Morning sunlight slipped through the thin curtains, warm and soft, painting the room in golden hues. Ai Hoshino was still asleep, sprawled in the most un-idol-like pose possible, her hair a messy halo around her head. Ruby was curled up against her side, drooling slightly.
And me? I was wide awake.
Ruby made a little snorting noise in her sleep, mumbling something about "fan rankings" and "idol domination." Even unconscious, she radiated ambition and pettiness. I couldn't help but respect it—she was clearly committed to whatever toddler drama she was running in her head.
I wriggled out from under the blanket and sat up, stretching my stubby toddler arms until my joints popped. Every time I did that, I had to fight the urge to grimace. I still wasn't used to this soft, squishy body. Too small, too slow, too weak.
Which was exactly why I needed to check it.
Closing my eyes, I let my focus slip inward. It wasn't meditation—more like clicking a mental bookmark. The air in my mind shimmered, and a faint digital chime echoed.
[Opening Chat Group Interface…]
The air in my mind shifted, and suddenly I was looking at a floating translucent screen. Like a Discord server had gotten drunk and merged with a sci-fi HUD.
[Multiverse Chat Group]
Members: 1
Aquamarine Hoshino (Administrator)
That's right. Just me.
The sole member.
The king of a kingdom with no subjects.
The captain of a ship with no crew.
…The idiot in a group chat alone.
When I first found it, I half expected some cosmic being to pop up and say, "Welcome, chosen one, here are your companions from across the multiverse!"
Instead, I got crickets. Literal crickets. There's even an emoji for them here.
I'd been sure a flood of names from other worlds would pop up. Heroes, villains, and godlike beings ready to team up, trade skills, and help each other survive our various universes.
Instead… silence.
Just a clean interface and the lonely hum of digital emptiness.
Still, I wasn't discouraged. This thing wasn't just for chatting — the interface had tabs that made my inner gamer scream.
[Exchange Store] — items from countless worlds, from Senzu Beans to Devil Fruits, all for the low, low price of… well, points I didn't have.
[Mission Board] — locked until there are at least three members.
[Private Channels] — also locked.
Still, today there was something different.
A little notification bubble pulsed in the top corner.
I tapped it.
[Daily Login Reward: 2 Points]
A small, faintly glowing coin icon spun on the screen before fading into my balance.
[Total Points: 2]
"…Wow. I'm rich," I muttered, deadpan.
Apparently, this thing had a daily login system. One to three points per day, completely random. Which meant if I was insanely lucky, I could make… what, 90 points a month?
I stared at the "2" points for a moment.
It mocked me.
If it had a face, I would've punched it.
For context:
Normal Gacha Roll — 1,000 points
10+1 Roll — 10,000 points
Yeah. At this rate, I'd have enough for a single normal roll in about a year. Maybe.
Right now, all I could do was type to myself. Which I did.
[Aqua]: Hey, future me. Remember to buy milk when we're old enough to shop alone.
[Aqua]: Also, don't die before then.
Pathetic? Maybe. But it was my pathetic.
With a sigh, I stared at the interface. I had a plan now — gather points, get members, and start getting powerful enough to survive whatever insanity this world (and others) would throw at me.
But as I was about to close the interface, another notification popped up.
[First Login Bonus: 1x Guaranteed S-Rank Roll]
I froze. Then grinned.
Now this was what I'd been waiting for.
The gacha menu opened with a soft mechanical hum, the screen filling with glowing, shifting icons representing possible rewards—items, skills, weapons, bloodlines, artifacts from a thousand worlds. Most of them locked behind rarity tiers. S-Rank was near the top, just shy of SS and the mythical SSS.
I didn't even hesitate.
[Confirm Roll?]
[Yes]
"Yes," I thought without hesitation.
The hologram shimmered, and a roulette wheel appeared—symbols from dozens of universes spinning past my vision: zanpakutō, infinity stones, cursed techniques, dragon cores, and things I didn't even recognize.
It slowed…
…and stopped on a shifting black symbol that looked almost alive.
> Congratulations!
You have obtained: [Apex Klyntar Symbiote] – Origin: Marvel Multiverse
Modified Variant – Immune to traditional sonic & fire weaknesses.
Classification: S-Rank Apex Biological Lifeform.
Bond Status: Pending.
A grin tugged at my lips. Oh. Ohhh, this is good.
The Klyntar symbiote—most people call it "the Venom thing"—was already one of the most versatile biological weapons in fiction. Shapeshifting armor, adaptive healing, monstrous strength, camouflage,it could also change my genetics and anything related to my body. That made it an apex predator.
> [Bond with symbiote now?]
[Yes] / [No]
"Yes."
The air shifted.
A ripple appeared in front of me—a black, liquid-like mass oozed out of thin air, pulsing as if it were alive. Its surface shimmered with oily rainbows, tendrils stretching like curious fingers.
It lunged.
The mass shot forward, tendrils slipping past my clothes, wrapping around my torso, threading under my skin with a sensation that was half ticklish, half electrifying. It didn't choke or smother; it merged.
A hot-cold wave rolled through my body, sinking into my nerves, rewriting something deep in my cells. I gasped—not out loud, just in my head—because if I made a sound, Ai would notice.
It was… intimate. Like shaking hands with your own reflection and realizing they'd been waiting for you all along.
> [Bond complete.]
>Host Compatibility: 99.8% – Perfect Synchronization.
>Integration Mode: Passive (symbiote remains hidden unless summoned).
>Note:symbiote is in full control of host it has no consciousness of its own.
I willed a tendril to appear. The black liquid slid from my palm like liquid shadow, wrapping into a thin blade before melting back under my skin. No pain. No delay. My body was the weapon now.
Strength? I could feel it coiled inside me, waiting. Even in "passive mode" I sensed faster reflexes, sharper awareness, the faint hum of adaptive regeneration.
I checked the inventory tab—yep, the symbiote was listed as Bonded – Permanent. Meaning no one could steal it, and I couldn't accidentally lose it like some careless gamer dropping their best loot in lava.
"Morning, Aqua," Ruby whispered, like she thought she was being sneaky.
I didn't bother replying. She still thought I was just a smart toddler. And for now, I wanted to keep it that way.
I pushed myself upright, yawning in that exaggerated baby way.
Ai's voice rang out from the kitchen.
"Kids~! Breakfast time!"
Ruby immediately perked up. "Coming, Mama!" she chirped, scrambling to her feet.
I hopped down from the bed, suppressing the smirk tugging at my lips. The toddler life might look simple on the outside, but with this system in my corner?
Things were about to get very interesting.