Riku Saito's last normal thought was the taste of instant ramen, bland but comforting.
The next was a world screaming in pain, chaos, and fire.
Skyscrapers from New York twisted against Gotham's gothic skyline. Lightning split the sky, green and purple, as two worlds collided into one impossible reality. Sirens wailed, fires burned, and somewhere, a cannon's boom shook the horizon.
> [System Notification — Welcome, Player]
Survive. Level up. Adapt.
Riku stumbled on slick asphalt, his hoodie drenched, eyes wide. The HUD flickered before him: health bars, XP counters, skill slots—information he couldn't process.
> Level 1 — Stats:
Strength: 2/100
Agility: 3/100
Intelligence: 7/100
A scream cut through the chaos. A mugger lunged at a trembling woman—Claire, a nurse from some random hospital. Her hands clutched a med-kit, eyes wide.
Riku froze. Fight? Run? Hide?
> [System Prompt] — Immediate Action Required]
Option 1: Intervene (XP +10, high risk)
Option 2: Observe (XP +5, safe)
Option 3: Run (XP 0, avoid corruption — moderate)
Before he could think, a flash of white struck the mugger. Crescent moon glinting, staff cracking against concrete—Moon Knight. Calm, deadly, untouchable.
Riku blinked. The system's voice cut through the shock:
> Priority Quest: Eliminate Moon Knight
Reward: Massive XP | Moral Corruption Risk: Extreme
He froze. The man who had saved Claire—the one hero in sight—was now his target.
"Do I…?" Riku whispered. His stomach churned.
> Timer Active — 00:10:00 remaining
The mugger twitched, spitting blood. Moon Knight's eyes, hidden beneath the mask, scanned the street. He was every predator Riku had ever feared—perfect, unstoppable.
And yet… the system whispered seductively, promising power, influence, and skill beyond imagination.
Riku's fingers itched toward a jagged piece of metal, broken glass glittering like red gems in the puddle. Heart hammering, adrenaline surging, he made a decision he would never forget.
The shard flew. It pierced flesh. Blood sprayed. The mugger fell.
Moon Knight's gaze flicked to him. No words. Just the weight of judgment—and a faint, almost imperceptible acknowledgment.
Riku gagged, stomach twisting violently. Bile rose. The system hummed:
> Level up achieved — 2/100
He collapsed to the wet asphalt, shaking, exhausted, terrified… and intrigued.
> The city is alive. Chaos is a game. And you… are the player.
Somewhere, distant, a dark figure watched from the shadows. Somewhere else, another hero stirred. Somewhere—far above—villains smiled.
And Riku Saito realized, in that first, terrible moment: he would never survive by being good. Not here. Not ever.
The rain fell. The city waited. And so did the system.