Have you ever gotten that feeling that you've suddenly won the lottery?
I'm not talking about a small win here. I'm talking about one that can forever change your life. Like you'd drown yourself with so much money you wouldn't know what to do with it all. Millions upon millions of dollars. Perhaps, billions?
I've personally never seen any lottery go that high, but what I'm seeing right now is just as incredulous as that.
After all, what is present before me is defying all known physics. Even we, as humans, haven't advanced augmented reality where space would suddenly distort in front of you, only to have a game-like screen appear.
That's exactly what I am experiencing right now. I'm still in disbelief seeing a game-like blue screen, just hovering in place. It happened so randomly too. It's the start of the weekend, and here I was, trying to figure out my game plan.
But now, that's entirely out the window. I already pinched myself countless times to see if this was a dream, and any more would have made a blister form. I knew well that this was no dream.
Still sitting in my seat, I just observed the floating blue screen for a good moment in silence while I checked out what was on it.
[Ding-dong! You have been randomly selected to become the next Gamer. Would you like to proceed?]
"I wish this was some kind of sick joke, but I'm far past that point...", I said. "What's more, it's giving me an option to refuse? How thoughtful."
The Gamer System, huh? This particular system comes from one of the classic manhwas, aptly called The Gamer. Its main character is a guy called Han Jihan.
As the name implies, it turns one's surroundings into that of a game.
Once you accept it, people will have HP bars above their heads. Everyday items become loot drops. Dungeons will start to appear. You can hunt monsters. Even Quests will be issued to you on occasion. Just like you were experiencing a game yourself!
And this Gamer System chose me...
What do I have to lose if I accept it?
I won't give you my life's story. I have a family. I have friends. I joined a decent-sized consulting firm after graduating college and worked my way upward from the ground up.
I can comfortably say that I lived a pretty fulfilling life thus far.
But because of the long work hours, I barely had any time to devote myself to a significant other, let alone figuring out what to do on the weekends. Thank god the company I joined doesn't work weekends, haha!
I know it could be a lot worse than what I went through.
If I choose "Yes", what would happen to those around me?
Would this affect the world I'm currently living in, or will it take me somewhere? If this Gamer System truly is real then it very well could lead me to a life I do not know. In The Gamer, Han Jihan didn't get "isekai'd".
Instead, he remained on Planet Earth, only to have his entire surroundings change. He had to learn and adapt to it.
I'm not that guy. I'm me. I'm treading unknown waters here.
At the same time, it's a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I know it gave me an option to refuse, but it's practically telling me to accept.
I mean, who wouldn't? In the grand scope of things, living an everyday life is quite mundane. You enter a rhythm that becomes your life, and you keep doing it until you die.
I'm not being melodramatic here, but getting a System thrown at you is a curveball. If I accept, the life I currently know will come to an end. How exciting!
As if it was reacting to my thoughts, I soon saw the Gamer System's blue screen change. The current text on it disappeared, and then it changed to something new. I began to read what it said.
[Ding! Should you accept to become the next Gamer, you will be transported to a predetermined world.]
"It really is one of those isekai...", I uttered. The expression on my face turned serious.
It won't be like The Gamer manhwa. I won't continue living here. I'll be transported somewhere. To where, I do not know. As serious as that sounds, just thinking of this opportunity is making me even more excited!
It was then I saw the blue screen change once more. All it displayed were two words.
[Yes/No.]
"Do I even need to hesitate here?", I said to myself. Becoming resolute, I made my decision right then and there. "Choose Yes."
I expected something to happen to my body the moment I made my decision, but nothing of the sort happened.
Instead, I was greeted with more text. My eyes couldn't turn away. One after another, the prompts followed. For the time being, I'll call these prompts 'Gamer Notifications'.
[Ding! You have chosen to become the next Gamer.]
[Ding! A world will now be selected for you...]
[Ding! You will be transported to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Earth-616.]
[Ding! Before you are brought over, you will undergo a series of prompts to set your parameters.]
Did I see that right?
"Earth-616, the MCU!?", I exclaimed.
A mixture of emotion swept through my eyes. A world that blends science fiction and fantasy together in the form of heroes and villains, set in the modern period. Hell, its technology is much more advanced than what I'm currently used to, and you're telling me I can set my own parameters?
In more simple terms, this is equivalent to creating your game character, before turning into said game character.
How exciting!
The question now is, where does it begin? To be specific, what parameter am I going to set first? Sure enough, the Gamer System sensed my doubt, and it greeted me with another Gamer Notification.
[Ding! To initiate your transfer into Earth-616, you will begin by selecting the year you want to transfer into.]
[Ding! Once the transfer begins, you will be given a unique Skill to avoid the wandering eyes of its myriad god-like beings that may attempt to hinder you during the transfer. This includes the Time Variance Authority.]
"A failsafe to go undetected by even the TVA. Such a Skill exists?", I mused, becoming interested. "And I'm getting it right off the bat..."
As interesting as that sounds, I was drawn toward the first parameter I can apparently set. "But more importantly, to think I can actually choose the Year of when I will be brought into. If we're really talking about the MCU here, that might be the most important decision to make..."
The MCU has so many entry points that choosing just one of them makes it really hard to decide on. It spans years and years, covering history itself, going all the way back to the second world war. This is the MCU we're talking about here, not the expanded comic lore.
The world it selected is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not the other way around.
If it expanded into the rest of Marvel, it would span eons and eons.
But for me, I just have to consider the movies and its subsequent shows that were covered through several phases. I'm quite the nerd when it comes to heroes and villains, so seeing the possibility of being sent into the MCU is very exciting for me!
[Ding! Set timeframe: ???]
As if a virtual keyboard appeared before me, the Gamer Notification changed to exactly that, waiting for me to enter the year I want.
Choices...choices...
I guess the deciding factor is, what exactly do I want to experience after I'm brought into the MCU?
Do I want to live through its history, and fight on the frontlines in one of its world wars? I never considered myself a soldier, nor do I ever anticipate me becoming one. Captain America's first movie is set in 1943. That would be too much of a shift in my perspective, so I'm going to rule that out.
"System, can you tell me the ideal year to transfer to that takes place between Captain Marvel and Iron Man I?", I decided to ask, even though I looked silly by doing so.
All that I heard was the sound of crickets. Not literally, but you know what I mean.
Nothing happened. I received zero response. The Gamer System just floated in front of me, waiting to enter the year.
"Yeah that tracks. Can't be spoon-fed my way in. Really puts me on the spot, haha!", I laughed, seeing no reaction from the Gamer System.
But I think I've narrowed my choice of years down. 1992 to 2005.
1992 unironically happens to be the year I was born. No correlation to what is present before me at all. Just thought I'd like to point that out.
So yes, if we're speaking of present time with it being 2026, that'd make me 34 years old. What's wrong with being a middle-aged man?
As much as I'd love to get placed right into the beginning of one of the movie's plot, that'd barely give me any time to prepare for it. Gotta have some wiggle room, right?
And I've read my fair share of stories that include Systems like the Gamer System. All you really need is a couple years to really get the fire started.
If I do end up choosing 1992, that'd give me three years before Captain Marvel's story kicks off, then another whopping thirteen years before Phase 1 continues.
I just don't know if I want to get into the whole Skrull business, since they're shapeshifters who can mimic even the tiniest of details. You really need to know their personality to a tee to tell the difference.
So yeah, I'm not sure if I want to go all the way back to 1992. On one hand, it is what I grew up with. On the other hand, it's technologically outdated. I wouldn't have access to smartphones and such that I have now.
If I choose the early 2000s, I'll get the breather room that I want, and prepare for Iron Man I. I don't think I really want to deal with aliens quite just yet. The Invasion of New York City does well to introduce them to Planet Earth, which takes place in 2012, four years after Iron Man I.
Captain America is still frozen in the ice up north. Once 2004 happens, Bruce Banner, the Hulk, joins Project Gamma Pulse to eventually become The Hulk. And the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, trains in the Red Room until she meets up with Hawkeye, or Clint Barton, and joins SHIELD in 2008. Iron Man I then kicks off to continue the MCU as a whole.
2004 is too early for me. That'd give me four years of time to pass by. With that in mind, I think I've made my decision.
"Set target year: 2006.", I said, deciding the year.
This should give me enough time to figure out a new identity for myself and explore the Gamer System while going undetected by governmental organizations.
Shield, and likewise, the US Army will be too occupied trying to hunt a runaway Hulk to even be bothered to notice a human being transferred into Earth-616.
And thanks to what the Gamer System told me just a moment ago, it will reward me with a unique Skill that will make me go undetected by godly beings. This could potentially even make the Ancient One not aware of my presence!
I know a lot of stories have the Ancient One come knocking on your doorstep whether you like it or not. But this Gamer System is playing an uno reverse card. Unless I actively seek her out, I doubt anything will happen.
Yes, this is the bald-headed Ancient One who you get to see when the Avengers time travel back to New York City during its Invasion. It will likely be quite some time before Doctor Strange comes into play. Plenty of time to prepare for the many events to come.
[Ding! You have selected the Year that you will be brought into. Year: 2006.]
[Ding! You may now move onto your next parameter. Please designate your Age.]
"I...can choose how old I want to be!?", I exclaimed, utterly shocked. To think such a choice was possible!