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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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“For operational reasons, only males and females can participate. We apologize, but other genders are not eligible.”
Following the receptionist’s instructions, Amon and Sonia proceeded to the waiting room.
As the competition was framed as a social movement challenge, makeup, wigs, and other accessories were provided.
They were cheap, but seemed sufficient for creating a convincing look.
With the limited resources, Sonia dressed as a man, while Amon dressed as a woman.
Once finished, they assessed each other’s transformations.
Amon looked at Sonia.
Her male disguise was passable.
However, the makeup quality was poor, and her long hair made it difficult to achieve a convincing masculine look.
The cheap wig only added to the awkwardness.
Above all, her inherent femininity made it almost impossible to see her as male.
Seemingly aware of this herself, she attempted a forced masculine smile, but quickly gave up, her shoulders slumping.
Next, it was Amon’s turn to be evaluated.
“Uh… um… uh…”
Sonia was speechless, staring at Amon.
Beautiful.
There was no other word to describe his transformation.
The same wig that looked awkward on Sonia seemed perfectly suited to Amon.
Sonia had always considered Amon’s thick eyebrows and downturned eyes to be masculine.
Yet, with a touch of eyebrow tint and eyeliner, they now exuded femininity.
His naturally flawless skin, combined with the makeup, completely erased any trace of masculinity.
The final additions of lip tint and earrings completed the illusion, transforming him into a convincing young woman.
No, “young woman” wasn’t adequate.
A stunning beauty stood before her.
He could debut as an actress with this face, and no one would question it. He was that beautiful.
Sonia, lost in a daze, finally came to her senses.
“Uh… Sister?”
“…”
Amon was at a loss for words.
He’d put in some effort, wanting to do his best, but he never imagined he’d have a talent for cross-dressing… or rather, disguise.
He’d gotten carried away, finding the process surprisingly enjoyable, but the final result was breathtaking, even to him.
The quality of the transformation was so convincing that it made him question his own masculinity.
But the makeup was too perfect to remove; it would be a waste.
So, he steeled himself and unveiled the result.
“Let’s hurry…”
The longer he remained here, the more agonizing his humiliation would become.
It was better for his sanity to be judged quickly and get it over with.
He urged Sonia forward and stepped onto the stage.
The rules of the competition were straightforward.
The contestants were judged by both the panel and the audience on how convincingly they portrayed the opposite gender.
Prizes were awarded based on the scores.
First was Sonia.
She received the Participation Award.
While her efforts were evident, her femininity was impossible to hide.
She accepted the award gracefully.
Clutching her prize, a stuffed animal, she walked off the stage.
Next was Amon.
“What? This is a joke, right?”
Upon seeing Amon, he was unanimously disqualified.
Why was a woman entering a cross-dressing competition without even bothering to change?
But when Amon revealed he was, in fact, male, the reaction was instantaneous.
“Perfect score… perfect score…”
He received a perfect score from everyone.
He was the champion.
As Amon grappled with the unexpected victory, a man in a suit approached him.
He presented a business card.
“Our talent agency—”
“Please, just leave.”
He almost told the man to get lost, but managed to restrain himself, remembering his devout faith.
The scout clicked his tongue in disappointment and retreated.
Back in the waiting room, Amon collapsed onto the floor, muttering,
“Fuck…”
Sonia patted him on the back consolingly.
“Just so we’re clear, I’m… I’m not going to be an actor.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
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On the bus ride back to the orphanage, Amon repeatedly emphasized this point to Sonia.
He hadn’t decided on a career path yet, but he wasn’t interested in acting.
And he definitely wasn’t interested in being a cross-dressing actor.
Sonia nodded at Amon’s repeated assurances.
“Okay, I won’t make you.”
‘Too bad…’
Despite her words, Sonia secretly wanted to see him crossdress again.
However, knowing he would vehemently refuse, she figured it would never happen.
While Sonia reminisced about Amon’s stunning transformation, Amon was dealing with a chilling realization.
‘Becoming a trans actress isn’t exactly a true ending…’
A gag ending, maybe, but he had absolutely no intention of living as a woman.
He wanted to become a legend in a field he could be proud of, not for cross-dressing.
After a brief meditation, Amon overcame the existential dread that had been gnawing at him.
Although his masculinity had been momentarily shaken, it wasn’t a fruitless experience.
Thanks to it, he had discovered another talent.
‘Check mark for disguise.’
He marked “Disguise” on his list and then examined the other talents connected to it.
Talents were like a mind map, providing small bonuses to related talents.
For example, a high aptitude for swordsmanship would also provide a bonus to hand-to-hand combat.
In other words, he could deduce his main skill tree and core talent by analyzing his mediocre and exceptional talents.
Amon listed his mediocre and exceptional talents.
Guns: mediocre.
Disguise and Charm: exceptional.
Combining these, he could roughly discern his path.
‘Assassin? Scout? Agent? Or perhaps, a fixer?’
Either way, he now had a direction.
Amon was quite satisfied with the potential career paths.
If he disregarded endings and just wanted to cause chaos, there were many skill trees he could choose from.
One of the most outlandish skill trees he knew went something like this:
[More HP than the final boss, 85% physical damage reduction, 95% magic damage reduction, 70% status effect reduction. An unblockable skill with a 2-second cooldown and 15-second duration. Increased attack power after being freed from immobilization, lifesteal on all damage, slow effect on normal attacks, stun and knockback on melee attacks, and an area-of-effect EMP every time you lose a health bar…]
The so-called “long one.”
A game-breaking skill tree that, once completed, could allow you to single-handedly wipe out an entire city, even if everyone was hostile.
However, completing it required ruining multiple relationships, screwing up ending branches, and killing off several friendly NPCs, guaranteeing a bad ending.
Naturally, Amon wasn’t interested.
He wanted a happy ending.
And a happy ending required information gathering and at least a minimum level of combat proficiency.
Careful information gathering was especially crucial when playing blind.
The paths that satisfied these requirements were scout or hacker.
The fact that the scout skill tree aligned with his potential career path was welcome news to Amon.
‘I’ll check other scout-related talents later.’
Satisfied with the day’s harvest, he closed his notebook.
He glanced to his side and saw Sonia nodding off, her head bobbing back and forth. She must have been exhausted.
Her swaying head finally tilted towards Amon’s shoulder.
He gently supported her head. Feeling the warmth against his shoulder, he gazed out the window.
Despite the technological advancements, the city was bleak. The sounds of sirens and gunshots echoed in the distance. A city some would call a den of iniquity.
But Amon’s heart pounded with excitement.
The unknown was a primal source of fascination.
He eagerly anticipated the world that awaited him after he graduated from the orphanage.
The very next day after Thanksgiving. The festivities continued across the United States.
In fact, the following day could be considered the main event.
The Friday when America collectively lost its mind. Black Friday.
Almost everything was discounted by 90%, the period when American companies generated 80% of their annual revenue.
The grace of Black Friday extended to the orphanage as well.
The perpetually cash-strapped institution couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.
The orphanage director’s wallet, typically sealed tighter than a bank vault, sprang open.
She stocked up on a year’s worth of supplies for the children and nuns.
Amon and Sonia were also busy.
Increased logistical activity meant a labor shortage, regardless of how many workers were employed.
Errands were abundant, keeping them constantly on the move throughout the city.
Since these errands also offered bonus pay, they eagerly seized every opportunity.
The hectic Black Friday weekend passed in a blur. The frenzy of impulse purchases that began on Friday lasted until Sunday.
Come Monday, people returned to work, snapping out of their consumerist delirium.
The sobering reality of earning a living returned as they sat at their desks, staring at their purchases with regret, wondering,
“Why did I buy this?”
They then began searching for ways to unload their unwanted items, whether by gifting them to acquaintances, selling them at flea markets, or returning them for refunds.
Another great reshuffling of goods commenced.
The orphanage also caught this fever, though a more pleasant one.
They weren’t returning or selling anything.
Their fever was fueled by the influx of items pouring in from the outside world.
Unwanted impulse buys, now donated to the orphanage.
It was a win-win-win for the donors: a chance to flaunt their generosity, claim tax deductions, and clear out unwanted inventory.
The orphanage, perpetually operating on a shoestring budget, had no reason to refuse these donations.
After being vetted by the director and the nuns, the donated items were piled high in the courtyard at the heart of the orphanage.
The children then swarmed the courtyard, eagerly selecting items for their rooms.
The nuns, tasked with supervising the children, were overwhelmed, busy inspecting donations and attending to donors.
The courtyard descended into a chaotic marketplace.
Typically, the older children would snatch the best items, leaving the younger ones to pick through the remains.
If the younger children wanted something specific, they had to resort to pleading with their older siblings.
However, the presence of Amon and Sonia injected a degree of civility into this chaotic free-for-all. Nothing dramatic, just…
“Tom, you wanted this, didn’t you? I grabbed it for you.”
“Lumi, I don’t need this doll. You can have it.”
They made yielding to younger siblings seem virtuous.
They led by example, with gentle voices and kind smiles. There was no coercion, no force, simply a subtle appeal to their better nature that fostered a voluntary spirit of sharing.
Like children imitating their parents and older siblings, the other children began to follow Amon and Sonia’s lead, offering their treasures to the younger ones.
Thank you, brother!
I love you, sister!
A heartwarming display of generosity unfolded in the courtyard.
However, as an ancient sage from the Far East once proclaimed,
“Where five people gather, there will always be at least one scoundrel.”
This wisdom held true, even in this futuristic world.
“Hey, why don’t you scram? Get outta here, brats.”
Just as he feared.
Shortly after Amon stepped away, Jimmy and his gang appeared.
The younger children quickly scattered, making way for Jimmy and his posse of bullies.
Jimmy swaggered through the crowd of children, puffed up with self-importance.
He and his friends gathered armfuls of items and returned to their room.
Unsatisfied with their loot, they headed towards the storage shed adjacent to the courtyard.
After ensuring the nuns were occupied with the donors, Jimmy’s crew climbed up to peer through the shed window.
Sonia frowned.
She approached the group huddled suspiciously by the window.
“That shed contains dangerous items that the nuns have set aside.”
“Hah. What are you, five? They’re not dangerous, they’re just hiding the good stuff for themselves.”
“The nuns wouldn’t do that.”
“Naive little shit. I’ll show you.”
Jimmy scoffed and climbed through the window.
Clatter, clatter.
The sound of a latch disengaging echoed from within, and the shed door creaked open.
Jimmy’s friends, behaving as if they were some elite special forces unit, filed into the shed.
Five minutes later, they emerged, arms overflowing with the “spoils” of their “daring raid.”
They clutched the items tightly, faces beaming with self-satisfaction.
Sonia scowled at their loot.
“Put those back.”
“You’ve been awfully chatty. The nuns won’t notice once we take these to our room. Just keep your mouth shut.”
“Those items are dangerous.”
“So, are you going to rat us out or what?”
“Sigh…”
Sonia glared at Jimmy, then turned away.
Unlike Amon, she wasn’t burdened by an excess of compassion.
She wasn’t one to waste time reasoning with those who refused to listen.
She turned her attention back to the younger children.
But that wasn’t what Jimmy wanted. He was at that awkward age, puberty, when boys were easily captivated by pretty girls.
Eager for any interaction with Sonia, he softened his gruff demeanor and called out to her.
He offered her a black vase he’d taken from the shed.
“You’ve always wanted this, haven’t you?”
“No.”
Sonia’s response was curt, dismissing Jimmy’s attempt at a peace offering.
“I wanted a flower bed.”
“Same difference.”
“There’s no room in my room for a vase.”
“Oh, come on! Why are you so antisocial? Just shut up and take it when someone gives you something!”
Sonia’s eyebrow twitched at Jimmy’s harsh words.
But she still refused the vase. Even if someone else had offered it, she wouldn’t have wanted it. The design was tacky and the color too somber.
And frankly, she wouldn’t accept anything from Jimmy, regardless of how appealing it might be. She might consider it if it was from Amon, however.
Annoyed by Sonia’s continued rejection, Jimmy grumbled,
“Fine. Suit yourself. I’ll keep it. Bitch.”
He sulked, feeling childishly slighted. He might have been aiming for a “bad boy” persona, but it wasn’t having the desired effect on Sonia.
Sonia’s eyebrow twitched again.
Jimmy clutched the vase protectively and headed towards his room. On the way, he spotted a younger child clutching a wallet.
He decided to take out his frustration on the child. Reaching for the wallet the child was holding, he demanded,
“Give it to me.”
The child hesitated.
Jimmy, scowling, tucked the vase under his left arm and balled his right hand into a fist. He raised his fist menacingly above the child’s head.
“Are you deaf, idiot? Give it here.”
Reluctantly, the child offered the wallet.
Jimmy reached out, adding a parting jab,
“Learn to be more perceptive. You’re supposed to just— Gah!?”
Suddenly,
Jimmy’s knee buckled, and he crumpled to the ground.
“Honestly… I take my eyes off you for one second…”
Standing directly behind the kneeling Jimmy was Amon, an expression of intense displeasure on his face.
Judging by Amon’s raised leg, it was clear he’d delivered a swift kick to the back of Jimmy’s knee.
But wait, hadn’t Amon lectured about not resorting to violence?
It didn’t matter. Amon categorized this as “non-verbal communication for facilitating understanding.” It wasn’t violence.
Jimmy wasn’t in pain because Amon had kicked him. He was in pain because Amon had extended his leg, and Jimmy’s knee happened to be in its path.
“You little shit!”
Jimmy’s face twisted in a grimace as he turned to face Amon. However, when Amon pressed his thumb against Jimmy’s collarbone, his defiance quickly evaporated.
“Aagh! Fuck! I get it, I get it!”
“And stop with the fucking cursing. This isn’t fucking Cyberpunk.”
Having swiftly subdued Jimmy, Amon retrieved the wallet and returned it to the child. He warned the child to tell him if Jimmy ever bothered him again and sent him on his way.
“Grow up. You’re seventeen, act your age.”
After the child left, Amon snatched the wallet from Jimmy’s hand and proceeded to lightly tap him on the head with it, opening and closing it like a fan.
The gesture was as disrespectful as a slap to the face. And it was meant to be.
Jimmy glared up at Amon—
“Are those fighting eyes I see?”
—but quickly lowered his gaze under Amon’s menacing stare.
In the past, Jimmy used to win their fights due to his age advantage, but after Amon hit puberty, he was no match for him.
Furthermore, the director always sided with Amon. Even when they fought equally, she would scold only Jimmy, claiming he must have provoked Amon enough to warrant a physical response.
Because of this, Jimmy was always at a disadvantage against Amon.
After publicly shaming Jimmy for a few minutes, Amon returned to his room.
Left alone in the courtyard, Jimmy seethed, grinding his teeth as he watched Amon walk away.
The black vase beside him seemed to radiate a similarly ominous aura.
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Ah, a cursed item for something like that, huh?