[Congratulations! You have died! Would you like to begin your new adventure?]
"Excuse me?!" I screeched, my voice cracking. A transparent blue screen floated right in front of my face, the text flashing, practically mocking me. "What the hell do you mean, I died? I was just in my bedroom, playing a game and eating pizza!" I wasn't some couch potato, either. At seventeen, I led a pretty active life—football training twice a week, biking with friends. Hell, I even did yoga with my mum once a month.
[You died choking on a piece of pineapple that was accidentally placed on your pizza!]
My eyes widened, a tremor running through me. "Pineapple? PINEAPPLE?!" I roared. What happened to workplace health and safety? I swear, if I reincarnate, I'm going to burn down a pizza place in vengeance.
[Would you like to begin your new adventure? Due to your untimely death, you have been granted a random 'System' and a new life, with new opportunities, as compensation!]
Taking a deep, shaky breath to calm the inferno raging in my chest, I managed to ask, "What do you mean 'untimely'? How long was I supposed to live?"
[You died at the age of seventeen, ninety-four years in advance from your planned death.]
"I was going to live until I was one hundred and eleven? How is that even possible?" I was utterly gobsmacked, bewildered, and just plain confused. Had humans invented some kind of immortality while I was busy living my normal, short life?
"Okay, I guess I can't do much about going back to my past life, can I?" My voice was thick with a sudden, crushing sadness. No more mum, no more dad, no more friends. My future, almost a century of it, just… gone. The screen remained silent, confirming my worst fears. No going back.
I shook my head, a single tear escaping, mourning the life I'd lost. "So, am I being reborn into the future? Same world, or something fictional?" Hey, don't blame me. I'd seen the wild side of the internet. I'd even been a 'poison tester' at one point. We all had dark histories.
[As an apology for your death, you have been granted the opportunity to choose a new world from fiction. A random, high-tier system will be granted to you once you have made a decision.]
Oh… OH! A system? Was I about to become some kind of young master with a Golden Finger?
...I think I just threw up a little in my mouth thinking that.
"Do I get a list to choose from, or am I just deciding from memory?"
The blue screen, which had been about the size of an A4 page, now expanded, stretching out like a movie poster.
[Beginner World Choices:
Twilight (Movies & Books)
Game of Thrones (TV Show)
The Vampire Diaries / The Originals (TV Show)
Fallout (Game)
Pokemon (Game)
Demon Slayer (Anime)
Harry Potter (Movies & Books)
Modern Family (TV Show)
Fast & Furious (Movies)
Full Metal Alchemist (Anime)
Please make your choice!]
"Well, shit. This is a solid list." I leaned back, metaphorically speaking, and started going through each option, weighing the pros and cons. Each one had its positives, but the negatives often outweighed any potential happiness. Game of Thrones? A life spent wondering if my family would betray me for gold. Full Metal Alchemist was just… painful. Fast & Furious? Unless I wanted to hear someone mention 'family' a thousand times, that was a hard pass. Each choice was tough, but one stood out more than the others.
"If I choose Harry Potter, I'll be born with magic, correct?"
[Yes, due to your 'unique' situation, you are able to assimilate any world's power systems you are born into.]
Oh? Was that a slip-up, or a well-placed Easter egg just for me? Something to ponder later.
"Okay, I'll choose Harry Potter. Just, please don't make me reincarnated into the main character or someone close to him. I'd rather do my own thing."
[Choice confirmed. Your birth into the Harry Potter universe will commence once your 'System' is bound.]
As the words appeared, my entire being shuddered. It felt like something latched onto my soul, then melted right into it. I don't even know how I knew that specific feeling, but it was the closest description.
The soft blue panel went through a strange metamorphosis. It grew larger, and its color shifted to a light, creamy white.
[Congratulations! You have bound the x10 Reward System to your soul.]
"Holy shit! That's so... broken!" I pumped my fist into the air. Seeing as no one else was around in this random void, I could be as cringe as I wanted. I could already imagine the sheer positives of this system. The name itself explained everything I needed to know. Lost in my own fantasies, I barely registered the system prompting me that I was about to be reborn into my new life. Before I could even finish reading the words, my mind blacked out, and the world dimmed around me.
__________
(A/N - This novel will be something fun I've decided to write. If you're looking for something where the MC struggles to gain power, has deep emotions, with grand plots, this is not for you. I'm a simple guy, writing something I felt would be enjoyable. I'm a new writer, so this is just me exploring my skills and making a ridiculous story. Turn your brain off, and enjoy! Don't be a young master!)