Isaiah stared at the choices, mouth suddenly dry. This wasn't part of his brilliant plan. The system was forcing his hand, demanding commitment before he even understood the rules of this world.
What the hell, Arcan? he thought furiously. You didn't mention anything about choosing a permanent path!
『You didn't ask,』 Arcan replied smugly. 『Besides, nothing worth having comes without conditions. You want power? You have to declare what you'll use it for. The System isn't just a video game mechanic—it's a contract. Your soul in exchange for power.』
"That's ridiculous," Isaiah whispered, sitting up on the bed. "I'm not picking a side before I know which one is most profitable."
『Then you stay powerless. No AP earned, no Gacha pulls, no abilities. Just a Quirkless nobody in a world of superhumans. Your choice.』
Isaiah glared at the options floating before him. The Path of the Hero seemed most logical—this was a society built around hero worship, after all. The benefits of going legitimate in such a system would be substantial.
But the restrictions…
The Villain path offered freedom, but at what cost? Automatic hostility from the entire established system seemed like poor business strategy. Being hunted everywhere he went would severely limit his operational capacity.
His eyes lingered on the Vigilante option. The gray area. Maximum flexibility. The ability to play both sides. But utterly alone...
A memory surfaced—not Izuku's, but his own. Standing over a body, knife in hand, blood cooling on his skin. No witnesses. No backup. No one to trust. He'd been alone his entire life. What difference would it make now?
He reached toward the Vigilante option, finger hovering over it.
But then another memory bubbled up—Izuku's this time. A child watching a video of All Might saving people from a burning building, tears streaming down his face. "I want to be a hero who smiles like that," the tiny Izuku had whispered.
Isaiah jerked his hand back as if burned. These weren't his feelings. This wasn't his dream. He looked around at the All Might shrine that surrounded him.
"I don't want to be a hero," he said firmly. "I want to be rich, powerful, and comfortable. Period."
『Noble goals,』 Arcan snickered. 『But you still have to pick a path.』
Isaiah ran his fingers through his hair—green hair, Izuku's hair—and tried to think logically. The Vigilante path offered the most freedom. Heroes could be bribed or manipulated. Villains could be negotiated with or eliminated. It was the optimal choice for someone who wanted maximum flexibility and minimal oversight.
But something still held him back. A nagging suspicion that these pre-defined paths were too limiting, too simplistic for what he had in mind.
"What if I want to be all three?" he asked suddenly. "Hero by day, vigilante by night, villain when it suits me?"
『Not an option. Pick one.』
"There's always another option," Isaiah insisted, mind racing. "There's always a loophole."
He started pacing the small room, stepping over piles of hero merchandise. There had to be a way to game this system. Some choice the designers hadn't accounted for.
Izuku's analytical mind kicked in. The system wanted a declaration of intent, a vow. But vows could be phrased to achieve multiple goals. Lawyers did it all the time. Politicians made careers of it.
He stopped pacing. "What if I don't choose any of the preset paths? What if I create my own?"
Arcan was silent for a moment. 『The System requires a declaration. It doesn't technically specify that it must be one of those three options.』
"So I could, theoretically, declare my own path?"
『You could try. I wouldn't recommend it. Custom paths have... unpredictable effects.』
Isaiah smiled, a predator scenting weakness. "Unpredictable means not necessarily bad."
『It also means not necessarily good.』
"I'll take that chance." Isaiah straightened his shoulders and faced the floating menu. "I reject all three paths. I declare my own: The Path of the Opportunist."
For a breathless moment, nothing happened. Then the text windows shattered like glass, fragments dissolving into the air. The room plunged into darkness so complete that Isaiah couldn't see his hand in front of his face.
He felt a presence—vast and calculating—examining him. Judging him.
A new window appeared, text forming letter by letter, as if being typed by someone considering each word carefully.
[CUSTOM PATH ACKNOWLEDGED: THE OPPORTUNIST]
Description: Neither hero nor villain, you bow to no ideology but your own advantage.
Society's rules are merely suggestions, morality is a currency to be spent, and loyalty extends only as far as mutual benefit.
You will walk all paths when it suits you, betray any principle for the right price, and use any means to elevate yourself above the masses.
Perks: +100% AP from Exploiting Systems/People, Unlocks "Charm" and "Intimidation" sub-stats simultaneously, Access to exclusive "Double Agent" quests.
Penalty: Trust is nearly impossible to earn. Once fully betrayed, an NPC can rarely be reconciled. The System will regularly test your commitment to self-interest with increasingly difficult moral choices.
WARNING: This path has not been tested. By accepting, you acknowledge that unforeseen consequences may arise.
Do you accept these terms?
[YES] | [NO]
"Unforeseen consequences," Isaiah murmured, eyes narrowing. "How ominous."
『I wouldn't do this if I were you,』 Arcan warned, genuine concern in her voice for once. 『Custom paths can destabilize the whole System. You're basically telling a carefully designed program to go off-script.』
"When have I ever followed someone else's script?" Isaiah replied. "My entire first life was improvisation. Why stop now?"
He reached out and tapped [YES].
The text froze, flickered, then dissolved. For one terrible moment, nothing happened.
Then the world exploded in silver light.
It poured from the ring on Isaiah's finger, spiraling up his arm in intricate, glowing patterns that resembled circuit boards. The light spread across his chest, down his other arm, up his neck, until his entire body was covered in a web of argent fire.
Pain seared through every nerve, not the burning heat he expected but a cold so intense it felt like his blood was crystallizing in his veins.
Isaiah tried to scream, but no sound emerged.
『Oh crap,』 Arcan's voice came, distant and fading. 『I told you this was a bad idea—』
Her voice cut off as the symbols covering Isaiah's body pulsed once, twice, then sank beneath his skin, disappearing from view but leaving a phantom sensation of ice in their wake.
The darkness retreated. Isaiah found himself back in Izuku's bedroom, sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath. He pulled himself up to his knees, limbs trembling with aftershocks.
A notification appeared in his vision:
[Custom Path Integration: 4% Complete]
[Estimated Time to Full Integration: Unknown]
[Current Status: Functional but Unstable]
[Warning: Path Selection has triggered a System-wide recalibration. Some features may be temporarily unavailable.]
"What the hell does that mean?" Isaiah croaked, throat raw as if he'd been screaming.
『It means you broke it,』 Arcan replied, her voice sounding strained. 『The System is trying to accommodate your nonsense choice. It's like forcing a square peg into a round hole—something's got to give.』
"Will it work?"
『Eventually if we're lucky. In the meantime, congratulations on becoming even more of a liability to yourself.』
Isaiah laughed bitterly. "Story of my life." He pulled himself up to sit on the edge of the bed, staring at the All Might poster directly across from him. The hero's painted smile seemed to mock him now.
"Izuku!" Inko's voice called from beyond the door. "Dinner's ready!"
"Coming, Mom," he called back.
He stood, sparing one final glance at the room that represented everything he wasn't. All this hero worship was going to be the first thing to go.
As he reached for the doorknob, a final notification appeared:
[First Branch Choice Detected: Reject Inherited Ideals]
[Warning: This choice carries significant future consequences. Proceed anyway?]
[YES] | [NO]
Without hesitation, Isaiah tapped [YES].