An hour later, Tanaka Masao let out a long breath and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Reviewing the old to learn the new… I really feel like I've learned a lot again. I have to say, the stuff the system provides is top-tier."
[Ding. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Degeneration Points ×1]
Hearing the system notification, Tanaka Masao felt confused and asked,
"System, why did I suddenly gain Degeneration Points?"
[Host, do you remember saying before that you would never look at this kind of thing again? Your current behavior meets the system's criteria.]
"The criteria are that loose? And I can even squeeze Degeneration Points out of myself?"
Suddenly, a brilliant idea popped into Tanaka Masao's head.
"Based on the original owner's vast knowledge, this world doesn't have this manga. So if I take this manga and publish it… wouldn't I be able to earn Degeneration Points and make money at the same time? Damn, I really am a genius."
Tanaka Masao felt like he had finally figured out the correct way to use the system.
"The only problem is… where do I publish something like this? Whatever. Tomorrow's the weekend. I'll think about it then."
He put the manga back into the system space. With the system more or less figured out, it was time to face his new life.
Looking at the messy room, Tanaka Masao decided to clean up.
As he cleaned, he muttered to himself,
"Damn, how did I let it get this dirty?"
"Ugh, what's on these sheets? I didn't even bother cleaning them…"
After a thorough cleanup, the room was finally clean. He had filled two large trash bags with garbage.
The washing machine had been running nonstop since earlier, and even so, there was still a pile of clothes waiting to be washed.
He also stripped the bed—sheets, blankets, everything—and replaced them with spares.
"Yeah… this feels way better."
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Tanaka Masao noticed he was drenched after all that work.
"Perfect timing for a shower."
He spent a full half hour in the bathroom before finally scrubbing himself clean.
Shampoo—three times.
Body wash—three times.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he muttered,
"I'm still pretty fat and not great-looking… but at least I don't look greasy anymore."
Exhausted, Tanaka Masao did a quick tidy-up and collapsed onto the bed, falling fast asleep.
That night, when his parents came home, they were completely stunned.
They had long since accepted that their son was a hardcore otaku—after all, it wasn't exactly rare around here.
But they couldn't understand what had gotten into him. Why had he suddenly started cleaning?
Facing his parents' confusion, Tanaka Masao thought for a moment, then spoke shyly, pretending to be embarrassed.
"I… I met a girl at school, and I want to change myself a bit…"
His parents instantly understood.
Ah—so he wanted to start dating.
They expressed full support, telling him to let them know if there was anything they could do to help.
If their son could change because of this, it didn't matter if he didn't become amazing—improving at all was enough.
After a round of parental concern, once dinner was over, Tanaka Masao received 50,000 yen in allowance.
He accepted it gladly.
The original owner had spent almost all his money on merch and goods, leaving very little on hand. With these 50,000 yen, moving around would be much easier.
...
The Next Day
Thanks to a good night's rest, Tanaka Masao got up early.
After getting ready, he slung a backpack over his shoulders and prepared to head out.
Before leaving, he took a look at his appearance.
Yep.
One glance—dead-on fat otaku.
Today, he planned to go on a bit of a trip.
To Tokyo.
His goal was to look for opportunities to publish manga.
As for why he didn't look for opportunities within Chiba Prefecture—
Well, since it was an R18 manga, it wasn't exactly something you wanted people recognizing you for. Going somewhere farther away was safer.
He took out a thick stack of manuscript pages—prepared by the system. If he wanted to publish, he'd need actual artwork.
After packing the manuscripts into his bag and double-checking everything, Tanaka Masao headed out.
...
He took a train from a nearby station, and in less than an hour, arrived in Tokyo.
The original owner had been to Tokyo before—after all, this city was home to the legendary 2D holy land: Akihabara.
That was Tanaka Masao's destination this time as well. According to his memories, the original owner had bought R18 manga here more than once.
He planned to ask the shop owners how publishing worked.
By the time he reached Akihabara, it was already past nine in the morning.
It was the weekend, so most people were off work. Akihabara was absolutely packed, with cosplayers visible everywhere.
Mixed in with the crowd, Tanaka Masao was completely unremarkable.
In just a short while, he had already seen more than ten people who looked almost exactly like him.
Unable to resist, he muttered,
"Am I some kind of mass-produced figurine or what?"
Jokes aside, there was still plenty to see.
In just that short time, several groups had asked him to take photos for them. In return, he also took photos with a few cosplayers.
The cosplayer girls weren't all stunning, but with makeup, they were all fairly cute.
And through helping others take photos, Tanaka Masao discovered that the original owner actually had pretty decent photography skills.
Strolling around, he was genuinely enjoying himself.
When he passed by a maid café, his gaze was drawn inside.
He could see several young women dressed in maid outfits, and a few of them were quite attractive.
With customers coming and going nonstop, it was obvious the café was very popular.
If it were the original owner, he would've gone in without hesitation and ordered an omelet rice infused with moe-moe delicious magic.
But thinking about his wallet, Tanaka Masao decisively gave up on the idea.
"I'll come back once my wallet's a little healthier."
After wandering around, he arrived at a hidden, secluded area.
This place felt noticeably quieter. Pedestrians walked quickly, eyes down.
Some people wore masks, sunglasses, and baseball caps, constantly glancing around—as if sneaking around.
People coming out of the shops usually carried opaque bags.
Seeing this, Tanaka Masao knew—
He had come to the right place.
Touching his face, he hesitated.
"Hmm… with this face, I probably don't need any disguise, right?"
Just as he hesitated, he suddenly saw a familiar figure walk out of one of the shops.
A green tracksuit.
A petite frame.
Long blonde hair.
Behind black-rimmed glasses—delicate, refined features.
Even without twin tails, this appearance overlapped almost perfectly with an anime character etched into his memory.
Without thinking, he blurted out,
"Sawamura Spencer Eriri!"
The moment the name left his mouth, Tanaka Masao clearly saw the girl in the green tracksuit freeze stiff.
Her expression visibly darkened.