Ugh… my head is killing me. What the hell happened yesterday?
I don't remember drinking... or did I? Dammit, my thoughts are a mess.
That's it. I'm done with booze. Never again. One try and I feel like a train hit me. Wait… one try?
Everything feels like crap. My skull is splitting open and my mouth feels like the Atacama Desert. I need water. And an aspirin. Actually, just the water will do for now.
I tried to sit up, battling the dizziness and nausea. As I forced my swollen eyes open, I saw it—a semi-transparent floating "tab" with a message.
What did I drink last night? Hallucinations the next morning? This hangover is on a whole different level.
I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths to steady myself, then wiped my eyes and looked again.
It was still there. Right in the center of my vision, moving whenever I turned my head.
Also… where the hell am I? This definitely isn't my room.
I wasn't at my computer last night… I went with Karl and the others to a party at…
Wait. Who the hell is KARL?
The only "Karl" I know is CJ from GTA or that guy with the propeller on his back from the cartoons. I don't have a friend named Karl Johnson.
And yet, my memory is telling me this large, expensive-looking room is mine.
Shit. I think I've finally lost it.
"Michael, are you okay?!" A worried woman's voice called out from downstairs—the kitchen, according to my memory.
It sounded familiar and strange at the same time. Did I just scream that out loud?
"Yeah! Everything's fine… Mom…" Mom? Did she come to visit? Wait, why would she "visit" her own house? "My head just hurts really bad," I yelled back, which was the honest truth.
Within a minute, I heard footsteps, then a knock. "I'm coming in!"
A middle-aged woman walked in with a bottle of water and some pills. As she got closer, her worry shifted into visible annoyance.
"Here!" She handed me the water and pills, then turned toward the door. "Clean yourself up and come down for breakfast. WE are waiting for you!"
The door slammed. Oh, I'm in for it now.
But wait… since when did my mom become a tall, slender blonde with silver-blue eyes?
My memory says she's always looked like that. I really need to get my brain in order.
I downed half the bottle—cold water, pure bliss—and swallowed the pills. The nausea started to recede, but the "hallucination" stayed put.
[ First Steps in a New World ]
[ Objective: Familiarize yourself with the System ]
[ Reward: 80 XP ]
You've got to be kidding me.
Think. What did I do to deserve a "System"?
Yesterday… I wasn't at some high school party drinking bootleg liquor. I was sitting at my computer, browsing…
Oh god. That "questionable" site. The "Waifu Catalog." I filled out an application for a "Waifu Simulator" just for kicks.
Nice. I became an Isekai protagonist because I filled out a random survey on a shady website.
Usually, there's a magical ritual or a Truck-kun involved, not a digital web form!
Wait, the "original" guy in this body actually did some "dark occult" stuff with his friends last night as a joke.
Was it the survey? Or their ritual? Honestly, it doesn't matter. I'm arguing with myself now. I need to focus.
I reached out and tapped the "Accept" button. I felt a slight resistance, like touching a real screen.
A menu appeared—blue-green with a honeycomb pattern.
The first thing that caught my eye, and honestly the most annoying, was a massive button labeled "Gacha" and a smaller one for the "Shop." Great. My System is a Pay-to-Win mobile game trash heap.
I checked the Journal and saw three messages. One was the quest, the second was a "Daily Activity" reward of 5 crystals.
Yep. Definitely a Gacha.
The third message was the kicker:
"Thank you for using Waifu Catalog Demi 2.0. We have sent you to the world that best matches your requirements. Enjoy your adventure!"
I groaned. It really was the website.
Where am I, though? It's not the Middle Ages. I remember choosing "Modern World."
I also chose a "Good Start." Looking around, this family is loaded. A huge house, expensive SUVs outside, high-end furniture.
"Good looks" and "Athletic build"? I checked the mirror. 16 years old again, a bit too "pretty boy" for my taste, but definitely fit.
My stats were surprisingly high for Level 6. I had effects like "Genius" and "Natural Constitution."
Natural Constitution: +90% disease resistance, +75% training efficiency. Basically, I'm built like a caveman but look like a model.
Genius: Perfect memory and +50% learning speed.
My name here is Trueno Miguel Alexander. What a weird name. Am I Latino? Not really. My mom calls me "Michael" to make it sound more English.
I checked the Assimilation tab. One slot was glowing gold.
"Assimilation Complete." Did I just merge with the original soul? Or did I eat him? My head started hurting again.
Also, I just noticed everything in the System is in English. I know English perfectly now. And Spanish. And French. And Russian.
Talk about a language pack.
I ignored the Gacha and Shop for now. I had to face the "parents" and get my inevitable punishment for last night's bender.
After a quick shower, I headed downstairs.
The kitchen was a battlefield. My two sisters—Veronica and Irene—were already there, giving me the "you're dead" look while eating toast.
My dad, a tall guy with a beard, was drinking coffee and staring at the TV with pure rage in his eyes.
"Good morning," I tried to de-escalate.
"Good?" His tone said otherwise. "Care to explain yourself, Michael?"
I tried the "dumb kid" act. "I… won't drink again?"
"You're grounded. One month. No leaving the house. No allowance."
My heart sank. There went the family trip to Europe. I was stuck in the house on day one of my Isekai life.
I sat there, poking at my porridge, feeling sorry for myself.
Then, the news report caught my ear.
"Breaking news from Metropolis! A man in a strange costume has just stopped a bank robbery!" I looked at the TV. A tall man in blue tights and a red cape was lifting a car over his head. On his chest was a yellow shield with a red 'S'.
"First that psychopath in Gotham, now this freak in Metropolis!" my dad muttered, changing the channel.
Psychopath in Gotham? Freak in Metropolis?
Holy shit. I'm in the DC Universe.