"What?"
That was his only reaction as he stared at the floating screen in front of him, its text frozen in place. He thought he was hallucinating—from the desperation, the blows to the head. He tried to ignore it, but it didn't disappear.
Then, he stared at it more intently. What if it was real? He wanted to cling to the smallest grain of hope he had left.
He read the small text carefully, ignoring the cold floor, his wounds, the pain—everything—for that sliver of hope shining before him.
"Recruitment?" he muttered doubtfully. He had never heard of a system with that name before.
"It only gives me two options and explains nothing... it just talks about a roulette and yes or no, but... will I lose my chance if I press no?" Paranoid at the thought of losing his last chance to live—or even escape—he stared hard at Yes.
[Understood. Spinning roulette...]
In front of him, countless options flashed by, too fast to see. They were all words and colors, giving him a headache, but he kept watching.
The options began to slow down, allowing him to glimpse a few. That's when he realized:
"They're worlds... of all kinds," he deduced, recognizing names from series, movies, comics, anime, and more.
"But... what exactly is this roulette deciding about those worlds?" he wondered nervously, sweating as the wheel gradually came to a stop, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
[Ding... Congratulations, Host!]
[World to Recruit: My Hero Academia]
"World to recruit?" he repeated, confused, eyeing the confetti on the screen. Then, another message appeared below.
[Would you like to use your passage to My Hero Academia?]
Yes / No
His eyes widened with hope. He stared at the word Passage, his heart racing.
"C-Can I leave?" That was his only thought, full of hope—until a new notification crushed it.
[Time in your world will be frozen during your absence]
His smile faded. He sighed and scratched his filthy hair.
"So... that means I'll be back," he muttered, piecing it together. Then he glanced at the system's name and began analyzing everything carefully. It didn't seem like there was a time limit for the decision, so he took a moment.
"Recruitment... does that mean I'll have to find someone specific in that world?" he guessed, based on the limited information, still staring at the screen—until he heard a guard enter the dungeon. His brow furrowed.
"There's no time to think this through… Yes. Use it." His response was clear and firm, fire in his eyes as he struggled to rise from the ground, weak as he was.
[Affirmative... Beginning transfer]
His fragile, emaciated body vanished from the cell. The world froze.
---
Breathing heavily, he looked around. One moment he hadn't been there—and then suddenly, he was. Tall buildings on either side, trash beneath his feet. People walked by, completely ignoring him.
"An alley?" he asked in a hoarse voice. But the moment he spoke, he noticed something—an absence of the torment that had haunted him for months. He touched his neck.
Nothing.
For the first time, he could feel his own skin when he touched it. He collapsed to the ground, trembling—not from fear, or pain, but from emotion. Joy. He hugged himself tightly.
"I'm free..." A peaceful smile spread across his face as he laid back against the garbage, ignoring the pain of his wounds. It wasn't comfort he felt—it was the fact that he chose to lay there. That choice was what brought him peace. He was so relaxed that he fell asleep right there, snoring as he hadn't dared to in months.
---
When he slowly opened his eyes, it was night. He was still in the same place, staring at the starry sky with a strange sense of calm—and a smile.
"It wasn't a delusion. I have a system now, and I'm free... but why is it taking so long?" With a clear mind now, he asked the million-dollar question, clenching his trembling fist in rage.
"Months of humiliation, torture, and abuse... I could've avoided it all if only—" He gritted his teeth in fury, but forced himself to calm down.
"Getting angry won't help now. Apparently, my time is limited..." That's when he noticed, for the first time, a timer in the corner of his vision.
[Time remaining: 108:02:54]
"Nothing good ever lasts, huh? Guess I'll have to return to that cell..." His gaze darkened beneath his messy black hair, ignoring the sting of his open wounds.
"But… that's not entirely bad..." A small smile curled on his dry lips. He looked up, his red eyes full of hatred and murderous intent.
"If this system helps me while I'm here... I can kill them all." His smile turned sinister as he rose from the trash heap, ready to discover what to do, and how to grow stronger in this insane world of heroes.
Just as he was about to leave the alley, a notification made him raise an eyebrow in curiosity.
"What now?"
[Warning: Danger. The level of the world visited by the host exceeds current capabilities]
Granting survival package...
"Survival package?" he asked, confused, reading the message. He waited patiently for it to load as another window opened.
[Ding… Survival package ready]
Obtained: Perfected Super Soldier Serum + Basic Villain Kit
First Journey Bonus: [Multiversal Translator]
"Eh?" He blinked, confused. He hadn't had a chance to explore the system properly since he got it.
But as he focused on the rewards, a small syringe filled with a glowing blue liquid materialized in his hand. He gripped it tightly. Beside him, a black-and-red box appeared—sealed.
"I think... too many surreal things are happening way too fast," he muttered, staring at the serum, then chuckling humorlessly.
"Though at this point, I don't know what's normal anymore. Nothing should surprise me—and yet... here I am." Letting go of logic, he looked up at the dark sky, feeling the cold air on his nearly naked body, relishing the sensation of freedom just a little longer.
"Still, I don't have much time. I need to make every second count here—so that when I go back... I can kill every last one of them who brought me to that hell." His eyes burned as he stared at the serum, then made his decision.
He injected it without hesitation. After so much pain and torture, he had learned how to endure it in silence. He exhaled as he leaned against the cold wall, whip wounds still bleeding and staining the concrete.
His eyes opened wide as he clutched his chest. His heart was racing, pounding in his ears like a war drum.
Breathing hard, he touched his chest, eyes wide as he felt every fiber of muscle tense and stretch at once.
"S-Shit, this is new." He gritted his teeth, enduring the spasms, inhaling and exhaling rapidly.
His body began to change. His bony torso filled out with muscle, a defined six-pack forming. His sickly, emaciated appearance transformed into that of a lean but fit young man. When it was over, he was panting heavily.
"Oh, damn." His wounds had healed, leaving only dry blood on his back and hands. He leaned on the wall, staring at his muscles, clenching his strengthened fists in awe.
"But now I'm hungrier than ever." He touched his stomach with a grimace. He'd already been starving, but the serum had multiplied that hunger tenfold.
"I-I need to find food—now—or I'll die as soon as I get here." Picking up the box, he dragged himself along the walls, limping out of the alley, drawn toward the streetlights. Not a soul in sight.
"Must be early morning. Great..."
Growl.
"Right... Food first, then planning. Damn it."