Current objective achieved. Do you wish to draw a new identity?
Yes/No
Finally, after just over two months since her transmigration, Robin had completed her first objective.
Without hesitation, she immediately selected "Yes." Then, brimming with anticipation and rubbing her hands together, she expected to click a button and witness a thrilling lottery-style draw. Instead, the System displayed:
Drawing in progress. Please wait...
There was no flashy interface, no cool animation, and no required action from Robin. All she saw were three small dots blinking on and off, on and off, in an endless loop.
Time crept by. One minute, ten minutes, then twenty minutes passed, and still nothing happened. Robin stared at the hypnotically blinking dots, growing drowsy from boredom.
She gave up waiting and climbed into bed to play on her phone. By 11 PM, just as she was about to turn in for the night, the System finally showed a flicker of change.
Drawing complete...
The next moment, Robin's vision suddenly split in two. One perspective remained in her own bedroom, while the other materialized in an empty alleyway.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Robin in the alley looked down. She had intended to examine her hands, but her gaze was immediately drawn to a pair of breasts far larger than her usual body's.
"System?" she murmured.
A familiar yet slightly altered interface appeared before her:
Beautiful Girl Masquerade System at Your Service
Host: Robin
Current Identities: Robin, Firefly
Current Objectives: Songstress (Completed), Iron Cavalry (0%)
This meant that acquiring a new identity didn't replace her previous ones; they coexisted simultaneously! She was now a single consciousness inhabiting two separate bodies!
Logically, controlling two bodies at once should have caused intense discomfort, but Robin felt none.
She discovered she could control both bodies with remarkable fluidity, without any interference between them. For instance, she could have Robin singing and dancing while simultaneously engaging in a normal conversation with others in her new body.
It was like performing an incredibly advanced version of drawing a circle with one hand while drawing a square with the other. Clearly, Robin had never possessed such a skill before; this must be the System's doing.
As for her new identity, though she hadn't looked in a mirror and didn't know what she looked like, the System had clearly identified her as Firefly!
Like Robin, Firefly was also a character from the game Star Rail. She was a silver-haired young girl clad in the mechanical armor SAM, and a member of the Stellaron Hunters.
Standing in the alley, "Firefly" propped her cheek against her hand, lost in thought. Beyond these superficial details, she vaguely recalled a more intricate backstory:
Firefly was created as a living weapon by the Republic of Glamoth. Faced with a devastating insectoid crisis that threatened its very existence, the ruling Council of Eight took a desperate gamble and forged weapons born solely for combat.
Firefly was one of these weapons. SAM's full designation was "Glamoth Iron Cavalry of the Firmament Frontline—Fyrefly Type-IV Strategic Assault Mech."
She had participated in countless battles, slaughtering swarms of insects. Yet, despite her efforts, her nation and civilization ultimately met their demise for various reasons.
At that moment, Firefly completely lost the purpose for which she had been created.
It was precisely to reclaim that purpose that she accepted an invitation from Elio, the "Destiny's Slave," and joined the Stellaron Hunters.
However, having been born as a living weapon, Firefly's body harbored an inherent flaw—a genetic modification side effect known as Entropy Loss Syndrome.
Those afflicted with this strange condition experienced an irreversible, chronic disintegration of their physical structure. In essence, patients slowly faded from existence, the process often imperceptible to others.
They could still run, jump, and converse normally, appearing perfectly healthy. Yet, they would gradually slow down, drifting further and further out of sync with the world until everything blurred into oblivion, leading to their eventual demise.
There was no doubt that Firefly's combat prowess was extraordinary, but this Entropy Loss Syndrome was troubling. Could she have it too? Firefly wondered.
If the disease was virtually incurable, did that mean her current lifespan was already on a countdown? Was death inevitable?
Then she reconsidered. Perhaps it wasn't so serious after all. Even in the worst-case scenario, if this body dies, she still has another one, right?
Just as she was thinking this, following the previous "Extraction Complete" notification, several new messages suddenly popped up on the system interface:
[To facilitate Host control, the "Perfect Multitasking" ability has been installed.]
[The severe negative status effects associated with the new identity "Firefly & SAM" have been removed.]
[We hope you are satisfied with the results of this lottery draw. If so, please leave us a 5-star review! Your feedback is our greatest motivation for improvement.]
[1-Star / 2-Star / 3-Star / 4-Star / 5-Star]
[Wait, is this notification delayed? Why is it only appearing now?]
[And... can you actually rate this?]
Firefly's lips twitched slightly. Finally, grateful that the System had cured her Entropy Loss Syndrome, she tapped the 5-star review button.
Only then did she shift her attention from the System to her surroundings. Her gaze fell upon a discarded soda can at her feet, its surface adorned with strange characters, and she paused in contemplation.
Firefly hurried out of the alley and onto the main street. Every storefront and sign was inscribed with unfamiliar script, confirming she was no longer in the Dragon Nation. Strangely, despite scanning the horizon, she couldn't spot a single pedestrian.
Looking up at the sky, she clearly saw a dark Dimensional Rift. Well, at least I'm still in this world, she thought, not some bizarre alternate dimension.
But then it struck her: Sudden appearance, Dimensional Rift... could I be descending as an Outsider again?
If that's the case, has the System been stuck this whole time searching for a Dimensional Rift for me?
-
P.S.: From this point onward, the protagonist will be referred to as either Firefly or Robin, depending on the situation.