Jack sat on the weather-beaten wooden stool under the bridge, the sound of the river bubbling softly in front of him. Before his eyes, a new translucent panel flickered into existence, replacing the inventory screen.
[Talent: Death Declaration]
[Quality: Epic]
[Effect: You may declare the death of a single target. Once marked, the target will perish within three days through a randomized cause of death. This ability has a cooldown period of 30 days.]
[Price: As the cost of anchoring this talent to your soul, your physical age will regress by ten years.]
Jack stared at the text, his breath hitching slightly. A talent related to death? It was a chilling power, something that felt like it belonged in the hands of a mythological reaper rather than a high school student. Perhaps it was because he had already crossed the threshold of the afterlife once, courtesy of a very determined truck that his compatibility with the concept of death was so high.
He raised a trembling hand and touched his face. The skin was remarkably smooth, lacking the rough stubble and the tired lines of a man who had spent years grinding away in a cubicle. He looked down at his reflection in the shimmering river water. A youth stared back at him, a boy with sharp, clear eyes and the vibrant energy of someone in their mid-teens.
For a certain famous high school detective, being regressed into a child was a nightmare that required a desperate search for an antidote. But for Jack? Being reverted from a burnt-out corporate slave to a youthful fifteen-year-old was the greatest "price" he could have ever hoped to pay.
"Going from a dead-end job to a fresh start at fifteen..." Jack whispered, a grin spreading across his face. "If this is a curse, then please, curse me some more."
While the talent seemed to carry a heavy "God of Death" vibe, it was fundamentally different from the uncontrollable aura of misfortune that followed characters like Conan Edogawa. That "orthodox" death-attraction was a passive disaster; wherever they went, bodies piled up. Jack's ability was active and surgical. With a thirty-day cooldown, he wasn't going to be a walking calamity. He was an executioner with a very specific, very rare bullet.
He dismissed the talent screen and pulled up his basic attributes to see what kind of "vessel" he was working with.
[Personal Attributes]
[Strength: 4]
[Agility: 4]
[Intelligence: 4]
[Charm: 5]
[Luck: 5]
(Note: The standard for a healthy adult male is 5.)
His physical stats were slightly below the curve, which made perfect sense. He was in the body of a fifteen-year-old who hadn't quite finished his growth spurt. His muscles weren't as dense as they used to be, and his reach was shorter. However, his Charm and Luck remained at the human average. He'd need to find a way to train this new body if he intended to survive the more dangerous corners of this world.
Jack closed the attribute panel and opened his inventory again. A deep crimson card etched with swirling, mysterious patterns sat in the second slot.
[Identity Card]
Jack focused his mind on the card. Use.
In an instant, the card shattered into a thousand red light particles that surged toward him, entering through his forehead. A sudden, sharp pressure built up behind his eyes. It was a massive data dump, a lifetime of memories he hadn't lived, being woven into the fabric of his mind.
He saw the gates of Tonosaki Academy... he felt the weight of textbooks on subjects he'd long since forgotten... he remembered the faces of teachers he'd never met. Names and locations began to click into place. He saw a girl with bobbed hair and a quiet, almost invisible presence, Megumi Kato sitting a few rows away. He saw the layout of the city, the train routes, and the winding streets of his new neighborhood.
"Ugh... my head," Jack groaned, rubbing his temples as the throbbing subsided.
He slowly absorbed the influx of information. Tonosaki Academy. Beika Town. Shuchiin Academy across the district. Sobu High on the outskirts. This world wasn't just a copy of Japan; it was a chaotic, beautiful tapestry woven from different anime universes. It was a multi-anime world, a place where rom-com drama and high-stakes mystery lived side-by-side.
"Beika Town..." Jack's expression became complicated. "The system really has a sense of humor. Placing a guy with a 'Death Declaration' talent in the murder capital of the world. I really hope my apartment has good locks."
He shook off the lingering dizziness and checked the system's final tab: the Shop. Currently, the shop was mostly empty, save for a single item pulsing with a blue light.
[Unique Skill: Double Jump]
[Quality: Special]
[Type: Consumable][Effect: Grants the user the ability to perform a second jump while in mid-air.]
[Price: 1 Gold Coin (Newcomer Discount! Original Price: 1000 Gold Coins)]
[Refresh Timer: 30 Days Remaining]
Jack did a double-take at the price. One thousand gold coins? A Devil Fruit Mystery Box only cost 99! This "Double Jump" was apparently valued at ten times the price of a supernatural fruit. The "Unique Skill" prefix clearly indicated that this wasn't just a game mechanic, it was a fundamental manipulation of physics.
He looked at his balance. He had exactly one gold coin from his welcome pack. If he spent it, he'd be starting his new life completely broke.
Should I save it? he wondered. He hadn't figured out how to earn more currency yet. But the 30-day refresh timer and the sheer absurdity of the discount made his decision for him. In a world where he might have to dodge a stray bullet in Beika Town or escape a collapsing building, mobility was life.
"Purchase," he commanded.
The coin icon vanished, and a small, glowing booklet appeared in his hand before dissolving into light.
[Unique Skill: Double Jump Learned.]
Jack stood up, feeling a strange new lightness in his legs. He gave a small hop, and while he was still three feet in the air, he imagined stepping onto a solid platform. He kicked down. Thump. A ripple of air manifested under his feet, and he propelled himself another four feet upward, nearly hitting the underside of the bridge.
"Whoa!" He landed gracefully, a grin of pure child-like wonder on his face. "This is incredible. I can literally walk on the air for a split second."
After testing the skill a few more times, Jack noticed the sun was almost gone. The sky was a deep violet now, and the river breeze was turning chilly. He needed to head home.
As he walked out from under the bridge and headed up the grassy slope, a sudden, powerful gust of wind swept across the riverbank. The tall grass bowed low, hissing as it rippled like waves.
Jack stopped. A few yards away, the boy with the glasses, Nobita was still sitting there, but a tall, long-haired girl in a sailor uniform had appeared behind him. She was staring out at the river with a melancholic, dramatic flair.
Suddenly, another boy in a school uniform came sprinting down the road, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated panic. He didn't even see Jack as he screamed at the top of his lungs toward the duo.
"Hidenori! The potato chips at the convenience store! They're half-price! If we don't go now, the seniors will buy them all!"
Jack stood frozen for a second. The dramatic atmosphere of the "boisterous wind" was shattered instantly by the mundane desperation of a snack sale.
"So, the boys from Daily Lives are here too," Jack muttered, shaking his head. "Today's wind really is quite boisterous... with the scent of cheap potato chips."