[3rd POV]
The loud clanging echoed in his ears, and the blurry, half-conscious Tony felt a sharp pain at the back of his head from the ground beneath him.
"Sir."
'Who was that?'
"Sir!"
'Who are they calling?'
'Me?'
"Wake up! Sir!"
A cold, damp air rushed in, flooding Tony's nostrils. The air smelled a little like blood… and something strange and dangerous.
That scent seemed to pierce straight through his nostrils into his soul.
Suddenly, Tony felt like he had been pulled out of deep water, and his mind snapped wide awake.
He suddenly opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
The ground was shaking in a steady rhythm, and there were loud clanking sounds.
The thick, dark clouds were rushing past the window next to him, and there were rows of seats on both sides.
He was lying on the floor in the aisle between the seats.
He was on a train.
'But… why was I on a train like this?'
After regaining his senses, Tony pushed himself up from the floor and saw empty seats and a train attendant standing by his side.
"Sir, are you all right?"
'Why is an unfamiliar train attendant asking me something in English?"
'When the hell did I get on a train?'
'No, no, something's wrong. I wasn't on a train before!'
Tony shook his head hard, trying to convince himself that what he was seeing wasn't just a hallucination.
Unfortunately, everything before his eyes felt far too real.
The faint chill in the air, the cold steel of the train, the scratches and wear on the walls, and the loud sound of the train rushing forward… it all told him that this world was real.
'But wasn't I just staying up late typing on my computer?"'
Tony tried hard to remember what happened last. He thought maybe he was so tired while typing that he fell asleep on his keyboard.
'Maybe I was so tired I passed out and now I'm dreaming. Or maybe... some TV show is trying to prank me?'
That was the best explanation he could come up with.
While thinking, Tony stood up and sat down on a nearby train seat. The train attendant was still standing there, asking if he was okay, but he didn't say a word.
Seeing that the passenger still hadn't said a word, the attendant couldn't help but feel a little uneasy because the train was almost at its last stop.
That final stop... was called Gotham.
It was possible for a sane person to go to Gotham City but it's not the kind of place sane people usually visit.
The attendant asked again, but Tony still didn't answer. He just stared at the worker with a strange look.
The look was so creepy that the worker couldn't handle it and quickly apologized before running away.
Tony watched the worker leave, then slowly turned his head toward the train window.
The glass was a little foggy, but he could see a dark, gray sky and rain clouds over a city.
There was a tall clock tower, lots of tall buildings packed close together, strange gothic-style buildings, and farther away, some messy, short buildings.
He could also see signs and words in English.
"Where the hell did I end up?"
Tony muttered unconsciously.
"Woooo—"
Suddenly, the train whistle blew. The train began to slow down and soon rolled into a station.
Looking out the window and the blond-haired, blue-eyed people waiting there, Tony stood frozen.
Clang!
The train doors opened, and one by one, passengers with luggage stepped out of the carriage and onto the platform.
Tony got swept along with the crowd off the train.
'Why haven't I woken up yet? Why won't this dream end?'
He stepped off the train in a daze.
After only a few steps, Tony stopped abruptly, staring blankly at the English words above the platform.
Gotham City
"?"
Tony had been trying to keep lying to himself a little longer but couldn't fool himself anymore.
Even though he didn't know many English words, Tony had watched some superhero movies and knew this city was one of the most significant cities.
'Fuck! Who's heartless bastard dumped me in this place?!'
Tonny raised both hands and covered his face in despair.
He couldn't help but wonder if he was going to get skinned, torn apart, and wiped off the map in some back alley on his very first night in this city.
This city was one of the most dangerous places in the DC universe, and almost seventy percent of this city's population belonged to gangs.
The rest were made up of world-class terrorist organizations, assassin syndicates, kids, billionaires, capitalists, and a few supervillains who worked alone.
Then there were the unluckiest people in the world like him, who knew nothing about this city and accidentally ended up here.
"Ding."
[Welcome! Your 'Start From Scratch' System is ready.]
[The user has to work hard to make money and get rich to obtain skills and items.]
Current Assets: 7$
[Mission: The user has to use their own two hands to find a job in Gotham City and earn their first paycheck since arriving.]
Newbie Benefits Available:
[Basic English Proficiency]
[Price: 1$]
[Description: The user will have foundational knowledge and understanding of the English language, enabling them to engage in simple conversations and comprehend basic written and spoken content.]
...
[Local Identity]
[Price: 1$ per copy]'
[Description: The user will have an identity in this world, allowing them to navigate and participate effectively in this world.]
...
[Rapid Health Regeneration 99.999% off]
[Price: 1$]
[Description: This could accelerate healing, allowing them to recover from wounds and fatigue and cure diseases and toxins far more quickly than the average person.]
...
Save Point
Price: $1
[Description: The user can mark a specific moment or place to return to save their progress if something goes wrong.
[The user has to remember that you can only earn money or throughough legitimate employment. However, the user will not be able to use this when they die.]
Seeing the system and the options it offered, Tony's emotions went up and down like a roller coaster.
He had so many thoughts, but in the end, he just sighed.
'What kind of lunatic would even think of finding a legal job in Gotham?'
'Speaking of which, where did this starting capital of seven dollars come from? I don't have any US dollars on me.'
He patted his pockets carefully and suddenly realized his phone and wallet had disappeared.
"Great, just great. I thought this money was a free gift, but it turns out it came from me."
He sighed and casually purchased "Basic English Proficiency" and "Local Identity."
He also bought "Rapid Health Regeneration" and a "Save Point."
[Special Notice: The user can move save points forward later. The user doesn't be stingy with the use of save points. The 20 available save loads can be distributed across five different time points, so plan accordingly. The current time is a safe period. No danger will occur in the next half hour, but saving is also unavailable.]
Looking up at the sky, the thick clouds blocked out the sunlight.
From the sky, Tony could only tell it was evening, but he had no way of knowing the exact time.
He began walking out of the station. He remembered seeing a clock tower from the train earlier and could find out the time once he got outside.
He remembered he should have a local identity in Gotham. He checked his pockets again but found them empty.
Then, Tony looked more carefully and realized his driver's license, social security card, and other ID were stored in the system.
"Well, that's a little bit helpful."
He muttered.
Tony had never seen a foreign driver's license before. He put his hand in his jacket pocket and, after a few seconds, took out his driver's license.
He looked at it with curiosity, then put it back. Right now, he really needed to find a job in Gotham.
As he stepped out of the crowded platform, Tony finally saw the city up close.
The tiny raindrops fell softly from the sky, covering the dark city with a thin, hazy cloud.
The glowing streets shimmered with colorful lights, and vehicles and motorcycles occasionally sped by.
The tall buildings nearby were lit up at the bottom by city lights, but their tops disappeared into the dark night.
He looked up into the distance.
The clock tower showed it was 9:30 at night.
It was clear that there'd be no finding work tonight, and he would have to make it through until morning.
"This start is just f***ing ridiculous."
A cold wind blew, carrying chilly mist.
He shivered and quickly put his hands back in his jacket pockets. He curled up and tried hard to think, but he had no idea where to sleep.
The bustling streets would definitely get him chased away, but the more quiet corners were far too likely to get him killed.
'Is there really no other way?'
He checked through the system carefully.
Luckily, Tony found things that could be bought and things that probably shouldn't be for sale.
There are small stuff like food and knives and big things like special abilities and supernatural artifacts.
There were even more things below, but Tony didn't look because he couldn't afford them anyway.
The system showed that he had only three dollars. Given the current situation, it was almost sure he'd be sleeping on the streets tonight.
As he walked, he continued scrolling through the cheaper items in the store. Then suddenly, he realized something:
While walking and looking at cheap stuff in the store, Tony suddenly noticed his driver's license was missing from his pocket.
"...?"
He was absolutely sure he didn't put his driver's license into the system, and it should still be in his jacket pocket.
Tony turned his jacket inside out, but he still couldn't find his driver's license.
He was so frustrated he nearly started cursing out loud when suddenly, his hand brushed against his pants pocket.
It took him a few seconds to understand what happened.
He just arrived in Gotham City, and he had been robbed somewhere in the short distance from the station to here.
Then, the thief apparently discovered his pockets were as empty and the thief just quietly put the driver's license back in his pants pocket.
The entire theft happened without him noticing.
'Am I imagining it or not? I didn't see anyone get close to me... and it's so dark I can't even see properly.'