Chapter 2: Customizing

That tip made my worries disappear.
That tip made my worries disappear.
That tip made my worries disappear.

In that case, no hesitation needed…
In that case, no hesitation needed…
In that case, no hesitation needed…

“I should make her a female character.”

I reset all the settings I’d briefly tweaked.

‘The base is still my body, so to turn it into a female character…’

I began setting all the male-specific values to negative.
As I did, my body started to change.
Though my appearance still looked male, the internal organ changes were clearly visible in the customization window.
I reset all the settings I’d briefly tweaked.

‘The base is still my body, so to turn it into a female character…’

Appearance could be refined from here.
But before diving into that…

I paused.
I exited Body Customization and moved to Talent Customization.

[Talent Customization]

[Singing] [Sculpting] [Basketball] [Math] [Cooking] [Martial Arts] [Acting] [Animal Training] [Driving] [Science]…

A dizzying array of talent categories appeared.
I started examining them slowly.

Talents seemed to be divided into ten levels.

Level 1 was average.
The kind of talent where you learn, forget a bit, improve a bit, and eventually hit a limit.

Level 2 was the talent one in ten might have.
Similar to 1, but with a slightly higher ceiling.

Level 3 was genius territory—one in a hundred.
With effort, you’d see results, and the potential was quite high.

Level 4: one in a thousand.
Level 5: one in ten thousand.
Level 6: one in a hundred thousand.
Level 7: one in a million.
Level 8: one in ten million.
Level 9: one in a hundred million.
Level 10: one in a billion.

A level 9 talent could be called world-class.
Level 10? The kind that leaves a mark in history.

My talents mostly sat at 1 or 2, with a few at 3.
But in art-related fields, I had a few at level 5.
Character design, human anatomy, proportions…

‘…I’ve been making good use of my talents, haven’t I?’

The realization hit me.
But now, my task was clear: boost my talents.
A level 5 talent with effort was one thing, but a level 10? That’d be a game-changer.

So, before touching my appearance, I’d max out my talents.
Then I’d tackle the visuals.

A brilliant plan, if I do say so myself.

I started zeroing out useless talents.
Like the talent for loud farting.
Or making convincing stomach growls.
Or begging effectively.

No need for those, so I boldly set them to 0 and redirected the points to talents I wanted.
Character design. Human anatomy. Proportions. Symmetry. Color sense. Fine control.

‘This could help… and this too… oh, and that one!’

I maxed out every talent that seemed useful.
There were plenty of pointless talents, each with a measly 1, so I zeroed them out and funneled the points into one direction.

I also set aside talents I wouldn’t need right now.
For now, cutting the useless ones was enough.

After maxing out roughly 20 to 30 talents, I hit [Save].

“…Ohhh…!!!”

In that instant, a burst of inspiration exploded in my mind, confirming one thing.
This customization system…

It was real!!!

If so, my appearance could be…!!!
Eyes wide, I moved to Skill Customization next.

Talent alone wasn’t enough.
Knowledge and experience were needed to make those talents shine.
So, I started pouring points into skills too.

I stripped points from obscure skills I didn’t even know I had and maxed out knowledge like character comprehension and human anatomy to level 10.

Knowledge stabbed into my brain like needles.
It amplified my talents, and with everything ready, I returned to appearance customization.

“…With the me now…!!”

I could create an artistic masterpiece beyond my old self!
Looking back, my past works were crude.
They looked pretty at a glance, but there were asymmetrical flaws, unnatural elements, awkward spots.

In a game, they might’ve looked fine.
But in reality? They’d fall into the uncanny valley.

But the me now…!
I could surpass that uncanny valley and build a magnificent mountain of beauty!

A creation so divine it could be called god-crafted.
My life’s greatest masterpiece… I’d make it happen.

With that resolve, I dove into appearance customization.
Like Michelangelo, chiseling for over half a year. Like Da Vinci.

I meticulously adjusted values, angles, facial features, proportions, skin tone, hair color, eye color, symmetry, blush, arm and leg length, chest size and shape, waistline, hip line…
Every detail, carved with care.

For ten whole days.

The hair shimmered like it held the night sky, glossy and radiant.
Its deep blue-black color mirrored a starry ocean.
Soft as silk.

The eyes sparkled like black pearls in the deep sea, with a bluish gleam.

Lips red and full.
Skin so clear it seemed transparent.
Proportions a perfect golden ratio, not a 0.001 deviation.
Facial features and symmetry flawless, with zero error.

Eyebrows bold.
Eyelashes long and thick.
Nose refined, lips small, teeth even, jawline delicate, ears slightly round yet subtly pointed.
Neck slender, chest full and upright, waist cinched with an eleven-shaped abdomen, hips full, pelvis wide.

Arms delicate and graceful.
Legs slightly thick yet alluring.
Fingers long and slim, feet straight and balanced.

Every element harmonized, creating synergy without a hint of awkwardness.

Ten days.
I completed a beautiful goddess.

“I used every bit of the cost efficiently…”

The ultimate goddess, optimized to perfection.
Unless my cost limit increased, I couldn’t make a better appearance.

No, even if it did, adding more might ruin it—less is more at this level of perfection.
Gazing at my life’s masterpiece, I thought blankly,

‘If I sold this customization, how much would it fetch?’

My usual customizations sold for 30,000 to 50,000 won.
But this one? Maybe a million. Or even tens of millions.

It was just a digital game character appearance.
Yet its beauty was so overwhelming.

It seemed worth that much.
It seemed worth that much.
It seemed worth that much.

I think others would agree.
I think others would agree.
I think others would agree.

The goddess who appeared as…
The goddess who appeared as…
The goddess who appeared as…

‘I still don’t intend to sell it, though.’

Why would I judge this when it’s mine?
I savored the moment before hitting [Save] one last time.

In the blink of an eye.

[Customization Completed]

I had transformed into a new me.
And my ID card, as a bonus.

“Wow…”

I muttered unconsciously, looking at my body.
It was stunning on the hologram, but in reality…
How to describe it? The aura of unreal beauty was overwhelming.

Even seeing myself in the mirror, the otherworldly beauty made me look like a goddess or an angel, not a human.
I felt like I could start a cult just by being worshipped.

If I went outside and shouted, “I’m an angel! A goddess!” a few times, some might actually believe me.
She was beautiful enough to make me think that.

In reality, no one has perfectly symmetrical features.
No one has flawless, transparent skin.
No one is without a single imperfection.

With all that, I didn’t seem human.
But because I was human…
Despite the unreal feeling, I didn’t reject its beauty or feel aversion.
No, its unattainable, otherworldly beauty made me crave it more.

‘If I were a celebrity, I’d definitely have obsessive fans or stalkers.’

I stuck out my tongue at the thought.
I’d poured everything into making this happen.
But now that it was real, worries crept in.

With this appearance now…
What kind of side effects would come?

“…I should also acquire martial arts talent and skills.”

At the very least, I needed self-defense skills to protect myself.
With that in mind, I opened the customization window again and started tweaking.