c1: The Strongest Acting System Across the Multiverse
"Hiss~"
Ryan Wong opened his eyes, only to feel a sharp pain at the back of his head.
He raised a hand to rub the aching spot as he sat up from the concrete, quickly noticing something was off.
Looking up, he saw a city skyline at night towering skyscrapers casting shadows across the empty streets. Looking down, he was on a Manhattan sidewalk.
"Where... am I? Was I pulling another late shift at the firm?"
Ryan blinked and stood up in shock.
He remembered clearly his team at the tech company was working overtime for a major government contract. The StarkTech integration project was nearing final approval. They had been debugging until the early hours.
Had he fallen asleep at his desk and somehow ended up here?
Was this just a dream?
"Roar!!"
A thunderous growl echoed through the air, like something primal had broken free.
Then a furious scream shook the ground: "HULK!!!"
The vibrations worsened the pain in his skull. The throbbing sensation reminded Ryan this was real.
Suddenly, unfamiliar memories flooded his mind. He glanced down to see a blood-smeared chunk of concrete nearby, the likely culprit of his injury and the key to his sudden clarity.
This was New York City. And according to these memories, he was the owner of a Chinese restaurant in Midtown Manhattan.
His name was still Ryan Wong, and his face remained the same but this wasn't the Earth he remembered.
He remembered seeing the Stark Tower standing tall in the skyline, and Tony Stark proclaiming to the world at a press conference, "I am Iron Man."
This was the Marvel Universe!
Judging from the visuals and timeline in his mind, this wasn't the comic multiverse it was the MCU itself.
Ryan took a breath of relief... then immediately regretted it.
Compared to Marvel comics where threats like Galactus, the Beyonder, or the Celestials made Thanos look like a warm-up the cinematic universe was merely a toned-down version. But even here, as an average human, he was dangerously outmatched.
Iron Man had appeared. Could the likes of the Hulk, Thor, Ultron, Hydra, or even Thanos be far behind?
Ryan swallowed hard. Betting on surviving Thanos's snap? No thanks. Knowing his luck, he'd be in the half that disintegrates.
But what could a regular guy do in a universe of superhumans and cosmic threats?
He thought back to the moment he lost consciousness.
He had stepped out for groceries. Then a loud explosion, a shockwave, and a flying slab of concrete knocked him out cold.
"I'm cursed with bad timing..."
BANG!
A building wall near him exploded outward as debris scattered, and another stone nearly collided with his head.
He ducked in time and glared toward the source of destruction.
Then froze in horror and bolted.
From the broken wall emerged a grotesque, green-skinned monster nearly twelve feet tall. Its bloodshot eyes burned with rage, and Ryan immediately knew what it was.
Abomination.
Emil Blonsky formerly a decorated Royal Marine turned operative under General Ross. Obsessed with strength, he had merged his DNA with Bruce Banner's gamma-enhanced blood, mutating into a violent monstrosity. Stronger than Hulk in raw force, but far more unstable.
Now, Blonsky had lost all sense of reason. As Abomination, he was rampaging through the city in search of a challenge worthy of his wrath and the Hulk was his target.
His monstrous physique was wreaking havoc. Abomination flipped a nearby SUV like a toy, sending it crashing into traffic. He lunged again, smashing a newsstand and hurling debris across the street.
"AHHH! HELP!!"
The panicked screams of civilians filled the air. NYPD officers opened fire, but their bullets bounced harmlessly off his thick hide.
CRASH!
A police car flew through the air and landed on a group of officers. The vehicle crumpled on impact. Several officers couldn't escape in time.
Chaos unfolded.
And Ryan Wong actor, programmer, accidental isekai traveler could only watch in horror.
When Ryan Wong witnessed the scene before him, he felt a suffocating pressure in his chest, as if a storm of dread was locked inside, unable to escape.
To lure out the Hulk, Abomination was ruthlessly tearing through everything without regard for life, property, or sanity. This wasn't just a monster this was a demon incarnate.
"Mom! I want my mommy!!"
Suddenly, the desperate cry of a child pierced the chaos behind him. Ryan stopped in his tracks and turned instinctively toward the sound.
There, a small blonde girl no older than five or six was lying on the cracked pavement, trembling. In front of her, a blonde woman likely her mother lay motionless in a pool of blood. Just behind them loomed Abomination, lifting a car over his head like a toy, ready to crush anything in his path.
Ryan's eyes burned with rage. He wanted to save her.
But the distance was too far!
And worse Abomination had spotted the little girl. He was charging straight toward her.
Just as despair was about to win, a cold, echoing voice rang out in Ryan's mind calm, robotic, and emotionless.
[Ding~ Obsession detected. Initiating Multiversal Performance System: The Strongest Acting System Across the Realms.]
[Host: Ryan Wong]
[Current Role: None]
[Performance Progress: 0%]
[Ownership: Unclaimed]
[Available Role Play Count: 1]
The disembodied voice made Ryan's eyes sharpen. In that moment, his pupils darkened with focus and then blazed with determination.
The golden finger had arrived.
He had no time to dig through manuals or ask questions. Without hesitation, Ryan shouted inwardly: "Extract character now!"
Saving that little girl came first.
He knew he was just a human here he couldn't do anything as Ryan Wong. But this system… if its name meant anything, then it allowed him to assume the persona of characters from across infinite multiverses.
It could be someone powerful or weak.
But anyone had to be stronger than a powerless civilian like Ryan Wong!
Sure enough, the system replied again in its ethereal tone:
[Accessing Role Pool: Choose one — Hokage Universe, DC Universe, Dragon Ball Universe.]
[Initiating random draw… Confirm?]
"Draw!"
[Draw successful. Role pool locked: Hokage Universe.]
[First-time bonus activated: "Fate Must Be Fulfilled" Buff granted.]
[Ding~ Drawing specific character…]
As the voice echoed, a rapid montage of silhouettes flashed through Ryan's consciousness. He saw countless shinobi from the Hidden Leaf, Sand, Mist… until finally the image settled on one radiant figure:
A man in a white cloak bordered with red flames, a Konoha forehead protector proudly shining on his brow. His spiky blonde hair and gentle, noble expression radiated warmth. Beneath his robe—an elite jōnin combat suit, and on the back, five characters in kanji: "Fourth Hokage – Namikaze Minato."
The Yellow Flash of Konoha Minato Namikaze.
Ryan's heart surged. That little girl… she could be saved!
When one thinks of Minato, the first word is always speed.
With the Flying Thunder God Technique, there's nowhere in any universe he can't reach in an instant.
[Ding~ Congratulations, Host. You have successfully drawn: The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze of Konohagakure.]
[Begin Performance?]
[Note: When performing, the host will assume the character's full appearance.]
Ryan had worried he might need a cosplay-level transformation dye his hair, put on a robe, act the part manually.
But no it was full metamorphosis.
He didn't hesitate.
Without missing a beat, he replied mentally: "Start acting!"
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