The Goal is the Ending Fairy

Chapter 2

Translator: Iris
Proofreader: Floor

>>> [Attention!] ’Mandatory Quest’ Arrived!

[Mandatory Quest: ’Succeed as an Idol!’]

Succeed in all given quests and final events to see the ending of this game!

>>Final Reward: Special Passive Skill 『Return to Reality』 Granted!

“……What?”

However, before I could even fully comprehend the content, another pop-up appeared below it.

>>Penalty Imposed upon Quest Failure!

>Penalty: Player Authority Deletion and Life Force -100% Application

[※ Warning]: Player dies upon reaching ’0%’ Life Force.

“No… Wait, wait a minute.”

What the hell is this nonsense…?

The hand that was suspended in the air slowly lowered. Through my trembling vision, I finally realised that my pupils were shaking violently.

And one more thing.

‘It’s the same.’

I realised it now. Why the letter icon and the screen felt inexplicably familiar to me.

‘This is the idol game I was playing right before this…!’

Knowing this, my conviction grew stronger.

The content was different. There were no such terrifying demands in <Nurtured By My Own Hands…>

But the quest format, the font, the tone of voice… everything else was the same as the system of ‘that game’.

It was definitely not a misconception. How long have I played this game?

…But that’s the big problem. That it’s not a misconception.

Then what exactly happened? Did I come into the game?

“……Haha.”

No way. That’s absurd…

No matter what, that level of technology shouldn’t exist yet. How could a person physically enter a game?

This is… well, it must be a hidden camera prank. Realistically speaking, isn’t that more probable?

– …….

However, no matter how much time passed, this goddamn message showed no sign of disappearing.

Naturally, the mastermind behind the prank didn’t appear either.

‘……Is this real?’

As time flowed, I couldn’t help but dwell on the unlikely hypothesis.

My hands involuntarily clenched into fists. My palms had been drenched in sweat for a while.

Perhaps even I already knew. That I was desperately trying to ignore ‘something.’

Namely, the fact that ‘I really entered the game.’

Despite the lack of realism, the circumstances were clear.

The screen suddenly turned strange while playing, the message window that forced me to press ‘YES’ against my will.

And crucially, the mandatory quest to succeed as an idol.

Putting all this together, only the fact that I am currently inside the game remained.

The funny thing is, it’s the most unrealistic, yet the most natural, flow of events.

….As I reluctantly accepted it, a chill suddenly ran down my back. I must have gotten goosebumps.

‘First… First, calm down. Use your brain, slowly. That’s how you survive.’

I violently shook my head to wake up my reason.

Thoughts of failing the quest, or not being able to return home, flashed through my mind for a moment.

But I immediately dismissed them. Such unproductive thoughts are forbidden right now.

“Whew….”

After taking a deep breath, I stared back at the system window.

Now, look closely again. The part to focus on is the ‘Final Reward.’

>> Final Reward: Special Passive Skill『Return to Reality』Granted!

The message window clearly stated that if I clear this quest, I will be granted a special passive skill called 『Return to Reality』.

In other words, all I have to do is succeed in the quests given to me. Then I should be able to return to my original world.

Of course, it’s easier said than done; succeeding as an idol on a whim is not easy.

Moreover, I’m just an idol gamer who’s only learnt theoretically, right?

“……”

But what can I do? I have to do it.

The comforting thought is that I am an existing user who has played this game before.

And a top player, one who maintained at least 2nd or 3rd place in every season.

Furthermore, my experience as a pro gamer cannot be ignored. The genre may be different, but understanding the structure of a game and surviving is familiar to me.

However… There was one thing that bothered me the most.

‘The Penalty. That bastard is the real problem.’

A long rectangle was located right below the penalty notice.

The bar, named ‘Life Force,’ was filled with red color.

Furthermore, the screens clearly stated:

>>Current Player Life Force: 100%

Both death and life force specify the ‘Player’ as the subject, not the ‘Character.’

If all of this disappears, the one who dies is undoubtedly ‘Me.’

Life force and death. Do these words belong in a peaceful idol game?

I never imagined I’d have to become an idol who dies if I don’t succeed.

I have to work as an idol, even with a HP bar that kills me if it hits zero?

If this was the case, I would have just played FPS, why would I have played an idol game…!

This damn game repays kindness with vengeance. How much money have I spent on it?

But the system seemed to think I had thoroughly read its ‘notification,’ as it soon disappeared.

And that wasn’t all.

- Ding-dong!

Another new alert popped up immediately after.

With my mind still dazed, fixated on the word ‘death,’ I had to open the next message as well

>>Successfully immersed into character ’Seo Dana’! As a reward for first-time character play, you are granted ’Stat Free Increase Coupon +10’!

[Claim]

>>Challenge Quest ’Open Message Window’ successful! System ’Helper’ granted as reward!

[Claim]

Unfortunately, the content didn’t sink into my head very well.

Still, I had to read it. If I didn’t follow the instructions, I didn’t know what kind of harm this crazy game might inflict.

As I managed to quell some of my anger and fear, the blurry letters came into sharper focus.

It looked like they were all rewards, and I just needed to press the ‘[Claim]’ button.

Just like before, I tapped the screen in the air.

>>The rewards have been successfully granted!

>>Challenge Quest: Face your reality and truly immerse yourself in the game! / Success Reward: Passive Skill ’Mental Resilience’ Granted

>>Challenge Quest: Summon the ’Helper’ and proceed with the tutorial! / Success Reward: ’Affection’ Stat +5 Increase

As expected, the next message was also a sight to behold.

Seeing the continuous stream of windows, I felt an unspoken pressure to quickly adapt to this situation.

Hmm… Facing reality… is too much for me right now.

And what is a Helper? My brows furrowed at the unfamiliar word, but I figured if I summoned it, it would live up to its name.

But how am I supposed to summon it? Do I just call it out loud?

I don’t know.

“Come out, Helper.”

…I called it out as I felt, but I don’t know why my face is turning red.

I’m not some kind of Pokémon trainer calling out a monster….

– …….

Hmm, perhaps I was wrong about the method.

Seeing the system, which predictably gave no response, I thought I should devise another approach.

But that was only for a moment.

[System ‘Helper’ starting smooth operation.]

[Hello, Player Seo Dana-nim.]

Fortunately, the ‘Helper’ system started talking to me shortly after I spoke out loud.

It was a voice that sounded like a female voice mixed with a machine tone, but she spoke in a definitely polite manner.

After a slight loading time, a character was floating right in front of my eyes.

And surprisingly, it was an SD-shaped human character with a monitor for a face.

The Helper was even wearing a suit tailored to its body and cute white gloves. I had never seen a character like this before.

‘It’s really like a Pokémon, so fascinating.’

As I stared blankly at the Helper, it swiftly flew toward me.

[I am the system, ‘Helper,’ and I will assist in Dana-nim’s game progression!]

[Before we begin game play, I would like to proceed with a tutorial for game explanation. Would that be alright?]

…There was no need to be surprised any further here. There were already enough unrealistic things happening.

So, a tutorial with a talking grotesque creature was something I could handle. Since things have come to this, I should at least hear directly what situation I’m in.

And if there’s a way to break through this situation, I should hear that too.

“…Sure. Go ahead.”

Beside the Helper, who looked like it was preparing a presentation, I crossed my arms and faced the large screen it displayed.

***

It’s already the second day since I entered the game.

“Hah… gasp! Haa…. Oh man….”

Right now, I’m vigorously working out in the practice room.

[You can’t be tired already! You haven’t done much yet!]

Next to me, the Helper loudly scolds me as if it were a coach.

“Do you think I want to be tired?”

Feeling a surge of emotion, I pushed away the chirping Helper with my palm.

Even as it was squashed and struggling, it didn’t stop its words, which were a mix of encouragement and ridicule.

[Where did your ambition to raise your experience to 50 in one go, go?! Dana-nim, you can do much better…!]

“You’re making my head ring. Please stop.”

Wiping away the sweat, I ended up slumping onto the floor. Chugging the bottle of water that was nearby was a bonus.

‘What on earth am I doing here, honestly…’

Now, lying spread-eagled, my gaze naturally drifted to the high ceiling.

If you asked me if I believe what happened to me now… my answer would be ‘No.’

So, the method I devised to cope with this phenomenon was to literally perceive it as a ‘game.’

‘A well-made VR game… with incredibly high realism, that is.’

Instead of forcibly trying to understand something that is scientifically inexplicable, that approach was more helpful for my survival.

Above all, I’m a former pro gamer who played games like it was eating. Enduring holding onto a game like this all day long was something I could handle.

“……”

[…….]

After a brief rest and my breathing stabilized, I roughly brushed back my bangs that were poking my eyes.

Still, I feel like I’ve been grinding away in practice for several hours since I got here. I wonder how much the experience has gone up?

Without needing to wonder further, I summoned the screen window as I learned from the Helper yesterday.

‘Main Screen.’

As I called out the screen inside my mind, an opaque screen quickly popped up.

This is good. The fact that I don’t have to speak out loud, like when I first summoned the Helper.

That’s the only advantage… But anyway.

Name: Seo Dana (Female/19)

Current Status: Trainee under HON Entertainment

⋅

What was displayed on the Main Screen was my profile.

The peculiar thing is that it’s the profile of the ‘in-game character,’ not the real me?

Naturally, the real me has no connection to an entertainment agency or anything like that. My age is also four years older than what’s listed.

And the most important thing.

Glances

‘How is this my face?’

The young girl reflected in the large practice room mirror. That wasn’t my face.

In other words, my current body isn’t my real one. It’s just the game character that bears my name.

A being distinctly different from the real me.

As proof of that, a beautiful face, instead of my own, was reflected in the mirror.

It had a somewhat cold impression due to my current expression, but it was a face that would look quite different with a smile… that kind of face.

I was so shocked yesterday that I couldn’t speak when I first saw the mirror. I almost fell backward…

Still, thanks to the reward, 『Mental Resilience』 that the system gave me, it was the moment I faced that reality, I was barely able to maintain my sanity.

Anyway… It’s still miserable.

I noticed it yesterday too, but even if I’m a trainee before debut, this is serious. No, precisely because I’m a trainee, I shouldn’t be like this. I’m talking about the stats, the stats.