Chapter 1

This is a long story—one that traces my journey through this unfamiliar land, how a mere puppet became a hero.

I had just left the city of Sumeru, memories restored and now with an anemo vision in hand.

The Dendro Archon, Buer, assigned me a task—one that keeps me working behind the scenes. But when I'm not carrying out her orders, I'm left to my own devices.

I go by Wanderer now. The Traveler once gave me a name, but… I don't feel worthy of it just yet. Maybe, once I've proven myself, I'll finally be deserving of the name.

I had been wandering the land of Sumeru, rescuing people from monsters and fungi. It was a refreshing change—to be thanked and praised for once.

But one day, as I walked along a familiar path, a spiral portal suddenly appeared and pulled me in.

It tossed me out into a city I had never seen before.

Hovering in the air, I surveyed my surroundings—towering buildings stretched as far as the eye could see. It was clear I was no longer in Sumeru... perhaps not even in Teyvat.

The people wore unfamiliar clothes, and everything around me looked far more... futuristic.

I descended to the ground and started walking.

People stared at me, calling me a "Pro Hero." I was no hero—let alone a professional.

Then, out of nowhere, a woman appeared, dressed in black with springs attached to her feet, carrying bags that I assumed were filled with the local currency.

I could've ignored it and moved on, but the scene was too pathetic to overlook. With a flick of my wrist, I summoned a gust of wind, sending the woman flying into a wall and knocking her unconscious.

I thought no one had noticed.

That was, until I crossed paths with a strange creature—it looked like a small bear dressed in a suit.

I had used my abilities—or as it called them, my "quirk,"—which apparently wasn't allowed. Yet, it quickly realized I wasn't from this place. I'm not sure what "quirk" means, but I plan to find out.

It was clever—really clever. It saw what I had done and had made dozens of hypothesis and conjecture in its mind, I could feel the countless thought behind its sparkling eyes. And then, It? No. He offered me refuge in its... school.

We entered a vehicle, something it called a "car," unlike anything I'd seen before.

When we arrived, I finally got a good look at the school. The building was massive, shaped like an 'H' and seemingly made of glass. It was impressive, to say the least.

Inside, the halls were empty. The creature explained that it was summer break, and the students weren't around. Eventually, we reached its office—a surprisingly large space. It gestured for me to sit, and I took a seat, curious about what was to come.

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The young man in unusual clothing appeared cautious.

Nezu felt intrigued by this stranger. He was dressed like a pro hero, but his evident confusion suggested otherwise.

"First things first, What is your name?" Nezu inquired.

"... You may call me Wanderer," the young man replied.

'Wanderer? A code name perhaps?' Nezu thought and introduced himself, "The name's Nezu and I am the principal of UA high."

An awkward silence ensued before Nezu cleared his throat and continued, "And where do you come from?" Nezu said, studying him curiously.

"I hail from Sumeru. I chose to wander the lands, helping those I encounter," Wanderer explained.

"And where exactly is this Sumeru?" Nezu asked, intrigued in his tone, as he didn't recognize the name and sensed that the young man was telling the truth.

Noticing the look of confusion on Nezu's face, Wanderer clarified, "It seems you're unfamiliar with the name. I'm not from this world. I was hoping you have information but it seems not." With that, Wanderer, realizing that the bear before him has no knowledge of his homeworld, rose and made his way toward the door.

"And use your quirk while doing so?" Wanderer paused and turned to face the creature.

"Quirk?" He raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"A power," Nezu explained. "People all over the world possess some kind of supernatural ability. Those with these powers who also have a hero license can use them to help others."

"And without a hero license, using your quirk in public can get you arrested by the government or heroes," Nezu added, his gaze stern.

Wanderer met his gaze, silent for a moment before responding, "Then give me a license."

Nezu smiled. "And what makes you think I have the authority to do that?"

"This is a school for heroes. I realized that when I saw the certificates on the walls and confirm that your institution is certified to teach heroism." Wanderer crossed his arms, fully facing the chimera.

"Wonderful deduction!" Nezu felt a thrill at encountering such a keen mind. "However, I can't just hand you a license. You'll need to complete three years of schooling first."

Wanderer scowled. "I refuse. I won't sit alongside snot-nosed kids for the next three years." Was this person older than he appeared? He looked to be in his late teens or early twenties.

"Well then, we'll have to find a compromise." Nezu clasped his paws together.

"Give me a license, and I'll be on my way. Either way, I'll still use my abilities to find my own way home if I have to," Wanderer replied, narrowing his eyes.

"You'll encounter other heroes and law enforcement along the way," Nezu warned.

"They can try, but they can't stop the wind." As he spoke, the air in the room began to stir, and Wanderer's eyes glowed.

Nezu locked eyes with Wanderer, letting out a sigh. "Hold your horses." Instantly, the wind subsided.

"I can get you a license, but you'll need to study our laws and regulations first, then pass a series of tests to prove you're qualified to be a pro hero." Nezu had a contact who could assist, but it would be a challenge.

"… Where can I study everything I need to know for this exam?" Wanderer asked.

"Our library has all the resources you'll require." Nezu grinned. "And as for your living arrangements—"

"I do not need sleep."

Nezu blinked in surprise. "Every human requires sleep, Mr. Wanderer."

"Perhaps," Wanderer hummed and commented perfunctorily. "For now, all I require is a room to study." Wanderer added, gazing thoughtfully at him.

"Let me make a call, and I'll arrange everything. I'll also notify you when the test will be held." Nezu grabbed his phone and contacted his staff, who was in the infirmary conducting some medical tests. "For now, I'll have one of my associates, Recovery Girl, take you to a break room where you can rest."

"Very well. I hope this doesn't take long…"

Though he understood the need for patience, Wanderer was eager not to waste time.

Ten minutes later, an elderly woman in a nurse's outfit entered. "You old rat! I was in the middle of something!" Recovery Girl was clearly not pleased.

Wanderer was taken aback by her aged appearance considering the 'Girl' in her name.

"My apologies, but could you please escort this young man to one of the break rooms? I have calls to make."

This made Wanderer laugh.

"Oh, and what's so funny?" Nezu tilted his head in curiosity.

"Oh, it's just amusing that you assume I'm the youngest person in the room." A plain smile crossed Wanderer's face, making Nezu realize he was likely older than both him and Recovery Girl.

"Well then, sonny, let's go. You can tell me about yourself while we walk." Recovery Girl offered as she led Wanderer out of the office.

Nezu dialed a number and waited for the call to connect. "Hello, I'd like to cash in one of my favors."

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It had been three days, six hours, and twenty-three minutes since he arrived at UA High School.

They had offered him an apartment, but he declined. He found the break room at UA to be a cozy place to rest and read when he wasn't in the library. As for his clothing, he discovered that the UA gym uniforms were comfortable for lounging, while the student uniform worked well for moving around the school. He had been mistaken for a student a couple of times by faculty, but he skillfully avoided drawing attention to himself.

Another topic they kept bringing up was food. He didn't need to eat, but they wouldn't listen. Recovery Girl insisted on examining him after he went twenty-four hours without food, water, or sleep… he relented, to avoid suspicion.

Wanderer chose to spend most of his time in the school's library, delving into the available books.

He also discovered the internet, which resembled the Akasha system set up in Sumeru—a vast collection of knowledge from people around the world at his fingertips. As he explored it, he was astonished.

Humanity had advanced remarkably without the intervention of gods and archons, without divine beings ruling over them. While some still worshiped deities, those "gods" seemed to be mere figures shaped by retellings of past events.

Then there were quirks—extraordinary abilities that reminded him of those who possessed visions back home, though such things didn't exist in this world.

He needed to conceal his Vision to prevent anyone from connecting it to his powers.

Fortunately, he had a compartment in his chest specifically designed to hide it, located right where his heart should be.

He was grateful for his excellent memory, though there were moments he wished he could forget certain things…

After his deep dive into this world's history, he turned his attention to the laws and regulations of this world and Japan.

Some of these laws were downright absurd.

While he understood the necessity of regulating the use of powers among civilians, labeling anyone who used their abilities in public as a "villain," even during emergencies, was utterly foolish.

Though there might be instances where people received warnings, too many infractions could land them in prison.

"Ah, I knew I'd find you here." Wanderer glanced up from his computer and turned his head to see Nezu standing beside him.

"Do you bring news?" he asked, returning his focus to the screen, where he was reading about quirk laws.

"Yes, my contact informed me that they can arrange an examination for you to obtain a license, but there are conditions." Nezu replied.

"They always have conditions… what are they?" Wanderer scoffed.

"First, you must score 100 on all the tests, both written and physical." Nezu's words made him pause. Achieving 100% on all tests shouldn't be a problem.

"And second, you'll need to have an interview with the representative of the HPSC." At Nezu's statement, Wanderer sighed and rubbed his forehead. Of course, the people who practically governed the hero society wanted to talk to him…

"Is that all?" he asked, trying to keep his frustration in check.

"Yes, and you have a month to prepare." Nezu nodded.

"Plenty of time. I'll make sure to learn everything I can." Wanderer turned back to his computer.

"Our training grounds are also open to you," Nezu offered.

"Appreciated," Wanderer said, waving Nezu off. The creature studied him for a moment before leaving.

Wanderer planned to start training with his wind powers but knew he would have to do so without anyone suspecting his 'quirk'.

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"... My clothes are enough…" Wanderer looked at the bags that Nezu and a man with a dog like appearance, Hound Dog, was the name of this hero, who is also the school's therapist…

Two weeks before he needed to take the License Exam.

"Having only one set of clothes is unacceptable." Nezu told him.

"You are lucky Nezu knows your size grrr." Hound Dog finished with a small growl, but it wasn't malicious at all.

"... What's your endgame here?" Wanderer gave the principal a narrowed look.

"I am simply trying to look after you." Nezu said as the puppet kept up his narrowed stare.

"I'm not one of your students… I'm simply doing this so I can use my power without any issues with the authorities here." Wanderer crossed his arms.

"You still have two weeks until that day comes." Nezu responded.

"... Very well, I will wear these…" The puppet took the clothes and placed them down. "I will keep my hat." He took the hat and placed it on top of the clothes.

"Reasonable enough!" Nezu perked up as the two left the room.

"... Principal Nezu, are you sure about this?" Hound Dog asked.

"This young man is strong, with abilities and potential that I'm sure can surprise us all, I'm simply doing my job as a hero to guide him towards the right path." Nezu stated as they walked away.