like the premise, but why does the protagonist have the same name as me?

-Web Novel Enthusiast, Park Junghyun.

The 1-star personas are introduced in the blink of an eye.

This time, unlike before, none of the introduced personas were non-human creatures.

Secretly, I was hoping for a tiger or dinosaur persona.

A bit disappointing.

Next, the introductions for the 2-star personas begin.

-Your chicken is so undercooked, a vet could still revive it!!

A furious voice rings out, and the figure of a man appears.

A pristine white hat.

A thick, black cotton top and a red neckerchief.

A small apron with a rabbit design tied around his waist.

His hands are covered in scars, as if they were medals.

His name is—

-The Ultimate Chef, Park Junghyun.

A chef persona, huh?

Does that mean he’s literally an amazing cook, hence the title “Ultimate Chef”?

Or does he steal consciousness with god-awful food?

I’d prefer the former.

At least then I could enjoy delicious meals whenever I want.

It might even give me a chance to strike up a conversation with Serena over food.

As I’m lost in thought, the introduction for the other 2-star persona begins.

-Master, overworking is bad for your health. How about taking a short break with a cup of tea?

A gentle voice speaks, and the figure of a beautiful woman appears.

A white headpiece resting on her head.

A pristine white apron layered over a black top, adorned with frills and lace.

Beneath a short skirt that reaches just above her knees, she wears garter belts and long socks.

Her name is—

-The Perfect and Graceful Maid, Park Junghyun.

Why me?

Horrible memories with the Magical Girl persona come crawling back.

At least her speech isn’t as grating as the Magical Girl’s.

If her abilities are useful, I might borrow her from time to time.

Only at home, though.

If I had to stand in front of someone like that, I’d seriously consider suicide.

Next up, the long-awaited 3-star persona.

-When you think about it, the world is just one big game, isn’t it?

A somewhat youthful voice speaks, and the figure of a boy appears.

Messy hair and headphones hanging around his neck.

A blue hoodie with a skull design hides his scrawny frame.

One hand tucked into the pocket of his black sweatpants, comfortable for movement.

The other hand taps away at a holographic keyboard shimmering in rainbow hues.

His name is—

-The Hacker Who Mocks Reality, Park Junghyun.

My second 3-star persona is a hacker.

A hacker.

Not something I ever expected.

Just based on the name, a 2-star rating seems more fitting.

But if the Hacker persona is a 3-star, that must mean he’s uniquely powerful.

I’m really looking forward to this.

With all personas introduced, I soon return to my cozy bedroom.

“Now, let’s take a closer look at each one.”

Suppressing my excitement, I quickly check the 1-star personas first.

I already know the Office Worker persona, so I skip that.

The Student persona is exactly what you’d expect—a typical student you could find anywhere on Earth.

It comes with a handy ability that boosts study efficiency, so I figure it’d be perfect to borrow when I need to hit the books.

Next, the Web Novel Enthusiast persona.

This one also has a special ability.

Borrowing this persona installs a web novel app called Nubelpia on my phone.

Nubelpia has an absurdly vast library of web novels.

If I ever need to kill time quietly, reading novels with this persona wouldn’t be so bad.

Since the app was already logged in under the account ParkJunghyun_193, I didn’t have to pay separately to read anything.

Is this some kind of super account?

Whatever it is, it’s a win for me.

“Alright, then.”

Now that I’ve checked all the 1-stars, it’s time to move on to the 2-stars.

Without hesitation, I go to borrow the Chef persona—

[The duration of Forced Promotion has ended.]

[The skill, Persona Borrowing, has entered a 1-hour cooldown.]

“Tch.”

Of all times.

I’d forgotten about the Forced Promotion penalty.

Now I can’t check the rest of the personas.

“Damn it.”

Mood ruined.

Guess I’ll grind some daily quests in the meantime.

[The cooldown for the skill, Persona Borrowing, has been lifted.]

“Nice.”

I stop mid-squat at the welcome notification and wobble over to the couch.

First, let’s check the Chef persona.

As soon as I borrow the persona, my clothes instantly transform into a chef’s uniform.

Along with it, a flood of knowledge and techniques fills my mind.

“So, it really is a persona that’s good at cooking.”

Thankfully, it’s not some bizarre persona that terrorizes taste buds with awful food.

His speech isn’t overly eccentric either.

This is good.

Let’s take a closer look.

“Hmm…”

Basically, recipes for almost every dish I can think of are ingrained in my mind, along with countless subtle tips to elevate flavors.

And most importantly, this Chef persona has a unique ability.

“Food infused with magic. Interesting.”

The Chef persona can imbue food with magical energy.

Magic-infused food has enhanced aroma and taste, and consuming it grants temporary random buffs.

A flawless persona for a chef, with no downsides.

“Though his physical abilities and magic are weaker compared to other personas.”

Not a big deal since I don’t need the Chef persona for combat anyway.

From now on, I’ll just use 3-star personas for fights.

I’m excited.

Just how fantastical will magic-infused food taste?

I’d love to head to the grocery store right now, but I still have two more personas to check.

After releasing the persona, I turn my attention to the next one.

“Maid…”

Just muttering that word makes my earlier excitement instantly deflate.

Ugh, I hate this.

Even if I’m not actually turning into a girl, it’s still… weird.

Feels off, you know?

But can I really ignore a newly acquired 2-star persona just because it makes me uncomfortable?

No way.

I worked hard to get this.

I spent 100 Fate Points to beat a 20% chance for this valuable persona.

“Right. No time to be picky.”

Think positive.

Sure, the appearance is a bit… cute, but at least the speech isn’t as grating as the Magical Girl’s, right?

Yeah, I can handle this.

After convincing myself, I tentatively borrow the Maid persona.

My body shifts into a slender, delicate frame, dressed in an adorable maid outfit.

The thought of myself in a maid outfit makes my eyes twitch, but as the persona’s knowledge and experience flood in, the discomfort quickly fades.

“It’s not as uncomfortable as I thought.”

Since it’s not a long, traditional maid skirt, it doesn’t feel too restrictive.

“Hmm.”

Placing my hands on my knees, I close my eyes and examine the Maid persona in detail.

First, just as the Chef persona excels at cooking, the Maid persona can handle all household chores perfectly.

And she does it fast and efficiently.

“Might as well test it out.”

I glance at the pile of laundry I’d shoved aside earlier.

It’d take me at least 20 minutes to fold it all normally.

I start folding immediately.

And in about two minutes, there’s nothing left to do.

“Impressive.”

I stare at the neatly folded mountain of laundry, genuinely impressed.

Way more useful than I expected.

This level of efficiency applies not just to laundry but to cleaning, dishes, and all sorts of chores.

And the Maid persona also has a special ability.

“I should get some tea leaves ready.”

Drinking tea brewed by the Maid persona instantly dispels fatigue, anxiety, depression—any negative mental state.

In short, she can brew tea that heals the mind.

Wow!

An infinite supply of side-effect-free Xanax!

I’ll definitely borrow her to make tea whenever I’m exhausted.

With that resolve, I release the Maid persona.

Now, only one persona remains.

The long-awaited Hacker persona.

“Probably the kind of hacker I’m thinking of, right?”

You know, the type who hacks into enemy systems in seconds and extracts critical data.

If the Hacker persona’s abilities are like that, my growth potential would be limitless.

Why?

“I could hack illegal organizations, make a fortune, and buy potions and skill stones in bulk.”

Sure, getting caught would mean jail time, but with the Hacker persona’s power, no one would ever track me down.

To the moon, huh?

Filled with anticipation, I borrow the Hacker persona.

My clothes and body change, and the vast knowledge and techniques of the Hacker persona flood my mind.

And I immediately realize—

The Hacker persona’s ability isn’t what I imagined.

In short, my dream of becoming a criminal mastermind won’t come true.

But I’m not disappointed at all.

“…”

With trembling hands, I swipe through the air, and a translucent, rainbow-hued keyboard appears before me.

As if entranced, I type a command:

/input: setMaterial(“laundry”, “gold”)

/timer: 180s

/run: shiftReality()

I press Enter.

-Bzzt!

A mechanical sound rings out, and the laundry in front of me transforms into shimmering gold.