When pushed to the brink, humans have a way of becoming remarkably honest about their desires. This tendency is especially pronounced in those who have absolutely nothing left to lose.
Woz Star was one such man. Alone in his room, he wasn't exactly hardening his resolve so much as he was pacing restlessly, muttering to himself with an agitated energy.
"It... it's finally here! This school trip has been a total disaster, but this part is definitely a God Event!!"
Woz clenched his fists, his voice thick with anticipation. As he swallowed hard, his face was a mask of nervous excitement and pure joy—an expression one wouldn't expect from a man who had already been stripped of almost everything.
Most people can probably guess the cause of his elation, but for the sake of clarity, let’s delve into why he was so happy. The answer lay in those two words: "God Event."
In the game he once played, Luminous History, the story was peppered with various events. Beyond the simple banter between party members, players could interact with their allies during school functions to deepen their bonds. This was one of the game’s greatest draws.
Naturally, this school trip was packed with limited-time events. Yugo had already experienced several, such as the girls' swimsuit reveal and the nighttime test of courage. For Woz and the other Hero Candidates—who were starved for the kind of romantic, youthful comedy found in these scenes—the fact that Yugo had "stolen" those opportunities was enough to make them weep tears of blood in bitter resentment.
However, the trip wasn't over yet. There was still one supreme God Event left, something that could only be experienced within the context of a game.
It was an event that occurred on a specific night at the hotel... commonly known as the Open-air Bath Peeping Event.
The name was self-explanatory: it allowed the player to spy on characters of the opposite sex while they were in the bath. If playing as the male protagonist, one could see the girls; if playing as the female lead, one could ogle the boys. It was a legendary moment that every Luminous History player worshipped, and Woz was practically vibrating with excitement as he waited for it to begin.
(As a side note, the game did not allow for peeping on characters of the same sex. It was strictly designed as a voyeuristic scene for the opposite gender.)
In the original game, this was meant to be a double-edged sword. Being caught would cause the affection levels of every opposite-sex party member to plummet. However, for Woz, whose reputation among his female peers was already at rock bottom, such consequences were irrelevant. Even if his standing had been high, the young virgin simply didn't have the willpower to skip such a monumental occasion.
I originally planned to make Melt and Ann fall head over heels for me so I could trigger the private bath events... but I have to give up on that dream for now! Instead, I’ll just consider myself lucky. I get to see a whole host of beautiful girls without any of the risks!!
According to the mechanics Woz remembered, characters with high enough affection levels would trigger private bathing scenes or other sweet, romantic encounters (nothing R-rated, mind you; Luminous History was a wholesome game). Since there was no way the current Woz met those requirements, he forced himself to focus on the silver lining.
He began organizing his game knowledge, reviewing the specific dialogue choices and actions required to ensure the peeping mission's success. There was a reason he felt confident, though a small element of luck was always involved. In the game, one could simply use Save & Load to bypass any failures, but in reality, he only had one shot.
That was his only source of anxiety. Then again, even if he failed, his affection levels were already at zero. They couldn't go any lower. It was, for all intents and purposes, a zero-damage gamble. It was a pathetic realization, but he pushed it to the back of his mind.
Melt, Ann, Setsuna, Sakura, and Raiha! And so many more... I’m going to see them all!
He had seen their CG stills in the game countless times, but seeing them in the flesh—or at least, as close to it as this world allowed—was a different story entirely. He imagined the smooth skin and the variety of shapes, from explosive curves to slender elegance. He even wondered if he might see things the "wholesome" game had been forced to censor.
Unable to contain his excitement, Woz collapsed onto his bed, taking deep breaths to steady his racing heart.
"It’s okay... nobody is going to get in the way of this. I’m almost guaranteed to enjoy this God Event...!"
Surely, no other reincarnator would be foolish enough to interfere with an event that allowed them to admire the girls. For this one night, during this one mission... they could all work together.
Woz truly believed that if the "protagonists" combined their game knowledge and high-level abilities, there was no obstacle they couldn't overcome.
Or so he thought.