A Whole New World?

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Finally.

I flopped onto the sofa with a heavy sigh. Nothing, and I mean nothing, beat a hot shower after a day like that.

Yesterday was... yeah. A lot. My body still sore, brain still foggy, like I'd just run a marathon I didn't sign up for.

Not that I was complaining.

Just… damn.

Ran a hand through my damp hair, eyes locked on the ceiling fan spinning lazily above me. My shoulders ached, legs too. A not-so-gentle reminder of what went down last night.

The "help" I gave.

Cough. Yeah, probably best not to dwell too much on that.

By now, those four would've woken up. Probably staring at each other all, "Oh my god, why are we naked?!" Then, because fate loves a good punchline, they'd start connecting the dots with those high-IQ brain cells of theirs.

And guess where they'd land?

Right here. Me. The guy who "helped."

I mean, sure, I don't think they'll run to the cops. My explanation was solid… ish. But why risk it?

So yeah. I took pictures. Evidence. Insurance.

Well… nudes.

Different angles. Different poses. Sleeping Beauty edition. Just in case the whole trust thing falls apart.

As for those guys...

My eyes slid to the two marble-sized spheres sitting on the table behind me.

Compress, man. Way too convenient.

I still had them. Not 'cause I absolutely needed them, though let's be real, maybe a little, but mostly because I hadn't made the call yet.

The one that splits life and death.

Yeah, I know. They were trash. Cheaters. Rapists. Predators. All of that.

But still... they didn't come for me. I wasn't their target. Me being there was just coincidence. A fluke.

And no matter how I try to shake it off, that thought keeps creeping back in. Over and over.

Yeah, I've got memories of a past life. But I wasn't some gangster or hardened killer. Just a regular guy.

Same as now. I'm not some cold-blooded executioner.

Sure, it feels like I'm the MC of a fanfic sometimes, but that's just a vibe. Doesn't change the fact I'm a real dude. This world? Real.

So are they.

I...

Sigh.

Yeah, no. Not today. Let's not spiral.

Let's think about something else.

Gacha.

Yep. That's the mood. Been a week since the last roll, and let's be honest, I deserve a little chaos-laced surprise today. Still got some of that golden luck? Or has it been downgraded?

Thinking about those squishy melons my fingers were already twitching. Kinda like muscle memory at this point.

Alright. Let's spin it.

First pull, Background Roulette.

Yup. Pretty self-explanatory. Random backstory generator. Could be some billionaire's grandpa or an underground fighter. Who knows.

Let's pop it.

Ding.

[Background Roulette Activated. New Identity Assigned.]

…Cool.

Cool cool cool.

Except, what identity? No info. No clue. Just "assigned." The suspense is real.

Could be a mafia prince. Or some ancient noble clan heir stuck in a marriage contract with five sword-wielding sisters.

Or, God forbid, one of those Chinese novel rich kids where everyone wants to steal my fiancée and destroy my great-great-grandpa's company.

Wait. Do I have a fiancée? Or a company?

Guess I'll find out the hard way.

Next card, Pokémon Plushie Set.

Hey, not bad. Useless in a fight, but emotionally? Big win. I mean, who doesn't feel better with a chibi Snorlax squished against their cheek?

Comfort's important, okay?

Third card, Superpower.

Now we're getting spicy.

And the power is… drumroll… Harem Protagonist.

…

Didn't I already have that?

I mean, be honest, look at my current identity. Was this card really necessary?

Still, not complaining. If someone asks what it does, just think Issei Hyoudou. Loud. Lucky. Surrounded by trouble and boobs.

It fits.

Moving on.

Fourth card, Captain Jack Sparrow's Compass.

That's right. The one from Pirates of the Caribbean. Points toward whatever I want most.

Now that's got potential.

I'll mess around with it later. Right now, we're rolling.

Fifth pull, Template.

Oh? Third one so far.

Kyle Barnes from Image Comics. The exorcist guy.

Definitely a W. If supernatural stuff's real here, and I've got a weird feeling it is, then this one's gonna be crazy useful.

Gut says this world's way more dangerous than it lets on.

Once Johnny's assimilation is done, Kyle goes in next.

Johnny's already at 50 percent.

Ghost-Maker's lagging behind at 30 percent. Not that I expected Ghosty to beat Johnny to the finish line. Johnny's got that synergy boost with Khan's skills, makes the whole process smoother.

Anyway, good to know the assimilation speed's still solid.

Second-last reward, Dream Glasses and Dream Controller.

Doraemon tech vibes, I swear.

Like, for real. Am I gonna meet the blue robo-cat next? Please no. That world's actually terrifying if you think about it.

So, the glasses? Let me watch people's dreams in real time. Live feed into their subconscious.

And the controller? I can manipulate their dreams while they're still in 'em.

Yeah. That's wild.

Definitely gonna come in handy. Especially since… well… a lot of girls around in campus like to nap during lunch.

Cough. Research purposes only, I swear.

Totally scientific.

And now, the final card.

Simulation Ticket.

Oh-ho. Jackpot, baby.

It's a one-time-use Simulation ticket. Lets me drop into any listed world, roleplay a scenario, transmigration, rebirth, cheat powers, memory wipes, whatever.

But the catch? Points.

The system gives me a random number of points. Each option costs points. So the crazier I wanna go, the more expensive it gets.

Gotta plan carefully.

Fingers crossed Marvel or DC shows up in the list.

Hell, imagine me as Naruto. Or better, Aizen. Smiling, scheming, breaking the plot like a true menace.

Yeah… I like where this is going.

Let's fire it up and see how generous the system's feeling today.

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