A Magical Chance in DC

**[Narrator's POV]**

In a mountainous forest, the sounds of wildlife and the rays of sunlight filtering through the canopies of mighty trees created a breathtaking scene. However, amidst this natural beauty, a group of small animals had gathered around an unconscious man. Their curiosity was piqued since such a creature had never wandered into this part of the forest before.

*Groan*

At the sound of movement, the animals quickly scurried away to hide nearby, eager to observe the man's awakening.

**[MC's POV]**

As I began to regain consciousness, the sunlight piercing through the giant canopies bombarded my eyes, forcing me to close them. I shielded my eyes with my hand and slowly opened them again, adjusting to my surroundings.

The beauty of the environment took my breath away—both literally and figuratively, given how fresh the air was. Snapping out of my brief reverie, I stood up and cautiously observed the forest.

In my observation, I noticed a package near the spot where I had been lying. Hoping it might shed some light on my strange situation, I picked it up. Inside, I found a letter, a ring with strange lettering, and a compass bearing the same symbols. I set aside the ring and compass for now and focused on the letter, reading it silently.

*Dear James Brown, your wish has been granted—*

I paused for a moment.

**[Flashback]**

In my previous life, I was obsessed with uncovering Earth's mystical side, which I was convinced existed.

It all started one night when I was a child, staring out the window. I witnessed a gigantic eye appear on the moon, only for it to vanish just as suddenly.

My family never believed me, dismissing it as a figment of my imagination. The fact that the news never reported such a world-shattering event only added to their disbelief.

But I always believed what I saw and knew there was a magical side to this world.

Years later, in pursuit of my dream, I studied various ancient languages and mythologies, eventually earning a doctorate in Archaeology.

My enthusiasm during my academic years grew even stronger, fueled by the intriguing ancient texts shared by my professors, discovered during their archaeological excavations.

As my dream turned into an obsession, I traveled the world in search of the mystical. I came across countless texts and rituals on mysticism, but they all turned out to be duds.

Eventually, my journey led me to stumble upon an unknown temple in the Amazon rainforest, buried and concealed by dense vegetation.

I discovered the temple using a disc that provided precise directions after deciphering its language over many years.

The temple resembled Aztec structures and was shockingly well-preserved.

Realizing I had found a treasure trove, I carefully explored the temple, cross-referencing the carved texts with other ancient languages to find similarities.

The texts revealed astonishing truths about an age when humans, aliens, and gods thrived in a world filled with magic, only for it to be abruptly ended by a dark cataclysm.

But one particular text filled me with immense joy. It described a ritual that could grant a wish. Since the age of magic in my world had ended, I decided to seek out a world where it was just beginning.

So, I performed the ritual, but all I could remember afterward was a meteor hurtling toward me and an explosion of white light.

**[Flashback ends]**

You might ask:

What about your family?

Why make such a decision?

My parents had passed away peacefully at a ripe old age, and I was their only child. I had spent my youth—up until the age of 49—living like Indiana Jones.

I had no wife, no children, and no close friends—only my fascination with the mystic. Pushing aside these musings, I continued to read the letter.

*Dear James Brown,*

*Your wish has been granted. Since your wish didn't specify the world you desired, I took it upon myself to spice up your adventure a bit and place you in a particular universe within the DC multiverse, where the age of magic, gods, and demons is still thriving.*

*Don't panic—take this as a lesson to be careful. Demons are much more ruthless.*

*As I said before: Don't panic. I've enhanced your mortal vessel, soul, and mind, making you more attuned to mana and its workings.*

*The ring with the lettering is a storage item containing a survival kit, a basic mage start-up kit, food, and other essentials.*

*The compass will guide you to your temporary home in the forest. It also has several other functions that you'll need to decipher.*

*Lastly, the symbols and lettering are runes. Sorry to burst your bubble if you were hoping for overpowered primordial variants—they're not. But they'll help you start your journey into runic magic.*

*Hint: Improving the rune craft of the items will unlock more of their functions. I've also placed a special surprise in the ring.*

*Note: I've synchronized your soul's wavelength with this universe to prevent it from being ejected into the void. Seriously, you should learn to make better deals.*

*Yours sincerely,*

*$%^$$^^&%^*

My heart raced at the mention of runes. Who wouldn't want access to origin runes from fiction? But thinking logically, they would have been incredibly difficult to understand, even with my recent attunement to magic.

My heart also sank when he mentioned the risk of my soul being ejected. I took several deep breaths to calm my turbulent emotions. Once I was settled, I began to ponder my situation. I was in a universe within the DC multiverse, which, until a few moments ago, I had thought was purely fictional.

The only logical explanation I could come up with was the multiverse theory proposed by American philosopher William James.

I knew very little about this era in DC comics. I was a casual reader, drawn to the magical elements in the stories, but I was often put off by the characters' illogical decisions, though I understood they were made to appeal to fans. Then again, who am I to criticize? I had just performed a ritual moments ago to a being who could have used it to bring devastation to Earth.

My priority now was to find my new home using the compass and examine the items in the storage ring.

After placing the package and letter in the ring, I carefully slipped it onto the middle finger of my left hand. I took in another deep, refreshing breath and retrieved the compass, which was designed to be worn as a necklace. Wondering how it worked, I suddenly received a prompt from it.

Taking another deep breath, I said, "Lead me on a safe but fast path to my abode."

The compass glowed with a calming emerald light and levitated slightly, pointing me in the direction I needed to go.

**[Narrator's POV]**

And so, our dimensionally displaced friend began his journey into the unknown, driven by his thirst for the mystic. Will he learn to grow, overcome his obsession, and bring order and prosperity to this chaotic era through his talents, or will he sink deeper into his fascination now that he's received his magical chance?