In a cramped apartment dimly lit by the bluish glow of a monitor, a young man sat hunched over his desk, eyes locked onto the screen in front of him. Empty ramen cups were stacked like fallen towers around him, and half-finished energy drinks lay scattered like debris from a caffeine-fueled war. The air was thick with the scent of instant noodles, electronics, and exhaustion.
"That was close!" the young man shouted, pumping a fist in triumph as the game flashed *Victory*. He leaned forward, reaching for another energy drink—his third one that night.
But his fingers slipped.
The can tumbled from his grasp, smacking the edge of the keyboard before toppling onto the desk. Neon-orange liquid slowly oozed from the can, creeping toward a cluster of tangled power cables like it had a mission.
John's heart skipped a beat.
"Oh, shi—"
Before he could finish, his body swayed. His vision blurred.
He sat up too fast—and the world spun violently.
His knees gave out.
He crashed backward with a dull thud, limbs turning to rubber as the ceiling spiraled above him. The Naruto Storm theme still echoed faintly from his headset, muffled and distant, like it was playing underwater.
Then—
**Nothing.**
Just blackness.
---
John didn't know how long he was unconscious, but when he came to, he was… floating.
Suspended in a void—black and endless. No time. No space. No sound.
Until…
A faint light shimmered in the distance. A dying ember, flickering like a star on its last breath.
Without thinking, John began swimming toward it, arms moving as if through syrup. It felt like he was pushing through the weight of eternity itself.
Finally—
With a soundless *woosh*, the light sucked him in.
John blinked.
Now he was standing… somewhere. His vision was blurry, but ahead of him floated a massive glowing sphere, pulsing like a heartbeat.
He squinted. "What the hell am I looking at—a sentient disco ball?"
The light pulsed again, and then—
A deep, rumbling voice echoed in all directions.
**"Yes, I did just talk. And no, I'm not a disco ball. I'm what you people call… 'God.'"**
John rubbed his eyes. "Am I hallucinating? I swear I hear angel music right now."
The orb floated closer, glowing brighter.
"Let me be clear—I'm not just any god. I'm one of the oldest. My siblings—"
"Whoa, whoa," John interrupted, waving his hands. "Let's not go through your whole family tree. Why am I here?"
The orb paused. "Right. The usual. You died—working too hard, gaming too much. Your body just... gave out. I figured I'd let you reincarnate. Y'know. Grant a wish. Send you to a new world. That's how these stories usually go."
John narrowed his eyes. "Did you say *stories*?"
"No, I didn't," the orb said quickly. "That's just your imagination."
John could've sworn he'd heard this exact setup somewere..
"Okay then… what kind of wish are we talking here?"
"Anything within reason," the orb said. "No Superman powers. No reality-breaking hacks. I'm tired of fixing those timelines."
"Fine. What about super genius-level IQ?"
"Nope."
"Power of the Hulk?"
"Still no."
John scratched his head. "What about a system that lets me learn ninjutsu? Like a Naruto-style power system?"
The orb paused. "Hmm… that one I can work with."
"Wait—did you just say *yes*?"
"Yes."
John pumped his fists in the void. "Hell yes!"
The orb chuckled. "You'll get your Naruto system. As for your identity, that's something you'll have to figure out yourself. Don't worry—you'll blend in just fine.
"What about the TVA? Aren't they gonna prune me or something?"
"They don't care about you," the orb said flatly. "You're too low on the multiversal food chain."
"Wait, what world am I going to?" John asked, suddenly realizing he never got the most important detail.
The orb pulsed one last time.
**"The one with Iron Man, aliens, and gods. Good luck, John—you're headed to the Marvel Cinematic Universe."**
John's eyes widened. "Wait, wha—"
Without warning, John felt his body being launched forward, like being flushed through a giant cosmic washing machine.