Lucas was still standing by the side of the road when a sudden system message appeared in his field of vision.
"A system?" he muttered in disbelief.
[The system has chosen you as a host due to your previously complicated life.]
"What? What kind of system is this?" Lucas rubbed his eyes several times, but the text remained in front of him. "Is this… actually real?"
But based on the memories of the original Lucas, there was no such thing here.
"How did I get this?" he thought, still in shock.
Lucas had heard of things like this in books or movies, but experiencing something so bizarre twice in such a short time left him even more confused.
He didn't know whether to feel grateful or something else entirely.
One way or another, he'd been given a second chance at life, even if it was in a completely different world.
However, he knew there was no time to dwell on it.
Whether he liked it or not, he had to accept and come to terms with the sudden changes in his life.
[The system is now here to assist you, Host. Prepare to reach the pinnacle of success and fame.]
"This is real. I'm definitely not dreaming," he murmured, as a flood of memories and events surged into Lucas's mind all at once.
A wave of intense dizziness hit him, the situation overwhelming.
"Ah, shit. My head is killing me," he groaned, clutching one side of his head.
[Currently, your strength lies in your attractive appearance. However, as an idol, your singing talent is below average.]
[System will now analyze your baseline abilities.]
[System analyzing…]
[Host: Lucas Ryder]
[Body: 40 (Good)]
[Mind: 31 (Good)]
[Performance Skills - 2
Singing - 11 (Advanced)Dance - 13 (Advanced)]
[Musical Instrument Skills - 1
Guitar - 10 (Beginner)]
[You have a good physique, which is expected due to your regular training. However, as an idol, your singing skills are far below the industry standard, as is your dancing.]
[Are you sure you can call yourself an idol?]
"Damn, I completely agree with you, System," Lucas muttered. "How did this guy even end up as an idol? This is awful."
From the original Lucas's memories and personality, he could tell that the former idol's abilities fell far short of the standard.
His skills were clearly below average for someone in the industry.
[Your guitar skills are still at a beginner level. They're at the upper limit of beginner, but improvement is needed.]
[The system can help you progress faster if you commit to regular practice.]
"System, are you kidding? Anyone can improve with practice," Lucas protested.
He continued, "What kind of system are you, anyway? In some novels I've read, the system grants its host money or resources."
[Unfortunately, Host, this system doesn't operate that way.]
[This system is designed to reward hard work with accelerated growth, allowing you to progress faster than the average person.]
[The system will grant you skill points, which you can accumulate and use to enhance any skill you choose, depending on your needs.]
"So, the more skill points I have, the more I can allocate them to specific skills I want to improve?" Lucas asked.
[Correct, Host.]
[The system will also unlock additional skills for you. However, you'll need to use your skill points to unlock them first.]
"This is interesting," Lucas murmured. "But how do I earn more skill points?"
[The system will award skill points, based on certain conditions that only the system can assess.]
"So, basically, you're giving me skill points whenever you feel like it?" Lucas raised an eyebrow.
[Yes, more or less. Consider it a reward for your efforts, whether through hard work or good deeds.]
Lucas nodded, understanding the structure of the system a little better.
It was unlike anything he'd ever imagined—a system now deeply woven into his life.
[As a welcome gift, the system will provide you with a full upgrade of your basic skills!]
[Upgrading…]
[Mind: 33 (Good)]
[Performance Skills - 2
Singing - 16 (Advanced)Dance - 15 (Advanced)]
[Musical Instrument Skills - 1
Guitar - 11 (Advance)]
[Congratulations, Host! Your skills have been upgraded!]
Lucas read through the updates carefully.
His physical endurance remained at its previous level, but his cognitive ability had been raised by +2, a change he could already feel, as it eased the mental strain from all the sudden memories and information flooding in since he'd entered the original Lucas's body.
His singing skill had improved by +4—more than he'd expected. His dancing had gone up by +2.
He didn't notice any immediate change, but he knew he'd need to test these upgrades to feel the difference.
Finally, his guitar skill had risen as well.
"+1? Why does this system seem a bit stingy?" he muttered.
The notification made him smile, a wave of relief washing over him.
"Alright, fine, this is definitely an improvement. I can't wait to test these upgrades."
Behind the happiness, he hadn't realized how cold and hungry his body had become.
But suddenly, his vision began to blur, and darkness crept in before he collapsed.
After an hour of being unconscious, Lucas slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the bright lights of the room.
The setting wasn't too different from the emergency rooms in his other world. Yes, he was in the ER of a hospital.
"How did I end up here?" he thought.
It was 3:30 in the morning. Lucas held his stomach, feeling the deep hunger gnawing at him.
"Damn, the cold must've made me this hungry," he muttered.
As he turned his head, he was startled. A young woman, Her age is around her mid-twenties, with shoulder-length hair and dressed in a police uniform, was sitting there, watching him.
"Are you fully awake now?" the woman asked.
"Who are you? Did you bring me here?" Lucas replied.
The woman nodded and introduced herself. "I'm Grace, a police officer on duty tonight."
Grace recounted the sequence of events from that night.
While she had been on patrol, she spotted someone passed out and immediately brought him to the nearest ER.
Recognizing Lucas due to his popularity as a member of an idol group, Grace leaned forward slightly.
"I should be the one asking questions. How does a celebrity like you end up collapsed on the side of the road, soaked to the bone? You almost died of cold and starving when I found you."
"Ah… yes, thank you, Ms. Grace," Lucas said.
Grace pulled a piece of bread from a bag under her chair. "Here, eat this."
Lucas took it gratefully and adjusted his position to sit up before he started eating.
Grace continued, "The doctor said you'll recover soon. You had hypothermia, but you were lucky to be saved in time."
Lucas listened as he devoured the bread hungrily. Then, with surprising calmness, he said, "Someone pushed me into the river. I think they were trying to kill me."
Grace's eyes widened in shock, her brow furrowing. "You're sure about that?" she asked.
Lucas stopped eating, meeting her gaze and shook his head. "No, I'm sure. I remember exactly what happened, but I have no idea who the person was."
He then explained in detail the location of the incident, describing how he had been pushed and swept away by the river.
Before they could continue their conversation, someone abruptly pulled back the curtain around the hospital bed—it was Emma, Lucas's manager.
Her face was tense and irritated as she glared at Lucas.
Though it was still the middle of the night, Emma had rushed to the hospital to retrieve him, clearly displeased by the situation.
"Emma?" Lucas said.
Grace stood up from her seat. "So, you must be Ms. Emma, the manager of Mr. Lucas?" she asked. "I'm Grace."
After discovering that the person who had passed out was a celebrity, Grace had immediately contacted Lucas's agency to inform them.
Emma greeted Grace warmly, "Ah, Ms. Grace, it's a pleasure. I'm Emma. Thank you for taking care of him and letting me know."
Her words sounded sincere, but her glare toward Lucas told a different story—one filled with frustration, maybe even disdain.
In Emma's eyes, Lucas was nothing but trouble.
His career had been a disappointment, and she was tired of constantly dealing with his issues.
If only Lucas hadn't caused any problems, she wouldn't have had to rush out in the middle of the night.
She could've been resting peacefully instead.
Grace spoke up, "The doctor has examined him and confirmed it's just hypothermia. After this, you can take him home to recover."
She continued, "However, he mentioned that someone pushed him into the river. If it was intentional, it's something we can't ignore. Unfortunately, the location had poor lighting, and the CCTV didn't capture the incident clearly. I'll follow up on this."
Emma nodded, but her expression showed little concern. "Thank you for your hard work, Ms. Grace."
"Ms. Grace," Lucas added, "thank you for your help."
Grace smiled and nodded before leaving the emergency room.
As she glanced back once more, tilting her head slightly, she thought to herself, It seems like there's tension between them.
Are they dealing with some internal issues?