Cold.
That's the first thing I notice.
Not freezing. Not painful.
Just… there.
Like something pressing against me, reminding me I'm alive.
My eyes open slowly.
An alley.
Brick walls. Dirty. Cracked. Close enough to make the place feel like it's closing in. There's a streetlight above me, flickering like it's about to give up.
"…What…"
My voice sounds rough. Like I haven't used it in a while.
I frown.
"…Where am I…"
The question feels wrong halfway through.
Because something more important hits me.
"…Who am I?"
Nothing.
No answer. No memory. No instinct.
Just empty.
I push myself up, and the ground shifts under me with a wet crinkle.
Trash bags.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
I sit there for a second, staring at nothing.
Then I try again.
"…Think."
Nothing.
Then
"…Norbit."
I blink.
"…Norbit Brown."
That comes out easy.
Too easy.
"…That's my name?"
I wait.
Nothing else follows.
"…That's it?"
I press my fingers into my temple.
"Come on… something else…"
A flicker.
A couch.
A TV.
Laughter.
"…My parents…"
I pause.
"…They liked Eddie Murphy."
I stare ahead.
"…Seriously?"
That's it. That's all I get.
"…Wow."
I let out a short breath.
"…Great. I've got a joke name and one useless memory."
I push myself up to stand
and immediately stumble.
"Shit"
I grab onto a dumpster before I eat the ground.
"…Okay. Body's not cooperating either."
I steady myself, testing my balance.
"…No memories. Weak body. Trash alley."
I look around.
"…Yeah. This is bad."
Then
A voice cuts in.
Flat.
No emotion.
[COGNITIVE INSTABILITY DETECTED]
I freeze.
"…What?"
Everything stops.
The light above me freezes mid-flicker.
A drop of water hangs in the air.
Even the background noise is gone.
"…Yeah, no. I don't like that."
[INITIALIZATION IN PROGRESS]
The alley disappears.
Not darkjust gone.
Like someone erased it.
A low hum starts. Steady. Mechanical.
Then light appears.
Small pieces floating upward.
Bronze.
Silver.
Gold.
They flicker
Then glitch.
Hard.
Everything cuts out.
Silence.
Then
A pulse.
The world flashes white.
Something forms in front of me.
A shape. Perfect. Clean. Rotating slowly.
Then it shatters.
A screen replaces it.
[CHAOS GACHA SYSTEM ONLINE]
"…Of course it is."
[USER CONFIRMED]
"…Yeah, that tracks."
[PRIMARY FUNCTION: GENERATE CHAOS]
[SECONDARY FUNCTION: DISTRIBUTE REWARDS]
"…Straight to the point. I respect that."
[USER GRANTED 1000 MARVEL POINTS]
A panel pops up.
Bronze: 50 MP
Silver: 100 MP
Gold: 200 MP
Platinum: 500 MP
Diamond: 1500 MP
Emerald: 2500 MP
Jade: 5000 MP
Blood Diamond: 10000 MP
"…And I get more by doing what?"
[DISRUPTING EXPECTED OUTCOMES]
[CREATING UNPREDICTABLE EVENTS]
[ACHIEVEMENTS WILL BE ASSIGNED]
"…So cause chaos."
[CORRECT]
"…Alright."
I rub the back of my neck.
"…What can I spend it on?"
[SUMMONS]
"…Gacha."
[CORRECT]
"…Figures."
I think for a second.
"…One platinum. Two gold. One silver."
[CONFIRMED]
"…Start with silver."
[ROLL: SILVER]
Everything goes dark again.
The hum comes back.
Silver light gathers
Then
Flash.
A shape forms.
Shatters.
Something settles in.
—
[REWARD ACQUIRED]
[CHARMING EYES]
—
"…That already sounds useless."
[YOUR EYES POSSESS MYSTICAL BEAUTY]
[THEY DO NOT INDUCE HYPNOSIS]
—
"…So they're just… nice to look at."
—
[CORRECT]
—
"…Wow."
I rub my face.
"…Amazing. Truly life-changing."
I exhale.
"…Next."
—
[ROLL: GOLD]
—
Golden light this time.
Brighter.
Heavier.
The shape forms
Shatters
And
Something slams into the ground next to me.
I flinch.
"…What the hell"
I turn.
Then stop.
A sword.
No.
A massive sword.
Seven feet long. Dark metal that doesn't reflect light at all. The edge looks jagged, wrong. The guard pulses faintly with a purple glow.
Just looking at it makes it feel heavy.
—
[REWARD ACQUIRED]
[NIGHT'S EDGE]
A sword of night formed from the essences of the world. In addition to its exceptional durability and sharpness this blade also enhances the potency of all darkness abilities when used as a focus. Under certain conditions, this sword can unlock its true power comparable to the Excalibur itself.
—
"…Yeah, I'm not lifting that."
I nudge it with my foot.
It doesn't move.
"…Not even a little."
—
[ROLL: GOLD]
—
The second gold roll starts.
No object this time.
Something shifts inside me.
Quiet.
Natural.
Like something just… clicks.
—
[REWARD ACQUIRED]
[ESPER]
You are a naturally born Esper, abilities are second nature to you. You understand, develop, and master abilities far faster and you possess a unique intuition when it comes to your abilities. Ability cooldowns are halved.
—
"…Oh."
I pause.
"…That's actually good."
I flex my fingers slightly.
Something feels… different.
"…Yeah… I can work with that."
I glance at the sword again.
"…Way better than trying to swing that thing and breaking my back."
I take a breath.
"…Alright."
"…Platinum."
—
[ROLL: PLATINUM]
—
Everything changes again.
The light isn't grayish white like silver.
Isn't gold.
White.
Clean. Sharp.
The shape forms again
More solid this time.
Then shatters.
Something hits me.
Not power.
Knowledge.
Clear. Organized.
Immediate.
—
[REWARD ACQUIRED]
[KING OF ALL TRADES]
You have Adept-level expertise in all basic trades (Adept Blacksmithing, Medicine, Mechanics, Cooking, Interfacing) with competence comparable to an actual veteran of the trade and are greatly talented in those fields.
—
"…What…"
I look at my hands.
"…I know how to fix things."
The thought just… exists.
"…Build things. Understand things…"
I glance around the alley.
"…Use things."
[INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
The world snaps back.
The alley returns.
The flickering light resumes.
The dripping water falls.
I'm standing exactly where I was.
Same place.
Same mess.
Except now
I've got a giant sword.
A system in my head.
And no past.
I look up at the dim sky above the alley.
"…Alright."
I pause.
Then breathe out.
"…Let's see what happens."
I'm still looking up when I hear footsteps.
Not subtle.
Not quiet.
Just… there.
Voices too.
Laughing.
I lower my gaze.
Two guys walk into the alley like they own it. Hoodies up, hands in their pockets, moving slow like they've got nowhere better to be.
Then they see me.
They stop.
Both of them grin.
Not friendly.
The kind of grin that already decided something.
They glance at each other.
Yeah.
I know that look.
"…Great," I mutter.
One of them pulls something out.
Knife.
The other does the same.
"…Even better."
They start walking toward me.
Not fast.
They don't need to be.
"Hey kid," one of them says, voice casual, like this is normal for him. "Empty your pockets."
The other snorts. "Don't do anything stupid. Wouldn't want your mom staring at the TV with your face on it."
That hits weird.
I don't even remember my mom.
But still—
My chest tightens.
"…I don't have anything," I say.
My voice sounds off.
Too tense.
They don't care.
"Everyone's got something," the first guy says, stepping closer.
I take a step back.
My heart starts picking up.
"…Think."
Knife.
Distance closing.
No weapon.
Except—
I glance sideways.
The sword.
Yeah.
No.
Not happening.
"…I can't lift that."
"Stop moving," the second guy snaps.
I freeze for half a second.
Then the first one suddenly raises his voice—
"Empty your pockets!"
—and rushes me.
Something in me snaps.
Not courage.
Not anger.
Instinct.
I throw my hands forward.
"—!"
There's no buildup.
No warning.
Just—
Force.
Invisible.
Violent.
It slams into both of them at the same time.
Their feet leave the ground.
For a split second, they just hang there—
Then they go flying.
Hard.
They smash into the wall at the end of the alley with a sickening thud.
One of them drops his knife instantly.
The other doesn't even make a sound.
They both collapse.
Still.
I don't move.
My arms are still out in front of me.
"…What…"
My hands are shaking.
I slowly lower them.
"…I did that."
My heart is racing now.
Not fear.
Something else.
"…That was me."
I look at them.
They're not getting up.
Not even trying.
"…I didn't even think."
I swallow.
Then glance down at my hands again.
"…Esper."
Right.
That.
I let out a slow breath.
"…Okay."
I look back at the two guys.
Still out cold.
"…That works."
A pause.
Then—
"…That really works."
Something shifts in my chest.
Not panic anymore.
Not confusion.
Something sharper.
"…I don't need that sword."
I glance at it anyway.
Still sitting there like it weighs a ton.
"…Not yet."
I flex my fingers again.
That same feeling is still there.
Like I just need to reach for it.
"…So this is how it works."
I look back at the alley entrance.
Empty.
Quiet again.
Like nothing just happened.
"…Chaos, huh."
A small breath leaves me.
"…Yeah."
I get it now.
Not completely.
But enough.
I turn back toward the street.
"…Let's see what else I can do."
—
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED]
[FIRST FIGHT]
[REWARD: +50 MP]
—
I stop.
—
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED]
[DEFEAT TWO KNIFE WIELDING ROBBERS]
[REWARD: +50 MP]
—
"…Of course that counts."
A small smile creeps onto my face.
"…This might actually be fun."