Awake (edited)
"What a shit story..." I muttered, staring at the monitor in front of me. The plot was dull, with the protagonist always defeating the villain with "the power of friendship."
"How boring... nothing is entertaining these days," I grumbled, angrily turning on YouTube to watch a Mr. Beast video. At least that was somewhat engaging.
Suddenly, the monitor started flashing erratically. "Are you serious? I bought this thing less than a week ago!"
With a sigh, I got up from my seat to try and fix it. But as soon as I touched the monitor, a jolt of electricity threw me to the ground. "What the hell—"
Pain coursed through my body, and I collapsed. I couldn't move; I felt paralyzed. Darkness slowly enveloped me, and I felt like I was sinking into the ground.
What's going on!?
I saw nothing but darkness, feeling as though I was floating in an endless void.
Am I going to die like this? I couldn't even do anything worthwhile...
"Oh, this is interesting..." a voice echoed in the darkness, and suddenly, a large floating eye materialized in front of me. It was an ordinary eye but enormous.
Sweat dripped down my face as fear gripped me. What the hell is that?! A demon?! Am I in hell?
The eye floated closer, and suddenly, I regained mobility. I managed to speak. "Ah ah..."
"Ah, you are 'alive'. I thought your soul was destroyed. Hardly anyone can enter here, very few," the eye spoke, its voice echoing directly in my mind.
"W-who are you...?!?!" I stuttered, trying to calm myself, but it was difficult. The darkness was terrifying, and the floating eye seemed to be the only light, shining like a candle in the void.
"I...? I have many names. Some call me the Devil, Lucifer, even God... but my name is Tom," the eye said casually, sending a shiver down my spine.
"T-Tom? Pfftt..." I said with a serious face, but I couldn't help but laugh a little. The eye narrowed.
"Hey, did you just laugh at my glorious name...?" The eye's voice sounded a bit angry.
I quickly shook my head. "No, you must have heard wrong, I would never laugh at such a holy and glorious name..."
The eye sighed. Can an eye even sigh?
"Well... you really can't stay here for too long or you'll die if the darkness takes you. You're lucky to be here and that I found you. I'll grant you some wishes... I think you're lucky," Tom said casually.
"Wait... this is like those isekai stories...?" I said in surprise, feeling elated at the thought of getting cool powers and causing mass destruction. Who doesn't want to see a character destroy a mountain or a planet? It's peak.
"Yeah... well, maybe...? I rarely do this," Tom said, his eye floating.
"But... can I ask something...?" I said nervously.
"Sure, ask," Tom replied casually.
"Where am I...?" I asked, looking around but seeing only darkness.
"Limbo... the place between death and life. You're dead and alive," Tom explained.
"Oh... well, can I wish for something...?" I asked nervously but with enormous excitement.
"Yes, choose..." Tom said casually.
"Well... I'm bad at choosing, I always think about many things," I admitted with some embarrassment.
"Well, then we'll do this." Suddenly, a roulette wheel appeared in front of me, spinning endlessly.
"This is a world wheel. If you have trouble choosing, you can use it. There are infinite worlds and cosmologies. Use it." Tom explained casually.
"When you say 'stop', the wheel will stop spinning, and you will land in a random world. Although the world won't be exactly the same, it could be that of a movie, anime, etc.," Tom continued.
I looked at the wheel and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Stop!" The wheel slowed to a halt. My heart skipped a beat when I saw a familiar name: "Marvel."
"Shit... this is going to be so hard," I muttered in annoyance. The Marvel universe was full of powerful characters.
"Well, it's a difficult world, although it won't be anything from the MCU. It will be an alternate universe. Predictable things are boring, in my opinion. That's why I like alternate, unknown universes. You know, things that could happen but you don't know when or whom you will meet," Tom explained, sounding excited.
Suddenly, ten floating black cards appeared in front of me.
"These ten cards have different powers. I chose them based on your personal tastes. You'll probably like a specific one," Tom said, seeming interested in my choice.
I looked at the cards for a moment before picking one up. My heart was pounding as I turned it over and saw the name: "Monster."
"Hmm... what does 'Monster' specifically mean?" I asked, intrigued by the name of the card.
"It means that you will become a monster or something similar. That card has great potential in power. It allows you to transform into beings from movies, video games, series, internet stories, comics, mangas, even something called creepypastas. You could even become a being more powerful than all of Marvel combined, but that will come much later," Tom explained.
"Oh, and that card is a system. Obviously, you'll start with a 'strong' character, but not on the level of Spider-Man or anything. Plus, my systems are... special in their own way," Tom added with a imaginary cryptic smile.
"Well, the world and abilities are already set, but let me tell you something. That card has a 'flaw', so to speak. Every time you transform into a being, your mind changes. You can become unpredictable and even make decisions that are meaningless. You're still you, but you could do things without hesitation, things you would never consider doing, like killing or other extreme actions. You might make weird decisions," Tom warned.
"Also, at first, your mentality might change. You may get carried away by emotions and stuff," Tom concluded.
"Well, are you ready to go to the Marvel world?" Tom asked.
"Yes... but... will I have to reincarnate?" I asked, feeling a little annoyed at the prospect of starting from scratch.
"Well... if you want, I can block your memories. When you reach a certain age, you can recover them. To you, it would seem like you have transmigrated, but it is a reincarnation. It's like blocking something in a person's mind and then recovering it again at the exact age," Tom explained.
"Yeah, that sounds better," I agreed, relieved at the prospect of not being a baby.
"Remember something. This is advice. Some characters in the card are dangerous; some are literally destroyers of reality. Although others are not. Remember this: control yourself while using them. Lack of morality even at the beginning can be disastrous," Tom warned.
I nodded, fully understanding the seriousness of the situation. The card had huge potential, but it also carried significant risks.
"Well, it's time for you to go. Be careful. I doubt you're aligned with any particular side with that card. Remember this: I don't care which side you choose. With that card, I doubt you'll be a hero. Choose whatever you want. You are free to do what you want, even if you think the system controls you. It doesn't. The system will help you with things, but don't do super stupid things," Tom said solemnly.
Suddenly, I felt like I was sinking. My mind began to fade, and I felt like I was falling asleep. Darkness enveloped me, and I surrendered to its embrace.
---
I felt like I was floating in a serene and comforting place, but suddenly I heard something: a voice calling me.
"---P!"
"---WAKE UP!"
"WAKE UP!!" A voice shouted at me, startling me. I opened my eyes in surprise and found myself in a dimly lit room. It seemed familiar, like my own room.
I lay on a bed, rubbing my forehead as memories flooded back into my consciousness. The sudden rush of memories made my head hurt, like someone had hit me with a hammer. But as quickly as it came, the pain subsided.
"Shit...!" I mumbled, taking a moment to compose myself.
In this life, my name was Noah Williams and I was 16 years old. I lived with my mother since my father had died in a car accident. My mother worked as a nurse in a hospital in town.
Looking at a nearby table, I noticed a pair of glasses. Interestingly, I put them on and found that my vision improved significantly. Well, now I have glasses...
Suddenly, a floating window materialized in front of me, making my heart race with excitement about entering an isekai.
[Name: Noah Williams
Age: 16
Strength: Average
Speed: Average
Intelligence: Slightly above average
Characters: N/A]
The window displayed basic information about me, although it seemed a bit rudimentary. Still, it was better than nothing.
Another window appeared indicating a new message.
[New message: 1!
Do you want to see it?
Y/N]
I pressed "yes" and another window materialized in front of me.
[Hello, Noah! It's me, Tom. From now on, I will call you Noah. This will probably be the only message I will send you, or maybe I will send more. Yes, I will probably send more. I have sent you information on how to use the system. It's not very complicated; I made it simple because I know you don't like complex things. Correct! I have a gift for you! Here is your first character. He is simple but certainly stronger than a normal human. You can probably even beat a 2-meter-tall guy in 1v1 haha! Enjoy your isekai adventure!]
Below Tom's message, I saw a small blue card. I tapped it, and the card began to spin rapidly until it stopped. I recognized the name on the card immediately, even though I hadn't seen it in years.
[New character card obtained! Jeff the Killer!]
I examined the image of Jeff the Killer on the card. His appearance was just as I remembered it: long hair that covered his face, deep-set eyes, pale skin, and a smile reminiscent of the Joker. He wore a white jacket with the hood up, and his mouth showed a hideous smile that looked like it was cut with a knife.
"Damn, I hope this character has superhuman strength," I muttered with interest. As a system character, I expected him to possess extraordinary abilities. If not, I'd be a little disappointed.
The statistics window reappeared before me:
[Name: Noah Williams
Age: 16
Strength: Average
Speed: Average
Intelligence: Slightly above average
Characters: Jeff the Killer!]
Seeing Jeff's name in "Characters," I felt a mix of excitement and curiosity. However, before exploring Jeff's skills, I wanted to review the instructions on how the system works. I located a button at the bottom left of the window labeled "Instructions" and pressed it.
[Hello Noah! It's me, Tom!
I will teach you how to use the system; it's pretty simple. The only thing that matters are the cards. There are several colors: blue, green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and black! Black is the most powerful, but there are very few cards. Some cards can level up, others evolve, but not all, obviously. They are specific cards. Evolving cards are pretty special; they are unique, to say the least. Blue is the simplest. At least you have characters with superhuman strength, but not on the level of Spider-Man or anything similar (although they can probably do considerable damage to him). I don't want you to get strong too quickly; that takes the fun out of it (although maybe you'll get lucky and get a powerful card). Also, as I told you before, when you transform into a character, your mentality will be unpredictable. Blue cards' mentality can change in different ways. At higher levels, it will probably be more difficult to control. I recommend that you don't use too much energy from those cards; it is better to level them up and increase mental stamina. Well, that's it. See you, Noah!]
The instructions provided valuable information on how the system worked. I made a mental note to be careful with the power of the cards, especially as I progressed to higher levels.
I sighed and opened my stats window, which was easily accessible. I just said "stats" out loud, or just thought about it, and it appeared.
[Name: Noah Williams
Age: 16
Strength: Average
Speed: Average
Intelligence: Slightly above average
Characters: Jeff the Killer!]
I tapped Jeff's name, which caused another window to appear, albeit a smaller one.
[Are you sure you want to use the card now?
Y/N]
I muttered under my breath, "What time is it?" and I looked at the small table next to my bed. My phone was there, so I grabbed it and checked the time. It was already quite dark; there were still a few hours until dawn.
"I'll use it now... I'll still use it here, though... I could use it and leave my room," I muttered with interest.
I saw the small window in front of me and pressed "YES."
At first, I didn't feel anything. I got out of bed and felt normal, but suddenly my body started to burn. I staggered and almost fell to the ground, gritting my teeth in pain. My hands emitted a thick black mist that enveloped my entire body. The pain was intense, but then the fog completely covered me for a few seconds and then it faded. I got up, feeling different.
In the mirror next to my bed, I saw him: a white face with a mutilated smile, long greasy hair, and murderous eyes. My clothes had changed; I was now wearing a white jacket.
"What the hell...?" I muttered, quickly covering my mouth. My voice had changed too. I smiled, feeling good in this new way despite my headache and some strange sounds in my head.
"Well... I think it's time to try this," I muttered, my voice flustered.
I went to my bed and lifted it effortlessly with minimal force. Putting it back down, I smiled at my newfound strength.
Looking out my window, I saw the dark neighborhood below. With a smile, I left the house, hands in my jacket pockets and hood up. Walking through the almost empty streets, I came across two guys casually smoking. Ignoring them, I continued.
"Hey brother," a voice called out from behind me. Turning around, I found a gun pointed at my face. Curiously, I felt no fear.
"Holy shit...look at that face...dude, you need some sun, don't you...? Wait...what the hell happened to your mouth...?" the man asked, while his friend looked at me with furrowed eyebrows.
Sighing, I decided to put my new skills to the test. I quickly disarmed the man and then punched him in the face. He fell with a thud, and his friend looked at him in shock. He tried to run toward me and hit me to defend his friend, but I grabbed him by the shirt and warned him: "Don't go out at night...it can be dangerous."
But he tried to hit me anyway. I caught him and started strangling him. "It's time to sleep," I said menacingly.
I repeatedly slammed him into the ground. His screams were muffled by my hand over his mouth. When I finally let him go, he lay there, lifeless and broken.
I read the message that appeared in front of me:
[Congratulations!! You have committed your first murder! For this great feat, a reward will be given.
You have: Jeff's Knife!
Jeff's Knife: A weapon exclusive to the card, Jeff the Killer. This knife can be summoned when needed, although it can only be summoned when the card is active. This knife allows the user's speed to be increased even further and also provides a bit of extra strength.]
I smiled, feeling a surge of excitement at the new weapon in my arsenal. This was getting more interesting by the minute.
I said, "Statistics."
[Name: Noah Williams
Age: 16
Strength: Superhuman (Blue)
Speed: Superhuman (Blue)
Intelligence: Above average/Gifted: Hacker [Card in use]
Characters: Jeff the Killer! [Card in use]]
I glanced at the statistics and muttered, "Hacker...? So I'm an expert at hacking...?"
"That sounds interesting... Although I should go home...yeah..." I muttered, looking at the lifeless bodies of the two boys. It seemed that the one who had the gun died from my blow; upon examination, his skull was broken and sunken.
My head was starting to hurt...
**Kill them**
**KILL THEM**
Using some of the boys' clothes, I wiped the blood off my hands. It was time to go home and go back to my room; my head was slowly starting to hurt. As I walked home, I muttered, "What the hell did I just do...?"
I looked at my hands and said, "Haha...I just killed without hesitation...it seems like this is unpredictable, huh..."
**KILL THEM**
My head hurt...I sighed, and the pain stopped.
///
"Ah...Deactivate card...?" I mumbled in my room, hoping it would work.
A black mist began to emanate from my body. I watched it dissipate, leaving my hands unchanged. With a sigh of relief, I realized I was still on summer vacation, giving me time to figure things out.
But for now, I'd better get some sleep. Tomorrow would come a new day, probably with the police coming to investigate the guys I killed.
"Calm down...everything is fine...it was the card..." I said while looking at the ceiling of my room...
"The card..." I murmured as I closed my eyes. I think I did something nonsensical...Tom warned me...
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N/A
here the author!!
If you are reading and you are new to the novel, I have to explain something to you.
The first chapters are MEH, I am editing the first chapters of the novel to make them better (although I will probably edit up to chapter 20 or more XD), this chapter is probably better than the others, if some chapters seem meaningless it is because they were The first chapters where my ideas were not clear and I wrote what I could, chapters 1 to 20 I will edit in the future.
Also, some probably won't like what the MC does in the next chapters, that's why I'll edit them and make them better. They were the first chapters and I couldn't clarify my ideas well. I'm recently on my break for 2 days and I'll probably edit several. chapters, although I probably won't be able to edit 20 chapters in 2 days XDD.
so it would be better to wait for the edited chapters because they will be better than the originals without a doubt (until 1 and 20 or maybe more, those are the chapters I will edit).
I will also remove and add things that would go better in the chapters that have (edited) next to the chapter name, I hope you understand, it is my second novel and I remade the first one because it was terrible.
Although if you want, enjoy the unedited chapters, although some probably don't like it or see somewhat weird things xd, I recently started to improve this chapters.