It was late at night, and Zhao Yu, dragging his exhausted body, walked unsteadily along the narrow, dirty streets of the urban village.
The weather was very cold, and the biting wind blew in waves, whistling like a knife repeatedly scraping across his face.
Zhao Yu hunched his neck, cupped his hands to his mouth to blow a warm breath, and vigorously rubbed his icy face.
The street was pitch black, and the light from the streetlamp at the corner, reaching here, was dim and yellow, almost non-existent.
Zhao Yu's footsteps, clattering along, were crisp in the cold night.
At this time, most people were in their warm beds, either sound asleep or playing on their phones and watching TV, feeling at ease.
Zhao Yu wanted to as well, but he was unwilling to give up three hours of overtime pay.
That was one and a half times the normal rate!
Time to rent a house, Zhao Yu couldn't help but quicken his steps—it was good to get into bed even a second earlier.
Suddenly, a momentary flash of brilliance erupted from nowhere, as if a thousand Suns had risen simultaneously.
Zhao Yu's eyes reflexively shut from the stimulation, and then he lost consciousness.
—A crimson, indistinct mass, emitting a faint glow, abruptly leaped out of the void and violently collided with a chaotic, indistinct object that had leaped out from another direction.
Zhao Yu happened to be right in the middle, at the center of the impact!
The speed of the two was beyond description, faster than light, swifter than electricity.
Before they even collided, Zhao Yu's body, caught between them, had already turned into nothingness, leaving only a human-shaped phantom, invisible to ordinary people, standing blankly in place, which instantly dissolved into a shower of light particles.
This collision, containing countless mysteries, was silent and imperceptible.
Even the intense light and waves generated by the impact did not propagate even a meter away, as if constrained by a mysterious force.
The crimson mass exploded into a vivid red mist upon impact, as if sentient, it enveloped the light particles that were Zhao Yu's soul and lunged towards the chaotic, indistinct object that had momentarily frozen after the collision.
Immediately, a pitch-black small hole suddenly appeared, and with a flash of light from both, everything vanished.
...
When Zhao Yu's consciousness awoke, before even opening his eyes, he knew what his surroundings were like—a dim, cramped room.
It was like an instinct; without relying on sight or hearing, just by feeling, he knew everything that existed within a ten-meter radius!
And it was more comprehensive and sharper than sight or hearing!
Even the sound and movement of the fly flapping its wings in the corner were clearly imprinted in his mind!
Zhao Yu felt a bit strange.
He opened his eyes blankly and looked around, finding that everything presented to his vision was exactly the same as what he had just perceived, without the slightest difference.
Moreover, his vision was also extraordinary—that same fly, in such a dim room, still in the backlit corner, its every movement was clearly under Zhao Yu's scrutiny.
"What... what happened to me?"
He shook his head, and instantly, a massive and chaotic flood of information exploded in his mind!
He gasped, taking a cold breath, and after a while, Zhao Yu finally calmed down.
A look of bewildered disbelief appeared on his face.
"New York? Brooklyn?"
That unfamiliar information came from another memory—the memory of a person named Owen Green.
It was as clear as Zhao Yu's own personal experience—an American, also an orphan, who grew up in an orphanage in Brooklyn, started working at sixteen, and was now a delivery driver for a courier company.
Zhao Yu's own memories collided with this information—orphan—working—working for over ten years—overtime—abrupt halt.
The two memories intertwined, sorted themselves out, and finally settled.
He let out a long breath, rolled out of bed, and in two or three barefoot steps, walked to the window and pulled open the curtains.
The sunlight outside the window, the traffic and diverse crowds on the street, the English signs of the shops... all the information converged into Zhao Yu's mind instantly.
After a long time, with a rustle, he pulled the curtains shut, then slowly walked back to the head of the bed and sat down, his expression changing inexplicably.
"Did I transmigrate?"
He had practically confirmed his current situation, but his subconscious still harbored some hesitation.
"And I also have special abilities..."
His senses were incredibly sharp; within a ten-meter radius, no information could escape his perception.
And it was very natural, he could control the range at will, just like eating, drinking, or walking, it was an instinct.
Suddenly, he grinned.
He had no attachment to his original life, so transmigration was good—it was good.
"This should be a good thing? Right?"
"System integration complete, Host, hello, the Fate Seizing System is at your service."
"Who?!"
Zhao Yu's body stiffened.
"System?"
His mind raced; could it be the legendary golden finger?
Thinking of this, amidst the faint dread, a hint of secret delight spontaneously arose.
He composed himself and couldn't help but try to ask, "Fate Seizing System, right? What exactly is going on? How did I get to the United States?"
"Host's question has not exceeded current authority, can be answered.
The World the Host is currently in is the Marvel Universe Earth, Brooklyn, New York, United States.
The Host's identity is a mixed-race orphan, eighteen years old, profession: courier delivery driver."
"Marvel?!"
Zhao Yu's voice suddenly rose, "Did you bring me to Marvel?!"
"The Host's arrival in the Marvel Universe has a certain relationship with this system.
The specific reason exceeds the Host's current authority, and the system will not answer."
"..."
Zhao Yu was speechless, took a breath, and with a shift in his thoughts, indignantly said, "Then why did you bring me to the Marvel Universe? I'm just an ordinary wage earner, and an orphan, I'm miserable enough!
Please, have pity on me, can you send me back?"
"Host's unreasonable request rejected."
"Unreasonable request?"
Zhao Yu's heart stirred, and he raised his voice, shouting, "You brought me to a strange World without my consent, and I'm asking you to send me back, is that unreasonable?
Do you even have any logic?!"
"Human logic is irrelevant to the system."
Zhao Yu: "..."
The system didn't care about Zhao Yu's expression and spoke directly: "Now, I will explain the basic functions of the system to the Host.
The system has two main modules: one, the Task Module, and two, the Exchange Module.
The Host obtains Fate Value by completing tasks issued by the system and can exchange it for everything needed."
"Now issuing tasks."
"Marvel Universe Ultimate Task: Refine O-A-A, seize control of the Marvel Multiverse, enlighten Wan Ling, and achieve Dao Ancestor.
Task Reward: One trillion Fate Value, one supreme treasure, Host authority level increased by one.
Time Limit: None.
Task Failure: Host Death."
"Main Task One: Establish a sect, claim the title of Dao Ancestor.
Task Reward: Ten thousand Fate Value, one Fate Suppressing Spirit Treasure, one Ninth-Tier Cave Heaven and Blessed Land.
Time Limit: Three months."
"Side Tasks: To be triggered."
Listening to the cold, mechanical voice in his mind, Zhao Yu felt a chill permeate his soul.
Look at those so-called tasks, refining O-A-A? Achieving Dao Ancestor? Are you sure this isn't a joke?
What is O-A-A? Although Zhao Yu wasn't very familiar with Marvel, he had some understanding due to the Hollywood Super Hero movies.
That was the ultimate great god of Marvel, known as an unresolvable existence!
Now he was being asked to refine it; wasn't that just seeking Death?
His heart was utterly cold; he felt that life had lost its meaning, that he was going to die no matter what!
Zhao Yu still held a shred of hope and couldn't help but say, "What if I don't do the tasks? Can I just live a stable, ordinary life?"
"If the system tasks are not completed within the task time limit, corresponding levels of punishment will be given based on the importance of the task."
"Punishment?!"
Zhao Yu froze, his last hope shattered, and he couldn't help but shout, "Get out, get out of my head, what a damn system, get out, get out, get out!!!"
"Host detected insulting the system, implementing Ninth-level punishment."
"Ugh..."
Zhao Yu was stunned, then let out a miserable scream, falling to the ground.
His body then stiffened, as if bound by something, unable to move a millimeter, his eyes rolling back, his face turning Dark blue, veins bulging, saliva flowing, his neck seemingly choked, only able to emit hoarse sounds, like a drowning person on the verge of Death!
After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Yu finally managed to turn over, letting the saliva stream down his face, and lay down like a piece of wood.
He had already given up on life.
Was that punishment? It was worse than Death!
A pain erupted from the depths of his brain, his internal organs, and his bone marrow, wave after wave, each stronger than the last, as if to crush him entirely from soul to body!
Zhao Yu was certain that if he hadn't been restrained and unable to move, he would have already slammed his head against the wall to commit suicide!
That was a pain no human could endure.
After a long time, his wooden face finally regained a bit of color.
He weakly wiped his face, his eyes vacant: "...Can you tell me, what's with the punishment levels?"
"Punishment levels are divided into ten levels, with Ninth being the lowest and Super being the highest."
"Ninth is the... lowest?"
His stiff face suddenly broke into a smile, and as he smiled, old tears streamed down: "This is still the lowest? The lowest?"
"Yes, Host, Ninth is the lowest."
Zhao Yu finally burst into loud sobs: "You're trying to kill me! Just kill me, I don't want to live, just kill me..."
"The system will not erase the Host, please rest assured."
Zhao Yu finally had nothing more to say.
Is this what they call being unable to live, yet unable to die?
This was forcing him to embark on the journey; if he didn't, he wouldn't be allowed to die, just tormented, tormented until he broke down and was forced to embark.
Is there such a dark system?!
"I—accept it."
Zhao Yu gritted his teeth, his eyes wide, his facial muscles twitching.
He seemed to already see his miserable future...
"The system is very pleased that the Host can accept this system from the bottom of his heart.
The Host has made a wise decision.
However, the system reminds the Host, never go against the system, otherwise, the consequences are unpredictable."
"Based on the major premise of the Host accepting this system, the system will now issue initial benefits.
The initial benefits are as follows: one hundred Fate Value, one unique lottery chance."
Zhao Yu lay there stunned, panting heavily, not paying attention to the so-called initial benefits.
The after-effects of the punishment still affected him; he couldn't muster an ounce of strength throughout his body.
Fortunately, there seemed to be a warm current slowly flowing, gradually calming the after-effects and making him feel much better.
After a long while, he finally crawled up and sat down on the head of the bed.