"Shiraishi, my performance is about to start. Be good and wait for me at home, okay?"
Inside the slightly worn-down orphanage, the vibrant idol Hoshino Ai, dressed in her sailor uniform, cradled a young boy in her arms.
"Okay… Good luck, Ai-nee!"
Shiraishi Asa peeked out from her chest, letting out a soft sigh.
"When I earn enough money, I'll adopt you, alright?"
She gently cupped his face, her delicate hands pressing his cheeks playfully.
Asa looked into her shimmering eyes and saw her seriousness.
He had grown up in this orphanage. Though not related by blood, he and Hoshino Ai had leaned on each other like family.
"But the law says you have to be thirty to adopt a child."
"By the time I'm thirty, you'll have grown up..."
Hoshino Ai blinked, visibly amused by the thought.
Grown up?
A flicker of a thought passed through her mind, but she didn't speak it aloud.
At fourteen, she still wore a smile that could light up a room.
After ruffling Asa's hair, she left the orphanage behind.
Asa watched her disappear into the distance, then glanced down at his own small hands, his expression dimming.
"I wonder how much longer I can live like this…"
It had been eight years since he was brought into this world.
In his previous life, he had just stepped into society, full of ambition, hoping to conquer the corporate world.
Now, he was an eight-year-old boy… but not a normal one.
He was reborn as an incubus.
In this dangerous world teeming with ghouls, monsters, demons, and spirits, reincarnating as an incubus wasn't exactly comforting.
Sure, he had charm and was stronger than the average kid… but the truth was much harsher.
Succubus and incubus could enhance their strength through sex with the opposite gender.
But if their partner was far stronger, they'd become nothing more than nourishment.
Because of this, incubus were hunted, exploited, and almost wiped out.
They'd become folklore. Urban legends.
After learning of their tragic fate, Asa knew he had to hide his identity at all costs.
He would rather live in obscurity than end up drained and discarded.
That was until, one month ago, he awakened the Sign-In System.
All he had to do was sign in at key locations each day to gain abilities or power-ups.
But the skills it gave him were… questionable.
LV3. Lucky Moment: When a beautiful girl enters a five-meter radius, there's a chance you'll trip from an unknown force.
LV3. God's Hand: A touch with your right hand may cause sudden physical and emotional pleasure. [Note: Sensitive areas have a critical hit rate.]
LV1. Updraft: Summon a breeze from the ground strong enough to lift skirts.
Every time he reviewed these abilities, Asa felt exhausted.
If not for signing in at Hoshino Ai's school yesterday and unlocking LV1. Telekinetic Exorcist, he might've believed this system was purely lewd.
"Today's check-in: orphanage."
Ding! You have signed in at the orphanage and acquired [LV1. Time Stop]
A golden banner flared in front of his eyes.
"A legendary pull!"
Asa's face lit up as he examined the skill.
LV1. Time Stop: Stops time for the entire universe for 3 seconds, excluding the user. Cooldown: 10 seconds. [Note: Time-stopped beings may faintly sense disruptions; stronger beings sense more.]
So, even in a time stop, perception lingers?
Of course… this was a double-edged sword.
"Looks like it's more of a finesse tool than a cheat skill."
He exhaled.
Still, the ability to stop time—no matter how briefly was huge.
"If I max this to LV3, how long could I stop everything?"
Every sign-in gave him an LV1 skill.
Two LV1s could be merged into an LV2. Two LV2s into an LV3.
Each level-up doubled its power.
So far, his highest was only LV3.
"I wonder if the cap is LV6… or higher?"
As dusk crept in, Asa glanced at the moon rising above the window.
"Time to train again…"
He ran to the bathroom and stripped down.
Staring into the mirror, the young boy's body began to shift.
In seconds, he transformed into a tall, handsome young man— eighteen years old, 180 cm tall.
This was his true form as an incubus.
To seduce the opposite sex more effectively, incubus matured at an unnatural rate.
Eight years old… and already a full-grown adult male.
Anyone who found out would be stunned. And worse, they'd realize what he truly was.
Exposure meant death.
That's why Asa had to be careful, every single day.
He couldn't risk absorbing energy from women until he could defend himself.
Instead, each night, he stood under the moonlight, quietly drawing Yin energy to strengthen his core.
"This orphanage sucks… no privacy, too many eyes, too many kids..."
Asa slipped past the wandering staff and hidden cameras, making his way to the roof of the abandoned building in the back yard.
...
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Madam Yukinoshita, the yang line is in Kan, the yin line is in Gen. The hexagram suggests a lack of balance between yin and yang… in short, a boy is needed in the household."
In a sleek luxury car, a poised woman in a formal kimono furrowed her brows.
"Mieko, do you think that fortune-teller was serious?"
Her voice was cool and refined.
The housekeeper in the front seat answered carefully.
"Madam, in a world like ours… with spirits and monsters lurking… it might not hurt to believe."
Yukinoshita's slender fingers tapped her crossed legs in thought.
"Things have been going wrong lately…"
"Yukino hit her rebellious phase…"
"Maybe introducing a boy into the family wouldn't be a bad idea…"
She mused to herself.
Remarrying was not an option. Her daughters weren't ready for marriage.
After a moment of silence, she asked:
"Mieko, the Yukinoshita family still funds several orphanages, right?"
"Yes, Madam."
"Then let's visit one today."
***
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