Chapter 2: The First Evolution
The water, lukewarm from the thermos, tasted like the most vital thing Alex had ever consumed. It was a commitment. Alex choked it down in nervous, deep gulps, the screen of the Celestial Femboy Evolution System (CFES) still blazing violet in the dark air above the roof.
The moment the last drop passed his lips, the ethereal screen flashed blindingly white.
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[MANDATORY QUEST 1: FIRST STEP]
Task: Consume 500 milliliters of water.
Status: COMPLETE.
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REWARD DELIVERY INITIATED:
+ 1 SP (Skill Point)
+ Title [Beginner] acquired.
+ First Evolution: Skin and Hair Rework.
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The reward was immediate and brutal.
A sensation like being submerged in boiling silk washed over Alex's body. Every nerve ending seemed to ignite. It wasn't just localized pain; it was a deep, molecular restructuring. He cried out, clutching his head, rolling away from the edge of the roof and onto the safer, flatter area.
The most intense feeling was centered on his skin and scalp. The greasy, lank brown hair on his head felt like it was being pulled through a wire sieve. The skin, often dull and scarred by acne, felt tight, burning, and then terrifyingly cold, as if being scraped clean and regrown simultaneously.
Alex heard a faint, strange sound, like sandpaper against wood, and looked down. Tiny, almost invisible flakes—dead cells, toxins, remnants of the old, unloved body—were being shed from his clothes in a fine, grayish dust that the wind immediately swept away.
The agonizing process lasted less than thirty seconds, ending abruptly with a satisfying, soft 'Ding! ' in his mind. Alex lay gasping, his heart slamming against his ribs, tasting copper and ozone.
Alex scrambled back down the fire escape and stumbled through the deserted streets toward the temporary sanctuary of his apartment. He didn't care who saw him; he only cared about finding a mirror.
He slammed the door shut, fumbled for the light switch, and staggered into the tiny, dingy bathroom, bracing himself against the sink to face the cracked mirror.
The mass was still there. Alex was still a big, heavy person. The change wasn't in the overall shape, but in the quality of the surface.
His previously dull, heavy brown hair now cascaded past his ears in thick, glossy waves. It wasn't just clean; it shone with an impossible, rich mahogany color that caught the weak bathroom light. Every single strand was perfectly aligned, soft, and naturally voluminous.
The skin was the most shocking transformation. The redness, the pores, the persistent acne scars that had plagued him for years—all gone.
The skin was now porcelain-smooth, appearing luminous and fine-pored, regardless of the thickness of the body underneath. It was the flawless, delicate skin of someone who had never seen stress or suffered a single imperfection. His eyes, previously muddy brown, were now clearer, a sharp, golden-brown fringed by incredibly thick, dark lashes.
Alex traced a finger over his cheek. It felt like cool velvet. This was the skin of a supermodel, pasted onto a body that still wore the weight of a lifetime of pain.
The system screen reappeared, updating the metrics with clinical indifference.
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[HOST STATS] UPDATED
Name: Alex Maxwell
Level: 1
Title: Beginner (Active - Boost: +5% Learning Speed)
Body: Heavily Debilitated (29% Health, 7% Stamina)
Appearance: C- Rank (Current Beauty Score: 85/1000)
Charm: 25 (+25 from inherent 'Skin Quality' boost)
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 15
Skill Points (SP): 1
Evolution Currency (EC): 0
New Quest Received.
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Alex stared at the numbers. The score had jumped from 4 to 85. A single sip of water had taken him from "E- Rank" to "C- Rank," just by changing his skin and hair. He was still far from beautiful, but he was no longer completely invisible.
A wave of dizzying euphoria—the first true, untainted hope he'd felt in months—hit him. The Glutton, the Mountain, Barnacle Boy... he still had the name, but the foundation was cracked.
The screen shimmered again, displaying the next, far more demanding stage of his mandatory evolution.
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[MANDATORY QUEST 2: SHAPE THE CORE]
Task: Achieve a 20-pound reduction in body mass.
(This task requires sustained effort and SP investment in [Physiology] or [Stamina] skills.)
Reward: 10 SP, First Body Modification: Bone Structure Refinement (Facial Contouring and Hip Narrowing).
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Alex looked from the pristine reflection back to the screen. Twenty pounds felt monumental, but the reward—Bone Structure Refinement—sounded like the next, crucial step toward the impossible. The system wasn't joking. It was demanding he work, and it was promising a new existence in return.
"Okay," Alex whispered, gripping the sink edge, a faint smile touching the corner of his newly-perfected lips. "I won't be a shut-in anymore. Not if this is the game."