Chapter One: A New Strange World
The ceiling was a creamy white expanse, smooth and pristine, nothing like the chipped popcorn texture of John's old bedroom or the sterile flatness of his college dorm. He blinked, his eyes struggling to focus as a dull ache pulsed behind his temples. His body felt heavy, like it was tethered to the bed by invisible weights. Confusion swirled in his mind, a nauseating fog that made the room tilt with every flicker of his gaze.
The room was vast, far too grand to be his. Morning light streamed through crisp white plantation shutters, casting soft beams across a mahogany four-poster bed that gleamed with polish. The duvet was a luxurious cream, not the threadbare gray comforter he'd known for years. The air was thick with an unnatural stillness, the kind that felt like the world was holding its breath. John's heart gave a sluggish thud. This wasn't his room. These weren't his clothes—dark silk pajamas clung to his skin, alien and impossibly smooth.
He tried to piece it together, but his memories were a fractured mess. The last thing he could recall was a truck's blaring horn, a siren wailing in the distance, and the world spinning into darkness. Beyond that, a void. Yet, strangely, other memories flickered—ones that didn't belong to him. A young man, barely twenty, whose parents died in a car crash two months ago. A grandmother, gone just half a month later. Grief that wasn't his weighed on his chest, heavy and unfamiliar.
Panic began to coil, cold and sharp, in his gut. He forced himself to sit up, the motion sending a wave of dizziness that nearly knocked him back. His bare feet sank into a plush, dark rug as he steadied himself. Where was he? How had he gotten here? His hand pressed against his clammy forehead, trying to anchor himself against the spinning room.
Stumbling toward a full-length mirror across the room, he froze. The reflection staring back wasn't entirely his own. A handsome young man, about twenty, with sharp features and a serious expression gazed back. Dark hair fell slightly over his brow, and his eyes—hazel, intense—held a weight he didn't recognize. John's breath hitched. He don't knew this face.
Most importantly this was *that* world.
A TV screen. A movie. A world he'd watched, in his previous life. one teeming with gods, demons, heroes, and chaos.
His pulse quickened as the realization hit. He'd read enough novels to recognize the signs. Transmigration. A new body, a new life, a new reality. But this wasn't just any world—it was one he'd seen in countless films and shows. A world of modern technology laced with superhuman abilities, magic, and cosmic threats. A place where heroes soared through the skies and villains leveled cities. Where alien invasions were as common as thunderstorms, and ancient evils lurked, hungering for the Earth's destruction.
For the extraordinary, it was a stage to shine. For the ordinary, it was a death trap.
John's hands trembled as he gripped the edge of a polished dresser, his mind racing. He was no hero. He was just… him. A college student who'd barely survived finals, not alien invasions. How was he supposed to survive in a world where the ground could crack open under a demon's wrath or a cosmic tyrant could kill of existence away?
Before he could spiral further, a voice—cool, mechanical, and impossibly clear—rang in his mind.
[System Binding…]
[Congratulations to the Master, the Strongest Attribute Pickup System has been Awakened]
John froze, his breath catching. "System?" he whispered, his voice barely audible in the silent room. His heart pounded, but this time, it wasn't just panic. A spark of excitement flickered through him. "A System? And… I'm not a host, but a *Master*?"
He forced himself to take a deep breath, his lips twitching into a shaky smile. This was unreal. Systems were the stuff of novels, a cheat code for transmigrators to survive impossible worlds. If he had one, maybe—just maybe—he could make it here.
"System," he said, his voice steadier now, "what are you? Who sent you? Who's your creator?"
[Reply to the Master: My existence is not created. I evolved from origin energy by forming my own Concept and rules, timeless, existing beyond the realities of all existence. Undetected by anyone.]
John's brows furrowed. "That's… vague. Why me, then? Why choose me?"
[Reply to the Master: Your unique soul meets the System's requirements perfectly.]
He let out a shaky laugh, running a hand through his unfamiliar hair. "Unique soul, huh? Okay, fine. What can you do? What are your functions?"
[As the System's name implies:
1. Master can pick up physical attributes or abilities from individuals performing actions, using abilities, or fighting.
2. Master can fuse similar abilities.
3. Master can view the character panel of any individual, including yourself.]
John's eyes widened, his heart racing with a mix of disbelief and exhilaration. "Pick up attributes? Like… I can just take strength or powers from people? And fuse them?" He paced the room, his bare feet sinking into the rug as his mind buzzed. "And I can see stats? Like a game? This is insane!"
He stopped, grinning despite himself. This was a lifeline. In a world where gods and monsters roamed, this System was his shot at survival—no, at thriving. His excitement bubbled over, and he clapped his hands together, the sound sharp in the quiet room. "Alright, System, let's see what I'm working with. Open my Character Panel!"
[Master – Character Panel]
[Name: John Wilson]
[Strength: 48kg]
[Physique: 0.9]*Average healthy young man: 1. Represents durability and recovery.*
[Speed: 3.2m/s]
[Mental Power: 1.7] *Average human: 1.*
[Ability: None]
John stared at the glowing panel in his mind, his grin faltering slightly. "Okay… not exactly superhero material yet," he muttered. His stats were barely above average, and "None" under abilities stung more than he wanted to admit. But the System's potential sparked a fire in him. He could *pick up* attributes. He could grow stronger, faster, maybe even gain powers just by being near the right people.
He glanced around the opulent room, the weight of his new reality settling in. This was a world of chaos and wonder, where every street corner could hide a hero or a monster. And now, with the System, he had a chance to carve out his place in it.
"Alright, John Wilson," he said to his reflection, his voice firm with newfound resolve. "Let's figure out how to survive this madness."
Outside, the distant hum of New York City buzzed, a city alive with secrets and dangers.