[Congratulations to the host for successfully unlocking the new skill interface: Calligraphy.]
[Calligraphy Level: 1 (3,000 Fa Points required to level up)]
"Now it takes different amounts of Fa Points to level up calligraphy. It costs 3,000 Fa Points just to go from level 1 to level 2."
Looking at the required Fa Points for leveling up, Kotomi couldn't help but sigh inwardly at how quickly Fa Points get spent.
She clicked the upgrade button, and the Calligraphy skill instantly increased from level 1 to level 2.
[Calligraphy Level: 2 (6,000 Fa Points required to level up)]
"After leveling up Calligraphy to level 2, it doesn't seem like there's much of a change."
[Host, why don't you try writing your na on a piece of paper?]
The God-Level Heroine System suggested.
Kotomi found a sheet of white paper and a black carbon pen and wrote her na on it: Izumi Kotomi.
Nothing unusual happened; she had half-expected the Calligraphy skill to grant her so sort of supernatural ability like Light Yagami's Death Note. But after writing her na, nothing occurred.
However, on closer inspection, her handwriting did appear more refined and neat.
[As they say, handwriting reflects the person. As a God-Level Heroine, your handwriting should naturally be beautiful. The Calligraphy skill allows you to write beautifully.]
"So that's how it is… I've never really paid much attention to my handwriting, especially since I write my novels on a computer."
[But as you beco more famous, the publishing house will definitely arrange book signings for you, right? Just imagine—an up-and-coming light novel author who also happens to be a beautiful young woman. That alone will attract a lot of attention, both good and bad.]
"Bad attention? Tsk, I get it. I almost forgot that no matter what world you're in, there are always keyboard warriors, nitpickers, and trolls."
[Exactly. So people who can't stand you will try to find any way to tarnish your image. If they discover that your handwriting isn't very good at a book signing, it might not be a big deal, but once the trolls online catch wind of it, they could blow it out of proportion and use it to stir up trouble. You should be cautious about this.]
Kotomi nodded in agreent. This was indeed sothing to take seriously.
So, she imdiately decided to level up her Calligraphy skill again, raising it to level 3.
[Host, I was just giving you a heads-up. Actually, level 2 Calligraphy is good enough. But you went ahead and leveled it up again… You really like to play it safe, don't you?]
"You don't understand. I just want to be more perfect. I know very well how bad my handwriting was in my previous life. As my mom used to say, 'That's not writing, it's like a bunch of little spiders crawling together.'"
[The saying 'handwriting reflects the person' isn't entirely accurate. For example, although your handwriting in your previous life wasn't great, you still looked quite delicate and pretty.]
"Still, I'd rather improve my Calligraphy skill. I don't want my handwriting to look bad during future book signings. Whether or not trolls use it against is one thing. But more importantly, the readers attending the signing are likely fans who support and care about . Even those who can't make it will be following the event closely. I owe it to my readers to have nice handwriting so I don't disappoint them."
[Your readers are really lucky to have soone like you.]
The God-Level Heroine System seed to be half-joking but also sowhat sincere.
"No," Kotomi shook her head and smiled softly, "I'm the lucky one to be loved by so many readers."
[Actually, Host, if you ever wanted, I could eliminate anyone who makes you unhappy. They would be wiped from this world, but not before experiencing deep, soul-crushing regret. They'd deserve to die… to die… Anyone who dares make you unhappy deserves to die!]
The system's usual playful tone suddenly shifted to sothing darker, almost yandere-like.
Just hearing it, Kotomi could almost picture a cute but blood-splattered yandere figure, like Theresa from Honkai Impact, standing before her with an empty gaze, holding a blood-dripping hatchet.
"Uh… I appreciate your concern, but please don't do that," Kotomi said, wiping away a cold sweat.
After spending 100,000 Fa Points to unlock the Calligraphy skill, plus another 9,000 to level it up, Kotomi looked at her remaining points.
She now had 43,000 Fa Points left.
"In less than half an hour, I've spent 180,000 Fa Points down to just 43,000… Fa Points really do get used up quickly."
Kotomi sighed, then curiously tapped the question mark on the sixth skill slot.
[Insufficient Fa Points. 500,000 Fa Points required to unlock a new skill.]
"500,000?!" Kotomi exclaid. She had expected the cost to increase but not by this much.
Unlocking the fifth skill had cost 100,000 Fa Points, but the sixth skill required a whopping 500,000—an increase of 400,000 points.
[I'm sure with your talent, you'll be able to earn that much in no ti.]
"You, Petty Heroine System, should consider adding a Fa Points subscription. Like, pay 30 yen for a monthly card, get 300 points imdiately, and then 90 points per day for 30 days, totaling 2,700 points."
[Great idea!]
"Great idea, my foot!"
Kotomi retorted, then moved to her computer and opened the Dengeki Bunko website to search for Sword Art Online.
Just as the system had said, the novel's popularity was indeed astonishing, with the number nearing 1.85 million.
The comnts section had also surged to over 20,000.
"No wonder the editors at Dengeki Bunko reached out to first. If I were an editor and saw a light novel gaining this much popularity, I'd imdiately contact the author too," Kotomi remarked before closing the page.
She was fairly satisfied with the current results. Now, she just had to wait for her eting with Yukinoshita Haruno at the Dengeki Bunko editorial office to discuss the details.
Kotomi didn't close the Dengeki Bunko website but instead browsed the purchase section, adding so light novels that caught her interest to her shopping cart.
Halfway through, she decided to check out the best-seller list to see which novels were currently topping the charts. Clicking on the page, she noticed sothing.
"These books are selling really well… Wait, hold on, this book is—!"
Kotomi's eyes lit up when she saw Love trono ranked in the top five. The author of the light novel was Kasumi Utako.
"Kasumi Utako… that's Utaha Kasumigaoka!"
Excited, Kotomi added both volus 1 and 2 of Love trono to her cart and quickly made the purchase.
Kasumi Utako, real na: Utaha Kasumigaoka.
Just thinking about Utaha-senpai, Kotomi's mind imdiately conjured up images of those elegant, black-stockinged legs and full curves.
[Here's so good news for you. Utaha Kasumigaoka attends the sa high school as you—Sobu High—and she's a second-year student.]
"For the first ti in my life, I'm genuinely excited for school to start. Ah, I can't wait to see gumi, to see Utaha-senpai, to see Mashiro, to see Yukino. System, hurry and take out a gadget that can fast-forward ti to a few days from now!"
[What are you thinking? Do you think I'm Doraemon with a ti-travel gadget? Even if such a thing existed, why would I give it to you? I'd use it myself to skip ahead to the day you beco a God-Level Heroine.]
"Sigh… This is the first ti I've ever wanted sumr vacation to end quickly," Kotomi lanted.
[If your sister heard you say that while she's frantically catching up on her sumr howork, she'd probably want to eat you alive.]
"I suppose I should do sothing productive to pass the ti."
[Oh! Are you going to start writing the second volu of Sword Art Online right now?! You're so diligent, so amazing—truly the host I'm proud of! Wait, no, why are you launching a YuzuSoft galga? And, hold on, I thought all YuzuSoft's galgas were stored within my system—how did you transfer them to your computer?]
"Oh, I saw a copy-paste icon on the system interface earlier, so I tried clicking it. Although this laptop can't handle all the goodies, I can at least copy and paste a few to revisit. Ti to imrse myself in YuzuSoft!"
[Is this what you ant by 'doing sothing productive'...?]
"Of course! Reviewing old knowledge and learning new things helps you progress. No one understands productivity better than ," Kotomi said with a straight face.
And then…
Ayachi Nene, here I co!
Wait, no—Nene is a second-year in the ga…
But that's okay~
Down with the establishnt! Ayachi Nene, here cos your little sister!
The next morning, without the pressure of a looming deadline, Kotomi woke up at seven o'clock. After a quick wash, she went downstairs for breakfast.
After eating, she ntioned to her mom, Izumi Akina, that she wanted to go to Tokyo in the afternoon.
"Going to Tokyo by yourself this afternoon? Didn't you just go a few days ago?" Akina asked.
"Uh… well, yeah, but with school starting soon, I wanted to take one last trip to Tokyo before it does," Kotomi replied with a sheepish smile.
Akina gave Kotomi a aningful look, then smiled and said, "Be ho by six-thirty. We're having hotpot tonight."
"I want to go to Tokyo with sister too! I'm also about to start school…" Izumi Aimi said enviously.
"You know school is starting soon, but have you finished your sumr howork? Are you ready for the entrance exams? Have you morized all the English words your teacher assigned? Can you write them out without mistakes?"
"Um… just pretend I didn't say anything."
Kotomi patted Aimi's head and coaxed her like a child, "Be good~ I'll bring you your favorite caral orange pudding when I get back."
"Really?!"
Aimi's eyes lit up, but then she realized she was acting too childish and blushed in embarrassnt.
"Co on, Onee-chan, stop treating like a kid!"
"Hehe~"
That afternoon, Kotomi left ho, headed to the train station, and boarded a train bound for Tokyo.
Luckily, Chiba City isn't far from Tokyo; it only takes about half an hour by train.
Dengeki Bunko is located in Tokyo's Chiyoda ward, where its famous counterparts like Kadokawa and Fujimi Bunko are also based.
Chiyoda ward, Tokyo, could easily be called the political and economic heart of the city.
When Kotomi arrived at the Dengeki Bunko building, she was greeted by a receptionist with a smile.
She looked around, then walked up to the receptionist and said, "Hello, I'm Izumi Ki, here for my appointnt with Yukinoshita Haruno, an editor from Dengeki Bunko."
Seeing the pretty young girl in front of her, the receptionist couldn't help but think to herself, What a beautiful little girl!
When faced with beauty, people's moods naturally lift.
"Miss Izumi… um, I an, Miss Izumi, welco to Dengeki Bunko. Please fill out this visitor form."
After confirming the day's schedule on her computer, the receptionist handed Kotomi a visitor form from the drawer.
Kotomi took the form and began filling in her pen na and contact information.
The receptionist couldn't help but glance at Kotomi's handwriting, thinking, Such elegant handwriting… truly, a person as beautiful as her has equally beautiful writing.
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