The last thing Troy remembered was the darkness. His final moments on Earth had come in a flash—a car accident that cut his life short in an instant. No fanfare, no final goodbyes, just the void. He didn't expect anything after death. In fact, he hadn't believed in any of the stories about the afterlife. So when he woke up, gasping for air in the middle of a bustling city, the confusion hit him hard.
Where am I? His mind raced as he pushed himself up from the hard pavement. Skyscrapers loomed above, their glassy exteriors reflecting the midday sun. The noise was the first thing that stood out—cars honking, people talking, the distant thrum of helicopters in the sky. He had no idea how he had ended up here.
"Watch it, buddy!" a man snapped as he rushed past Troy, almost knocking him over again. The sheer normalcy of the scene around him sent another wave of confusion through Troy's head. He wasn't dead? He was... alive?
As he stood, trying to get his bearings, a massive holographic display on the side of a nearby building caught his attention. His eyes widened as he recognized the face on the screen.
Tony Stark.
Wait... Is this—?
The man, dressed in his usual flashy suit, was speaking confidently into a microphone in what seemed to be a press conference. The crowd around him hung on his every word. Then came the moment that changed everything.
"I am Iron Man."
The world seemed to freeze. Troy's breath caught in his throat as the significance of what he was witnessing sank in. This... is the Marvel Universe?! He could feel the shock ripple through the bystanders watching the broadcast. Whispers broke out, people pulling out their phones, the internet practically exploding with the news.
Tony Stark, Iron Man, had just revealed his identity to the world.
Troy's head was spinning. How am I here? He wasn't supposed to be part of this world—this was fiction. Yet here he was, standing in New York City, watching a moment that would go down in history.
Suddenly, a faint sound pinged in his mind.
System initializing...
Before he could even comprehend the new voice, a glowing screen appeared in front of him. No one else around him seemed to notice as the translucent window floated just above his eye line. It reminded him of those RPG games he used to play, where you'd get a HUD to show your stats or quests.
Welcome, Troy. You have been selected for the Sukuna Life Simulator.
His mind went blank. Sukuna? As in Ryomen Sukuna? The terrifying, curse-powered king of curses from Jujutsu Kaisen? There was no way. This had to be a dream.
The screen continued as if reading his thoughts.
Your objective: Survive and thrive. You will experience multiple simulations as Ryomen Sukuna across various universes, each with unique rules and challenges.
Rewards: Upon completing a simulation (i.e., dying), you will receive 2 out of 5 possible rewards to aid you in the Marvel Universe. Use them wisely.
Troy could hardly breathe. He had just died, ended up in the Marvel Universe, and now he was being handed some sort of cosmic cheat code?
The screen blinked again.
First simulation loading: Naruto Universe.
You will take on the role of Sukuna in this universe.
"Wait, wait—what? I'm going where now?" Troy stammered aloud, but the world around him had already begun to blur. The noise of the city faded, the streets melting away like paint running off a canvas. His body felt weightless, as if being pulled into a black hole. A cold sweat broke out on his skin as his vision tunneled into darkness.
When the light returned, he was no longer in New York City. Instead, he stood in a dense forest, the air thick with humidity. The rustling of leaves and the distant calls of animals filled his ears. In front of him was a stream, its water glimmering under the sunlight.
And his reflection.
Troy stared into the water, his heart pounding. His face was no longer his own.
A pair of malevolent eyes glared back at him, and a cruel, twisted smile curled across his new lips.
He was Sukuna.