Jack Harper walked alone across the desolate snowy plain.
It had been three days since he arrived in this unfamiliar world.
Although everything had been chaotic at first, he now had a basic understanding of his situation.
That day, while walking by the river, the son of his enemy—Brandon Caswell—rammed a car straight toward him. Jack dodged the vehicle, which then crashed into the river. Unexpectedly, Brandon transformed into a Death Knight from World of Warcraft and impaled Jack through the chest with a sword.
A surreal experience indeed… but what happened afterward was even more fantastic. Jack realized he hadn't died. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in this strange world.
He hadn't woken alone. Alongside him were six or seven others of various appearances, and nearby stood four or five people dressed in strange outfits.
Those four or five claimed to be "veterans" of this world—called Infinite Space.
They explained that Infinite Space was created by some unknown force: a realm composed of countless fantasy worlds, built upon stories, films, video games, and anime from the real world. But not just any story could become a world—only those that evoked intense emotion: fear, excitement, despair, rage. Love stories, comedies, and slice-of-life dramas had never appeared.
All those from the real world, Jack included, had arrived in this realm after death.
Because they'd already died once, their revival was imperfect. To remain alive, they had to keep adventuring across different worlds, completing missions, earning something called Survival Points. These points could then be spent to buy time to live.
It was a dangerous process. But since everyone had already died once, they saw it as a second chance and strove to survive. Some couldn't endure the tension, lacked ability, or had poor luck. Those people gave up—willingly or otherwise—and no one could complain.
As for the mysterious force behind Infinite Space, no one knew its nature. It had never appeared in person, and some doubted its existence entirely.
But that wasn't something Jack Harper could worry about.
Just before dying, he vaguely remembered hearing Brandon mention "Infinite Space." The strange power Brandon gained—becoming a Death Knight—must have come from one of those fantasy worlds.
At first, Jack planned to stick with the veteran team "Eight-Winged Lyre" during the dangerous period of acclimation. But an unexpected accident led to him being abandoned.
Recalling that, Jack subconsciously pressed his chest—right over his heart. Even without removing his shirt, he could feel the bone-chilling cold radiating from inside.
It was the lingering evil from Brandon's demonic sword, Frostmourne.
Even though Jack's heart had been repaired after being revived in Infinite Space, the evil chill remained. It attacked him constantly, causing agonizing pain. The veterans mistook it for a heart condition and dumped him like excess baggage.
Still, Jack didn't resent them. Survival was a personal affair. Infinite Space was a brutal testing ground. They had no obligation to help. The veterans had already done their part by explaining the basics of the world, and they'd left him with some supplies.
"I wasn't especially attached to my old life… but I have no plans to die again. First, I'll focus on surviving here."
After two days of slowly adapting to the cold ache in his chest, Jack Harper finally set out.
According to the veterans, this world was based on the sci-fi film X-Men I, and the place they'd appeared was near the border between Canada and the United States.
With vast stretches of emptiness and few people, Jack had seen only two gas stations since arriving. Fortunately, the locals were friendly, and he'd managed to hitch a few rides. Otherwise, he'd still be wandering in the snow.
"Those veterans said we have to complete missions in each world. If we fail, there's no reward—and we might be punished or even erased. But… what exactly is the mission?"
Jack Harper sat quietly in a bar on the snowy plain, deep in thought. Though the veterans hadn't taken him along, they had left him $10,000 in cash, allowing him to travel through this unfamiliar country. In his hands was a small hardcover black book, filled with dark blue script.
World:X-Men I (Near Future / Superpower) Challenge Rank: Silver – Lower Tier
Mission Objectives:
Survive for 15 days Reward: 1,000 Survival Points Prevent Magneto from carrying out his evil plan
Failure Conditions:
More than 10 government officials are converted into mutants More than 10,000 civilians are converted into mutants Any one of these X-Men dies: Professor X (Charles), Rogue (Marie), Cyclops (Scott), Storm (Ororo), Wolverine (Logan), Jean Grey
Reward: 4,000 Survival Points Failure Penalty: Each adventurer loses one Silver–Lower Tier card and 8,000 Survival Points
Jack could understand most of this. But the final objective was unclear. Who was Magneto? What was his plan? And who were Professor X, Wolverine, and the rest?
He had no clue.
It wasn't ignorance, really. This film came out in 2000—at that time, Jack Harper was already cryogenically frozen. By the time he was revived, X-Men had long faded from the spotlight. Although its sequels were popular, Jack had little interest in pop culture. To him, superheroes were limited to Superman, Spider-Man, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The rest? He'd never even heard of them.
"From what I've gathered, mutants are genetically altered people with unique abilities. Their powers vary in type and strength—and so do their circumstances." Jack mused. "Magneto must be the evil boss among them. Stop his plan? No thanks. Let the veterans handle that—they probably know the story's background. I'll just focus on surviving two weeks."
But from what the veterans said, Infinite Space didn't support passive behavior. Staying out of things might not be so easy.
Jack absentmindedly ran his hand across the book's thick cover.
It was no ordinary book. Called the Book of Reincarnation, it served as every adventurer's proof of identity. According to the veterans, each person had one—the book was a sign that Infinite Space had some intelligent control behind it. It recorded every adventurer's information. Each time they entered a new world, the book would display the relevant missions and data. Completion of tasks would deliver rewards through the book itself.
This book wasn't a true physical object—it was more like a summoned item. It could appear and vanish at will. Even when held, locals couldn't see it. If the owner didn't wish to share it, not even other adventurers could view its contents. The book had no combat capabilities, no defense. It couldn't be destroyed, either. It was like a phantom: useless in battle, invulnerable to harm.
Jack flipped to the front pages. There, his basic information was displayed:
Name: Jack Harper Class: Newcomer Performance Rating: None
Basic Attributes: Strength (Body Power): 23/100 Agility (Nerve Sensitivity): 27/100 Intelligence (Brain Capacity): 67/100 Vitality (Cell Activity): 12/100
Bloodline: Standard East Asian Human Abilities: None Equipment: None
"So basically… I'm a weak nobody." Jack shook his head, staring at the data.
This was normal for a first-time adventurer.
The veterans had explained the four attributes in detail:
Strength measured overall physical capability—bones, muscles, tendons, skin. The higher the number, the greater the force and durability. Agility referred to the sensitivity of the nervous system—reaction speed, control precision, sensory perception. Intelligence tracked mental processing—thinking speed, memory, calculation ability, comprehension. Vitality was about resilience—stamina, immunity, healing rate, lifespan.
Because the technical terms were too academic, the names were gamified to make them easier to understand. Each stat had two numbers: the adventurer's current level and their theoretical maximum.
According to the veterans, these attributes could be enhanced using Survival Points. But every body had its limits. For example, a human skeleton was made of calcium, and muscle strength came from cell growth. If someone somehow gained strength to lift hundreds of tons, their bones and muscles would collapse before they could use it. So a cap was set for each bloodline.
100 was the upper limit for normal humans. A typical adult male scored between 15 and 30 for each stat.
The world's heaviest weightlifter could deadlift nearly 500 kilograms—that would be around Strength 97. Elite gymnasts, sleight-of-hand masters, and professional pickpockets might hit Agility above 80. Intelligence champions could be math prodigies—not necessarily adult geniuses. And marathon runners or laborers in high altitudes would excel in Vitality.
Given Jack's normal human background, these stats weren't bad. Strength and Agility came from rehab training in recent years. His Intelligence was partly natural—he'd been cunning enough to plot a murder—and partly a side effect of his long cryogenic sleep. During his
long cryogenic sleep, he'd endured countless waking nightmares. To distract himself, he'd spent years mentally reciting chess openings, math problems, and strategic puzzles. Over time, his brain had sharpened—he could now memorize anything at a glance. Only his Vitality was abnormally low, the result of extended freezing.
"Looking at these stats, I'm clearly no savior... But whatever. First, I need to get to the city. Then I'll figure things out. Since I'll be adventuring regularly from now on, I won't always be able to dodge my fate."
Jack closed the Book of Reincarnation and murmured to himself.
With that, he hitched a ride southbound in a cargo truck. Because the journey was long, the truck had both a primary and secondary driver. Jack ended up in the back compartment.
What Jack didn't know was that, not far ahead, the world's main storyline was already unfolding.
In the original movie plot, a young mutant girl named Rogue (Marie), who had recently awakened her gene absorption ability, ran away from home after failing to control it. Wandering alone across the snowy plains, she encountered a man with no memory—Logan, aka Wolverine.
Logan was also a mutant, possessing "wolf-like instincts" and "enhanced regeneration." He had heightened senses and combat intuition, plus superhuman healing. His entire skeleton had been reinforced with superalloy, and from his hands extended six indestructible metal claws—making him a powerful melee fighter.
Not long after they teamed up, danger struck.
The attacker was a mutant called Sabretooth—a massive beast resembling a lion-headed giant. His abilities were similar to Logan's but even more powerful. He had "saber-tooth mutation," immense strength, and enhanced speed. Like Wolverine, he also had regenerative powers.
In some adaptations, he belonged to a secret project known as Weapon X that had modified Logan. Sabretooth was cast as Logan's older brother, rival, and lifelong adversary. In this movie, however, he appeared as a silent brute who obeyed Magneto completely.
This time, his mission was to capture Rogue and bring her to Magneto.
Sabretooth tore a massive pine tree from the ground and hurled it to block Rogue and Logan's speeding RV. Logan was thrown out through the windshield and landed fifty meters away. Though he survived thanks to his healing factor, Sabretooth slammed him into the air again, then smashed him with the tree trunk like a baseball bat. Logan ended up unconscious on the vehicle's hood.
In the movie, this was when Storm and Cyclops were supposed to arrive for rescue—but something changed. The X-Men didn't show up in time.
As Rogue was dragged from the RV, the veterans of Eight-Winged Lyre who had secretly followed the quest target were forced to intervene.
"ROAAAARRRRRRR!"
The first to charge wasn't human—it was a massive white bear standing over five meters tall on its hind legs.
Despite its fearsome look, the bear fought like a disciplined warrior. Instead of attacking, it shielded Rogue, absorbing Sabretooth's claws with its thick body.
This bear wasn't a beast, but a druid veteran using transformation magic. His job: protect Rogue, no matter the cost. Killing her would mean automatic mission failure. They didn't bother saving Logan—he was practically immortal.
(In one comic storyline, Wolverine had been torn in half by the Hulk, crawled four miles with his upper body, climbed a cliff, and reattached himself… and survived.)
The bear bought precious time. The other veterans launched their counterattack.
Flaming arrows whizzed through the air—seven or eight bolts shot in seconds. They exploded on impact, forcing Sabretooth to retreat.
A heavy-armored paladin then rushed in—not to fight, but to carry Rogue out of danger. He cast a healing spell over the bleeding bear.
Finally, the team's leader made his entrance.
A shimmering harp melody echoed through the snow, enchanting everyone—including Sabretooth. A silver-armored man emerged, cradling a golden lyre. He was the captain of Eight-Winged Lyre, clad in the armor of the Lyra constellation, empowered by white-silver tier enhancements. Though not as strong as canonical characters like Lyra Orpheus from Saint Seiya, his tune—"Strings of Illusion"—controlled the battlefield.
Yet Sabretooth resisted. While his raw combat ability ranked among the lower Bronze Saints, his healing factor made him almost unbeatable.
"Old Blade, finish him—now!" the paladin shouted.
A glint flashed in the woods—a blade sliced toward Sabretooth's head. The strike was fierce, and even observers a hundred meters away could feel its cutting intent. If it landed, Sabretooth's head would be split open.
"ROAAAARRRRRRRR!"
Sabretooth's animal instinct kicked in. He roared and dodged at the last moment. The blade still carved a half-foot gash across his face.
Furious, he lunged at the attacker. Sparks flew as metal claws met steel.
"Seven Forms of Blade Intent—Chaotic Slash!" the swordsman shouted.
This was a technique from the Wind and Cloud manga, adapted from the Japanese master Kōei. Though the veteran only knew part of it, his strikes overwhelmed Sabretooth, whose brute tactics couldn't match real martial arts. Several deep cuts appeared on his body.
But his regeneration was relentless. Even the facial wound vanished within seconds. Despite multiple gashes, he barely bled and kept fighting.
Then came a sharp crescendo of harp notes. Sabretooth was blown into the air like he'd stepped on a dozen landmines—hit by a sonic attack called Requiem Serenade.
Though gravely wounded, Sabretooth still wasn't dead. He roared, staggered up—and suddenly looked toward the forest, then fled.
The harp knight frowned. "He sensed something. Old Blade, Paladin, Sayuri—pursue him. I'll meet the X-Men."
The trio nodded and entered the woods. Moments later, a futuristic jet appeared—the X-Men's stealth aircraft.
After another hour...
Jack Harper sat groggily in the cargo hold. Suddenly, a roar shattered the silence. The truck braked violently.
"What the hell are you?!"
"Wait—what are you doing?!"
"Ahhh! Help—!"
Screams came from the driver's cabin. Jack didn't rush in. The two drivers were huge men—each with arms thicker than his legs. If someone subdued them easily, Jack had no chance.
He held his breath, crept to a small window near the front, and peeked through. The two drivers had been thrown out. A massive blond man now sat at the wheel.
Then Jack's Book of Reincarnation flew open on its own.
Triggered Side Quest:Conspiracy TrackingObjective: Track the mutant Sabretooth to discover Magneto's hideout and his plan. Bonus: 1,500 Survival Points + Professor X's gratitude Penalty for Failure: -3,000 Survival Points
Sabretooth had been gravely injured by the harp knight's sonic attack and the veterans' pursuit. His healing had slowed. So, to escape and travel, he hijacked the truck Jack was riding.
And just like that, Jack Harper, who'd planned to stay uninvolved, was dragged into the conflict.
"Reward: 1500. Penalty: 3000? These guys are shameless..." Jack muttered. He still didn't understand Survival Points, but anything that affected "survival" sounded important.
"And… what does 'Professor X's gratitude' even mean?"
Still, the more urgent question was: how would he survive Sabretooth?
Difficult indeed.
The truck sped south for a full day and night.
Sabretooth's endurance was terrifying. After being sliced and blasted, chased for hours, and then driving nonstop, he showed no fatigue. By the time they stopped, he'd healed completely.
Jack, hiding in the back, wasn't so lucky. His life force was below average to begin with, and the sleepless, tense ride had drained him. Still, he forced himself to stay awake—falling asleep could mean dying without knowing it.
Finally, the truck stopped.
Jack didn't know much about American geography. But the warm, humid air and faint sound of waves made him guess: they'd reached a southern coastal region.
He heard a door slam. Sabretooth had left. Jack waited a while before sneaking out through the front.
The sun blazed overhead. The vast ocean stretched ahead. After hours cramped in the truck, Jack wanted to scream in relief.
But he stayed quiet. Behind a tall rock outcropping, a motorboat was approaching. Sabretooth was driving.
"That guy is scary. What should I do?" Jack murmured.
Hiring a boat to follow was too risky. Magneto's base was likely out at sea. If Jack got too close, he'd be dead. But ignoring the mission meant losing Survival Points—and probably, his life.
So, he hatched a plan.
He hitched a ride into a nearby town, bought camping gear and a long-range scope, then returned to the coast and hid about a kilometer from the dock. From there, he began his silent surveillance.
He expected to wait for days. But within hours, the boat returned—with three passengers: Sabretooth, a blue-skinned mutant with frog-like features, and a white-haired man in a black coat.
Jack didn't recognize them. But the old white-haired man seemed particularly authoritative. With his commanding presence and the obvious respect shown by Sabretooth, Jack suspected this was Magneto himself.
This elderly mutant possessed terrifying power. He could manipulate magnetic fields at will—making himself fly by repelling Earth's magnetism, weaponizing metal around him, tearing apart trains or bridges, even collapsing entire cities single-handedly. In this world, he was nearly an unstoppable force of destruction.
Fortunately, Magneto hadn't noticed Jack hiding a kilometer away, observing through a long-range scope.
After landing, Magneto glanced at the cargo truck left on the roadside and asked Sabretooth, "Where's your vehicle?"
Sabretooth lowered his head, replying in broken speech: "Battle… Injured… Emergency… Lost it."
Magneto didn't press further. With a casual gesture, the massive cargo truck flew into the air, arcing over the coastline before crashing into the sea. Then Magneto stopped another passing vehicle—a Hummer—dragged the driver out, and departed with his companions.
Jack watched this display of power and couldn't help but mutter, "He just tossed the entire truck like a toy… Definitely a final boss."
Then he had a thought. "That old man was the last to get off the boat… If he's that arrogant, maybe there's a chance here…"
After waiting half an hour—long enough for even the robbed driver to leave—Jack cautiously approached the dock.
The pier was located beneath a twenty-meter-high reef, accessible via a carved-out path in the rock. Jack had initially wondered how such a perfectly chiseled path was made. After seeing Magneto fling a truck into the ocean, he stopped questioning.
A metal fence blocked the trail, but Jack had planned ahead. Back in town, he'd bought a large pair of industrial bolt cutters. With a few firm squeezes, he cut through several bars and squeezed inside.
He reached the dock and boarded the small motorboat. Just as he'd hoped, the arrogant Magneto hadn't locked it—nor removed the keys.
Jack fiddled with the controls. Before long, he figured out how to operate the simple vessel.
Even better: it had satellite navigation with a highlighted button labeled—
AUTO RETURN
Jack smiled. Jackpot.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, the veterans' team had succeeded in establishing contact with the X-Men.
By aiding Rogue and Wolverine, team leader Takashi and the druid had gained the trust of Storm and Cyclops. They were invited to the headquarters known as the X-Mansion, officially the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning.
Takashi wore the radiant silver armor of Lyra. The druid bore white bear fur. Although their appearances were unusual, in this world filled with masked and costumed heroes, no one raised an eyebrow.
Unlike the gruff and solitary Wolverine, the veterans were friendly and diplomatic. Upon arrival, they helped arrange care for the unconscious Logan and the fatigued Rogue. Shortly after, they met with Professor Charles Xavier.
Professor X was one of the most powerful telepaths on Earth. He could control nearly any mind weaker than his own, and—using a device called Cerebro—he could project his consciousness across the globe. But he was deeply disciplined. He never used his powers frivolously, nor to pursue personal gain. His dream was peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants, and he dedicated himself to teaching young mutants how to control their abilities.
During the meeting, the veterans spoke honestly. Facing a mental powerhouse, lying was pointless.
Takashi explained that he and his team were members of a large organization called "Infinite Space." They weren't mutants, but had been dispatched to stop Magneto's world-threatening plan.
He claimed their organization operated beyond this reality and knew about Magneto's plot through "prophetic" means. Their team wasn't powerful enough alone and hoped the X-Men would assist.
Every word was technically true, and Professor X appreciated their candor.
He also warned them, saying, "Takashi, among telepaths, some have possessed prophetic abilities. But prophecy itself can take many forms:
Absolute Prophecy: events that occur regardless of prediction Corrective Prophecy: events that are prevented because they were foretold Causal Prophecy: events that only occur because they were foretold
Depending on which type your organization uses, the risks may be significant."
Charles then entered the Cerebro chamber to locate Magneto's whereabouts. But unknown to him, another variable was already causing the story to deviate wildly.
Back at the temporary veteran camp, the three returning members—Old Blade, Paladin, and Sayuri—found that only two of the seven assigned newcomers remained.
"What happened to the others?" the Paladin demanded.
The remaining woman, in her twenties, answered, "We're not sure. One guy claimed to know the movie plot well, and started explaining it to those who hadn't seen it. Then a chubby man—he said he was a merchant—suggested that if we rescued the senator Magneto planned to mutate, the outcome might change. Suddenly, our Book of Reincarnation activated and gave us a choice to pursue that side quest. Five of them accepted and left. Only we two stayed."
Sayuri frowned. "That was reckless. Do you even understand how dangerous this is? This is a Silver Tier World—powerful characters here can flatten skyscrapers. These alternate missions might sound tempting, but altering core storylines can ruin everything. If we fail the main quest, no amount of bonus rewards will make up for the penalties."
While the veterans scolded the remaining rookies, the five "ambitious" newcomers had already arrived in New York.
Unlike Jack Harper—who was discarded—their team had gathered useful insights. They understood that Survival Points were essential. Outside of the first mission, adventurers spent 10 points per day simply to stay alive. If they returned to the real world, the cost increased to 50 points per day. Survival Points could also be used to upgrade attributes, buy gear, and trade with other adventurers.
Simply put: Survival Points equaled life, time, and currency.
On a plane to New York, the chubby merchant, Benjamin Whitaker, continued hyping his team: "We don't need to fight mutants. We just need to expose their plan. Magneto can't oppose national governments directly—even he fears Professor X. We just find the senator, identify the shapeshifter impersonating his aide, and boom—easy Survival Points for everyone."
"But… how do we handle the shapeshifter?" asked a hesitant teen.
"She's called Mystique," replied Ava Sullivan, the movie buff. "She can change appearance and mimic clothes, but it's all her skin—no weapons. Her combat skills are okay, but she's vulnerable to bullets. Just expose her identity and let the authorities deal with her."
The team landed in New York and quickly tracked down Senator Kelly, known for his anti-mutant stance.
At that point, he hadn't been kidnapped yet.
They reached his office and—after claiming to hold sensitive intel—were granted an audience.
"So," said the senator slowly, "You're telling me my aide was replaced by a mutant called Mystique? That they plan to abduct me and use a radiation machine to turn world leaders into mutants?"
"Yes," said Ava Sullivan earnestly. "You can confirm it easily. Her clothes are actually skin—ask her to remove her coat, and you'll see she can't."
The senator stared hard at the group.
"Interesting. You seem very familiar with their methods… Tell me, where exactly did you get this information?"
"Sorry, Senator—that's confidential."
"I see." He smiled politely. "Then, please—die."
To their horror, "Senator Kelly" drew a silenced pistol and shot Benjamin Whitaker and Ava Sullivan in the head. He vaulted over the desk, crushed another rookie, and executed the rest.
In the terrified gaze of the last survivor, the senator's form shifted—revealing Mystique's true blue-skinned self.
She dialed a phone. "Eric, we've got a problem… Yes. Some pests figured out our plan. Don't worry—I've cleaned them up. But we need to act quickly."
A few minutes later, "Senator Kelly" boarded a helicopter—reportedly for heart treatment. It never reached any hospital.
At the same time in New York, Professor X removed the Cerebro helmet and wheeled out of the chamber.
To Storm and Cyclops, he said gravely, "Magneto has moved forward with the kidnapping. Scott, take the team—we must intercept them immediately."