Aaaaahhhh...
The moment the portal swallowed me, it felt like my body was being stretched and twisted in ways that should have been physically impossible.
A horrible, nauseating sensation.
I woke up to the sound of rustling leaves and distant, guttural growls.
The air was thick with humidity, carrying the faint scent of damp bark and something sharper—blood. Towering trees stretched into a dark canopy above, slicing sunlight into jagged beams. Vines coiled like snakes around their trunks.
The only certainty? I wasn't on Earth anymore.
I groaned as I sat up. At least my clothes were mostly intact—just a little torn here and there.
So... where the hell am I?
I scanned the forest around me. No signs of civilization. Just me. Alone. And eerie silence—not the comforting kind, but the "something's watching" kind.
"Which world is this, exactly?" I muttered.
The ROB hadn't told me. He'd been suspiciously tight-lipped about it.
Now that I think about it...
WHERE THE HELL IS MY CHEAT?!
"Don't tell me he scammed me!" I yelled, pacing and throwing a tantrum.
Then my pocket suddenly felt heavy. I reached in and pulled out a glass vial filled with a shimmering, multicolored liquid.
Is this... it?
My heart pounded as I uncorked the vial and downed the liquid in one gulp. It tasted like every flavor in existence—sweet, sour, bitter—all at once.
A warm sensation spread through my body, the essence merging with me, filling every cell. Instinctively, I understood its rules and workings, but I'll spare you the boring details.
Bottom line: the gacha system is nerfed. No instant OP powers. I'll have to earn my strength.
Sigh.
Well, at least I've got a path to power. Small victories.
Then came the next problem.
"Why the hell am I in a kid's body?!"
My voice cracked higher than expected—like a squeaky violin being tortured by an angry squirrel.
I looked down at my hands. Small. Chubby. Fingers like undercooked sausages. I scrambled to my feet—more like wobbled—and tried to get my limbs under control, like I'd just installed them this morning and skipped the user manual.
"Great," I muttered. "Stuck in a jungle, probably about to be lunch for something with twelve eyes."
I inspected my reflection in a nearby pool.
Looks like I'm stuck in a 14-year-old's body. Well, at least I'm not a toddler like most reincarnators. Silver lining? The Essence—that beautiful, shimmering cheat juice—still hummed beneath my skin like a thousand tiny power plants high-fiving each other.
"Alright... let's see..."
I called out, 'Status'. Nothing.
Tried 'Menu'. Still nothing.
Then: 'Character Sheet'.
A translucent screen appeared:
---
[Name: ---]
[Race: Human]
[Character Assimilation]
Fully Assimilated
- None
[Summons]
- None
[Powers]
- None
[Equipped Items]
- None
---
"Interesting. Completely average. And no name? Guess I'm naming myself."
Two thousand years later...
"Kael. Yeah, that's a solid name."
Now, you know what time it is...
It's Gacha time.
I willed the interface to spin. Colors and runes swirled—indecipherable, but mesmerizing.
"Please, give me something good," I prayed to the gacha gods.
The results hovered in the air like a divine grocery list:
1. Hiro Protagonist (Snow Crash)
2. Emergency Ration Box
3. Unassuming Presence
4. Common Sense (Upgraded)
5. Sturdy Backpack
6. Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings)
7. Compass of Truth
8. Tofu
9. Loid Forger (Spy x Family)
10. Kunai x1
I stared at the transparent list like it was a cosmic joke.
"No flashy swords, no explosions... just me and tofu."
I scanned through the haul: three characters, two skills, and some survival gear.
Loid was a no-brainer—straight into the Assimilation slot.
Hiro and Samwise? Useless... for now.
Emergency Ration Box? Could save my life.
Unassuming Presence and Upgraded Common Sense? Actually pretty handy in unknown territory.
Sturdy Backpack? Perfect for storing loot.
Compass of Truth? Its description says it "points to your honest destination"—whatever that means.
Tofu? Well... it's tofu.
And the Kunai? That'll do for basic self-defense.
I stored everything in my gacha inventory and took a bite of the tofu. Surprisingly good.
I turned back to Hiro and Samwise. They stared at me from the list with silent judgment—Hiro with his cyberpunk smirk, Sam with that potato-loving loyalty.
"Sorry, boys. Not today."
With a flick of thought, I shelved them into Summons. Maybe I'd call on them later for a dramatic, friendship-fueled final battle.
But right now?
I had to survive my first night.
Rustling came from deep within the trees. Something big was moving.
Two yellow eyes blinked from the underbrush.
A low growl rolled through the jungle like a bass drum.
"Well... this escalated quickly."
I pulled the Kunai from my inventory, gripping it awkwardly in my baby sausage fingers, and took a shaky stance.
"Okay, jungle. Round one. Let's dance."
I said it. Madara would be proud.
---------------------------------------------
CHAPTER END
A.N
So how was it. First time writing, give some gacha suggestions and ideas!!!