10. Omniverse Travelling Gate (Quanzhi Fashi – Three Years)
"Is this… what I think it is?"
I paused for a second, staring at the card. I had a rough idea, but I still needed to confirm it.
And yeah… it was exactly what I thought.
According to the description, this card allows me to travel to another world. That means I'll soon be having my first proper otherworldly adventure. Although, now that I think about it, technically I'm already in one.
The start of which wasn't very good and the future seems dark too.
Anyways…
According to the description I can travel back and forth between the worlds, but there are some rules. Like only I can travel unless I get some special cards from the gacha later.
And then comes the annoying part.
"Arggh…" Time is synced between the worlds. So yeah… my plan of going there, getting stronger and coming back like Superman? That idea died before it even started.
There's also a time limit. I can use this for three years. It starts from the first time I travel to the other world. Well… that's actually pretty good.
I don't remember everything about that world as I dropped story midway because the translation I was reading was a mess, too many naming errors, inconsistent terms… it got annoying.
But I do remember the basics. That world has a proper power system. Most people start with a single element, like fire, wind, or water. As they grow stronger, they unlock more. And then there are special elements too, things like shadow, curse, plant… stuff with way more versatility.
And since the card says my body will adapt to that world. Which means I'll be able to learn their power system. So yeah… that basically means I have a chance to get stronger there.
Even if that world's overall level doesn't seem higher than here, it's still dangerous enough. Plenty of monsters, plenty of situations… good place to get used to fighting different kinds of threats.
As they say… every hole is the goal.
"…"
Yeah, no. That's not it.
Wrong phrase.
It should be, no matter how small a mosquito is, it's still meat.
Hmm...I can't use this immediately. I need to prepare before going there. And with Toad around, I can't just casually disappear and travel between worlds like it's nothing. Which means… I'll have to leave them sooner than I planned. Well, it was already part of the plan, just not this early.
For now… let's do some gambling again.
I used the remaining points, and just like before, the number dropped to zero. A moment later, ten new cards appeared in front of me.
1. Super Crown (Mario)
A magical crown that turns whoever wears it into a pretty girl. Though I am really not sure if it changes everything from top to bottom, I don't think there's any need to test it on myself.
2. Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)
It's a character card, though I'm not sure if I should absorb him. Would I get cannibalistic traits too since Kaneki wasn't a natural half-ghoul?
My inner morals can't say much given I would get superhuman physical attributes from him, like super strength, speed, even regeneration. So it's a good deal for many I think.
But for me…I'll give it proper thought.
3. Wolverine's Skeleton (Marvel)
It's Wolverine's Adamantium Bonded Skeleton freshly picked off of his body as he was sleeping. As the skeleton is bonded with Adamantium it is virtually unbreakable albeit a bit short. I Don't worry about a him regenerating from it since the card says all genetic material has been scrubbed clean.
This is going straight into my future showroom. A collection of iconic stuff from across the Omniverse.
4. Maggie Simpson Pacifier (The Simpsons)
…what am I even supposed to do with this?
Suck it?
5. Background Customisation Card ×2
Got these before too, back in the facility. Consumable cards. They basically let me enter another world with a proper identity instead of just being dropped in randomly. It even works for summons. I'll test it during my travel to Quanzhi Fashi.
6. Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones)
Well… first female character card. I thought about it for a few seconds and decided to assimilate her instead of summoning. Yeah, "Mother of Dragons" and all that stuff but her abilities matter more to me than the character herself. Ignoring the dragon bonding part, just her resistance to fire is already enough to make this worth it.
7. Chaos Gacha Promotional Shirt
[A regular white shirt with the words "I rolled a ticket and all I got was this stupid shirt in return" written on it. In the event that the shirt is destroyed or lost, it will reappear somewhere accessible to the user in mint condition.]
Reading the description I want to ask the system if it thinks I'm playing Chaos Gacha. Well… maybe I am. Every gacha probably falls under this system category anyway.
8. Straw Hat (One Piece)
Another item with mostly sentimental value. No real practical use.
9. Johan Liebert (Monster)
Another character card huh. It really does seem like doing multiple spins increases the chances of getting something good.
Johan… I know the name. Never actually watched Monster, but he shows up everywhere like YouTube shorts or Reddit discussions. From what I remember, he's a genius manipulator. Some people even call him pure evil.
…yeah, I'm absorbing this one too.
If he's that hyped, there's definitely something useful there.
10. In-Setting Mode
It's a new gacha mode. It lets me limit the card pool from the entire Omniverse to just the current verse I'm in (with consumables).
Though there's a downside that it each card will cost double.
I can't use it right now since I'm out of points, but I'll definitely try it next time. Even if it costs more, it massively increases the chances of getting something like a template of Franklin Richards.
Since the RNG session was over, I looked at all the cards again, especially the character ones. There were five in total, and I could only place one of them in the new slot.
I went through them one by one in my head. Each had its own benefits, but if I had to pick the most practical one right now…
Jason Todd.
He gives me actual skills, weapons handling, strategy… things I need, especially in situations where I can't rely on my powers.
Yeah. That's the safest and most useful option for now. I selected his card and placed the template into the new slot.
Now then, it was time to leave.
——————
Redfield, Oklahoma
John stepped off the bus and paused for a second, taking in his surroundings. He had put real distance between himself and the Brotherhood. Not just another city, he had left Texas entirely and crossed into a different state. Even though Toad had said no one would care if he left, John wasn't willing to take that at face value. Staying close meant risk, and right now, avoiding attention mattered more than anything.
His eyes moved slowly across the street. "...Yeah, this place is dead." It wasn't just quiet. It felt… abandoned. There were only a handful of people around, and even they moved like they had somewhere else to be. Most of the shops were shut, some boarded up, others just left as they were, like no one even bothered to lock them anymore.
As he walked further into town, the damage became more obvious. Roads were cracked with deep dents, like something massive had smashed through them. Several buildings were partially collapsed, others completely abandoned. Broken windows, charred walls, debris still left uncleared, it all painted a clear picture.
A few months ago, a green monster had rampaged through this place. The aftermath was still here. Most of the population had either died or left. The government had sent aid, sure but only enough to say they had done something. There was no real effort to rebuild. No urgency. No plan. It was obvious this town wasn't important enough to justify the cost.
And once that became clear, the companies that had factories here didn't hesitate either. With most of their workers gone and no real future for the town, they shut everything down and pulled out. What remained wasn't really a functioning town anymore. Just a place that hadn't fully died yet.
John's steps slowed as his eyes fell on one of the craters in the road. He moved a little closer, looking down into it. It wasn't just a shallow impact, it went deep.
"…That's deeper than my height."
He exhaled quietly, straightening up as his gaze moved across the rest of the street. Since this world wasn't some PG 13 movie, the version of events either. People seen it happen or at least the aftermath understand how dangerous he really was if he lost control.
But even then… this still wasn't the full picture. John knew that. If Hulk ever truly went all out, completely unrestrained then something like this wouldn't even register as serious damage. A town getting wrecked like this would be the least of anyone's worries, John thought. Compared to what Hulk was actually capable of… this was nothing more than a glimpse.
Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside. That's when he noticed someone walking toward him. A boy. Brown hair. Around five-eight. Lean build. No signs of combat training. The details registered almost instantly.
"Hello," the boy said, a bit too cheerfully for a place like this. John noticed him starting to extend his hand for a handshake, but he didn't respond. He just stood there, watching him, trying to figure out why he'd come over in the first place. It wasn't like he'd been recognised, his face was covered with a mask and hoodie, and he didn't remember this guy from anywhere.
The boy hesitated, then awkwardly pulled his hand back. "Uh… I'm Nate," he said, a little less confident now. "The mayor's grandson. Are you here to check on your family?"
The boy hesitated, then awkwardly pulled his hand back. "Uh… I'm Nate," he said, a little less confident now. "The mayor's grandson. Are you here to check on your family?"
John shook his head. "No." He didn't bother explaining further. Instead, he got straight to the point. "Is there anywhere I can stay around here?"
Nate blinked for a second, a bit surprised by how direct that was, but then nodded. "Yeah… actually, most of the houses here are empty now. You can pretty much stay in any of them. No one's really checking." He scratched the back of his head before adding, "As long as some family member doesn't suddenly show up or something." Then, like he remembered something, he perked up a bit. "Oh there's this one house I know. No one's coming back for it. The owners… well…" he trailed off for a second, his tone dropping slightly, "they left it to the church in their will." He shrugged. "But no one's using it. And honestly? They probably won't anytime soon." Nate glanced back at John. "You can stay there if you want. No one's gonna bother you."
"Thanks," John gave a small nod. As they started walking, Nate didn't stay quiet for long. He kept glancing at John every now and then, like he was trying to figure him out. "So… what are you doing out here?" John asked before he could speak.Nate just shrugged, continuing on anyway. "Not many people left in town after that whole green devil rampage," he said casually, kicking a small stone off the road. "So I help out sometimes. People come here looking for their families, you know? I just tell them what I can." He spoke like it was normal, but there was a slight dullness in his tone.
"Whether they're alive, in the hospital… or dead." He paused for a second, then added, "If they had anyone here in the first place."
After that, he glanced at John again. He wasn't very surprised that John showed up. Some people come here just out of curiosity too. Like a messed-up tourist spot. A few more steps passed before he suddenly asked, "Did you run away from home?" John paused for a second. "…Yeah." It wasn't exactly a lie. The original John had run away. Nate looked at him for a moment, then gave a small grin. "Cool."
A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a house. John looked it over. From the outside, it was… normal. Clean walls, intact windows, nothing broken. In fact, the other houses nearby looked the same. No visible damage, no signs of what had happened here. He glanced at Nate. "That thing didn't come here?" Nate shook his head. "No, it didn't but it really not matters though. It killed everyone anyway."
"…everyone?" John repeated. "Yeah." Nate let out a slow breath. "There was a football match at the school that day. Most families were there. Kinda like a small event, you know? Parents, kids… everyone showed up." He paused for a second, like he was replaying it in his head. "And then it just… showed up."
His voice stayed steady, but quieter now. "This house…" he nodded toward it, "family of five. Mom, dad, three kids. Plus their grandmother in next Street. The dad was the football coach. Good guy. The eldest son played in the match that day." Nate gave a faint shrug. "The whole family went to watch him. The younger two were twins. A boy and a girl." He looked down for a moment. "The boy… Sheldon. Kid was crazy smart. Like… not normal smart. People used to say he'd grow up to be something big. Maybe even the next Stark or something." A faint, humourless huff left him. "…guess that didn't happen."
He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes still not meeting John's. "The monster didn't care who was who. It just… smashed through everything." Nate straightened up slightly, like he'd said more than he meant to. "Anyway… place is empty," he added, nodding toward the house again. "You can stay here."
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Lucifer vs Beyonder