The sound of cars was deafening, the afternoon sun filtered through London's buildings, and the streets filled with the usual chatter of students leaving class. I was with my friend Elliot, talking about our vacation plans.
"Hey, Damon, what are you doing for the holidays?" he asked.
"I don't know, my mom wants us to visit my grandparents, so I might spend them at the farm. What about you?"
"That's crap, man," he replied without hesitation, and I burst out laughing. Realizing his mistake, he quickly apologized, "I didn't mean your grandparents, I meant spending your whole vacation on a farm with no Wi-Fi."
"It's not that bad. That's what mobile data is for," I answered, my eyes fixed on the traffic light turning red.
"Did you see the new Marvel movie announcement? Robert Downey Jr. is playing Doom!" The silence made me look up. "Bro?"
That's when I saw it. Elliot was crossing the street, ignoring the red light. In the distance, a truck was speeding toward him, also ignoring the signal. My heart skipped a beat.
"Shit!"
I didn't think—I just ran. I knew I wouldn't make it in time to pull him out of the truck's path, but at least I could give him a shove. I leapt. The impact was brutal. A screech of metal, and then a sharp pain tore through my entire body, from head to toe.
The asphalt was freezing against my back. I heard voices, shouts, but everything felt distant. People gathered around me, phones in hand, recording.
What the hell? Call an ambulance, you bastards! Stop recording me!
I tried to scream, but my throat wouldn't respond. The pain faded, replaced by an icy chill that sank into my bones. I cursed silently as my vision blurred, until finally, my last breath escaped my lips.
...
...
...
A gasp tore me from nothingness. "Agh!"
I sat up in bed, my head pounding as if it were about to explode. A flood of memories filled my mind all at once. They weren't mine, but they felt just as real. Names, places, sensations—an entire life that didn't belong to me. The pain, both mental and physical, suddenly stopped.
I stumbled out of bed and rushed to the mirror. What I saw took my breath away. The boy staring back wasn't me. He had messy black hair that fell over eyes of piercing green. His skin was pale, his features sharp and delicate. I touched my face as if it weren't my own. Confusion, fear, and a strange spark of adventure washed over me.
"This is insane… and if those memories are real… Am I in Marvel? In the 2000s?"
I remembered the names flashing through the boy's memories: Stark Industries and Oscorp stood out.
[DING]
A blue screen appeared before me.
[TEMPLATE SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
My heart raced. A system. It was as if life had handed me a second chance—but with a manual. No, even better—a game. In this chaotic world, a system could mean the difference between life and death.
[WELCOME, DEAR HOST. I WELCOME YOU TO YOUR TEMPLATE SYSTEM. WOULD YOU LIKE A TUTORIAL?]
"Yes, please," I muttered.
[VERY WELL, HOST. WELCOME TO YOUR TEMPLATE SYSTEM. THIS TOOL WILL ALLOW YOU TO ADAPT AND SURVIVE IN THIS NEW UNIVERSE. AS ITS NAME SUGGESTS, "TEMPLATES" WILL LET YOU ACQUIRE SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES FROM INDIVIDUALS OF YOUR ORIGINAL UNIVERSE OR THIS ONE.]
[EACH TEMPLATE HAS A PROGRESS PERCENTAGE. AS IT INCREASES, YOU WILL GAIN SKILLS, ATTRIBUTE UPGRADES, AND MORE. YOUR PROGRESS WILL RISE AS YOU EARN EXPERIENCE BY COMPLETING "MISSIONS," WHICH WILL BE ASSIGNED AUTOMATICALLY BY THE SYSTEM.]
The interface unfolded, showing menus and stats that felt eerily familiar.
[Name: Damon Blake]
[Age: 16 years]
[Race: Human]
[Stats:]
Strength: 20 (35 is average adult)
Agility: 24 (30 is average adult)
Endurance: 18 (35 is average adult)
Intelligence: 22
Charisma: 32
Luck: 22
[Skills: None]
[Gacha: 2 pulls] (2 free each month)
[Template: None]
[Inventory]
[Shop]
"Not bad… but my endurance sucks." I lifted my shirt and confirmed what the stats had already told me: a slim body, no muscle, far from the athletic shape I wanted. I'd need to work on that.
[DING]
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST, FOR ACQUIRING THE SYSTEM. YOU WILL BE GRANTED A RANDOM TEMPLATE TO BEGIN.]
A holographic roulette wheel appeared, filled with names I recognized.
"Mike Tyson? Simo Häyhä? Toretto? Seriously? Wait, system… none of these have superpowers."
[I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN, HOST, BUT THE INITIAL TEMPLATE POOL IS LIMITED TO THESE TYPES OF CHARACTERS. AS YOU PROGRESS AND COMPLETE MISSIONS, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PURCHASE BETTER TEMPLATES IN THE SHOP.]
I sighed, resigned. Not what I had hoped for, but something was better than nothing. "Fine, just spin it."
The wheel spun, names blurring together. When it finally stopped, one name gleamed in golden light.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the "Bruce Lee" template!]
A surge of energy coursed through me, tingling in my muscles. As I glanced at the percentage in my menu, I knew the road ahead would be long.
[Template: Bruce Lee (1%)]
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Hey, what's up! This is my first story, so I hope you can give me some good feedback. Aside from being a translation, the original story is mine, but it was written in Spanish. So if you spot any grammar mistakes, it'd be great if you could point them out in the comments so I can edit them later.
By the way, the protagonist died at 16 and was reborn at 16 again. So don't expect him to make super mature decisions or act like an adult right now. This is a story that grows together with the protagonist, so he may make mistakes as well as have successes along the way.