"Asa-kun, oneechan has a performance later. You be a good boy and wait for me at home, okay!"
Inside the slightly run-down orphanage, the energetic, sailor-uniform-clad idol, Hoshino Ai, hugged the young boy in her arms.
"Mmm… Go, Ai-neechan, go!"
Shiraishi Asa poked his head out from the girl's already-developing chest, letting out a small sigh of relief.
"Asa-kun, when oneechan makes enough money, how about I adopt you?" The girl cupped the boy's face, causing his cheeks to puff out slightly under the gentle pressure of her fine, soft hands.
In those eyes, which seemed to hold a starry sparkle, Shiraishi Asa saw the girl's sincerity. He had grown up in the orphanage. Although he and Hoshino Ai shared no blood relation, they depended on each other.
"The law says you have to be thirty to adopt a child."
"By the time oneechan is thirty, I'll already be grown up…"
Hearing this, Hoshino Ai's starry eyes blinked. Grown up?
Then maybe she could just…
The thought flashed through Hoshino Ai's mind but remained unspoken. The fourteen-year-old smiled radiantly, rubbed the young boy's face one last time, and then left the orphanage.
Watching Ai's receding back, Shiraishi Asa looked down at his small hands, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. "I wonder how long I'll live in this life…"
It had been eight years since he transmigrated to this world. In his past life, he was a young man who had just entered the workforce, dreaming of 'fixing' the corporate world. Now, he had become an eight-year-old Incubus in this multi-fandom world.
That's right. In this life, he wasn't human; he had reincarnated into a race called Incubus. In this dangerous composite anime/manga world—a world he was familiar with, filled with creatures like Ghouls (from Tokyo Ghoul), Monsters (from One-Punch Man), and Demons (from Demon Slayer)—reincarnating as an Incubus didn't seem like the worst fate. Incubi are physically strong and beautiful, at least better than a powerless ordinary person… right?
However, a few years later, Shiraishi Asa realized that being reincarnated as a Incubus was the true 'hell difficulty' start.
In this world, Incubi/Succubi can indeed increase their power through intimate acts with the opposite sex. But the catch is that if the other party is significantly stronger than them, the Incubus/Succubus immediately becomes 'nourishment' to enhance their strength.
Because of this specific trait, Incubi/Succubi in this world have become a target for everyone. Throughout history, countless Incubi/Succubi were captured by the strong to be used as 'cauldrons'—pitiful 'rag dolls' meant to be used and discarded. To this day, Incubi/Succubi have been so relentlessly hunted that they are now an extremely rare species, existing only in urban legends.
Since learning about the tragic history of the Incubus/Succubus race, Asa has been acutely aware that he must never expose his Incubus constitution. He figured he'd rather spend his life in hiding than be caught and used as a steel wool scrubber.
Then, a month ago, Asa suddenly awakened a Sign-in System. By signing in daily at special locations, he could gain various abilities and items.
The only problem was that the abilities he signed in for were all a bit… off.
[LV3. Rito-style Fall: When a high-value female is within five meters, there's a chance of an unavoidable, 'fan-service' fall.]
[LV3. Lewd Hand: Touching the opponent with the right hand has a chance to bring them physical and mental pleasure.]
[Note: Critical effect on sensitive areas.]
[LV1. Rising Air Current: Creates an upward air current from the ground out of thin air, easily capable of flipping up a skirt.]
Every time he saw these three abilities, Asa felt mentally exhausted. If he hadn't signed in at Hoshino Ai's school yesterday and gained the LV1. Psychic Exorcism, he would've thought this Sign-in System was purely the 18+ version.
"I'll check in at the orphanage today."
Ding!
[The host has successfully checked in at the orphanage. Ability [LV1. Time Stop] acquired.]
A Golden Legend!
"I got a hit!" Asa's small face was flushed with excitement as he read the skill description, his delicate eyebrows raising slightly.
[LV1. Time Stop: Can stop time throughout the entire universe, excluding the user, for three seconds. Cooldown: ten seconds.]
[Note: Frozen beings will have a blurry sense of perception; the stronger the subject, the stronger their perception.]
So, I can stop time, but people can still sense it, huh… Wait, 'Time Stop' series…
"Alright, it's an ability straight out of hentai after all." Asa felt a little helpless.
Still, a universe-wide Time Stop… He finally had a truly life-saving skill!
"I wonder how much the duration will increase when this ability is upgraded to LV3…" Asa thought with anticipation.
Sign-in only grants LV1 abilities. Two identical LV1 abilities can be synthesized into an LV2 ability, and two LV2s into an LV3. This means the required number of abilities doubles with each upgrade. Currently, his highest ability level is LV3.
"I wonder if the cap is LV6 or LV7…"
The twilight was approaching. Asa looked up at the moon just beginning to appear outside the window.
"It's time to train again…"
He went into the bathroom and took off his clothes.
In the mirror, the tiny boy suddenly began to grow. Within a few breaths, he transformed from a little peanut into a handsome young man of 18… 180 centimeters.
This was his Incubus True Form state.
The Incubus/Succubus race, in order to quickly attract opposite-sex humans, matures at the age of eight. Eight years old, 180 centimeters tall—anyone who knew would be astounded: Is that seriously an eight-year-old? If word got out, his Incubus constitution would naturally be exposed, leading to fatal danger.
Shiraishi Asa could only be careful. Without the power to defend himself, he didn't dare go out and absorb the Yin energy of human females. All he could do was quietly absorb the Lunar Yin energy every night to improve his self-preservation strength.
"That's the one bad thing about the orphanage; too many eyes and ears, and no private space…"
Skillfully and cautiously, Shiraishi Asa avoided the other children and the surveillance cameras, heading to the top of the small, abandoned building in the backyard.
....
"Nei Kan Wai Gen? What does that mean?"
"Mrs. Yukinoshita, the Yang line is in the Kan (Water) position, and the Yin line is in the Gen (Mountain) position. The meaning of this hexagram is that the Yin and Yang are unbalanced in your household; you need to increase the number of male family members…"
Inside a luxury car, the richly dressed, beautiful, and graceful woman, Mrs. Yukinoshita, frowned slightly, the middle-aged diviner's words echoing in her mind.
"Mieko, how much truth do you think there is in what that diviner said?" The elegant voice of the madam sounded in the car as her crimson lips parted.
The female housekeeper in the driver's seat immediately adopted a respectful expression. "To answer you, Madam."
"There are too many strange and bizarre things in this world. I think it's better to be safe than sorry…" The housekeeper's words held a hint of nervousness.
Mrs. Yukinoshita heard her and slowly tapped her rounded, jade-like leg under her kimono with her slender fingers.
"Recently, the family has been facing setbacks in everything…"
"And Yukino, that girl at home, has also entered her rebellious phase…"
"Increase the number of male family members…"
Mrs. Yukinoshita furrowed her delicate eyebrows, silently pondering.
Remarrying was out of the question, and her two girls hadn't reached the age of marriage yet…
A moment later, she suddenly spoke. "Mieko, the Yukinoshita family sponsors some orphanages, don't we?"
"Yes, Madam."
"Then, let's go check out an orphanage first."