EVOLUTION WITH MULTIVERSE SYSTEM

The small apartment was suffocatingly silent, save for the faint hum of a desktop computer struggling to stay alive. Papers, empty instant noodle cups, and a stack of unopened bills were strewn across the room, remnants of a life spiraling out of control. The young man, Jace, sat hunched over, his face illuminated by the dim glow of the monitor.

His reflection stared back from the black screen—disheveled hair, tired eyes, and a perpetual scowl that seemed permanently etched into his features. Another day, another failure. A rejection email from yet another job application sat unopened in his inbox. He already knew what it said.

"We regret to inform you..."

He closed his eyes, leaning back in his creaky chair. "What's the point anymore?" he muttered to no one in particular.

For Jace, life had always been a series of dead ends. Mediocre grades, no special talents, and an endless barrage of setbacks had left him hollow. He didn't dream anymore. Dreams were for people who had a chance, and he wasn't one of them.

But that night, fate—or something far stranger—decided to intervene.

It started with a ping.

Jace blinked, glancing at his screen. A new email notification. At first, he ignored it. It was probably spam or another credit card company demanding payment. But something about the subject line caught his eye.

"Do you desire power? Evolution awaits."

His brow furrowed. It sounded ridiculous, like some scam promising eternal youth or financial freedom. Yet, his cursor hovered over the email. What harm could it do to look?

He clicked.

The screen went black for a moment, and Jace's heart skipped a beat. Then, a strange golden glow emerged, forming lines of text.

Congratulations, chosen one. You have been selected to host the Multiverse System. Accept this gift and evolve beyond limits.

Jace stared, slack-jawed. "Is this... some kind of joke?" he muttered. He tried moving the mouse, but it wouldn't respond. The keyboard was unresponsive too. Panic bubbled up in his chest.

Then the text changed.

"Do you accept? [YES] or [NO]"

"Accept what?" he asked aloud, his voice trembling.

As if answering, the screen displayed more:

"By accepting, you will embark on a journey across worlds. Power, knowledge, and evolution will be within your grasp. But beware: failure equals death."

Jace froze. The words shouldn't have rattled him—they were just text on a screen—but something about them felt... real. He could feel a strange energy radiating from the monitor, like it was alive.

"Failure equals death?" he whispered, his throat dry.

It sounded absurd, yet a part of him was tempted. What did he have to lose? His life was already in shambles. Maybe this was a prank, or maybe he was dreaming. Either way, it didn't matter.

With a deep breath, he muttered, "Yes."

The moment the word left his lips, the screen exploded in golden light.

Pain.

It was as if fire had erupted inside his chest, spreading through his veins like molten lava. Jace collapsed to the floor, clutching his head as the world around him blurred. The glow from the computer grew brighter, enveloping him entirely.

A voice echoed in his mind, calm yet commanding.

"System initialization in progress. Host synchronization at 30%... 60%... 100%."

The pain subsided as quickly as it had come, replaced by an eerie stillness. Jace gasped for air, his body trembling. When he opened his eyes, the golden light was gone.

In its place was something impossible: a glowing interface hovering in the air before him.

System Activated. Welcome to the Multiverse System.

"What the hell..." Jace muttered, staring at the display. It looked like something out of a video game, with tabs labeled Status, Skills, Inventory, and Worlds.

The voice returned.

"You have been chosen as a candidate for ultimate evolution. Your path begins now."

"Candidate? Evolution?" Jace asked, still trying to process what was happening.

The interface shifted, displaying new information:

Name: Jace

Level: 0

Evolution Points (EP): 0

Current World: Earth (Initialization Phase)

Mission: Complete the trial to unlock access to the Multiverse.

Before Jace could ask what the trial was, the ground beneath him disappeared.

The Trial

Jace hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of him. When he looked up, he realized he wasn't in his apartment anymore.

The sky above was a swirling mass of black and purple, and the terrain was barren, cracked, and lifeless. Strange howls echoed in the distance, sending shivers down his spine.

"Where am I?" he whispered.

"You are in a pocket dimension designed for your initiation. Complete the trial to proceed."

A sudden roar made Jace spin around. Emerging from the shadows was a creature unlike anything he'd ever seen: a wolf-like beast with glowing red eyes and jagged, bone-like spikes protruding from its back.

Trial Objective:

- Survive for 10 minutes.

Jace's heart pounded as the beast lunged at him. He barely managed to roll out of the way, the creature's claws missing him by inches.

"Survive? With what?!" he yelled.

"Activating Basic Combat Module."

A shimmering dagger appeared in his hand, its blade glowing faintly. Jace didn't have time to marvel at it. The wolf was already charging again.

The fight was chaotic. Jace wasn't a fighter—he was barely athletic—but adrenaline and sheer desperation kept him moving. He swung the dagger wildly, managing to graze the wolf's side. It howled in pain but didn't slow down.

Each minute felt like an eternity. His arms ached, his legs burned, and his breaths came in ragged gasps. But somehow, he held on.

Finally, the System's voice rang out:

"Trial complete. Congratulations, Host."

The wolf dissolved into particles of light, and Jace collapsed to his knees, the dagger vanishing from his grip.

A New Beginning

The pocket dimension faded, and Jace found himself back in his apartment. The interface was still there, but now it displayed new information:

Reward: 10 Evolution Points

Unlocked: World Travel Module

The System spoke again, its tone almost encouraging.

"Prepare yourself, Host. Your journey begins now. The first world: Toriko."

As a glowing portal materialized before him, Jace realized two things. First, his life was no longer his own. Second, he didn't care. For the first time in years, he felt something stir within him—a sense of purpose.

Steeling himself, he stepped through the portal.