Chapter 1

'We're taking you now to the devastation unfolding above Midtown.' A camera zoomed in on a lightning filled sky as two dots collided with each other. Each collision resulted in visible shockwaves due to the large downpour of rain. Even with the distance between the cameraman and the assault, it didn't stop the camera from going static for a moment, but then it zoomed in further. 'I can't see everything going on up there, but I can only hope that our very own Sparta can hold his own against Serpent!'

"Those names are pathetic." A youth said at the television as yet another sonic boom shook the building he was currently residing in. "What's next, Omega Man and his three Wives?"

"Watch it kid, the man prepping him for the surgery said. "You've got a long way to go before you can start criticizing other's names. You don't even have one yet."

"Of course I do." The teen rolled his eyes. "The name's Tyler."

"I don't want to know." The man in the white surgical mask said. "I don't want to know anything about you, Tyler. That's how these things work. I do my thing, and you get the hell out of my operating room, understand?"

The boy named Tyler sighed before nodding his head. He wasn't going to get anywhere with the man anyway, let alone anyone else in the facility. Whatever he said, whatever he did wouldn't matter until mere minutes from now.

He knew that eventually, it might as well be him up there, attacking the idiot named 'Serpent' instead of 'Sparta'. His name could be 'Fuzzy Wuzzy Iddycums' up there and no one would bat an eye, as long as he defeated Serpent.

He rolled his eyes at the thought. This hero was the tenth one this month to take on Serpent. Thing is, they turn him in to rehabilitate. Everything goes fine for the next couple days, then he gets mad at the staff, breaks out of whatever hole they have him in, then the next Sparta goes in to capture him and bring him to 'justice.'

It wasn't even just Serpent though, instead there are countless other ones in this hellhole called SkyReach City. And even more in the ass-crack they call planet Tarris. It was all thanks to people like mister white mask, who was operating on him today, that allowed all of this to happen.

Twenty years ago, a man not unlike this faceless drone had unlocked the human potential, or magic within one's DNA. Since then, the Hero Initiative recruited anyone sixteen and older to unlock their magic in order to make Tarris a better place. The thing is, just like what mister no face said, no one knows who the heroes or villains are. Nobody knows the identity of the kids, or the men who go into this facility to unlock magic that could eventually destroy the entire planet. They do this in order to 'protect the identity of the heroes.' But in doing so, they also don't know who will go in just to sign up for a murder spree.

"You are going to feel a little pinch."

Just as the man said the word, Tyler's world turned to a blue haze. He gritted his teeth against the supposed 'pinch.' It felt more like a bus had just run over his head.

The blue haze did not dissipate, instead it reshaped and solidified. In front of him, he saw a prompt. 'Welcome, warrior' it read. 'You are about to embark on a journey of chaos and magic that may not even be limited to your own world. Should you choose to accept, there are no rules. Climb to the top and look down upon those unworthy. Slay those who wish to end your legacy, and rule this land with an iron grasp.'

Tyler looked from the prompt to the man who had conducted the surgery.

"I don't want to know." He said without waiting for Tyler to take a breath. "Fuck off out of here, I've got a line to deal with."

Tyler put a hand to where the pinch came from, but the man slapped his hand away before he could touch it.

"Don't touch the area of the surgery for at least an hour."

"Gee, thanks for the concern." Tyler gave him a middle finger salute on his way out the door.

The prompt still hadn't gone away yet. Instead, it hovered near his head. 'New Name?' flashed in the blue box. "Well, I can't be the millionth Sparta or Savior Salad." He mused as he left the building through where the sign stated he should. "I want to help this shitty planet end the scourge of heroes and villains. I don't want to add to the hype. It can't be flashy or sinister. It needs to be final." He thought to himself as he reached the portal at the end of the tunnel. "How about, Dark Ragnarök?"

The blue screen accepted the name without him having to type anything out. He knew the system well enough from the introductory video, at least what they were willing to show. The whole Hero Initiative was full of itself. The corporation saw themselves as invincible, as well as an iron vault of secrets. All Tyler needed was a next to nothing laptop in order to hack into their servers.

He walked through the portal and into what he knew was his new home. The portal was designed to transport him into an alternate reality in space, one that would not use up the resources of their dying planet in order to facilitate his lifestyle. If he so chose, he wouldn't ever have to leave this small pocket dimension. There was no one to tell him to leave, no one to give him an agenda. Instead, there was a training program, as well as a full on dungeon interface that allowed him to go all out against crazy strong monsters.

This system was part of the reason why the streets of SkyReach City remained barren, why most of the buildings were deserted. The only ones left within the failing society were those not yet sixteen, or those who chose to stay out of the system. The latter were rare, and mostly became youth shelter keepers.

Tyler checked his window:

'Dark Ragnarök: Level 1

Experience to Next Level: 0 of 100'

This was the only information that the stat screen would give anyone. So far as Tyler knew, the system allowed for anyone to grow as strong as they willed themselves to be. The only skills they would have were the ones their imagination would bring forth. In other words, you were basically overpowered from the start. If you made anything of yourself all depended on your dedication to the system. If you stayed in the pocket dimension and ate, shat and slept, you would never level up, and you would eventually die a young life, just like anyone else that decided not to become a hero or villain.

Anyone could leave their pocket dimension at anytime as well. If they felt they were strong enough to make it on the outside, they could assume their alter ego and take to the skies, defeating people like Serpent in the name of justice.

"I don't give a shit about justice." Tyler said as he recalled the two figures in the sky. "I will fucking kill them all."

He turned from the portal and found his new home. It had a large field of grass to train in, and a one story house. It looked much like the introductory video had shown him. He knew that inside, there was a kitchen, dining room, bathroom and bedroom. If he wanted anything else, he would have to challenge the dungeon in order to gain money to pay for new additions to his residence. Some of the cost to the updates would go to the Hero Initiative in order to fund the next dumbass who decided to take the surgery.

Next to the house was a dark portal. He knew that this would lead him to the dungeon area where he could test himself. He read that the system would tailor the dungeon to the experience of the hero, as well as his or her resolve.

Next to that portal was a silver one, which led the 'hero' back to SkyReach City in order to defeat villains.

Tyler didn't hesitate, instead he walked to the dark portal. He knew he had to get powerful, and quick. He didn't want to do anything flashy like cause shockwaves. He didn't care about the shiny hero suits or the sinister villain ones. All he cared about was learning the easiest way to kill. After he made it an art form, he would finally be ready to truly protect his city from the true monsters. When he was good and ready, his target was simple, he would take down Hero Industries and all who would wish to protect it.