This was Izuku Midoriya's last day of training.
---
Izuku, an introverted and shy boy, had always dreamed of becoming a hero someday. He wanted to be like his greatest idol, All Might.
However, unfortunately, that wouldn't be possible. And why not?
He didn't have what defined whether someone was a normal person or a superhuman — the infamous Quirk. Something unique to each individual that set them apart from others.
A power that could range from growing parts of your body to running at unbelievable speeds.
Because of this, he ended up being bullied by those he once considered his friends. His former best friend, Bakugo Katsuki, was the one who mocked him the most for his condition.
This led to him growing up with deep insecurity, becoming timid as a result. But everything suddenly changed.
One day, he saw his bully being attacked by a sludge villain, and without thinking, he ran to help. Even though he had no reason to, he did it anyway.
That action ended up catching the attention of a very famous hero. All Might! The current No. 1 hero.
Moved by the boy's bravery, All Might offered him his power. But before he could receive it, he would need to undergo training so that his body could withstand a Quirk transfer.
---
Dagobah Beach.
"Young Midoriya!" shouted a tall, skeletal blonde man, raising his arm to catch the attention of the boy approaching the area.
"All Mi—I mean, Toshinori-sensei!" the boy corrected himself before shouting the famous name too loudly.
"Today is the day you'll receive my power. Are you ready to carry such a heavy burden on your shoulders?"
"O-of course I am! That's why I went through all that training!" Izuku said with a determined smile.
"Alright." Toshinori replied proudly, then looked toward the beach.
"First, collect that rubble near the shore. That's the last of it." He pointed to a pile of assorted trash—tires, rusty metal plates, and some broken appliances.
"Sure!" Determined, Izuku began to do as instructed.
...
"Phew! That was the last one." He sighed in exhaustion before collapsing onto the ground.
"Very well done, young man!" All Might said, now in his muscular hero form. "I don't have much time, so..." He pulled out a strand of his hair. "Eat this!" he offered to the boy.
"Wha!?" Izuku said, stunned. If he had more energy, he would've shouted. "Eat that?!"
"Yes, to transfer a Quirk, I need to pass on my DNA to the next user. I could do it with blood, but I figured you wouldn't want to drink it. Besides, my hair is well taken care of—I wash it with shampoo every day." All Might explained.
"I see... Alright then," said Izuku, ignoring that last detail and grabbing the strand of hair.
But before he could swallow it, he heard a notification sound in his mind.
He looked around and noticed how time seemed to slow down, eventually stopping completely. In front of him, a screen slowly began to form.
[Ding! Make a choice.]
[1: Eat All Might's silky hair! Reward: (Quirk) One for All]
[2: Don't eat All Might's silky hair. Reward: All Might will be disappointed in you. -5 centimeters.]
'-5 centimeters!? What is this thing talking about!?' Izuku thought, shocked by the message on the screen.
"Wait a minute... Could this thing be my Quirk?" he said aloud, imagining the possibility.
Could my power be knowing what will happen based on my choices? ...No. If that were my Quirk, the doctor would've noticed it before. Then what is this?
Before he could think further, another notification appeared in front of him. This time showing a countdown timer ticking down each second.
[Make a choice within 00:28 seconds!]
Now more shocked than before, the boy was pressured not only to make a decision but to do it quickly.
Without doubting himself, he chose the first option—after all, that's what he was going to do anyway. The only reason he hadn't done it already was because of the shock from the unexpected notifications.
Time began to flow again. Now holding the hair in his hand, Izuku swallowed it in one go to avoid tasting it. But that was impossible.
"Tastes like conditioner." He didn't know how he recognized that taste, but he was sure that's what it was.
[Ding! You have eaten All Might's hair! Reward: (Quirk) One for All.]
"Great! Farewell then, young man, the civilians are waiting for me!" All Might said, then launched himself into the air with a powerful jump.
"See you later, All Might!" Izuku shouted from below, waving his arm. A truly beautiful scene—except for the part where the hero left a boy lying on the beach.
His energy wouldn't return for a few hours. In the meantime, he lay in the sand, watching the waves and a few birds approaching him.
---
Now back at home, Midoriya was staring at that "mission completed" screen again. He still didn't fully understand what was going on, but he had a small idea.
He had played some RPG games that had the same kind of menu as what he was seeing now. Maybe he had entered a game... No, that would be too ridiculous.
The best thing to do now was to put it aside and focus on what really mattered. Next week was the UA Academy entrance exam, and he hadn't even tested out the power he had just received.
He only felt a surge of energy flowing through his entire body, but aside from that, he couldn't do anything else.
One strange thing was that he only felt that surge when the floating screen notification appeared. Could this be connected to his still-unawakened Quirk?
"Answers... I need answers!" said Izuku, exasperated, staring off into the distance, hoping for a response from someone—or something.
[Ding! The host is entitled to one question only.]
"Only one..." he muttered, disappointed as another computer window opened before him. "What are you?"
[Assimilating question...]
[Result obtained!]
[Choice System!]
Welcome, User!
I am the Choice System — my function is to present decisions that will shape your evolution, attributes, and destiny.
In each situation, you will receive unique options. Your choices will bring rewards… or consequences.
Example of how it works:
Situation: Your room is a mess. Make a choice.
[1: Clean the room. Reward: +1 Strength, +3 Discipline, +5 Reputation with Mom.]
[2: Leave it as it is. Reward: New Title: "King of Chaos", Penalty: Maternal Wrath (duration: 2 days), -2 Morale.]
[3: Pretend you didn't see anything. Reward: (Title) Couch Potato King, +10% Energy Recovery Rate.]
[You choose. I only record... and grant the rewards.]
Good luck, Player.