The noise inside Shibuya Station was deafening. Adam rubbed his head and blinked.
Something was wrong.
The people passing by didn't look right. Their hair was too colorful. Their eyes were too big. The outlines of the buildings looked like ink lines on paper.
"Is this... anime?" Adam muttered.
He looked at his own hands. They looked drawn, like a high-budget animation. The realization hit him hard. He wasn't in the real world anymore.
Suddenly, a mechanical sound rang in his head.
Ding!
A translucent blue window floated in front of his eyes. The text was glowing.
[System Activated.]
[Current World: Jujutsu Kaisen.]
[Location: Shibuya Station, Basement Floor.]
[Time until Incident: 15 Minutes.]
Adam's face went pale.
Jujutsu Kaisen?
He knew this story. He knew exactly what was about to happen.
In fifteen minutes, Gojo Satoru would arrive. Special Grade Curses would trap the civilians. It would be a slaughter.
"I need to leave," he thought.
His heart pounded against his ribs. He was just an ordinary guy. If the curses showed up, he was dead.
The blue screen flickered and changed. New text appeared.
[Unique Ability: Tag & Share.]
[Description: Touch a target to tag them.]
[Effect 1: User receives 10% of the target's physical stats.]
[Effect 2: User receives 15% of the target's Cursed Energy.]
[Effect 3: Damage Transfer enabled for tagged targets.]
Adam stared at the screen.
Tag and share?
If he touched someone, he got stronger?
He looked around the crowded station. There were people everywhere. Thousands of them packed into the underground walkways.
If the system was telling the truth, this was his only way to survive. He didn't have time to doubt it.
"I have to test it," Adam whispered.
He spotted a man standing near a pillar. The man wore a generic grey suit and held a briefcase. He looked like a tired salaryman waiting for a train.
Adam took a deep breath.
He walked forward, pushing through the crowd. He pretended to lose his balance.
Bump.
His hand brushed firmly against the man's shoulder.
"Ah, sorry!" Adam said quickly.
The salaryman frowned and adjusted his glasses. "Watch where you're going, kid."
The moment they touched, a strange sensation washed over Adam.
It wasn't painful. It felt like a warm current rushing through his veins. His legs felt lighter. The fatigue in his body vanished instantly. A small pool of strange energy settled in his stomach.
Ding!
[Target Tagged: Civilian.]
[Stats Shared: +10% Strength, +10% Agility.]
[Cursed Energy Acquired: 15%.]
Adam clenched his fist. The grip felt solid.
The power was real.